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Chapter 8

Albus Dumbledore sat with Severus, Minerva, and Remus in his office as they drank tea and discussed the topic at the forefront of their minds. Harry Potter.

"It's not natural, Albus," Severus said. "Something is wrong with that boy. I've paid as much attention to him as I can stand, and he's not normal. He's knows more than he should, he certainly knows magic he shouldn't, his grades have improved so dramatically I had to tripe check Granger wasn't doing his work for him. Then there is the worst part. He was polite to me. I kept him after class to speak to him about his potion, and he was polite. I don't trust him."

"What is it you told him about his potion, Severus?" The Potions Master looked to Albus and thought for a moment.

"I told him his potion was decent, and if he continued work like that, I might reconsider my belief of his ineptitude."

Albus sighed and said, "Did you consider he was polite because you complimented him instead of insulting him?"

"I am a Professor. My attitude toward him should not change his behavior toward me."

"Severus," Minerva said, "you're a very bright man, but sometimes you're uncommonly dense. Of course Potter would respond to you differently based on how you act toward him. That's normal."

Severus sneered. "It shouldn't be."

"Perhaps, Severus," said Remus, "you shouldn't try to use your title in place of a decent personality."

"Shut up, Lupin."

The Headmaster cleared his throat and the two men settled down. "The fact remains that something is very different with Harry this year. Does anyone have any ideas as to why?"

"I do," said Severus. "I believe Potter has been found and corrupted by Sirius Black. I believe he is under either Imperious, or a very strong Confundus."

"I'm sorry, what?" Remus looked to be a mix of confused and amused. "You think Sirius Black found Harry and Confunded him to make him smarter? Does that sound stupid to you?"

"No. Potter is believed to be very powerful. I'll have to concede that he might be after the Dementor incident. If Black could Sway Potter to the Dark Lord-"

"Headmaster!" Remus said. "That's ridiculous. I won't have Harry spoken of in such a way."

Albus nodded. "We should hold off on such leaps in logic until there is more evidence."

Severus made a comment about asking for opinions and then shooting them down, but he sipped tea and remained quiet otherwise.

"Not to be left out are Granger and Weasley," Minerva said. "They have changed as well."

"I know, it's like they have knowledge of things that haven't happened yet and they're trying to prevent them from happening," said Remus.

Minerva shook her head. "Let's try to remain serious, Remus."

Remus took a sip of tea and said little else for the rest of the conversation.

Before classes began for the day, Remus called Harry to his office for a word. The boy arrived with a sandwich in his hand and a black eye. "Hello, Harry. I just wanted to let you know what happened when I spoke with the Headmaster last night. They still cannot figure out what's going on. Severus thinks you've been Confunded by Sirius."

"What a load of waffle," Harry said. "I swear, this lot is too stupid to function. I almost want to tell them just so they feel as dumb as they should."

"Why aren't you telling them, might I ask?"

Harry took another bite of roast beef and egg before he said, "It's mostly to do with the fact that if they found out, we'd have quite a time explaining everything. And then there's the spite issue. It's nice to know something Dumbledore doesn't, and keep him doggedly pursuing a mystery for once. And in the future, McGonagall let us know that if everyone knew, we would lose the ability to do what needs to be done to change things. Dumbledore would regroup the Order and block Ron and I from action. And we've already accomplished more than Dumbledore ever did. So while Dumbledore is wasting his time dicking around and compiling the clues I drop, I want to be most of the way to Voldemort's downfall."

Remus nodded, though he continued to look confused. "I just think we need to hurry up with freeing Sirius. I'm worried that the more time that passes, the more can go wrong."

"Don't worry, Remus," Harry said, "our plan is foolproof."

#

"This did not go as planned," Ron said. Everyone gathered in the Headmaster's office stared at him for a moment. He nodded and said, "Definitely not as planned." Ron's parents, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Sirius, Remus, Snape, and McGonagall stared at him. Hermione and Harry shook their heads.

