Author's Note: This takes place after Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (contains spoilers) but I have modified events to suit my happy-go-lucky mind. Things will be explained. Please enjoy and take the time to review.

Disclaimer: None of the Characters or places that you recognize belong to me; they are all the property of JKR. That being said if you don't recognize it (ie. The plot and original characters) it is mine.

Timely Transfer

Chapter 1

Amara sat quietly on her luggage in the train station at King's Cross, between Platforms Nine and Ten. She pushed a strand of bright red and purple hair back behind her ear so that her view of the hubbub was unobstructed. The station was inundated with young witches and wizards on their way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She couldn't decide whether the muggle-born first years or the wizarding first years were more entertaining. The latter were bouncing around excited and passing in and out of the barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and the former were standing around nervously trying to figure out how to find the platform. All in all, the panorama was generally amusing. Amara continued to watch the wizarding chaos that had invaded the muggle station until a large and boisterous group of upper level students including Harry Potter passed through the barrier. She was looking forward to being a part of the Hogwarts community again after being gone for a year.

Sighing, she hopped off her trunk and pulled it over to the barrier. When no muggles were looking she slid through the barrier. On the other side of the barrier she was surrounded by the loud greetings exchanged by the wizarding students to their peers. Amara paused for a moment to get her feelings under control. Would her friends remember her? Were they watching for her? Would she spend most of this year as an outsider again? What would she do if they didn't accept her again? Would she fail at her task? Amara shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Worrying won't help anything!" She scolded herself under her breath. She started walking toward the group of upper year Gryffindors that was made up of her friends.

A few moments later, Amara was mobbed by a group of red-heads and brunettes. Pulling away, she glanced at the faces of her friends memorizing the changes and the details. Harry's eyes looked older and more troubled; his body taller and more muscular. Ron had grown like a weed since the end of fifth year and was nearly a head taller than her. Hermione wasn't much taller but her eyes had lost some of their eager innocence. Ginny was taller and had grown into a young woman with her own shadows. Amara was saddened by the effects of the war on her friends.

"Welcome back!" Ginny exclaimed as she hugged Amara again. "We've been looking for you since we got to the station! You changed your hair. We were looking for the short blond hair that we remembered."

"It's good to be back. I'm glad you got my letters. I was beginning to wonder since not a single one of you wrote me back." Amara teased.

"Out of curiosity what method did you use to color your hair? Magical or muggle?" Hermione asked as Ron gaped at her.

"I used magic for the red and muggle dyes for the purple and blue streaks."

"Ron, stop doing your imitation of a fish. I am allowed to think about hair every once in a while. I just wanted to know how witches colored their hair and I didn't want to ask Lavender or Parvati." Hermione snapped before turning back to Amara. "Does it feel strange to change schools every year?"

"There is some strangeness. When I'm here I miss my friends at home and when I'm at home I miss everyone here. Letters are all well and good but they can't take the place of face to face interaction. Besides, have you ever used the International Floo System? It's awful." Amara replied and chuckled when Harry shuddered at the mention of the International Floo.

"How do the classes compare? Are things harder or easier at Hogwarts?" Hermione remarked.

"Trust Hermione to think of school work before the term's begun." Ron groaned.

"My school has essentially the same curriculum as Hogwarts only we also have muggle classes."

"You mean Muggle Studies is required in America!" Ron interrupted.

"No silly, we have classes like those that the muggles take. We are required to take English, Mathematics, Science, and Physical Education. I suppose you could look at it as an extended version of a muggle studies class."

"Huh?" Harry laughed at his best friend's blank expression but took pity on him, "English is the name muggles use for a class that teaches you how to read and write. Math is like Arithmancy only more relevant to the real world and has no magical applications on its own. Science is like the muggle version of Potions, Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology combined. Physical Education is basically where some sadistic teacher forces you to run laps and play stupid games." Dean, who with Seamus had gravitated toward the group of Gryffindors, nodded his agreement.

"Oh. Sounds like a lot of work."

"It can be if all your teachers decide to assign homework at the same time. But we manage to have fun too. I attended a school of magic that functions as an exclusive boarding school officially recognized by muggle authorities and occasionally we take on muggle students as well, generally they are students that already know about magic or are found to be open to the idea." Amara snickered, "The best thing is when muggle families come to tour. The magic classes are in a special wing of the building. When muggles tour they are told that the wing is used by the religion students and how in respect no tours are taken through there. The wizarding students all are warned several days in advance so they can all put on their pious disguises. It's a hoot."

"I can just see it now, Amara the Nun-in-training." Harry said solemnly. His solemnity lasted only a few seconds before he burst out laughing. The entire group laughed for a long time.

