Changing the Past by PEMDAS
Chapter Notes: Any HP fanatics out there that can decipher this name? If you follow everything HP, you have probably come across it, but not in the books...bonus prize if you can review and accurately say who she is!
When Harry arrived at the castle, he went straight up to the dormitories to change out of his sopping-wet clothes. As he changed into a fresh T-shirt and jeans, he heard a rustle behind him, and saw James lying on his four-poster, staring at the ceiling. “James...” Harry called out, but James ignored him, rolling over to face away from Harry.
Harry sighed, drying his clothes by making steam emit from his wand. He laid them on his bed, walking down to the common room. He found Ron and Hermione, doing homework at a table in the corner. He walked over to them, and they turned to look at him. “How was your date?” Ron asked, smirking.
“Terrible,” Harry said, frowning.
“Thought so,” Hermione remarked, and Harry and Ron looked at her, confused. Hermione continued, “Lily came through here about fifteen minutes ago, fast-walking up to the girls’ dormitories. It looked like she’d been crying.”
“Blimey, mate, what did you do to her?” Ron asked, looking concerned.
“Nothing,” Harry said. “We “ er “ we kissed, and...”
Hermione coughed loudly, as though choking on something, and Ron promptly fell out of his seat. He returned to his seat, all eyes in the common room now upon him, and he leaned forward and whispered, “You’re kidding, right? You kissed your mum?”
“Well, yeah,” Harry said glumly. “Anyway, she accused me of dating another girl...”
“Why?” Hermione asked. “You aren’t dating anyone else...are you?”
“No!” Harry said indignantly. “Apparently, I said ‘Ginny’ subconsciously while we were kissing.”
Hermione giggled, and Ron and Harry both looked at her again. “Sorry,” Hermione giggled. “I mean, it’s a bit funny, isn’t it? You’re dating someone from the past, and you ruin it by saying the name of someone from the future...”
“That’s not funny at all!” Harry said angrily. “It ruined my date with Lily!”
“Well, I won’t say I approved of it in the first place,” Hermione said.
“And since when have you been the one to tell me who I can and can’t date?” Harry said heatedly.
“We aren’t,” Ron put in. “We’re just saying as your friends...it’s not a good idea to be dating your own mum.”
“Or anyone from the future, really,” Hermione added.
Harry shook his head. “Sorry, guys, but I don’t think you should be interfering with this at all,” he said. “No matter the time period, I can date whoever I want.”
“You don’t get it, Harry,” Hermione said. “You think you can just stay here in the past and, what, marry Lily or something?” Harry didn’t reply to this, so Hermione continued: “It’s never been done before, I’ll say that much, but believe me, the odds are that you won’t survive for very long if James and Lily don’t get married. You may disappear or something if you are never born!”
Harry considered this. It was a possibility...“Okay, thanks, guys,” he said, although he wasn’t really sure if he meant it or not. “I’m heading for bed...it’s been a long day.” With that, he walked back up to the dormitories, even though he wasn’t particularly tired. He laid on his four-poster for an hour or so, thinking about his predicament, the other future Death Eaters at the school, Dumbledore’s promise to take care of the matter, and, most of all, Lily. Has she rejected me for good? he wondered. Will she accept me back? Should I apologize? Will she... Before he could think more on the matter, he closed his eyes and fell into a sudden, but peaceful, sleep.
***
The last week of school before the holidays was much less than peaceful. In this time period, Harry, Ron and Hermione learned, students in fifth-year and above were required to take a mock O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. test created by their teachers, and their performance on the test would go on record in the class grades. Most everyone studied on Sunday afternoon for the Potions exam the following morning. Harry, who had learned most of the material in his sixth year back in the future, reviewed the potions and antidotes the sixth-years had learned before Educational Decree 14 was passed in 1986 calling for a total rewrite of Hogwarts school material.
Monday morning dawned bright and sunny, but the sixth-years were forced to go down to the dungeons for the exam. First, they sat the written exam, which was tedious but fairly easy. Harry felt as though he passed with at least an “Exceeds Expectations”, for he seemed to perform better without the presence of Snape “ both in this time and in his time in the future. Second, they took the practical exam. Harry felt that it went almost as well as the written portion, although he messed up on his antidote to the Draught of the Living Death while he watched Lily working over her own cauldron, red hair falling into her face as she worked furiously...
