I do not own any part of the Harry Potter Universe. Sad but true.

Because I love a time travel story I decided to try my hand writing at my own. There is however a ton of them out there and I am not sure whether it is worth taking through to completion. As such this is the first chapter (I have only written 5) and is un-edited and I am looking for feedback as to whether or not I should continue. Please let me know.

Oh and anything that is highlighted you have seen before and is a quote from JK Rowling.

Harry Potter and the Three Fates

Chapter 1

Fate takes a hand

While it is true that in some universes (the world of Anne Shirley comes to mind) that two individuals being often in conflict can be a sign of hidden affection, and the grounds for a great romance, in the world being viewed it is not the case.

Past

Raised voices could be heard long before the pair came into sight.

"I hate you James Potter you're an arrogant toe rag! And I will never go out with you," the red head yelled in her rage. She turned her back on the boy and stormed off. It was the second day of their seventh year and the two head students had already had fourteen fights, nearly all had been started by James asking Lily to accompany him to Hogsmeade, apparently she was uninterested in the dark haired boy.

Lily swept down the halls and into the Headmasters office.

"I can't work with that…..that…that…." in her fury words failed her, she settled on "fiend! I quit!"

Giving the headmaster no time to convince her to reconsider she slammed her badge on his desk, the sharp pin taking a gouge out of the oak, turned on her heel and stalked from the office. For the rest of the year, she and James did not speak to one another. After finishing school he became a professional Quidditch player and died due to an unfortunate bludger related incident in the world cup of '82. Lily joined the Order of the Phoenix and passed on to the next world protecting her sister Petunia from a Death Eater attack the same year.

The Order was defeated and Lord Voldemort ruled the world. The tapestry unravelled.

At least that is what would have happened if the Fates hadn't intervened.

The Fates

The Moerae sat working on the tapestry; Clotho, at the wheel spinning the threads of life; Lachesis sat dressed all in white at the loom measuring the length of each fibre and weaving the strands into their destiny; Atrophos inexorably cutting each thread, ending each life with her shears.

It was Lachesis who first noticed the problem. Running her hand across the weave she felt her finger dip into a hole. She looked, closed her eyes and looked again. She moved the threads with a perfectly manicured fingernail to adjust the weave.

It was still there.

Sighing she wondered how long it would be until the others noticed. What would happen if they didn't? Unfortunately this little hole was in just the wrong spot, a connection that should have held the cloth together had not been made and there was darkness staining the edges of the hole, seemingly spread from one of the darker strands. The tapestry could be hung and there at the ends of the world it would come apart. It was such a pretty tapestry, it told the story of the sweetest hero child and truth be told it was one of her favourites.

Perhaps it could be saved?

"Sisters," she said hesitantly into the silence, she had to approach this just right or Atropos would have a fit and toss the cloth aside.

"Yes," responded Clotho the youngest.

"We have a problem," Lachesis ran her hand gently over the fabric.

"I see no problem," stated Atropos gruffly, the tapestry was nearly complete and she was in a hurry to finish.

"Look again," pleaded Lachesis indicating the hole.

"Oooh yes," Clotho nodded as she glanced to where Lachesis was indicating. "We have a hole. How did this happen?"

"A dropped stitch perhaps," jeered Atropos, blame dripping from her voice. It was typical that her middle sister should cause the issue, Lachesis was careless and grew attached to the heroes when she should remain apart.

"Or maybe a thread was too short!" snapped back the middle sister.

"We should toss it aside, it seems too far in to undo the weave," suggested Atropos, detached from the world of the tapestry now that she knew it tapestry wasn't flawless she was keen to set it aside and move onto the next. Inwardly she rolled her eyes, of course it was only discovered when they were nearly finished.

"No!" cried out Lachesis in distress. "I have grown fond of this world, perhaps we can mend it?" she hesitated to suggest.

"Mmmm," considered the youngest, indeed it was one of the most elaborate tapestries they had woven, the gold and silver highlights were particularly stunning.