The Headmaster said, "Well, Ronald, I am glad that you had not planned to almost get Mr. Potter Kissed by a Dementor. Although, between Sirius Black appearing in the middle of dinner and sixteen people ending up in the hospital wing, not to mention Mr. Potter's spectacular display of magic, I can't say I could piece together what your plan was."

"Not that," said Ron. "It was more along the lines of revealing Pettigrew is alive, and then Sirius would be freed and everything would be awesome."

"I see." Dumbledore stood from his seat and made sure he had the attention of everyone in the room. "Though Pettigrew was captured, and the conviction of Sirius Black has will be overturned, questions still remain. And, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, we will have answers. Your guardians have approved the use of Veritaserum for us to ensure we get the answers we need."

"Well, shit," Harry said. "I did not plan for this."

Using a mild application of force, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Remus, and Sirius were dosed with Veritaserum. "Now, base questions," said Dumbledore. "Harry, how old are you?"

"40."

All sound and movement in the room stopped.

"Harry, what is your full name?"

"Harry James Potter."

"Mr. Weasley, how old are you?"

"41."

"Mr. Weasley, what is your full name?"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley."

"Miss Granger, how old are you?"

"41."

"Miss Granger, what is your full name?"

"Hermione Jean Granger-Weasley."

"Albus, what is this?" Molly Wealsey said. "Is the potion working?"

"I assure you it is," said Snape.

"Remus, how old are you?"

"33."

"Sirius, how old are you?"

"33."

Dumbledore remained quiet for a moment before he said, "Mr. Potter, how do you know I had a little sister that died when I was a young man?"

"Rita Skeeter wrote a book about you the summer after Snape killed you."

Those gathered looked between Snape and Dumbledore while the Headmaster himself blinked in surprise. Snape stepped forward and said, "Potter, how did you know of my feelings regarding your mother?"

"You gave me memories as you were dying from wounds Voldemort's snake, Nagini, gave you during the battle at Hogwarts."

Snape reeled back onto his heels and went even more pale.

"Mr. Potter, explain to us how you have these memories," said Dumbledore. Kinglsey Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley looked between each other and their grim expressions told the other that the story they would hear would not be a bedtime story.

"After the Battle of Hogwarts, the Ministry slowly collapsed. With most people dead, we decided Ron and I would go back in time to fix everything that had gone wrong, starting with Peter Pettigrew getting away and Sirius never being free."

"Remus, how long have you known about this?"

"Since shortly before the mock battle. I got the idea when Harry told us about the real battle. So many students died then, I wanted to make sure it did not happen again."

Dumbledore nodded, though he was contemplating his next question. "Sirius, how long have you been in the castle?"

"Months. But I can't tell time as a dog."

"Mr. Weasley, can you add anything to the explanation Mr. Potter has given?" Dumbledore had no idea how to deal with the situation he found himself in. How did he work with teenagers who had gone back in time?

"It was McGonagall's idea. She hated seeing Harry give up on life after the death of his wife and newborn."

"Mr. Potter, what happened to your wife and child?" said Dumbledore.

"They tell me that my infant son was killed slowly. He had the blood drained from him by hundreds of minute stab wounds. James Sirius Potter was 10 months old. My wife was tortured for two hours before they gutted her. She was pregnant with our second son, Albus Severus."

"Oh, Harry." Molly Weasley broke down into tears. "What was her name?"

"Ginny Weasley-Potter."

More tears filled the room. The Veritaserum began to wear off, and the five recipients were not pleased they had been interrogated.

Molly wrapped Harry into a hug and held him tight. "Oh, sweet child, oh dear. How can we help?"

Harry looked to Ron. "Well, I suppose that now that you all know, you might as well know everything, I happen to know that Dumbledore has a handy device to view memories."

The Headmaster set the pensieve on the desk, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione added memories. They warned everyone that the whole thing would be brutal, but everyone agreed to watch.

"Remember, none of this has to happen," Hermione said as they vanished into memory.

