Harry Potter and the Witch's Secret

Author Note: Hello, and welcome to the sequel to Harry Potter and the Mystery of the Blue Box! I know it's been a long time coming, but it's finally here! Before you begin the story, I recommend that you first read the Rewrite of Harry Potter and the Mystery of the Blue Box if you haven't already, as it contains plot elements that are essential to this story that weren't in the original. For those expecting a story similar to the last one, with action and mystery everywhere, be warned! Harry Potter and the Witch's Secret is a vastly different story, with lots and lots of angst, though things get a lot happier towards the end.

Before we begin, a reminder that Harry, Ron and Hermione have just left with Professor Smith (the Doctor) in the TARDIS, and are currently travelling to adventures unknown...

"Many years ago, when I was in my Fifth Year at Hogwarts, I had a teacher called Professor Smith. He was, as you would say, a 'weirdo': his fashion sense was non-existant, and he very rarely said anything that made any sense, to me at least. But I couldn't help liking him, and by the end of the school year I treated him with a lot of respect, as I considered him to be the most intelligent and the bravest man alive.

"He left after my Fifth Year, and I thought he'd gone for good, in fact, he even told me that himself. But we were wrong. Professor Smith did return, and when he did, he was a different man: selfish to the nth degree. He betrayed me, Ron and Hermione in the worst way possible: by revealing the witch's secret...

Chapter 1 - Deliberately Ridiculous

Late June, 1996
Ginny Weasley hummed quietly to herself as she walked down the seventh floor corridor, in the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room. She wanted to tell Hermione about her decision to start dating Dean Thomas, and to ask advice on how to break the news to her brother, Ron, who she was sure would react badly.

"Hermione?" Ginny called as she climbed through the portrait hole to the Gryffindor Common Room. "You in here?"

Receiving no answer from the empty room, Ginny walked up the stairs to the Fifth Year Girls' dormitory. After ascertaining that Hermione wasn't there either, Ginny turned to leave, but an old book lying open on Hermione's bed caught her eye. Curious, she walked over to Hermione's bed and picked it up. Hermione had left the book open at a page titled 'The Doctor'. Intrigued, Ginny began to read...

'Perhaps the most famous encounter with the Doctor is the meeting described in the memoires of Godric Gryffindor. According to him, the Doctor and his three unknown, companions were instrumental in his choice of location and name for Hogwarts.'

"So, lake," Professor Smith said cheerfully. "Great place for a school. And a swim. Or a swimming school. Though I think you guys would prefer a magic school, which is fair enough, I suppose, as you guys are wizards. Still, you never know when a school next to a lake could come in handy. I mean, it's very defensible. Cliffs on one side, lake next to cliffs, low land on other side, gives you a good view of the surrounding land. Should be enough to fight off anything."

The Founders looked at each other. They knew that magic in general was frowned upon by the rest of the world, or the 'muggles', as was the recently coined term. Having a defensible location for the school would be a great advantage if the 'muggles' ever found out about it.

Godric Gryffindor scratched his chin. "You certainly seem to know a lot about defences, Doctor," he said. "Would you care to join us in our efforts to build the mightiest wizarding school in all of England?"

"No, sorry, gotta go, things to do. These three are on holidays actually -"

Hermione coughed.

"Well, they're almost on holidays, same thing really. They've just finished their school year, they've only got one or two days to go."

"But they are wizards," Helga Hufflepuff said in surprise. "There are no school for wizards in the England, that is why we intend to build one!"

"We're from Hogwarts," Ron blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Hogwarts..." Rowena Ravenclaw mused. "I like that name..."

"Where is this Hogwarts?" Salazar Slytherin asked.

Harry, Ron and Hermione hesitated, not trusting themselves to speak. Luckily, Professor Smith came to their rescue.

"Oh, you know, it's around...somewhere," he said vaguely. "I wouldn't go looking for it, if I were you; it's about to be closed down."

