Disclaimer: All Harry Potter books and trademarks along with the characters recognised belong to J.K.Rowling.
A/N: This is a lot shorter then the previous chapters. The last three chapters were re-written today so this is the only real new one. It's mainly filler to show the outcome of Chapter Two. Resolve some questions. Set up future events. Next update will take at least a week: need to go get the old story plan from the old laptop.
Whose in whose body? Young-Harry and Dudley have merged souls and are now in Dudley's body. The Adversary, Future-Harry is in Harry Potter's body.
What's going on with Snape? Read on to find out. The Blood Lord is a bit crazy now, but there are plans afoot involving his younger counterpart
Chapter Four: Baby Steps
'What are we doing here Headmaster?'
Blue old eyes twinkled behind half moon glasses.
'Just checking up on our young saviour Minerva' murmured the Headmaster of Hogwarts
Both professors of Hogwarts stood in front of number 4 Privet Drive. Dumbledore was dressed in his bright yellow robes waving at the passers by. It was so amazing to watch these people go about their lives without magic. He needed to come out here more often. Humming he walked around the house with a spring in his step, brushing the air in front of the house as he went.
'Headmaster!'
'Look here, isn't it amazing.'
The wards tingled beneath his fingers, warm and alive in a way they hadn't been a few days ago, when Harry was first delivered here. What had happened? The Blood Wards were archaic magic from before the time of Hogwarts itself. Wonderful how it had turned out, exactly how he'd hoped. His Deputy Headmistress was still scowling and questioning as he pushed deeper into the wards marvelling as it pushed him back out.
He tried it again while thinking of hurting Harry and the Wards nearly bit his finger of.
Amazing!
One would think a wizard was linked to the wards and not a muggle like the spell required. A pity that he could not find out the new power here or what had changed. He couldn't risk the young saviours safety in looking for those answers.
'OWW!' yelped Minerva behind Dumbledore.
He chuckled 'Now my dear don't test the wards it seems they are working just fine.'
'I can't get through!'
'Indeed.'
'No headmaster, I can't even enter the premises… it pushes me out, then attacked me for wanted to remove Harry from these terrible muggles!'
That was interesting, Dumbledore pushed once again at the wards and realised it really did push him back out gently, no matter how hard he tried to enter. The Wards wanted no wizards at all inside, that was strange and needed looking into. But Harry now definably had the best protection magic could create.
'Now Minerva this is the best place for the boy, you can see from this strength that they must love him very much.'
'SHUT UP YOU FREAK!'
Vernon Dursley hammered on the cupboard door, the little brat hadn't stopped screaming in hours.
It'd learn.
He'd locked it in the cupboard for the last few days.
They weren't going to waste their food on freaks.
The fat man turned to find the eyes of his own son fixated upon him. Weighing him up, finding him lacking.
He shivered.
In the kitchen he and Mrs Dursley panicked about their nephew.
'The whole street knows we've taken him in!' said Petunia Dursley
'Those freaks must have told everyone.'
'What about Duddykins! Did you see what it did to him?'
'He won't leave the thing alone!'
It had hurt them to say no to their normally pampered son. But they had. Countless times now. The second bedroom was already closed of, they'd taken away his toys, even refused him food. And still Dudley would just stare and ask where his cousin was. As though nothing else in the world mattered.
'What if it's doing something to him? What if that freaks hurting our baby?'
Mr Dursley collected his wife in his arms. How dare they. How dare they do this to his beautiful normal family.
'We've been too kind on Dudley. We never expected him to have to put up with this; we have to be stricter with the boy. We don't want him picking up any unnaturalness.'
'Yes stamp it out of the both of them.'
Harry awoke to screaming and realised it was his own. From the raspy sound that emerged he knew he'd been screaming for hours or more.
Snape was alive!
Inside the old empty corpse of Voldemort… what would that do to him?
The soul of Snape.
The broken rotting body of Voldemort.
He needed to act, what the hell could he do with a child body while Snape ran around causing chaos. Thank merlin that the slimy git couldn't use magic. Maybe it was a result of possessing a dead body, or simply because he wasn't in his own Younger Snape body. It was a good thing harry had his own body. At least now Snape would have to lay low for a while.
It was all Sniviless's fault! If Harry had been the one to develop a way to time travel you can bet Merlin's ass that it would be a hell of a lot better then this! He would of come back with his own damn body and kicked everyone's ass within a week. The least Snape could have done would have been to send some magic back with him.
Baby's body, Baby's magic, Adult mind, Adult spirit.
Great.
Maybe by the time this body grows to be five years old he'll be able to cast a stunner strong enough to keep someone down.
Harry retreated into his mind room to rage. At least here he looked 18, and could do anything he imagined. Throwing himself back down in the Gryffindor chair he glanced at the silver monstrosity at the back of his mind.
The cage still rested there, surrounded by bars. He hadn't dared look inside, he honestly didn't want to.