The whole thing took more than an hour. The three remained behind because they knew exactly what happened, and still suffered nightmares from it all.

As the large group emerged from the bowl, Harry was surprised by how many people had shed tears. Even Sirius, who never let that kind of emotion show. Dumbledore had tears down his face, and Molly was a sobbing wreck in her husband's arms. The Aurors present held themselves together little better, while the Professors looked ill.

Snape gave Harry a long, penetrating look. His expression remained neutral.

Remus seemed beyond stunned.

"So, you… I'm sorry, did you ride a dragon?" he said.

"Yes. After we robbed Gringotts. To steal a chunk of Voldemort's soul."

Remus shook his head. Dumbledore moved around his desk to put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Minerva made a strong case against telling me, so I do understand why you did not trust me. However, I believe that after seeing that, I will be inclined to include you fully in all decisions regarding the war with Voldemort. You're clearly a skilled wizard."

"Albus, move," McGonagall said. She shoved him aside and pulled Harry into a hug. "You wretched boy. How dare you keep all that pain to yourself? We will all be here for you this time. You won't be alone."

With sore ribs from Molly's hug, Harry almost didn't survive McGonagall's. And then Sirius took a turn. Harry stopped breathing for over half a minute as Sirius yelled about how angry and happy he was.

Snape approached after Sirius let go, and Harry said, "If you hug me, I'll punch you straight in the throat."

"In light of certain revelations, I feel that now might be a better time for reconciliation than the moment of my death. Clearly, I had certain misunderstandings regarding you, Potter. You as well, Weasley, Granger. If you could defeat the Dark Lord on your own at 17, I should think we could get it done sooner if you had help."

Harry held out his hand, and Snape shook it without hesitation.

Dumbledore seemed delighted, but Ron held a look of mild concern. Everyone continued talking about what they had seen. It was hard for them to have seen the deaths of so many people they knew and loved, and then the decline of Harry, Ron, and Hermione into bitter war veterans. McGonagall asked what their plan was to change things.

"Well," Hermione said, "if my calculations are correct and everything works, the plan is to kick Voldemort's ass and make sure nobody dies. Is that acceptable, Professor?"

McGonagall stared at the girl she had known just over two years. Hermione had always been a highly intelligent and rule-abiding student. She had kept Harry and Ron in line and out of real trouble. A few months ago, she never would have guessed the girl could be so brash. However, after viewing the memories of battles and funerals and pain, McGonagall really did not find herself too surprised.

"I was hoping your plan was a little better thought out, honestly."

Hermione blinked. "Should I chalk it out for you? We're going to prevent Voldemort from regaining a body as best we can, kill every Death Eater we find, and destroy the Horcruxes along the way."

Harry glanced toward Sirius as he said, "On the plus side, killing Death Eaters is fun, so."

"Perhaps we should hold off on killing," Dumbledore said.

Hermione whipped her head around so fast her hair audibly cut through the air. "Thoughts like that gets hundreds of innocent people murdered, Headmaster. People like Colin Creevey, Fred Weasley, and little James Sirius and unborn Albus Severus. He was named after you, you know. You and Snape. And then some Death Eater wannabe killed his mother while he was in the womb. So you won't convince me that my nephew's life is less important than that of Death Eaters. And you sure as hell won't convince Ron, and Harry might beat the shit out of you for suggesting it."

"She is right," Harry said. "So, there will be killing. I've been working on figuring out who specifically needs to die to minimize danger in the future."

"Are we really talking about ending lives?" Molly asked. "I've just learned about the devastating future for my family, and we're going to talk about killing?"

Hermione said, "Most of our lives revolve around talking about killing. Now, I suggest we reconvene the Order of the Phoenix. It looks like most of us are here, anyway. Without all the negative press Harry and Dumbledore got fifth year, it should be easier to find people to help us. As of now, there's no pressing threat. Harry, Ron, and I will also continue the club. Next class will be the history of the rise of Voldemort. Hopefully should he regain his body, students will be able to recognize the signs of his rise."