He clapped his hands together. "Right then," he said. "We'd better be off! See you around...or not. I dunno, whenever. What about a thousand years? Sounds good, I'll visit again in a millennium...if I haven't already." He paused and looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "I have...never mind, then. Bye!"

He gave a cheery wave, then began walking back to the TARDIS.

"Uh, see you," Harry said, embarrassed, and he pulled on Ron's shirt. "Come on," he hissed.

But Ron seemed to be having an internal struggle within himself. He resisted both Harry and Hermione's attempts to pull him along with them until he finally burst out, "Can I have your autographs?"

The Founders looked at him, confused, as he pulled out a quill and some parchment from his robes.

"Err, just write your names on the parchment," Ron explained hurriedly.

Somewhat bemused, the Founders did so.

"Thanks!" Ron said breathlessly, before he turned and ran after Professor Smith, Harry and Hermione right behind him.

"What strange people," Rowena murmured. "Still...Hogwarts..."

Godric looked around at the surrounding countryside. "I think we shall do what the Doctor said, and build our school right here! Are we all in agreement?"

oOo

'...the introduction of the Golden Snitch in Quidditch...'

"Their brooms are so slow!" Ron moaned, as he watched the players float slowly past him on their way to the other end of the pitch. "A Cleansweep One is faster than the brooms these guys are using, and that's saying something.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just remember, Ronald, that we are in the Middle Ages. The technology for highspeed brooms doesn't exist yet!"

"Hmph," Ron muttered, and he folded his arms crossly.

Harry, on the other hand, was enjoying the match tremendously.

"This is great!" he exclaimed, grinning, as one team scored, causing several loud cheers to erupt from the spectators. "The game's barely changed at all!"

Hermione frowned. "Except for the horrid and completely unethical use of that poor little snidge," she said disapprovingly. "To even think of using the tiny bird as the object for the Seeker to catch..."

Suddenly, the crowd roared in anger as another person flew on to the field, completely disregarding the other players.

"Got it!" Professor Smith shouted triumphantly as he grabbed a tiny, winged golden ball. He looked around to see the players and spectators glaring at him crossly.

"Oh...sorry about interrupting your game!" he grinned, waving the ball at them. "It's just that I was testing a replacement I whipped up for those birds you use, the snidgets. Can I say that you guys are really lucky that animal welfare groups don't exist yet! They'd be all over you...figuratively. But anyway, I made a little ball, 'bout the same size as your normal Snidge. It flies, it's fast, and to top it off, it's programmed not to fly more than two miles from the pitch. I call it the Golden Snitch. Great name, isn't it?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other in horror.

"He didn't just invent the Snitch did he?" Harry said weakly as Professor Smith flew down to them, much to the relief of the payers, who quickly resumed the game.

"Just need to leave the blueprints with some bloke called Bowman Wright, then we're off!" Professor Smith said, dismounting and clapping a still-stunned Harry on the shoulder. "You know, I quite like Quidditch. Quidditch is cool!"

oOo

'...met Nicolas Flamel...'

"Where have you been, Professor?" Harry asked as they regrouped next to the TARDIS. They were in fourteenth century France, and Harry, Ron and Hermione had just spent the day wandering around the peaceful village and surrounding coutryside, relishing in the relaxing atmosphere.

"Oh, nowhere greatly interesting. Walked around the village until someone heard me say 'Doctor'. They got all excited, asked me if I knew anything about alchemy."

"Do you?" Hermione asked interestedly. "I've always wanted to know how to turn other metals into gold."

"That's easy," Professor Smith shrugged. "Use atomic fission or fusion. But anyway, this bloke was trying to make a stone of some sort - uh, immortality, I think. He was having a bit of trouble, so I helped him make it by giving him some spectrox that I found in the TARDIS."

"Spectrox? What's that?" said Ron.

"A substance that increases longevity. If you had enough of it, you could live forever. Blimey, that takes me back, they had a war on Androzani Minor over the stuff..."

