Harry walked briskly down the corridors towards Dumbledore’s office. He passed it three times before realizing this; the gargoyle that guarded the entrance was no longer there. Instead, a large bust of Merlin stood in its place. Harry could see why Dumbledore had replaced it later; it was very worn and chipped everywhere. Harry suddenly realized that he didn’t know the password.
“Er...” he said, thinking. What would Dumbledore set as the password that only I would know? He realized: his name. “Harry Potter?” he said tentatively. The bust of Merlin came to life, moving aside for Harry to ascend the staircase to Dumbledore’s office.
When Harry reached the door, he reached out to knock, but it swung open before he could do so. “Come in, Harry,” Dumbledore said cheerfully. When Harry obliged, Dumbledore motioned for a chair in front of his desk. Harry sat down, and Dumbledore examined him from behind his half-moon spectacles. Harry found himself looking deep into the headmaster’s deep blue eyes.
“Well, Mr. Potter,” Dumbledore said, “it seems that you have made quite an impression upon the students of Hogwarts already, which is rare for someone who has been here a mere half day.”
“It helps to know everyone already, though,” Harry said. “Half of them are still alive in my time.”
“Half of...” Dumbledore said, contemplating this statement. “You’d better not tell me whom you have spoken to thus far, Harry,” he said. “At least not until I hear your story. But before I do, I want to ask you something. Is there any way you can prove to me that all you say is true? It is, as I assume you would know, not customary to be talking to someone from the future you don’t know.”
Harry racked his brain. “Well...there was one thing you told me a long time ago. You have rejected Tom Riddle as the DADA teacher for ages, and ever since he applied for the job, the job has been cursed, and the last professor to hold the job for more than a year was Professor Merrythought.”
“Thank you, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “That will suffice. Now, you may tell me your story.”
“All right, then,” Harry said, taking a deep breath. Where would he begin? “Well, it all began when I was about one year old. Actually, it all began years before I was born, but at least my part of it started when I was a year old.” He expected Dumbledore to explain himself there, but he didn’t. So he continued.
“My parents were part of the Order of the Phoenix,” Harry said, seeing Dumbledore’s eyebrows raise slightly. “They were all fighting Voldemort in the First War...”
“So Tom did rise to power,” Dumbledore muttered, half to himself and half to Harry. “And you say, the ‘First’ War? There are multiple wars?”
“Yes,” Harry said. “See, my parents were hiding at a place called Godric’s Hollow, and they made Sirius their Secret-Keeper.”
“I presume your mother knew Sirius enough to trust him as well as James,” Dumbledore interjected.
“Yeah,” Harry said. “I’ve already met my mom. It’s Lily.”
Dumbledore reacted very strangely at this information. First, he looked very surprised that Lily had accepted James; then he looked very pleased. “Go on,” Dumbledore insisted.
“Okay,” Harry said, taking a deep breath. It got complicated from there, as his emotions took over. “Well, I don’t really know how or why, but my parents suddenly changed Secret-Keepers, and Peter became the new one. Well, years ago, Peter had pledged his loyalty to Voldemort-” Dumbledore closed his eyes in sadness at this news... “-and he betrayed my parents to Voldemort. Well, Voldemort came to the house on Halloween in 1981, and my dad tried to fend him off, but Voldemort killed him. Then my mum...she tried to convince Voldemort to kill her instead of me. He obliged.”
He glanced up at Dumbledore, who looked devastated. “Why,” Dumbledore asked, “was Voldemort after your parents?”
“He wasn’t,” Harry explained. “He was after me. But that’s much later in the story. Do you...do you want me to keep going?”
Dumbledore looked very sad, but he replied, “Please do.”
“Well,” Harry continued, “Voldemort tried to kill me, too...but my mother’s love caused the spell to backfire and kill him instead. Only he didn’t die. That’s later in the story, too. Afterwards, Hagrid picked me up and brought me to you and McGonagall...” Here Harry found himself growing angry at Dumbledore. “...and you left me with my aunt and uncle for ten years. I hate them, by the way.”
“I am sorry for that, Harry...or, I will be sorry, I suppose,” Dumbledore said. “But I see why I would’ve done that. “Go on.”
