Changing the Past by PEMDAS
Chapter Notes: Hopefully this chapter title holds true, also, between me and my moderator, over our latest argument over Chapter 18...as a peace treaty, I made major modifications to this chapter, and hopefully it will be validated now. Hopefully.
As expected, the media had a field day following the defeat of the Death Eaters and capture of students attempting to fight alongside them. When asked by the Prophet to recount the events of the battle, Dumbledore declined to give details of the battle, but only mentioned that no close-range combat was used up until the Ministry’s arrival, and the use of several D.A.D. packets was a key factor.
Many students swarmed Harry, Ron and Hermione throughout the holiday, asking them to recount the events, as well, but they also declined, saying only what Dumbledore had. It became worse once students returned home to start the second half of the term, and they finally had to ask Dumbledore to make a public announcement during dinner the first night everyone returned to leave them alone about it, which ended the chaos wherever they went.
It was not without a price, however. Many students came up individually to argue with them, saying that their parents were threatening to come and take them home. Among these students was Lily, who approached Harry angrily after Transfiguration the first day back from break. “I can’t believe you, Harry,” she said coldly.
“What did I do this time?” Harry asked exasperatedly, turning to her.
“Everything!” she yelled angrily. “I know you were involved with Snape’s death somehow...and Peter’s capture wasn’t an accident...and then you admit you’re dating someone else while we were kissing? You WANT me taken home from the school, don’t you?”
“No!” Harry said. “No...it’s not like that! Can...can you just let me explain? Please?”
“What’s there to say, Harry?” Lily asked quietly. “Are you finally going to admit that you were dating someone named Ginny? Or that you killed Snape? Or...”
“Please!” Harry repeated firmly. “I need to tell you what James tried to tell everyone the day we dueled with each other.”
Lily considered him for a moment, eyes narrowed. “Fine,” she said. “Meet me in the common room after dinner, and you’ll tell me everything.”
“Agreed,” Harry said, sighing with relief. “You won’t be upset after I explain, I promise.”
Lily then left the corridor to go to lunch. Harry was about to go find Ron and Hermione when a first-year walked up to him. “You’re Harry Potter, right?” the first-year asked.
“Yes,” Harry said, bemused. This was the first time someone had not known who he was upon seeing him. But then he became annoyed. “And I’m not going to tell you what happened over the break, so you can just...”
“That’s okay,” the boy said quickly. “Professor Dumbledore just sent me to tell you that he wants to see you in his office.” He then scurried off, looking over his shoulder as he did. Harry frowned after him, but instead of walking down to the Great Hall for lunch, he headed for the third floor, to Dumbledore’s office.
Dumbledore was waiting for him there. “Thank you for coming, Harry,” he said when Harry stepped into the office. He sat in the wooden chair across from Dumbledore, who was examining Harry in the piercing way that made Harry uncomfortable.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” Harry asked tentatively.
“Indeed,” Dumbledore replied. “I want to apologize, Harry, for what I put you through...”
“It’s okay; you got most of the students to back off in the corridors,” Harry said quickly.
“I was referring to the events that occurred over this Christmas break,” Dumbledore said quietly, which shut Harry up. “I know that what I did was putting you in danger, and I’m sorry for blackmailing you like I did, Harry. You shouldn’t have been put through that, as safe as I may have thought it was.”
“It’s okay, sir,” Harry replied. “I’m used to doing that sort of thing, anyway.”
“That’s what worries me,” Dumbledore replied. “Many of my students have been taken home from Hogwarts in the past few days, and I’m afraid I might have “ ah “ been mistaken in thinking I should do such a thing, and just to get a few people arrested. I know for a fact at least two Ministry officials were killed in battle, and although they weren’t directly linked to my actions, I feel a deep sense of remorse in thinking of their families, as it was Christmas at the time of their deaths.”
Harry nodded sadly. “It was a little chancy,” he agreed. “I mean...blackmailing me and then forcing me to fight...”
“I will always regret it,” Dumbledore said. “Will you forgive an old man’s mistake, in the hopes that it will not happen again in the future?”
Harry had a brief flashback to the previous times he’d felt let down by Dumbledore, and vowed to change things so they would not happen again. “Apology accepted, sir,” he said.
“Thank you,” Dumbledore said. “You may go.”