Harry, Hermione and Ron glanced at each other.

"Professor," Hermione said cautiously. "What was the name of the person?"

Professor Smith frowned. "Nicholas Flamel, I think."

oOo

'...involved with the creation of time turners...'

The trio sat, bored, outside the conference room of the seventeenth century Ministry of Magic. They had been sitting for over an hour while Professor Smith negotiated the use of a rare substance he had - Taranium, he had called it.

"No, I don't have an extra supply. If you want more, you'll have to go to Uranus. Taranium isn't the rarest substance in the galaxy for a reason, you know! And since none of you know how to use it, goodbye!"

"Bloody hell, Professor Smith's cross!" Ron said in amazement. The next moment, footsteps could be heard, then the door to the conference room flung open, and Professor Smith stomped out.

"Come on," he said shortly, passing Ron, Hermione and Harry, who hastened after him.

"What's Taranium?" asked Harry, as they left the Ministry.

"Used in time travel," Professor Smith replied crossly. He rolled his eyes. "I told them it was rare, and that they didn't need much, but they go and use all of it in only two dozen!"

"Two dozen what?" said Ron.

"Time turners."

oOo

'...the establishment of the International Statue of Wizarding Secrecy...'

"What in Merlin's name possessed you to do that, Professor?" Harry groaned, covering his face with his hand.

"I just thought that the village would be a better place if everyone knew they had witches and wizards as neighbours!" Professor Smith protested. "They could all work together and have a better life!"

"But you didn't have to go and send a psychic message to a couple of young girls," Ron pointed out.

"And by doing so, start the Salem Witch Trials!" Hermione said furiously. "You've just caused the deaths twenty-five innocent witches and wizards, which is the primary factor that caused the establishment of the International Statue of Secrecy!"

Professor Smith had the decency to look guilty. "Sorry," he whispered, grimacing. "Though," he added, "thinking positively, at least we preserved history."

All three teenagers had to begrudgingly admit that he had a point.

oOo

'Going even further back, it is said that the Doctor is the cause of lycanthropy, having appeared in Egypt at the same time the disease first emerged...'

Harry staggered into the TARDIS, followed closely by Ron, Hermione and Professor Smith. They were covered from head to foot in dust, and were thoroughly sunburnt. A red fez sat on top of Professor Smith's head. Their clothes were in tatters, and they all looked very exhausted.

"Remind me to never go along with your decisions again, Professor," Ron said tiredly as he plonked himself on a seat next to the console.

"I didn't know that there was a Lupine-Wavelength Haemovariform infecting several members of Egypt's wizarding population, nor did I know it wanted to take over the world! I thought putting it in a rocket and sending it into space would be the best thing to do," Professor Smith said defensively.

Hermione glared at him. "Then the rocket exploded, spreading infected cells all over the planet thanks to air currents! We've just caused lycanthropy!"

Professor Smith winced. "Sorry," he said guiltily. "I'll try and land somewhere better next time.

"No," said Harry forcefully. "There won't be a next time. Just take us home, we've been away for over three weeks!"

"Oh, alright," Professor Smith said grumpily. "But we need to get changed first. Follow me!" he said, dashing down the stairs.

"Wait!" Hermione called. "Before we go back to Hogwarts, could I make a request?"

"Whatever you want," Professor Smith replied, and he grinned when Hermione told him her request. "Too easy," he said. "We'll do it as soon as we get changed."

An hour later, Hermione stood on the threshold of the TARDIS, staring out the open doors at the magnificent sight of the Milky Way galaxy. The humongous formation glowed with the brilliance of a million billion stars as it sat suspended in space. It was the most spectacular sigh she'd ever seen.

"I'm sorry, Professor," she murmured softly as she gazed down at her home galaxy. "I'm sorry for not believing you. Everything you said is true, everything. I just can't deny it."

She turned around to face Professor Smith, overcome with emotion from watching the galaxy hang in the empty black void of space. "Thank you," she said earnestly

"Don't mention it," Professor Smith said, waving a hand dismissively. "Right, home we go. Hogwarts, June, nineteen ninety-six!"