"I don't want to," frowned Atropos. "Let us just throw it away." This was by far the easiest solution.

"Or we could unravel the threads and start again," suggested Clotho. They all knew that the workload would fall to Lachesis.

The three old women studied the cloth for some time.

"This line is too long!" noted Lachesis pointing to a golden thread that Atropos hadn't yet severed. "If we use some of it to mend the hole?"

Clotho looked closely, seeing in the sparkling thread a boy with unruly black hair and green eyes.

"That's an important thread; it may not be wise to use it for patchwork. It might not be strong enough, look here," she scratched a portion of the patterned cloth with a fingernail. "It has been pulled awfully thin!"

"What about a guide that should take some of the strain?" Lachesis indicated another thread that overhung the edge of the tapestry though not by as much as the original. It was also gold though with a hint of brown.

"Mmm," said the eldest looking into it at the girl with bushy brown hair and chocolate coloured eyes. "It is close to the first but has its own story. That strand is too strictly ordered, it would lead and not allow the repair. Any changes would be left to luck," she declared

The three shared a glance and shuddered returning to their work.

"This one?" Atropos pulled forth a third gold string glinting with red.

Clotho examined it closely, seeing a red headed boy. "No, he will not guide he will follow! The repair would be left to chaos and we all know what she is like."

Rolling her eyes at her youngest sister Atropos grabbed a thread at random "This one or we toss it out and start anew!"

The youngest woman frowned as she squinted, examining deeply the silvery strand in her hand, seeing a girl with silver grey eyes and blonde hair. She nodded once; chance had selected an excellent good choice for a guide. Lachesis nodded in agreement, smiled and gently turned the fabric over marking the place where the two lines had stopped with a pin and feeding the threads back through the fabric just below the hole, anchored them to the nearby strands. Focusing intently she began to work.

Present

As the sun entered the Great Hall that morning shedding its light across the fighters, two spells sped towards each other and collided with cataclysmic force and Tom Riddle fell to the ground with solemn finality.

After a while, exhausted and drained Harry found himself sitting on a bench beside Luna.

"I'd want some peace and quiet, if it were me," she said.

"I'd love some," he replied.

"I'll distract them all," she said. "Use your Cloak."

And before he could say a word she had cried, "Oooh look a Blibbering Humdinger!" and pointed out of the window. Everyone who heard looked around and Harry slid the Cloak up over himself and got to his feet. He had just about covered himself, only his head remained visible, when the edge of his cloak wrapped around Luna's ankle and the world stopped.

The Fates

Lachesis sighed as she looked up from her work.

"There is not enough thread, and see this black," she indicated a strand. "It interferes with everything. I have never seen the like of it. It stains all the threads around it!" She held the cloth towards her sisters. "We'll have to unravel it to at least here."

The others looked over the tapestry and indeed nearly every strand that the black thread crossed was dull and darkened or stained completely black only the three gold strands and a handful of silver ones remained untouched.

"Well I won't change the length of the gold," the eldest pouted, grateful that at least it was Lachesis that would have to do the re-weaving.

"I will replicate them both, but there will be a cost," decided the youngest. "If we are giving the guide visions a price must be paid," she looked to the eldest who inclined her head in agreement. Then the cost will be…."

The sisters nodded, and Clotho duplicated the necessary threads, while Lachesis undid the first repair. She then anchored the duplicates into place by the hole, noting that the original threads no longer shone with quite the same brilliance.

1st of September 1977

The Great Hall was filled with the boisterous sound of students who had been parted for the whole summer greeting each other. It started innocuously enough with a faint buzzing that most ignored; the noise grew and was soon joined by an orb of dazzling white light near the Slytherin's table. The teachers stood, yet only Dumbledore approached the site as silence fell over the students. As the blinding light faded it left behind two figures; one sitting on the table a cloak tangled around her ankle it appeared to have slipped off the other, who unconscious upon the floor.