It was the Future-Snape's memories. Obviously the bastard had covered all his bases, just in case something went wrong. Harry was still bound by the oath he made to give the cage to the younger Snape by the end of his first Hogwarts year or suffer loosing his magic.
But he didn't have to go to Hogwarts did he?
That would stop it…
Or is that what Snape wanted him to think… so that he could do something drastic in the first year.
Here was the reason he wasn't in Slytherin, to many plans within plans.
Harry sighed once.
Twice.
His mind cleared, everything in the room became clearer, sharper, like he'd only just put his glasses back on. The Himalayan Monk method to Occulmacy was much better then any he had found elsewhere.
He hadn't planned for this, hadn't thought it could happen. But he wouldn't lose now. He'd ride this storm out. Time was moving foreword, each moment that passed was one in which the so-called Blood Lord could muck things up even more. Events might change but most people would stay the same.
It was two days since Sirius was arrested. Wormtail would wander around England until next year before befriending Percy as Scabbers. Snape would go on trial in a few weeks. In 3 months the Lestrange's and Crouch Jnr would attack the Longbottom's. Which would cause Neville to lose his parents to madness, and Crouch Snr to lose the election to Millicent Bagnold.
Damage control…
Screw that the damage was done, he was wearing a diaper, this couldn't possibly get worse! Time to mess things up just as much as Snape will. Plan for what he'll do and counter it, while thinking about the counters that Snape would set up for him.
What weapons did he have?
Hardly any physical ones, although if he could get his hands on his Gringotts gold then a HitWizard could always be hired. He did have potions, although they'd have to be bought. His own attempts in that skill were atrocious and he wasn't going to start now. With no idea how to change to dosages for children anyway… Polyjuice potion would come in handy apart from the age difference… growing by a couple of hundred pounds and back again in the space of an hour takes a toll on a child. Crap why couldn't things be easy, having Tonk's skill would have been useful around about now. He was an animagus but the reptile was next to useless in this climate.
The name of the Boy-Who-Lived was politically advantageous now. No one would believe a child could talk but maybe a guardian? Only Dumbledore knew where he was. The old man didn't spill until Hogwarts first year.
He needed a pen and paper quickly.
Where would he find an owl?
Just when Harry was convinced he'd have to have words with his uncle about starvation, the cupboard door was opened.
The man wasn't gentle. Reaching in he picked the baby up by a single arm and dropped him next to a dressed up Petunia and Dudley, who was strapped to a wheelchair. He gave a glare to the child before walking away. Obviously the oaf was worried about magical contamination. Even with Dudley's newfound infatuation with Harry, the Dursley's were convinced Harry was a thing to be feared.
He got up grinning. No one ever imagined they'd be there for their own first baby steps after all. Despite wobbling he managed to make it over to the stroller grabbing hold of the metal supports, just as his cousin steadied him as well.
'Now… Now Duddy cakes don't touch the dirty thing' Petunia gently moved them apart before turning a spiteful eye on Harry 'now listen you little freak. I wish to God that my sister hadn't got herself blown up! Leaving us with a mistake like you. From now on you do what I say when I say it.'
This… Harry couldn't believe his ears at the audacity of this woman, how dare she! He was growling and glaring down the hag before she'd even finished.
The look of terror on her face at confronting a snarling child was short lived. As fear gave way to anger.
'Don't you look at me you Hell spawn!'
Faster then his child body could follow he was struck to the floor, his aunts huge hand hit his entire head flinging him down the hall.
Harry was more shocked then hurt. Actually, he thought as he reached up to his head, I'm not hurt at all.
Dudley was screaming his little heart out at the scene of violence. Vernon was running back down the stairs. His aunt… she was backed against the wall pale as death staring at her nephew, her eyes wide and pupils reduced to pin pricks from shock. A handprint the size of a giant was stained in red over her face and was already darkening to a purple colour indicating a bruise.
Harry met her gaze and she screamed covering her eyes babbling for someone to save her from the devil child. Vernon led her away calming her down with a gentle side he only ever showed to his wife. She avoided looking at Harry, avoided looking at him. The child she'd struck, only to have the wound inflicted on her self.
She couldn't hurt him.
Fresh sobs floated down the hall from the kitchen but all Harry could bring himself to think was "serves her right" but what had changed. He reached again to his cheek, still partially dazed.
His fingers tingled.
Harry blinked and opened his magical sense as much as a child's can. Drawing deep breaths from the strain. It was hard at first; child's magic was too weak to be used. His senses didn't expand further then a few centimetres. It was enough…
His fingers tingled, warm against something that was alive, something almost sentient. Yet it was familiar.
That was your doing
It purred now, stalking around his skin. Checking every muscle for strain, his stomach for sustenance and body for injury. It gently poked and cleaned and helped, before he knew what was happening it was folding his magical sense inwards closing it off because of the strain it caused. The temperament reminded him of a forceful content Dobby in the Elf's old age. It even slowly healed the strain on his magical core from sensing in the first place.