“Afterwards,” Harry said, “Peter confronted Sirius in a crowded street and...pretended that Sirius had betrayed my parents, not him. He cast a curse behind his back, and killed a dozen Muggles and himself...or so everyone thought. He had actually transformed into a rat and...”
“Are you telling me that Mr. Pettigrew is an Animagus?” Dumbledore inquired. “And, I assume, Mr. Potter and Mr. Black?” Harry winced; he shouldn’t have said that. “Not to worry, Harry,” Dumbledore said quickly. “Don’t think I haven’t realized that the sixth-year Gryffindor boys dormitory is empty every full moon.”
Harry smiled weakly, then continued. “Well, everyone thought Sirius had cast the spell, and he was put into Azkaban for twelve years, convicted without a trial.” Harry said this angrily.
“You seem very bitter about the conviction of someone your father only knew,” Dumbledore commented.
“Oh, it’s not like that at all,” Harry said. “Sirius was my godfather. I met him in my time when I was about fourteen.”
“I see,” Dumbledore said. “And mistake me if you’re wrong, but did you say, he ‘was’ your godfather?”
Harry remembered this. “Oh, yeah...” he said, avoiding the subject. “That comes later, too. Anyway, Pettigrew was brought in by the Weasleys “ you met my friend Ron “ and they kept him for about twelve years.”
From that point, Harry began telling of his life with the Dursleys. He talked about the letters he received constantly, and how Hagrid had eventually rescued him on his eleventh birthday. He told of meeting Ron and Hermione on the train, as well as Malfoy. Dumbledore stopped him there. “Malfoy, you say?” he asked. “Lucius Malfoy?”
“Draco,” Harry corrected. “Lucius’ son.” He continued, telling of the Sorcerer’s Stone, and how he, Ron and Hermione had rescued it from Quirrel.
He then told of his second year. He mentioned that Dobby had warned him not to go to Hogwarts that year, and had nearly been prevented from doing so, but had flown to Hogwarts with Ron in the flying Ford Anglia. He told of the attacks all throughout the year, and how Hermione had realized it was a basilisk right before she was Petrified. He told of how he, Ron and Lockhart had entered the Chamber of Secrets, and his battle with Tom Riddle’s memory. He then told of the victory, and the eventual freeing of Dobby.
He then told of his third year. He mentioned that Sirius had escaped from prison, and everyone thought he was after Harry, but was really after Peter, aka “Scabbers”. He then told of how Hermione’s cat, Crookshanks, had somehow known that something wasn’t right with Scabbers. He told of how he’d overheard that Sirius had been James’ friend, and later how he had caused James’ death, which wasn’t true after all. However, Harry had tried to go after Sirius and kill him for it. Harry told of how he confronted Sirius in the Shrieking Shack, and he had later been caught by Snape. “Snape?” Dumbledore interrupted. “Severus Snape?”
“He became the Potions teacher at Hogwarts,” Harry said absentmindedly. Dumbledore smiled knowingly. Harry then told of his travel through time with Hermione to free Sirius. He told of how he had acquired the Firebolt, which Dumbledore hadn’t heard of, but he later smiled when heard that Harry was a Seeker, just like his father.
Harry then told of his fourth year. He first told of the Quidditch Cup, and how it had been attacked by Death Eaters. “Voldemort’s followers,” Harry explained quickly. He told of how the Triwizard Tournament was being held at Hogwarts, and how Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had joined them to compete. He told of how his name had been selected as the fourth competitor, yet he hadn’t put his name in the Goblet of Fire. He told vaguely what had happened throughout the tasks, and then elaborated on it after the Third Task. He told of Cedric Diggory’s murder, and how Voldemort had used Harry’s blood to come back to life. He told of the Priori Incantatem, and how he had managed to escape. He finished by saying that the Ministry refused to believe that Voldemort had returned.