Dumbledore approached and spoke to the pale faced girl "Who are you?"

When she turned her head towards his voice he could see that her silvery irises were obscured by white discs and knew at once that she was blind. She tipped her head to the side when she heard his voice. With a wave of her wand she isolated their conversation from the rest of the room.

"P.P..Professor Dumbledore?" she stuttered in amazement, her clouded eyes wide.

"You know me?" he asked, she nodded in response.

"When are we?" she asked, if Dumbledore was surprised by the question he showed no sign of it.

"When are you?" he paused as he briefly considered why she would ask. As nothing likely presented itself as immediately feasible and factoring in their sudden arrival into the hall. Only seemingly impossible reasons were left, however as the saying goes once all possible answers have been eliminated the remaining possibility no matter how improbably must be the solution. He pushed the thought aside for now. "It is the first day of term in the year 1977, sorting has just occurred and the feast has begun."

Her face fell, "Oh."

"When were you expecting?"

"May1998!" Dumbledore gazed solemnly at her over the rim of his glasses, glad she had had the foresight to prevent the conversation from being overheard, time travel was illegal after all.

"Well, we had best get you and your young friend to the hospital wing. Might I ask who you are?"

"My name is Luna Lovegood, and as to my companion I am unsure, but the last thing I remember I was providing a distraction for Harry…. but I can no longer see."

Dumbledore thought it odd that she did not seem distressed, "You had vision before you travelled? Perhaps if you describe Harry I can check for you?"

Tipping her head to the side as she confirmed "Yes I could see before. Harry has dark unruly hair, round glasses and a lightening shaped scar on his forehead."

Dumbledore bent over the boy and lifted his fringe before straightening, noticing the striking similarity to the current Head Boy.

"You are indeed correct, this is Harry. His last name, would it be Potter?"

"Yes Professor."

The girl suddenly stiffened, her eyes unblinking and sightless stared at the Headmaster as she began to speak, "As the tapestry unravels the chosen one and the guide have been cast backwards through time, never again to return, fear not the changes that will come. The chosen one has the power to defeat the Dark lord. Listen to the guide. Fear not the changes!" Luna trembled violently, before passing into unconsciousness, with a quick movement Dumbledore reached out and caught her before she hit the ground.

The headmaster raised his wand, conjured two stretches, and levitated the unconscious pair onto them and out of the hall. The noise in the Hall resumed as he departed. Dumbledore caught the attention of his deputy and the Head students instructing them to supervise the rest of the feast and see to the students. The Head Boy had been just about to ask the Head Girl to go out with him for the seventh time that day before he was interrupted by the Headmaster's request. Seeing the two injured bodies being floated out of the room made the boy reconsider the conversation and instead he acknowledged Dumbledore and nodded to his red headed partner. He knew that outside the walls of the school the Wizarding community was under attack, it seemed that the war had come to Hogwarts.

Madam Pomfrey called Professor Dumbledore to her office to view her two charges. It was the 5th of September and they probably needed to stay with her at least another week. She shook her head to clear her thoughts before she gave him her report.

"They have injuries that they could only have received in battle and he looks like he has spent the majority of his life on light rations," she stated her tone all business to hide the anxiety she felt: they were too young to have incurred the injuries they had. "It wouldn't surprise me if the boy had a less then friendly upbringing; his scans show that during peak times in his growth he lacked adequate nutrition. As a result he is of a shorter stature then he ought to be. He has had a cracked skull on more than one occasion, his right arm has been punctured clean through with a circular device and the left has been badly cut possibly due to torture, it was a messy wound. With regards to dark magic exposure, his left hand shows he has been made to use a Black Quill for an extended period, he has a scar on his forehead shaped like lightening, a fresh wound in the same shape on his chest just above his heart and an oval shaped semi-healed scar in the centre of his chest. There are similarities between the scar on his forehead and above his heart, but also between the one in middle of his chest and his forehead. However the two on the his chest are not similar at all. The open wound on his chest is proving rather resistant to healing," Madam Pomfrey had worked her way up through her vocal register as she shrilly announced the last, now clearly distressed.