With a flourish, he pulled a lever, and the TARDIS immediately jerked into action. The doors swung shut before the familiar wheezing groaning sound began.

Thud!

The TARDIS' doors opened, and the trio exited and were greeted with the familiar sight of classroom six.

"Hey, look, we're back!" Ron said sarcastically.

"Of course, Mister Weasley. Why wouldn't we?!" Professor Smith asked, standing in the TARDIS' doorway, leaning casually against the frame.

Ron snorted. "As if. It took you five goes to get us to Egypt!"

Professor Smith pouted, but did not respond.

Hermione looked sadly around the classroom. "How are we going to go back to all of this?" she said. "After everwhere we've been, everything we've done...we won't ever be able to look at the wizarding world in the same way, not after having played such a role in shaping it."

Professor Smith shrugged. "You're human, you'll get over it," he said dismissively. "And you can always go look yourself up in a book or a museum. Like you said, we've played a big part in wizarding history, we're bound to be there somewhere."

"Oh!" Hermione cried softly. "The book!" She dashed out of the room without another word.

Silence. Then,

"You're leaving for good now, aren't you, Professor?" Harry asked.

Professor Smith nodded. "Yep. Still got plenty of things to do, most of which I'm late for. I'm done here, nothing more to do."

"But what about science!" Ron said. "You've got to teach that! Who'll do it if you go?"

"They'll find someone amazing," Professor Smith said unconcernedly. "Though tell Dumbledore that if he drops the subject, I will come back. Fancy not knowing what gravity is!" he laughed.

"Well," he said, "time to go. Harry, good luck with getting rid of Mouldy-Wart. Ron, Harry's your friend, never desert him."

Harry and Ron nodded.

"Okay, then," Professor Smith said cheerfully. "Goodbye!"

He disappeared into the TARDIS and pulled the doors closed. A second later, the TARDIS shuddered, and the wheezing, groaning sound of its engines began. It slowly faded from sight, until finally, there was nothing left.

"D'you reckon he will come back?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head. "Nah," he replied. "He's got other things to keep him occupied. What else could interest him here?"

Author Note: And the sequel's underway! Not much of the trio travelling with the Doctor, I'm afraid, but if you liked the scene's that I wrote, and want more (whether new adventures or expanding on the ones shown here), I've put a poll up on my profile asking whether I should do a series of oneshots of the trio's adventures with the Doctor.

Updates (at this stage) will be posted every 4 to 7 days.

Replies to reviews (last chapter of rewrite of Mystery):

Miyu Hinamori: Not telling! You'll have to wait and find out. I agree, I might go back and do something about it at a later date. Harry coped well, on the whole. If I end up doing the oneshot series, I'll write the trio's first adventure with the Doctor.

Haven Wood: Thanks, and here it is! Yes, definitely. As the Doctor says, never ignore a coincidence, unless you're busy, in which case always ignore a coincidence. Yes, Tonks is most definitely awesome! I would imagine that Hermione would be furious if she encountered the enslaved Ood. I think she'd probably lose her faith in humanity too.

Insanityisgood25: No one said anything about marriage! ;) And I can say with 100% honesty that she's not Tonks! Thanks for the heads up, I've fixed them all now.

Wonderbee31: You won't find out who the woman is for a while, I'm afraid! And no, the trio won't be meeting any of the Doctor's past incarnations, unfortunately.

SuOmAlAiNeN92: Not saying! And there are no hints as to the woman's identity anywhere, be it on my profile or in the flashback sequence. The woman's identity is well shrouded in mystery!

I had decided that the big events of the books are fixed points, but I hadn't actually considered the notion that the TARDIS would make sure the Doctor was late in order to avoid them. The more I think about it, though, the more that makes sense, but I must admit that I prefer the idea of the Doctor piloting the TARDIS incorrectly. It's just so him!