A New Time

DISCLAIMER: HARRY POTTER, characters, names, and all related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. © 2001.

***

The doors opened slightly as Harry peeked in to look at the crowd. He had been waiting so long for this day, ever since that day when Professor Lupin had told him about his godfather. After his incident with Lord Voldemont at the Triwizard Tournament, Sirius had not wanted to leave his side. He had to however; he had to alert the others that day. He had to tell them that Voldemont was rising again. Harry moved over as the door opened to let him in. Professor McGonagall motioned for him to come in. Ever since that day when Cedric Diggory was killed by an unforgivable curse, Harry had waited.

Over the summer with the Dursley’s, there had been ten attempts to kill Harry within the first week he was there. Uncle Vernon was past his temper point by then and he made Harry send Dumbledore an owl that Harry was no longer welcome at his house. Harry not being welcome was not the strange part; the strange part was that Uncle Vernon made Harry use Hedwig.

A week later when Dumbledore’s reply came, Harry had been packed for five days.

Harry,

You’ll just have to come and stay with me until Sirius has a house of his own. I’ll be there to get you on Saturday at midnight.

Professor Dumbledore

Of course, Uncle Vernon was delighted to get rid of this burden that had been dumped on his doorstep fifteen years ago. He was so happy that he gave Harry an early birthday present.

“I was going to sell this to an antique shop or something, but seeing as you are leaving.” Uncle Vernon handed Harry a box. “I was told to give it to you when you got your letter from that place, but things were just too busy.”

“Thank you Uncle Vernon,” Harry said, and for once in his life he actually meant it.

He opened up the box and there was a note inside with a large and very old key. Harry opened the note and a tear fell from his eye as he read.

Dearest Harry,

If you are reading this, then we are no longer with you. We are so sorry. If we are dead then that means that your father’s friend Wormtail has betrayed us. He sold us out to a very evil creature called Lord Voldemont. Believe us when we tell you that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Be weary of him Harry.

Also if you are reading this, you have received your letter from Hogwarts. We are so happy for you.

The key that is enclosed is a key for the oldest, most special vault in a bank called Gringotts. This is the wizard’s bank in Diagon Alley. Vault 5,746 is the very last vault in this bank and this is where your father and I have kept everything you will ever need in life.

A very special man named Albus Dumbledore will have the key to your other vault that has your money in it. He will also tell you everything else you need to know. He will also have to discuss something very important with you and your godfather, Sirius Black. You may live with him with our permission and our blessing. We love you.

Your dad and mum,

James and Lily Potter

Harry couldn’t say anything. Obviously he knew most of this except for the vault part.

“Don’t cry now, boy, toughen up,” Uncle Vernon said, near tears himself.

Harry wiped the tears away quickly. “Oh. . .no, of course not.”

Uncle Vernon got up and walked out of the room. Harry didn’t know what else could happen. He had been allowed to do his homework during the day, none of his things had been locked away, and Uncle Vernon was being nice to him and hadn’t thrown a fuss when Harry talked about wizard things. Harry got up and put the note and the key on his desk. He stood there a moment and thought about what just happened.

“It’s Saturday!” Harry said to himself finally. He picked up the note and the key and put them in his truck. Even though it was only around dinnertime, Harry was more than ready to go.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had warned Harry that if the doorbell woke them up or their Dudley Dums that they would make sure he would never eat again. Of course, Harry knew that they couldn’t tell Professor Dumbledore what to do, but he didn’t want to ruin his leaving. So when everyone went to bed he stayed by the front windows and looked for Professor Dumbledore.

Suddenly everything was blurry and Harry was falling. It was the same sensation as when he peeked into Professor Dumbledore’s pensieve, except it was his own memories. He was watching himself and Cedric grab the cup and being whisked off to an unknown place. He watched Cedric die all over again, and he watched Voldemont be reborn. Then the part that made him cry was that he saw his mum and dad come out of the tip of Voldemort’s wand again.

“Harry, you can remember this any time, right now we need to leave before someone comes to hurt you again.”

Harry was suddenly back in the Dursley’s living room by the front windows and Professor Dumbledore was tapping on the window. Harry jumped up and ran to the door.