She took a deep breath, trying to settle herself before continuing, "They both have fresh wounds consistent with being attacked, and all manner of dark curses have hit them. The girl isn't in quite as bad condition, but has also been on limited rations for some time and has nerve damage consistent with being tortured with the cruciatus curse in the recent past, a week at most, though she seems to have undergone some healing."

Dumbledore looked over at the unconscious bodies lying on the beds and had to agree with the Healer's assessment. They had been on the front line in the war. It was certainly a puzzle how this could happen to two young people who should by rights have had nothing more to worry about then their education. He sighed at his age, it was these puzzles that made life interesting, however he couldn't help feeling that he would have preferred just about any other type of entertainment.

The boy stirred, his eyelids fluttered open, glancing around his eyes swept past the Headmaster his head turning for the briefest second before his brain registered what..or rather…whom he had seen and flicking his head sharply, eyes wide, face pale and breath catching in his throat. The boy hoisted himself up and began moving away from the Headmaster in apparent fear while his right hand reached out searching desperately for his wand. Albus raised his hands palms forward to signal he meant no harm, but the boy kept backing away until he fell from the bed onto the floor in a tangle of blankets and sheets.

The boy untangled himself, swiftly getting to his feet, his wand now in his hand and pointed at the old man. Could this be a Death Eater? After everything could Hogwarts have fallen? Quickly sorting through his thoughts for a security question as Moody's catch phrase leapt to the front of his mind, "Where did you break your nose?"

It was a rare occasion that Dumbledore was struck dumb but that question had surely done it, who was this boy? The verdant eyes observed him critically and he couldn't help but silently mouth "Arianna's funeral." The eyes closed and he boy gave a shuddering breath. Dumbledore noted the wand in the boys hand with surprise and wondered at the similarities to his own. Surely this was more evidence they were from the future but what did this signify? Which of them held the true wand, or were they both true and the power divided? What of the boys cloak was there another in existence?

"Now, now, now," soothed Poppy as she rushed over. "This is Albus Dumbledore the Headmaster. You just pop right back into the bed here and we'll soon have you sorted out. The Professor just needs to ask you a few questions."

The breathing rapidly the wide-eyed boy followed the directions and allowed himself to be tucked back into bed.

"Do you remember the date?" Albus asked.

"Second of May 1998." The Headmaster frowned, at least that agreed with what the girl had said before her prophetic episode.

"You seem surprised to see me," the old man noted. "Perhaps I should begin by telling you when you are," started the Headmaster in an effort to calm the boy. "It is currently the 5th of September 1977. You and your companion have been unconscious since the start of term." He waved his hand to the right.

Harry turned quickly to see Luna lying in the adjacent bed. "Is she….?" concern bleeding onto his face.

"She will be fine," Dumbledore reassured smiling at his concern. "She had a vision when you first arrived and then passed out. It seems you have both been through rather a lot."

"When we arrived, Sir?"

"Yes you appeared in the middle of the Start of Year feast, she was sitting on the Slytherin table and you were lying on the floor. It was lucky that those places were vacant at the time. Now would you care to tell me how you came by your injuries?"

Harry stared at him, thinking back to everything that Hermione had ever told him about time travel in their third year. Harry thought for a moment, how much should he reveal?

"I…I…I don't think that would be a good idea, Sir," he finally replied. "It wouldn't do to change things." They had just won the war after all, regardless of the losses.

He grimaced as he thought this, there was so much that he would like to change, so many people he would like to save but he knew that it was a selfish dream, what would the cost be of such changes? What if it meant they lost the war! Harry and Dumbledore stared at each other and neither noticed Luna stirring beside them.

Suddenly Luna spoke; she seemed to read his mind "Its ok Harry, things are going to change. Don't let the wrackspurts affect you," she waved a hand vaguely in the direction of his head.