"I hardly see how that is funny." Amara said after she had recovered her breath. That started everyone laughing again. Finally Hermione said, "We'd better hurry if we want to find an open compartment on the train." The Gryffindors grabbed their trunks and boarded the train.

…

Once settled into a compartment, the group was joined by Neville and Luna. Everyone was eager to learn what the others had been up to. When the conversation got to a lull Amara asked, "So what were the big events since the incident at the Ministry of Magic? I'd hate to be uninformed. Your letters weren't very informative."

"Well, Ron dated Lavender for a while but when he got tired of dating he wouldn't break-up with but instead he ignored her until she broke-up with him. And Harry and Ginny dated for a while but things didn't work out." Hermione informed her.

"Read: Harry doesn't want me to be a target for Voldemort." Ginny elaborated.

"Malfoy figured out how to smuggle death-eaters into the school using the Vanishing cabinet when Dumbledore was out of the castle with me. We returned to Dumbledore's tower and Dumbledore hid me before Malfoy came up," Harry started. "Malfoy intended to kill Dumbledore but he couldn't. Dumbledore convinced Malfoy that he could be protected. Then a bunch of death-eaters came. Malfoy tricked them and me into thinking that he was just waiting for an audience and freed Dumbledore so that together they could drive off the death-eaters. There were very few injuries the worst being Bill who got savaged by an untransformed werewolf, and Snape who got a concussion."

"Oh yeah, and Bill married Fleur, the part-veela that Ron had a crush on in his fourth year," Ginny added.

"I couldn't help it - she was part-veela after all," Ron protested. The ensuing battle was interrupted by an unwelcome presence.

"Look what we have here boys, the Gryffindor scum and the blood traitor American," Malfoy sneered to his ever present band of followers; Crabbe, and Goyle. "I was under the happy impression that you weren't returning."

"Honestly? I wasn't planning to return but the Ministry offered me the chance to return and I was happy to accept." Amara retorted.

"No one here will thank you for returning. Come on guys; let's go find some better company, company worthy of a pureblooded Head Boy."

…

"That bloody git got Head Boy," Ron exploded. "Now there's no way Gryffindor will win the house cup. We won't be able to sneeze without losing points or getting detention. I wonder who got Head Girl."

"Couldn't have been a Slytherin or Malfoy would have lorded that over us too." Harry replied.

"Maybe Padma or Susan got Head Girl." Ron suggested hopefully.

"Actually, Ron, I'm Head Girl." Hermione answered.

"Hermione! You spent almost the entire summer at my house and the fact that you got Head Girl never came up?" Ron yelled. "How could you?"

"It just didn't!"

"Hey look! We're almost at Hogwarts!" Harry exclaimed, hoping to distract his best friends. Luckily for everyone his plan worked.

…

Several hours later, the first years had been sorted, everyone's stomachs were stuffed and the students were all gathered in their respective common rooms. In the Gryffindor common room was the biggest and loudest party of all celebrating the selection of one of their own as Head Girl.

Someone had conjured up both muggle and wizarding decorations. The room had an odd combination of a disco ball, multicolored streamers and banners with lions that roared. There was a table covered with food. Some of the food was from the kitchens, but most of it was candy either from Honeydukes or unluckily for some, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Surprisingly enough the Canary Creams were wildly popular.

"I still can't believe you didn't tell us you were Head Girl." Ron complained loudly.

"I've already apologized and I refuse to do so again." Hermione walked away to lecture a pair of fifth year girls who were trying to hex each other.

"Ron, you really should drop it." Harry suggested.

"I just want to make sure she never forgets to tell us something this important again. Honestly, I've already forgiven her." Ron grinned sheepishly.

"Well, that's sure a mature way to go about things." Amara snorted. The conversation was interrupted when Neville ate a Custard Cream and turned into a canary.

"Neville, you just have bad luck with those, don't you." Harry chuckled. "At least you know that they only last for ten minutes. Think of it this way, you were an instrumental part in testing the original Canary Creams when Fred and George were still here." Neville gave a dejected tweet and hopped over to Ginny. "Seriously though Ron lets not start off our last year here fighting."

"Alright, I suppose I'll go apologize for giving her a hard time." Ron sighed and went looking for Hermione.

"Harry, I meant to ask earlier but what were you doing with Dumbledore the night the Death-eaters attacked?" Amara inquired quietly.

"Let's find a quiet part of the common room and I'll tell you everything." Harry replied

"Alright." The two students found an empty corner of the common room and sat down in the comfortable chairs.