“Sorry Professor, I must have dozed off.”

“You didn’t doze off Harry. Someone is trying to remind you of your fear. And now we must be off, get your Firebolt.”

Harry started to say something, but Dumbledore already knew what he was thinking.

“Shrinking potion, Harry. Your trunk will fit in your pocket. Shall we be off then?”

Harry got onto his Firebolt with all of his things shrunk in his pocket and he and Professor Dumbledore both pushed off of the ground and into the sky.

By the time Harry and Professor Dumbledore got to Professor Dumbledore’s house it was near daybreak.

“That is my home there Harry.”

Harry couldn’t say anything. He had never seen anything so big and beautiful. It looked bigger than Hogwarts, but it did look an awful lot like Hogwarts. Actually, when he was inside, it looked exactly like the entrance to Hogwarts.

“Harry, it is Hogwarts. I live here to take care of the building while everyone is gone for his or her vacation. I think it is best, however, for you not to stay in your room, especially by yourself. I’ll make an extra bed.”

“Thank you Professor Dumbledore.”

Harry thought a while about the note he had finally received from his parents. He pondered whether or not to tell Professor Dumbledore. The last time he had kept something from Professor Dumbledore, things hadn’t come out as well.

“You can keep Hedwig in the Owlry or she can stay with you. And I wouldn’t be sending her out anywhere to tell Ron or Hermione where you are. If they send you an owl, it will find its way to you. We wouldn’t want anyone to know where you are. . .at least for a while--”

“Professor?”

“Yes Harry.”

“My Uncle Vernon gave me a letter that he was supposed to give me when I got my letter from Hogwarts. . .it was from my parents.”

“Yes Harry, I know. They sent me the same letter so that I could help you along your way.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about the vault then?”

“Harry, if I had told you about everything that was in that vault, you would have invited Sirius to stay and the dementors would have found him. Then were would we be?”

“I guess you’re right, but I want to go and look. Could we when I have to get my school things?”

“Sure. In fact, you can help me with the letters. They take forever to write. But now, we will go to bed. We have a big day ahead of us.”

A week later, Harry and Professor Dumbledore started writing letters. Professor Dumbledore wrote the lists and Harry wrote the letters. The envelopes were already done so all they had to do was put them in the envelopes after they were written. It took them a week and a half to write all the letters. Harry had to remember to change the message for the letters going to the first years. He could probably recite the letters by heart from now on.

“We will go to get your things tomorrow, Harry.”

“Okay, but we will have to stop by--”

“Gringotts, I know.”

DISCLAIMER: HARRY POTTER, characters, names, and all related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. © 2001.

***

As the bricks in the Leaky Cauldron moved aside, Diagon Alley was swamped with wizards of all sorts. There were not any Hogwarts students yet because their letters had just been sent out that morning. Harry had to get all of his books and some new robes because he was still growing and his old robes were getting rather small.

“Now then, to Gringotts, Harry. You have your keys?”

“Yes, of course.”

They walked down the street and into Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

“Harry Potter, vault 312 and 5,746.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Potter, but we do not have a vault 5,746.”

Harry placed the large key on the counter.

“Oh yes, that vault. Yes, yes, of course.”

The usual green smoke came billowing out of his vault and then they continued on. They rode in the car for at least half an hour until they finally came to the very last vault in the caves and caverns.

“Vault 5,746. Key please.”

Harry handed the goblin the key. The goblin opened the door and moved out of the way. Harry had never seen so many things. There was more wizard money in this vault, there was the deed to his parents’ land, which was now still empty except for their house’s remains, and there was a letter.

Dearest Harry,

By now you have probably heard of your godfather Sirius Black from Albus Dumbledore. He looks suspicious, but he is very kind, and he would never hurt anyone unless he had reason to.

This vault is the biggest vault in Gringotts and has the most things. Everything that we had ever owned is in this vault. There’s even the first wand your great-grandfather Potter ever had. Oh, those were the good old days.

I am sure that Mr. Dumbledore will be able to explain to you what the rest of these things are.

Now you have enough money to build a new house and you Sirius can move in. He will take care of you.