"We can't change things Luna, think of the cost! Horrible things happens to those who meddle with time," Harry insisted. "How did we get here anyway?" he directed the question to Dumbledore.

The Headmaster shrugged "Of that I am unsure and until I am, I will be unable to send you home. So in the meantime I would recommend you both staying here. You are related to James Potter? And you to Xenophilous Lovegood?" They both nodded, "It seems pointless to change your appearance when the entire school has already seen you. However I would suggest going by other names. Do you have any preferences?"

Luna smiled "How about Harry Claybaker?" Harry laughed the sound felt strange to his ears, it seemed wrong to laugh when so many had died.

"How about Luna Amorbien?" Harry suggested, Luna smiled in return. "What are we to do while we wait?"

"I would have thought that obvious," the Headmaster's blue eyes twinkled through his glasses. "You will go to class." He chuckled as Harry groaned.

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," Luna sang in her soft melodious voice. "And you never did get to do seventh year."

Harry looked at her, for the first time noting her eyes and becoming distracted "Luna, can you see me?"

"No Harry I lost my sight on the way. You don't need to worry, someone will be along to guide me in time."

"How old are you?" Dumbledore interrupted before they could go off on another tangent.

"I was two months off eighteen," Harry said.

"And I was seventeen in February," Luna supplied, "but my sixth year was…..interrupted."

"Alright so you will go into Seventh year Harry and Sixth year for Luna. Your Houses?"

"Could we be put into the same year, I don't mind repeating, I don't want to leave…" Harry glanced at Luna, a twisting, roiling sensation in his stomach. He felt responsible for her displacement and didn't want to leave her unprotected without a guide.

"It's ok Harry," she reassured him.

"I don't want you to have rely on people you don't know!"

She shook her head and said firmly, "No Harry, I'll be ok."

Tipping her head on the side Luna asked the Headmaster, "Could we be sorted again? It might be interesting to see things from another point of view and I suspect we have changed somewhat since our original sorting."

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed. Harry was hesitant, he loved the Gryffindor tower.

"Sir we have no funds for uniforms and such," Harry hesitated to bring it up, but he doubted that his Gringott's key would work in this time, surely there would be an identical one in his father or grandfathers possession, and he had very little money in his mole skin pouch.

"Hogwarts has a fund for students such as yourselves, so there is no need to worry."

Hit by a sudden thought Harry asked "What about Luna's vision?"

"Oh," dismissed Dumbledore. "I'm sure we will figure it out in the end. I'll send the Head boy and girl to show you around later in the week, you'll need to come up with a cover story by then."

Harry watched him as he swept out his purple robes flaring behind him, wondering if this was where Snape had learnt the skill. Madame Pomfrey bustled around, placing half a dozen potions and a glass of water in front of each of them with strict instructions to take them immediately and then rest.

"Are you really alright Luna?" Harry asked quietly after he had downed them all.

"Yes Harry. What will we say? I've always wanted to be an explorer and now we are on a grand adventure!"

"I'm sorry Luna…. I'm sorry for getting you into this mess!" Harry let himself full back onto his pillow with a whomp and a groan.

"It's ok Harry; I think we are here for a reason. While we slept I had a dream," she smiled a little. "I saw three old women working on a tapestry, one was spinning, one was weaving and the last was cutting the threads and they told me that you were the chosen one, and were being sent here to fix a mistake that had happened. I am here to show you the way"

"I…I…I'm sorry," Harry closed his eyes with a wince.

"Harry," Luna whispered softly. "It's fate."

"Yeah, but why does it always happen to me?" Luna smiled gently as he whined.

Madam Pomfrey returned and began to scold Luna for sitting up too long and hastened to give them another potion to help them sleep. Harry noted that they didn't taste any better than the ones in the future before he fell asleep.

The sun beamed through the hospital wing windows awakening the two sleepers.