That afternoon, they took Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry hadn’t studied at all, but he felt that he aced both portions of the exam. He flew through the written portion, the first one to finish (including Hermione, who came a close second a minute later), and he was able to perform every spell, charm and hex that Professor Smythe had him do. “Excellent work, Mr. Potter!” Professor Smythe exclaimed joyfully, clapping his wrinkled hands. “Top marks, I believe!”
“Thank you, sir,” Harry said, nodding and walking out of the classroom.
The rest of the week flew by, as Harry took exams for all of his classes except for Herbology. He would sit the exam Friday afternoon in Greenhouse Two. At lunch, however, he was interrupted from his studying by the doors of the Great Hall bursting open, and a group of witches and wizards stormed into the Hall, talking amongst themselves and causing a general racket.
“Who is that?” Harry wondered aloud, as a woman who appeared to be head of the group spotted Dumbledore and walked straight towards him.
“Don’t you know who that is?” a third-year said incredulously to Harry. “That’s the Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold!”
“Oh!” Harry said in comprehension. He had never heard of Bagnold, but he knew nothing, really, of the history of past Ministers of Magic. He realized that the other people must be Ministry officials escorting Bagnold to Hogwarts. Everyone watched as Bagnold reached the Head Table and struck up a heated but quiet conversation with Dumbledore, finally resulting in Dumbledore standing up and addressing the students.
“Attention, please,” Dumbledore said, and the students grew quiet. “As you may have noticed, the Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold, has come to the school.” Everyone turned to Bagnold, who gave a silent wave to the students, expression remaining tight-lipped and grim. “She has requested something of me, and I will be happy to comply. Will the two students that were involved with the capture of Peter Pettigrew please come to my office in twenty minutes? Thank you.”
Everyone began muttering again instantly as Dumbledore sat back down to talk with Bagnold again, frowning slightly. Looking down the table, Harry caught Lily’s eye for a brief moment before they both returned to their studying.
Harry left the Great Hall with the rest of the students, but as his classmates went up to the common room to study further before the exam, he walked to Dumbledore’s office. Lily was already there, waiting. Apparently, neither knew the password. “You don’t know the password?” Harry said, trying to sound nonchalant at meeting Lily again.
“No,” Lily said, and they stood there, waiting. Finally, the door opened, and Dumbledore walked down the staircase to meet them.
“Good afternoon, Miss Evans, Mr. Potter,” he greeted them, nodding to each, which they did in turn. “As you know, Miss Bagnold is waiting for you upstairs,” Dumbledore continued. “She is going to interrogate you one at a time...”
“Interrogate us?” Lily said instantly, frightened. “Do they think we’ve done something illegal?”
“No, no, of course not,” Dumbledore said, and Lily sighed. “I should not have used that term. She just has a few questions for you concerning Mr. Pettigrew’s capture and Mr. Snape’s death. The Ministry seems to think that the two incidents are related.”
Lily nodded. “I’ll go first, she offered. When Dumbledore nodded his approval, she ascended the staircase for the office, where Bagnold was waiting, leaving Harry alone with the headmaster.
“Harry, before you are questioned,” Dumbledore said, facing Harry, “I must ask you to do a few things for me.”
“Such as what, Professor?” Harry asked.
“For one, I must ask you not to reveal the identities of the future Death Eaters in my school,” he said. “Not to worry...I will still keep my word in taking action on the matter.”
“But why, sir?” Harry asked.
“The Ministry does not take these things lightly, Harry,” he said. “They may suspect you of being in league with Lord Voldemort. As I was saying, secondly, do not mention your relationship with Miss Evans, or they may suspect a conspiracy. Third, do not mention any link between the death of Mr. Snape and the capture of Mr. Pettigrew. Finally, as you may not have needed reminding, do not give away that you are not, in fact, from this time period, or you may be accused of stealing a Time-Turner and convicted of altering time, which is a serious offense.”
“But how can they think I used a Time-Turner?” Harry asked. “I mean, Time-Turners can’t take you any farther in time than a few hours, right?”
“True,” Dumbledore said. “However, how else do you think the Ministry is to explain how you traveled back in time, when no other methods are known to do so?”
“All right, sir...I promise,” Harry said, nodding. Dumbledore smiled and ascended the staircase after Lily. A few minutes later, Lily came back down the staircase. She didn’t speak to Harry, but headed straight for the common room to study. Harry immediately walked up the staircase to Dumbledore’s office, knocked, and entered.
Bagnold was sitting in Dumbledore’s chair behind the ornate wooden desk. Dumbledore was sitting quietly in a corner, watching intently, as Harry sat in the wooden chair across from Bagnold. The witch smiled at Harry, but he could tell that she was faking. “Good afternoon, Minister.”