Harry moved onto his fifth year. He recounted the Dementor attack in June, and his relocation to 12 Grimmauld Place. He explained that Harry wasn’t allowed into the Order, and was somewhat depressed by this. After Harry had been cleared of all charges at the hearing for the Dementor attack, Harry had gone to Hogwarts. He told of how Umbridge had taken over as High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, and eventually took over the position as headmaster. He told of the D.A., and how they had been caught. Later, Harry had a dream of Sirius being caught at the Ministry of Magic, and had gone after Sirius after Umbridge had been taken care of by the centaurs. He explained how, after arriving at the Ministry, several Aurors, and Sirius, had showed up to help fight, and Sirius had fallen through the stone archway. Dumbledore again looked devastated at the news. Harry then told of the prophecy, and how he was supposedly destined to defeat Voldemort. With a sigh, he recounted the prophecy for Dumbledore.
Finally, he had reached his sixth year. He told of his rescue from Privet Drive by Dumbledore himself, and the persuasion to get Slughorn to return to Hogwarts. Dumbledore chuckled at the mention of Slughorn. Harry continued, saying that the Ministry had finally accept he was the ‘Chosen One’, and many people were on his side. Harry told of the attacks on various people, such as the poison and the cursed jewelry. Harry mentioned that Dumbledore had told him about the Horcruxes, and why Voldemort didn’t die when he was a child. Then, Harry told of their visit to the “Inferi Cave”, as he called it, and hold Dumbledore had been force-fed the potion. Dumbledore slowly began turning white with dread at his future.
Harry told of the return to Hogwarts, and how the Dark Mark was over the school. After Dumbledore and Harry landed atop Hogwarts on broomsticks, Malfoy cornered them. Harry was hidden, yet Dumbledore, whom Malfoy was apparently assigned to kill, was in trouble. “Then,” Harry said, “Snape and a few other Death Eaters came in and...” Harry found himself choked up, looking up at the headmaster. “Go on,” Dumbledore said shakily.
“Well...” Harry said. “Snape...he...killed you, Professor. He got you with ‘Avada Kedavra’.”
Dumbledore looked at Harry sadly. “Thank you, Harry, for telling me this. I know it is hard for you to recount all this for me. However, I am not too saddened by this, as it is yet to happen.”
“Are you saying I can change things here?” Harry said eagerly.
Dumbledore pondered this for several moments before replying. “No, Harry,” he said, and Harry’s stomach dropped. “I would prefer that you didn’t share any of this information with anyone else.”
“But “ but why?” Harry protested.
Dumbledore sighed. “Harry, you must understand that all people die at some point in their life...I am glad to hear that, from what you have told me, I lived a good, long life, and I at least died of a noble cause in saving you.”
“What about Snape?” Harry asked. “What will you do about him?”
“Oh, Harry,” Dumbledore said, smiling weakly, “how would it look if I were to just kill a student of mine for no apparent reason? Some things are out of our control. Now, I want to thank you for sharing all this with me in a short period of time. I know it’s hard for you to relive some of this, and I can understand why you may want it to change. Now, for the time being, I am going to keep the memory of this conversation in my Pensieve, just in case this information comes back to get me.” With that, Dumbledore extracted the memory from his mind and put it into his Pensieve.
Harry stared at the floor. He was simultaneously feeling frustrated for not being allowed to change the past (or, in this case, the future), and tired for spilling his entire life story to Dumbledore in an hour and a half. Just then, the bell rang for class. “Well, Harry,” Dumbledore said cheerfully, “it seems as though you’ve missed Potions with Slughorn.”
“I don’t mind,” Harry said carelessly. “I’ve already taken sixth-year Potions with Slughorn. I know all the material.”
“In that case,” Dumbledore said, “you should make sure not to be late for Transfiguration. As long as you’re here, I expect you to behave as though you are a regular student here. And remember, not a word to anybody.”
“Thank you for your time, Professor,” Harry said, standing up to leave. As he exited the office, he had a single thought going through his mind...
“Why should I have to listen to him to decide my future?”
***
Author’s Note: Ooh, what will Harry do? Will he give away his identity? Or will Dumbledore’s words have an effect on him? Find out soon!
P.S.-I have up to Ch. 8 done, so I'll be posting as frequently as the mods can update the chapters. So look out for Ch. 5 soon!