"Argh," Harry groaned. He blindly grabbed for his glasses and slipped them into place. Looking around he saw Luna stirring as well, and felt grateful that at least there was one person who would believe him in the world, one link to his past life.

"We need a story," Luna said as she turned her head in his direction.

"Mmmm, the more truth the easier to remember," Harry suggested Luna nodded. "So my parents died when I was just over one, and your Mum died when you were nine, we should stick with that. Anyone can tell by looking at us that we are obviously not siblings."

"How about we have been staying with family friends called the Grangers, being schooled at home and now that we are getting ready for our NEWTs they were thinking that Hogwarts would be able to prepare us better."

"Nearly perfect, though it doesn't explain how we arrived. So why were you with the Grangers too? If your Dad is still alive?"

"Oh, maybe I wasn't staying with them; I was just learning from them, you were staying with them?"

"Yep, ok Hermione's Mum's name was Jean and her Dad was Robert, they live..er…lived.. in Heathgate." Luna nodded. "We need to explain the condition we were in when we arrived."

"Oh, um maybe Death Eater's came and attacked the Grangers, resulting in my blindness so they made an unauthorised Portkey to get us out of there and accidentally set it to Hogwarts rather than Hogsmeade so it busted through the wards."

"Hmm sounds workable. Hey Luna why do you want to be sorted again?" Harry asked as the thought struck him.

She smiled, "I heard someone once say that sometimes they think we sort too soon, I think they might be right."

Harry smiled, thinking of Snape. A cold feeling as if of ice melting surged across his skin causing him to shiver as he realised, they were here! They were ALL here! HIS Mum and Dad, Remus, Sirius, Snape, Regulus, all alive and all HERE.

"Luna," he whispered in shock, pale at the thought of the head boy and girl. "I don't think I can do this because ….."

With a bright smile she finished for him, "They're here!" the door to the Hospital wing opened and in walked the two top students.

Harry turned and his breath caught in his throat, it was the first time he had ever seen the pair he had heard so much about. Heard so much that they were nearly mythical in his mind. His Mother: an angel, bright, kind to all and cheeky. His Father: with his devil-may-care attitude, the pranking king and arrogant, was there any way they could live up to his expectations?

To his disappointment the first thing he noticed was that Snape was right; his Father did strut!

Lily headed straight to Luna's bed with barely a glance at Harry. Harry turned his head to watch her as she walked past.

"Hi I'm Lily, the Head Girl," she said with a large smile as she confidently held her hand out and looked at Luna's smiling face. Confusion crossed her brow as Luna seemingly ignored the hand.

"Hi, I'm Luna, it's lovely to meet you at last."

"Luna!" Harry sharply interjected as Lily turned at last to face him. "I'm Harry." He managed a somewhat strained smile as he held himself in check, wanting nothing more than to spring from the bed and hug his Mother for the first time. A moment to late he realised he must have been staring in his efforts to drink in every aspect of her appearance because a throat behind him cleared.

"And I'm James, the Head Boy. Apparently we are here to show you round the castle," he looked utterly bored and more than a little annoyed at Harry. Harry took a moment to gaze upon his Father; while it was true that the had similar features Harry didn't feel that they were all that alike. He was at least a couple of inches shorter, thinner of course after several months on short rations while they had been on the Horcrux hunt, and then there was his eyes.

"Sure that would be great," Harry managed to reply. He looked around and spotted a robe hanging at the end of each of the beds. Blushing slightly he said, "Um, we'll…..we'll just get changed. Hey Luna your uniform is at the end of the bed, will you manage?"

"Thanks," Luna nodded in response. Harry pulled the curtains around Luna's bed first ensuring her privacy, before drawing his own closed and getting changed.

"What's wrong with her?" James hissed to Lily as they stood on the outside of the curtains. Harry didn't hear Lily's whispered response through the drapes which he pulled open when he had finished dressing.