Dumbledore nodded. "I will convene the Order. If any of you know of any that could benefit out cause, please let me know. In the meantime, Harry, Ronald, and Hermione will work with the students. Severus, please keep an eye on any student that could be susceptible to Dark influences. Kingsley, Arthur, if you could make discreet inquiries around the Ministry. Remus, please step of Defense classes as far as you can. Minimize Dark creatures and focus on defensive and offensive spells. Sirius, you and I will got to the Ministry to finalize your release. Does anyone have any questions or suggestions?"

"Is there a short term plan for the coming year? I suppose we all know the Tournament ends in disaster," Kingsley said.

"Indeed," said Harry. "If my name does come out of the Goblet of Fire, I will have a lot of control over everything. Pettigrew did not escape this time, so Voldemort will have to rely on Crouch Jr to return. However, if we switch out the imposter Moody with the real Moody and don't tell Voldemort, we again gain the upper hand."

"Everything will rely on several things going exactly as planned, and there are some variables out of our control. We must work on minimizing these variables," Dumbledore said. "As it is, it is late. We will convene at a later date do discuss progress."

Back in the common room long after the other Gryffindors had gone to bed, the three time-travelers planned the next class they would teach. Harry wanted to make it real life, burn it into the minds of the students so that it became real for them, not some story. He wanted them to feel as if they had been there.

"What about a pensieve?" Hermione said. "We know plenty of people that were there during the first rise. We could create a story for the students and puts them right there."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "That might be brilliant. Only, instead of a pensieve, we could use the Room of Requirement. I'm sure we could find a way to adjust the charms to what we need. If we can't, Flitwick could."

The next class was planned for Friday after dinner. The three set to work, not wanting anything to go wrong.

Sirius was announced a free man the next day, with his entire record cleared. Dumbledore hired him immediately as an assistant Defense professor, and only a few parents protested. He ignored them all.

Remus and Sirius assisted in collecting memories and stories of the first rise of Voldemort. A few people were reluctant to provide their memories, worried about the innocence and naiveté of youth would be harmed. Remus explained that the students deserved to know about the world they had been born into, so that nothing like Voldemort every happened again.

Eventually, with much cooperation from their professors, the three students had everything in place.

A sign-up sheet revealed that many Slytherins, including Malfoy, had decided to attend. Ron wanted to bar them, but Harry said it would be better for them to learn the realities of Death Eater life before they took the Dark Mark. In the end, Harry explained to Dumbledore plans for the night in full, and the Headmaster asked to attend, as well.

Directly after dinner, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Remus, McGonagall, and Dumbledore met in the Room of Requirement for last minute preparations. Sirius was excited and nervous, as some of his memories were included. It was hard for him to reveal some of the more personal moments, and he knew Harry was in the same boat along with Neville, but he knew it was for the best.

Students began to gather, not entirely sure what they were in for. Snape walked in with a group of Slytherins. Some of his memories had been included as well, and this would be a make it or break it moment for him. These memories would prove that he had not been loyal to the Dark Lord by the end of the war. He was not sure how they would react. However, he wanted them to see what loyalty to the Dark Lord wrought.

Many students gave those in green distrustful looks, but Dumbledore's presence quelled any words.

"Thank you for coming," Harry said. "Tonight we will learn of the first rise of Voldemort. We want you to know what is possible when good people do nothing, when power is held in higher regard than morals, and when blood purity is mistaken for worth."

"How are you qualified to teach this?" Malfoy said. The Slytherin ignored the warning look from Snape.

"Easy," Harry said. "Aside from Dumbledore and Snape, I have spoken to Voldemort more than any other person in this room. I've also done more research than anyone else on Voldemort, his followers, his philosophies, his childhood, and his family. I think you'll find the lesson quite thorough."

"We're going to immerse you in Voldemort's life," Ron said. "We want you to feel as if you're there. However, at no point during the simulation will you be in danger. However, scary and violent images will be involved. I recommend standing close to a buddy."

With that, Harry waved his hand and the room went dark.