Harry nodded and left the office. Although he knew that his job in the future was now done, he felt a stronger pull than ever to his new life here in the past.
At seven, right after arriving back at the common room from the Great Hall after dinner, Harry met Lily, who was sitting in an armchair in front of the fire. “You ready?” Harry asked tentatively.
“Okay, let’s go,” Lily said coldly, standing up and turning to ascend the stairs to the girls’ dorm. Harry followed, knowing that any second the stairs would turn into a smooth surface and throw him back down, but it didn’t. Apparently, in the presence of a girl, you could be allowed up the stairs. Harry walked to the top quickly nevertheless, following Lily into the dorm.
Luckily, it was empty. Harry didn’t see what the big deal was about not allowing boys into the girls’ dormitory, since it was exactly the same, but included a few more girlish decorations around the four-posters. Lily sat on her bed, and Harry sat opposite her, Silencing the door and locking it. “What was that for?” Lily demanded, eyeing him nervously, now suspicious he might try something.
“I don’t want to be overheard,” Harry said. “Lily, listen...I’m not from where you think I am.”
“You told me you were from America,” she said. “What...are you just from another part of the U.K. or something?”
“No, you don’t get it,” Harry said, sighing. “I’m not from this time, Lily. I’m from the future.”
Lily looked at him for a few seconds, and then smirked. “Nice try, Potter,” she said. “For a moment, I thought you were serious about something!”
“I am serious, Lily!” Harry said. “I’m from 1997, and Ron and Hermione and me got sent back in time to the day we came into the Great Hall in October. And I...I’m your son from the future.”
“Impossible,” Lily breathed.
“No, it’s not,” Harry insisted. “I have an old photo album back in my dorm, and it’s made of magical leather that can transport you through time.”
“But then why did you kill Severus?” Lily asked. “And arrest Peter?”
“Because they were Death Eaters,” Harry replied, to which Lily gasped. “Not only that, back in my time, Snape killed Dumbledore, and Peter...Peter turned you and James over to Voldemort.”
Lily squeaked with fright at the name, but paused when she realized what he’d said. “Me and James?” she repeated. “You can’t mean...”
“It’s true,” Harry said. “Have you ever wondered why James and I look so much alike? I’m his son...and you’re my mum. I got your eyes.”
Lily looked at his similarly-green eyes, then frowned. “Me and James?” she asked, grimacing. “What love potion did he give me?”
“You chose to marry him,” Harry explained. “He’s not a complete git, you know...you just don’t give him the chance to redeem himself.”
“He’s had plenty of chances to redeem himself!” Lily said indignantly. “Sure, if he’d done something admirable, like...save someone’s life...”
An icy chill swept over Harry as she said that. James had saved Snape’s life from Lupin originally. Is that why she changed her mind? he thought. Will she never consider it again if he never did save him? “I have to go,” Harry said quickly, and got up. Right before he left the room, he turned back to Lily. “By the way, ‘Ginny’ was my girlfriend in the future. We broke up.” With that, he turned, leaving a confused Lily behind him.
“All right, Harry,” Hermione said when Harry came back down to the common room. She had been waiting for him. “Let’s go to the Room of Requirement.”
“Why?” Harry asked, alarmed.
“Memory Charm lessons, remember?” she said. “We’ve already gotten rid of everyone you want to; now we just need to modify everyone’s memory that knows about our secret.”
“Oh...right,” Harry said absentmindedly. “Sure.” So he followed Hermione out of the common room and into the Room of Requirement, where Tipsy was waiting for them.
“Now, Harry, today I talked to Ron in Herbology about you,” Hermione said. “I want you to try and fix my memory, so I think it was me talking to you about you.”
“Okay,” Harry said. He made the image in his head of talking to Hermione about various things concerning himself, then muttered, “Obliviate.” Hermione’s eyes slid out of focus, and she snapped to, looking at him curiously. “Okay, Hermione,” Harry said, “Erm...what did you and Ron talk about during Herbology today?”
“Ron?” Hermione said, confused. “Wasn’t I talking to you?” Tipsy then snapped her fingers, and Hermione returned to normal again. “Brilliant, Harry!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Now, try it again, but this time...”