We love you,

Mum and Dad

“Harry, are you all right?”

Harry had tears in his eyes. Quickly wiping them away he said, “Yes, of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Of course,” Professor Dumbledore said.

They walked into the tailor shop after that to get Harry’s new robes.

“You just go in their and get your robes, Harry, and I’ll be right back. I have to do some shopping too.”

“Ok, professor.”

“I wonder what he has to get,” Harry thought, “Oh well.”

Harry browsed through the isles of cloaks and robes looking for his size. He finally found a whole section of them and also found some new dress robes for the grand ball that was held every four years. The dress robes he had now were the ones that Mrs. Weasley had picked out for him the year before and they were a little. . . well, out of style.

“Ya, that’s what I heard too.”

Harry couldn’t help but overhear the conversation of the two warlocks in the next isle.

“They say that his parents were really killed by he-who-must-not-be-named; that they staged their death to get their boy famous and make some money for them.”

More gossip about him. Harry had gotten used to this by now. He was famous because he couldn’t be killed by one of the unforgivable curses put on him by Lord Voldemort. But where the people always came up with these new rumors, he had no idea.

“And what about his relationship with that Granger girl. Well even if his parents were killed, surely someone fulfills those roles so she doesn’t have to.”

Even though he liked Cho, he couldn’t date her after what he let happen to Cedric, he just couldn’t. But date Hermione?! She was his friend, not his girlfriend.

“And then that Weasel boy trying to interfere and drowned him at school; why, I thought they were friends.”

Harry just walked up to the counter. He couldn’t take much more without blowing his temper.

“That will be two Galleons and seven sickles.”

“Prices sure have gone up a lot since last year.”

“Well, with gossip of Hogwarts closing down, one can’t be too careful.”

Okay, he hadn’t heard that one, but he wasn’t going to say anything. He walked out the door and started to look for Professor Dumbledore, but he was no where in sight. He still had to get his books so he went to the bookstore without the professor.

“Messy Wizards” by Orea Johnson

“Pointed Hats and other fairy tales” by Dubby Johnson

“The Standard Book of Spells Grade 5” Teats Johnson

Those were the only books he had to get? And why are they by people from the Johnson family? Harry figured that he would ask Professor Dumbledore when he saw him. Oh no, Harry had forgotten all about Professor Dumbledore! Harry ran back to the tailor shop but Professor Dumbledore wasn’t there. He looked all over what seemed like the whole world, but there was no sign of Professor Dumbledore.

Harry didn't know what to do. He couldn't find Professor Dumbledore and he heard that Hogwarts was closing down.
"Harry Potter?"
Harry turned around to see who it was.
"I can't believe I found you. I have been looking for you for, well, I would say about ten years now."
"Why?"
"Well, to tell you about what happened. I was sent to tell you what happened the night that your parents died."

***

"Yes, Minerva, I realize its against the rules, but what else can I do?"
Professor Dumbledore had gone to Professor McGonagall's home to tell her that Harry was staying with him at Hogwarts.
"Albus, you don't understand, you are putting the school in more danger than it already is."
"I know, Minerva, I know. But know I must attend to our young friend for he is worried."
"I hope you know what you are doing."
"Me too, Minerva, me too."

***

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Someone to tell him exactly what happened. He was so excited he couldn't contain it.
"My name is Natalie, Natalie Johnson. I am going to be your new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, so I knew I would run into you sooner or later."
"So what was it like?"
"What darlin'? Oh, well, me and your mum were real good friends for a while, until she met your dad. He was a bit wild with her he was. I sure was glad when she met James Potter though."
"But Natalie, James is my father."
"Oh, dear, um, maybe we should continue this talk some other time. Bye now"
"But Natalie, wait. . ."
Harry was too late though, she had gone as quickly as she had come. He couldn't believe what he had just heard though. Maybe who he thought was his dad, wasn't his dad.

"Harry, I am sorry it took so long. They didn't have what I was looking for so I had to go to- Harry what's wrong?"
"Can we just go back to Hogwarts? I am feeling a bit, weird."

‘What I need to do is talk to Hermione, but to do that I have to wait until school starts,’ Harry said to himself.