"Harry," Luna sang from the other side of her curtain, he could see her hands getting tangled as she tried to push it aside. He went to assist, reefing the material to the side. Luna stopped as she felt the material sweep across her hands. "Mmmm that was…interesting."

"Ready for the tour Luna?" Harry reached down and took her hand placing it around his elbow so he could lead her towards the Head students.

"What's wr….?" James paused as Lily who had grasped the situation a little quicker as she had made the association with Luna's opaque eyes, stomped on his foot. "Ow! Evan's what was that for?"

"Don't be so insensitive James," the red-head hissed at him, he glanced at her in confusion.

"It's ok," Luna interrupted the brewing disagreement. "I lost my sight quite recently," there was a slight pause before she continued brightly, "I'm sure I'll find it again eventually."

The Head students stared at her in bewilderment unsure what to make of the strange statement, though they noticed Harry, didn't seem to be bothered by it.

"Um," James cleared his throat. "So how come you're joining us this late? I don't think I've ever seen a student not start in first year."

Harry addressed his Father shyly, "We were schooled at home. With Newts coming up it was decided we should come here but there was an …incident that happened so we ended up coming in a bit of a rush. "

"The incident?" James asked, Harry indicated towards Luna with his head. "Oh." James and Lily surmised from the condition that the pair had been in when they arrived in the Great Hall that the events were less innocuous then a mere potions accident.

"Well let's go," Lily decided that she had best take charge of the situation and led the way. She had been hoping to take Luna and leave the two boys behind, recently James' presence had been making her feel uncomfortable (he had been somewhat subdued since the Sorting, though no less annoying) and Harry looked so much like him, but that no longer seemed an option. She led the way through the doors trusting the others to follow.

"Which house do you think you'll be placed in?" Lily asked after giving the pair a brief description of the houses.

Harry's breath stopped, he could be sharing a common room with his parents and a dorm with his Father! He was going to have to stop getting so emotional or he would pass out, Luna noticed his anxiety and squeezed his arm in reassurance.

"Oh we don't know much about it so wherever they see fit to put us I imagine," Luna covered for his inability to speak.

"I think we are being sorted this evening. I just hope we are together," Harry added, he thought he heard James mumble Hufflepuff and he shook his head with a wry smile.

Harry waited with Luna in the antechamber while the Great Hall filled with students for the evening meal. James had not made a second appearance since the tour, though Lily had come in and taken them to the Great Hall for lunch; Harry felt this was mainly to check on Luna as she had barely acknowledged his presence. Eventually the students settled and McGonagall appeared and guided them into the hall, the hat and stool were already in position.

Dumbledore stood, "This evening we have two new students to welcome; Luna Amorbien in sixth year and Harry Claybaker in seventh." Harry cringed under the collective gaze of the student body, thinking that it never got any easier but at least he wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived anymore.

The split on the side of the hat widened;

Welcome, welcome to our hall.

I've never sorted ones so tall.

Ones distinguished and ones of fame

With tales of valour to their name –Harry cringed again.

To sort again I must its true

I'll find the house that's right for you.

McGonagall called into the silence "Amorbien, Luna." Harry led Luna forwards, she reached cautiously for the stool and kept a hand on it as she turned and sat. McGonagall placed the hat on her head.

After a few moments consideration the split above the brim yelled "Gryffindor." Luna grinned.

Harry moved to take Luna over to the table, but McGonagall called a prefect, that he was startled to recognise as Remus, to assist.

"Claybaker, Harry."

Harry grimaced as he made his way towards the stool.

'Mmmm a Potter I see- the voice murmured in his ear.

'Yes but not here!' He thought back.

'Hufflepuff could provide you with the rest you seek.'

'I can't leave Luna!'

'Very well, I had best make you'- Gryffindor!

There was some polite applause as Harry made his way to Luna's side, where she was now engaged in polite conversation with Remus.

"So where were you from?" a voice cut through Harry's thoughts and he turned to see a dark haired girl who looked vaguely familiar.