“Good afternoon,” Bagnold said. “What did you say your name was?”
“Potter,” Harry said. He looked at Dumbledore, who didn’t seem to have any concerns with Harry’s response, so he continued, “Harry Potter.”
“Harry Potter, you say?” Bagnold said, flipping through some papers in a folder. “Your name doesn’t appear to be on the Ministry’s list of students here...I do have a James Potter, but no Harry...”
“That would be my fault, Miss Bagnold,” Dumbledore said politely from the corner. “Mr. Potter just recently enrolled into Hogwarts coming from Adstruffy Academy, and I have yet to deliver the paperwork.”
“Please do so promptly then, Professor Dumbledore,” Bagnold said quickly, then set her papers aside, looking at Harry intently. “Mr. Potter, am I correct in saying that Mr. Pettigrew cursed you with the Cruciatus Curse a few weeks ago?”
“Yes,” Harry said quietly.
“And,” Bagnold continued, “is it also true that you witnessed the death of Severus Snape?”
Harry wondered how the Ministry had found out about Snape’s death, but he replied anyway. “Sort of,” he said. Then, feeling he needed to elaborate, he added, “Well, I didn’t see it happen exactly, but I saw him right before it happened.”
“Can you elaborate any further?” the Minister asked. “Was he attacked by someone? Or something?”
Harry glanced to Dumbledore again, but once more, the headmaster seemed unconcerned, looking at the ceiling and twiddling his thumbs. “He was killed by a werewolf,” he said finally.
“A werewolf, you say?” Bagnold said, raising her eyebrows. “Dumbledore, do you believe this story?”
“Yes, Minister,” Dumbledore said. “As you are aware, and as you kindly kept quiet from the press, one of our students is, indeed, a werewolf. You remember Remus Lupin?”
“Ah, yes, Lupin...” Bagnold said, examining another file, presumably Remus’ records. “Ah, yes, I see. All right, Mr. Potter, thank you. We’ve done some research, and we’ve discovered that Mr. Snape was also in league with You-Know-Who, as well as Mr. Pettigrew. Do you believe there is a connection between the incidents?”
“No, ma’am,” Harry replied. “At least, not that I’m aware of?”
“I see,” Bagnold muttered to herself, scribbling something onto a slip of paper. “I heard just recently that you had discovered that Mr. Pettigrew was in league with You-Know-Who, and were about to turn him in, which prompted him to curse you. How did you discover this?”
“Oh...erm...” Harry said, thinking fast. “I found a letter in the common room,” he said finally. “Addressed to Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who.”
“Why would he leave a letter to You-Know-Who lying out in the open?” Bagnold questioned. “It seems suspicious...”
“It wasn’t in an envelope yet,” Harry said. “He hadn’t finished writing it yet. I was sitting at the same table as Peter, and happened to see You-Know-Who’s name on it when someone walked by and bumped the table. The letter turned to face me, and I saw it.”
Bagnold studied him for a moment, then said, “All right, Mr. Potter, I’ll trust you for now, but the circumstances are suspicious...I have one last question for you.”
“All right,” Harry said, waiting for it. Bagnold was pondering him again, and asked her final question.
“Would you agree with the idea that you are involved in some kind of conspiracy to eliminate certain students from you school?” Bagnold asked. “Or in other words, do you have any kind of vendetta against Mr. Snape and/or Mr. Pettigrew that would prompt you to take actions against them?”
“No, Minister,” Harry said, keeping his face straight and looking back into her blue eyes.
Bagnold gave a small “hmph”, then stood up. “Thank you, Mr. Potter, for your time. That will be all. Thank you, Professor Dumbledore, for your time, as well, and allowing my use of your office.”
“Of course, Minister,” Dumbledore said. “I now ask that you leave the grounds quietly, as we have students taking exams.”
“Of course,” Bagnold said. She walked over to the fireplace, grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, and stepped into the grate. “Ministry of Magic!” she said clearly, dropping the powder, and she disappeared in a large bout of green flames.
Dumbledore turned to Harry. “Thank you, Harry, for doing what I asked,” he said. “You may go now. I believe you have a Herbology exam in an hour’s time, correct?”
“Yes, sir,” Harry replied.
“You’d better get studying, then,” Dumbledore said, smiling. “Off you get.”
“Thank you, sir,” Harry said, nodding. With that, he left Dumbledore’s office, headed up for the common room to cram in some last-minute studying before the exam.
Author’s Note: I hoped you liked this chapter! Ch. 17 coming soon...please review!