What was this thing, it felt like a ghost but had powers that it shouldn't have. It had helped today but would it always do so?
'Hawee! Hep' Dudley squealed, struggling to escape his baby stroller.
The child was far to fat. Dudley's podgy fingers could hardly work the straps, wailing and whining with frustration. He ignored his cousin, remembering how well it had worked a few days ago. If Vernon and Petunia weren't going to treat the brat manners it would be up to him. It was always up to him. Instead he paced the hall brushing his fingers against the walls and furniture, trying to find the epicentre of this magical spectre haunting the house.
It was only when they left the house minutes later and passed the Wards that Harry realised…
Uncle Vernon took them out to the park in the end, Leaving Petunia to recover before facing any neighbours. The stubborn man seemed to be doing his best to ignore Harry, now dressed in Dudley's over sized clothes. But this proved impossible. Dudley, the spoilt brat, was still fascinated with Harry.
In fact, was Dudley even his cousin anymore?
As far as Harry could tell the kid could be his Soul-Brother. Hopefully the Horucrux inside Dudley had been destroyed… The children had done something to it. Before merging into the child he was now. No way to tell exactly until the locater spell could be cast. Past-Voldemort was down to seven Horucrux already. Or was that six, as Nagini hadn't been made yet?
He really needed to think about this more, get it all sorted in his head. Most of all was the wonder that Past-Voldemort, (stop calling him that! There are no Future people now.) Voldemort was now so young. No longer the man he'd battled for centuries.
It took both Vernon and Harry an hour to get the child Dudley to do something on his own. Harry could see that his cousin's attitude was going to become very annoying.
The looks on Vernon's face were amusing though.
The oaf had been torn between fear, anger and bafflement when Harry had helped distract Dudley. Even now Vernon shot him looks from the play park.
Harry was wandering slowly away; plans were going to be put into action. He was going to get things done, but he needed something now to start it all off.
The Ward Spectre, whatever it was… it had been helpful but he wasn't going to let it boss him around and pester him like an annoying house elf. He'd had enough of that when Dobby declared loyalty to him. Still, the duel between Dobby and Kreacher was one of his best memories.
Ah, Vernon had glanced away.
A bush next to him was the closest hiding place and Harry cursed at the thorns. Causing the passing old woman to stare as language dirtier then most sailors spilled out of his mouth.
'You finished staring lady?'
'Where did yo-'
'Push off grandma.'
When the shocked senior had shuffled away Harry quickly closed his eyes and activated the only helpful piece of magic he still had apart from the mind arts.
His skin changed first, becoming hard like armour. Eyes bulged out. Bones crunched and shrank. The air suddenly seemed freezing. The sensations made him throw up before his mouth changed as well. It was excruciating pain, more terrible then the Crucio because it was happening inside your own body. A hiss of pain escaped his half changed mouth when his fingers formed together and his vision split in half. The sound was cut off, as the sense of sound was lost to him. He hated the loss but revelled in the new senses this body provided. And then it was done, the animal instinct started to mix with his mind in the final stages of the animagus transformation.
Merlin! That hurt! That better be because it was this bodies first time and not because he was forcing the wrong transformation. His inner Hermione lectured him on the need to research this before he shut it up. He couldn't think like that now. Not with Hermione still alive here. Along with Ron…
And Ginny…
Harry blanked his mind and moved forward on all fours. Letting the lizard's instincts take control to search without his input. The world was huge now. Blades of grass like a jungle. Concentrating on the task took a long time, helped him forget old memories. It took 147 trees before he found the right nest. Then came the tricky part of getting the item onto the ground before the mother awoke.
It took 2 hours in all, leaving a satisfied but exhausted Harry Potter to return to the play park with a common Barn Owl egg nestled safely in his coat pocket.
Vernon was angry when he appeared again, Harry couldn't figure out if this was because he got away from Vernon's sight, or because he actually came back alive. His mind was already working out the details for the near future. The time taken to hatch and train an owl, the ways he could set up a fake identity to write from, how to get access to money from the Potter account.
The next few years were going to be interesting.
A/N:
Well What do you think...
I'm thinking that I will jump the next ten years to the Hogwarts acceptance letters. Harry's actions will be limited to small actions until then and it will be more of a mystery for readers to guess at what's happened in the intervening years. This will be AU so the universe will have already changed conclusively by then.
Do we need a few chapters before this jump or should it happen now?
What will happen to Dudley's personality?
How will the Blood Wards develop?
Who deserves redemption if any? Voldemort? Past-Snape? The Dursley's?
Can anyone guess Harry's exact animal form?
I'm trying to set up a long plot arc, there's hint of that in these initial chapters, but say if things are being unclear or moving to fast.
Remember – First time writer.
Ravus