"Last year, I had a special class with Dumbledore. The purpose of the class was to learn about Voldemort through the memories of other people. One of the memories was from Professor Slughorn. He taught Potions to Tom Riddle and taught here last year as well. Riddle asked Slughorn about Horcruxes. A Horcrux is when a wizard splits his soul and puts one part into an object. They're very Dark magic because splitting your soul requires the death of another individual. Riddle speculated to Slughorn that splitting your soul seven times would be the key to immortality. Dumbledore on his own has destroyed some of the Horcruxes and identified some more. That night Dumbledore and I went to fetch one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Dumbledore was weakened by a potion that he had to drink to get to the Horcrux. We hurried back when we saw the Death Mark above Hogwarts. Later we learned that the Horcrux was a fake and that someone else is collecting Horcruxes."

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you still at Hogwarts? When you wrote me at the end of last year you were planning on skipping this year to battle Voldemort."

"That was my plan but Mrs. Weasley convinced me that I would be far better prepared for the final battle if I finished with my schooling first."

"I, for one, am glad that you're here this year."

"Thanks." Harry said blushing. Amara didn't mean it the way he thought she did but, she couldn't tell him the truth. That would be disastrous. He might never trust her again.

"Wow, I'm exhausted. I'm going to go up to bed. 'Night Harry."

"Good night."

Amara headed up to the Seventh Year Girls' Dormitory. As she got ready for bed she let her mind wander to the task she had been given.

Flashback:

End of Amara's Sixth Year

"With much struggle our seers have discovered much about the future of the world. If things progress as they are, Harry Potter will fall and Voldemort will bring death and destruction even to here." Ayden Marlton told her. Ayden had been her mentor for her entire school career. He was well-connected to the West Coast Ministry of Magic.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"The ministry has a plan to help Harry succeed in killing Voldemort. We need you to go back to Hogwarts for your seventh year and complete a task that you are most qualified for. You are already acquainted with and trusted by Harry Potter and you have unique talents that will prove useful."

"What talents?"

"Besides being a highly advanced student, you are sensitive to time in ways that very few others are."

"I'm not a seer."

"Of course not. There is a spell, taught in the Seventh Year at Hogwarts, that when it is pronounced incorrectly has a rare effect when cast on some witches and wizards. It sends them through time, generally to a time that has some meaning to the individual. We have tested you and you are one of the few that will generate the desired effect."

"I don't remember being tested."

"You wouldn't. But forget about that. We have a task for you. You must go back in time to the seventh year of Lily and James Potter, and you must take Harry with you. It should be safe then. Don't share too much about the future. Harry needs extra time to practice his skills and learn more spells. You must help him. The fate of the world rests upon his success."

"How will we get back to our time?"

"When the year is over have someone miscast the spell again and return a week after you left. I must go. The spell you need is the charm for Extended Sleep. Remember, the fate of the world rests upon this task."

End Flashback

Amara settled into bed anxious about her task. Why me? How do they know that I will succeed? Why trust something this important to a student witch? I don't know if I can do this. She thought before sleep overtook her.

…

"Will the Heads of the Houses please handout schedules to your students?" Dumbledore requested the next morning at Breakfast. Within moments, the hall was filled with the sound of students comparing schedules.

"What do you all have first?" Ron asked. He was answered by a chorus of 'Charms' from the Gryffindor seventh years. "Awesome, me too."

"We had better head to class. We wouldn't want to be late to the first class of the year." Hermione said.

"We wouldn't?" Ron muttered quietly to Harry and Amara, who snickered. Nonetheless the group of four headed off to Charms.

…

Professor Flitwick droned on and on about the syllabus for the year. Every student was glancing at the clock every 30 seconds or so. Finally, the class was over.

"Next week we shall be studying the Extended Sleep charm. This is a charm that allows a person to be put to sleep for up to seven years without harm. I will teach you more next week."

"Phew, I thought that class would never end." Ron complained.

"Don't relax yet, we have potions next and Snape is back to teaching it." Harry pointed out.

"They haven't gotten rid of him yet?" Amara asked.

"Maybe Dumbledore subscribes to the theory that the enemy you know is better than the one you don't." Hermione suggested.

"Hermione! Snape was fighting against us last year." Harry exclaimed.

"Dumbledore trusts Snape. He let Snape join the order. Besides, he could be using Snape to feed Voldemort false information or Snape could be a spy for the Order." Hermione argued.

"Snape fell on the stairs up to the tower where the Death Eaters were gathering and hit his head. He was trying to assist the Death Eaters in killing Dumbledore!"

"Or he was following a Death Eater so he could help the Order."

"You are just making excuses for Snape!"

"I don't trust or like him any more than you do."

"Then stop making excuses for him. You know as well as I do that Snape was knocked out on his way to help the Death Eaters."

"Uh, guys. We should go into the class guys. I also recommend that this conversation ends now. I don't think you want Snape to hear you discussing him, because that would definitely be unpleasant regardless of his loyalties." Amara suggested. Harry glared at Hermione before entering the dungeon.

"You agree with me, don't you Ron?"

"Actually, Hermione, I'm with Harry on this one."