They practiced for at least an hour, working on various memories of Hermione’s, and each time, Harry was successful. After a particularly-difficult memory that involved a conversation Hermione had had with one of Lily’s friends a few days after their arrival in October, Hermione called an end to it. “I think you’re ready now, Harry,” she said. “Tomorrow, you can modify everyone’s memories after classes are over, and we can go home!”
Harry dreaded the moment all night long and the next day, as well. During his classes the next day, he watched James, Remus, Sirius, and Lily do various things, trying to convince himself that it was for the best, but he couldn’t bring himself to accept that they would forget he existed by dinner...by which time he may be gone. After the last class of the day, Charms, Ron and Hermione caught up with him.
“All right, Harry,” Hermione said, “we’ll be waiting up in the common room for you with the album. You just modify everyone’s memory that you need to, and we’ll be gone within the hour.”
“Fine,” Harry sighed, and he followed James, Sirius and Remus from the classroom. When James noticed him, he turned to face Harry, glaring at him.
“What do you want?” he demanded.
Harry sighed. “Listen, James...” he said. “And Remus and Sirius, too...it’s been great meeting you all and everything, but...it’s time I went home to my time.”
James nodded. “I’m going to have to modify your memories, though,” Harry continued, sighing, and the three blanched. “Don’t worry, though; I’ve learned how to do it properly, so you won’t forget everything.”
The three boys exchanged nervous glances. “I’ll go first,” James said finally, stepping forward. “The faster I can forget I ever met you, the better.” Harry nodded and pulled out his wand as James closed his eyes, trying to relax. Harry pointed his wand at the other boy for several seconds, examining his future father, trying to summon the strength to finally wipe out the memories of meeting his father for the first, and probably the last, time.
He finally took a deep breath and said, “Obliviate!”
***
Half an hour later, Harry walked up to the boys’ dormitories, where Ron and Hermione were waiting for him, album in hand. “Did you do it?” Hermione asked excitedly. “Did you wipe everyone’s memories?”
“Yeah...sort of,” Harry said, frowning.
“What do you mean?” Hermione asked.
“I...oh, Hermione, I can’t do it!” he said, hitting himself in the forehead. “I couldn’t bring myself to wipe their memories of me completely! The only thing I did was wipe James’ and Lily’s memories of the bad things that happened between us! I couldn’t...I can’t...”
Hermione examined him closely. “Fine; I’ll finish the job for you, then,” she said gruffly, walking towards the door.
“No!” Harry said. “You...Hermione, please, listen to me...I don’t want to go back.”
“You’ve told me before,” Hermione replied. “You wanted to spend more time with...”
“No, you don’t get it!” Harry yelled at her, exploding with emotion. “I don’t ever want to go back! Do you know how nice it is to get to meet your dead parents for the first time...make friends with them? Not to mention I don’t have a Dark wizard after me, and I can go anywhere I want without being stared at or talked about behind me back! I’d much rather be here than back home!”
“You have people that love you back home, Harry!” Ron protested. “My mum...everyone in the Order...we need you.”
“Not anymore,” Harry said gruffly. “Get lost. Get out of here. Go home, you two. I’m staying here.”
Hermione stared at him for a few seconds, shocked, then glared at him when she saw that he wasn’t joking. “Fine!” she yelled. She walked over to the album, drew her wand, and said, “Diffindo!” A corner of the leather on the cover ripped itself from the rest of the album, and Hermione grabbed it and handed it to Harry. “Take this, in case you change your mind,” she muttered without looking at him.
Before anyone could protest, she grabbed the album in one hand, Ron’s arm in the other, and yelled, “If we could go back to July 31, 1997, it would be perfect!” With that, Harry’s two best friends disappeared.
In a fury, Harry ran down to the common room, walked over to the fire, and threw the piece of leather into the fire. I will never go back, he thought to himself, taking great satisfaction in watching the red leather shrivel up, turn black, and finally turn to ash in the grate...his last tie to his old life.
Author’s Note: I’ve been planning this chapter for a long time...and I’m still not done with the fic! Tell me what you think of this turn of events in a review, please! Thanks for reading!
Also, this chapter was extra-long because I basically used most of my original Chapter 19 and added lots onto it, such as Dumbledore's reconciliation with Harry and Harry's reconciliation with Lily. Oddly enough, this was titled "Reconciliation" long before I added that in, but now it just better fits the title. Thanks for reading; please review!