"Oh, ah," he stuttered "Heathgate."

"Emmeline Vance," she shook his hand. He was flooded with memories of the advanced guard and the flight from Privet Drive to Grimmauld place at the start of his fifth year. He remembered she had died shortly after while defending the Muggle Prime Minister and he thought he would pass out. "You alright? You look a bit pale," she asked.

He swallowed "Yeah fine."

"Do you fly?" she asked eagerly.

"I…it's been a while," he wondered if he should fly here, after all his name hadn't been on the trophies that his Father's had been on.

"Why is that? What position do you play? Did you know we had tryouts for the house team today?" the girl had an insatiable appetite for questions as each was issued there was another waiting behind it. Harry pondered how best to answer, he couldn't very well say that he had spent the last 9 months on the run from Voldemort while collecting and destroying Horcruxes.

"Em, take a breath and let him eat," Lily laughed at her friend and Harry smiled at her gratefully.

Harry noticed that Luna wasn't eating, "Do you need a hand Luna?" he asked quietly.

"Just point me in the direction of the potatoes please." She had become used to eating in the infirmary where the meal was presented on a plate, and the food was laid out in the same manner every day.

"Directly ahead of you in a bowl for the mash, I can pass you the roast if you prefer, or we can go to the kitchens and we can get them to make you up a plate?"

"I have to learn to manage Harry," she reminded him quietly, as she reached out to the bowl of potatoes.

"I know, I just…" he saw the smile on her lips and he knew she understood that he just wanted to help.

"You know where the kitchens are? You've only been here two weeks!" Emmeline exclaimed.

Thinking quickly Harry said "Well there was this one night where Luna really wanted pudding and Madam Pomfrey was too busy to get any so she sent me." He internally grimaced, it wasn't the best lie although Emmeline seemed to accept it and turned back to her meal.

"I don't think I can do this Luna," Harry whispered to his friend, he didn't notice the glint in Remus' eyes that showed he was listening in. "I haven't even recovered yet! What we are even doing here?" his heart beat faster, panic oozing from his pores. "I keep seeing…" he swallowed. "They are everywhere I look lying…."

The blonde angled towards him slightly and replied in calm low tones, "Breath. Slowly that's it. It's ok Harry; they said there is time to rest before our task starts."

"And what is our task?" he hissed.

"Something went wrong and we need to fix it, just use this time to get to know everyone we've….missed."

It was clear to Remus that 'missed' was not the word she had originally intended to use, but he couldn't figure out what would have been a suitable replacement. That there was something out of the ordinary going on was easily deduced, from their sudden appearance, their strange clothing, the way Harry paused before answering questions, to her odd affliction. It rankled the werewolf that he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. They didn't assault his senses in the way that a Deatheater would but this mention of a task was troublesome none the less. He knew they were lying, surely the boy could have come up with something better then Madam Pomfrey sent him to the kitchens especially when she had access to House Elves. Still he put these thoughts behind him as he stood.

"I'll show you the way to the Gryffindor tower if you like," he offered as the plates of desserts disappeared from the table.

A strange expression crossed Harry's face "Thanks." Harry stood and reached for Luna's arm only to be intercepted by Remus.

"If I may?" Luna laughed as he continued to lead her from the Hall, Harry trailing behind looking a little lost.

Lily watched them leave, clearly this boy was quite different from the one he looked so much like, and making a decision she hurried after them.

"You worry for her?" Lily noted as she fell into step with Harry.

He nodded "It hasn't been long, and it's my fault so I…."

"Feel responsible," she finished for him, looking at his remorseful face. "I'm sure it wasn't you know."

He was surprised that she had been able to read him so easily, it was going to be hard to keep their secrets.

"That's because you don't know me," he muttered so quietly that she wasn't sure if she had heard correctly.

"Come on it's just up here," at last she led him through the portrait hole and into the warmth of the common room. Looking around he felt he could finally breath.

He had come home.