Dead.
It was over in a flash, the green curse was thrown the young boy's way and he dropped to the ground in a flash. He laid there, for all the death eaters to see and the sinister smiles stayed on their vile faces.
Then Voldemort pointed his wand at the woman watching with keen eyes, she had a beautiful mix of black and white hair that fell right on her shoulders. He ordered her to check if he was truly dead, she did as told and leaned down.
She held her own breath to listen in and look for any sign of life, to her dismay, there was none. She had been willing to lie if it had meant she and her son would be fine, after the war has died down and they're all safe.
But no, the Chosen One truly has perished.
She stood up, giving a firm nod and announced the words: "Dead."
The last thing he remembered before waking up was Voldemort's noseless pale face grinning widely as he threw the killing curse, which was quite unsightly if he was being honest and he looked around. He realized he was in the forbidden forest, the very same spot he had supposedly died in and began feeling his surrounding.
He had a plan, for when he lived and he was about to follow through with it, but it was complete silence where he lied down. He just stayed there limp waiting for some kind of sign when he received none after a pointless game of waiting for almost an hour.
Yes, an hour - that’s how much he wanted to make sure but he also found it hard to just get up and move.
His back beginning to feel sore from the uncomfortable bed he's found himself in, he slowly got up and realized there was no one. He frowned, adjusting his glasses to better see and he found the sun shining brightly down at him.
How long has he been in there?
He pushed himself off the ground and dusted himself off the dirt that clung to his clothes. He looked around, searching for any sign of life other than him and found the forest completely silent and still. He was the only person out there, other than the creatures that is.
"Bloody hell," He cursed under his breath and got up, he realized he didn't have a wand and was basically defenceless in the forest. What happened? He immediately rushed to get back to the castle, he was still in a war and he was destined to end it.
He had to see his friends and make sure they were okay, he had to go and join them fight because he was supposed to be their hero, he can't be sleeping in the forbidden forest!
He used the passageways that were familiar from the map and in his hurry he failed to notice how Hogwarts looked well, untouched and as if it had never gone to war. He failed to see the bridge still standing and how the walls remained still.
Too panicked to even pause and allow his braincells to work.
He ran like every single lives were on the line, and to him, it felt like it was but in his hurry he crashed into someone, that very someone having a well-built body strong enough to send the poor boy so far back he almost rolled on the floor.
"Merlin!" The voice cursed as he also dropped to the floor but with less impact and he managed to collect himself right away, he got up and looked down at the boy who got in his way then frowned. "That's not a uniform and it's not a weekend, mate."
Harry groaned in pain, he had just been killed and now he's being bullied for not wearing a uniform? Wait- why would he need a uniform? He forced himself up and looked at the man before him then wondered.
Is he tall or am I short?
But that question quickly disintegrated into nothing when the man's face began registering. He was awfully familiar with his smoky grey eyes with hints of blue in them (though you’d only see that if you had been close enough), long black hair and that unforgettable smirk on his handsome face.
"Sirius?" Harry asked, unable to stop himself before he was already asking the question.
Sirius frowned, he was well aware of his famous reputation at Hogwarts and he was almost sure he knew almost every person on the castle but this boy was a stranger - he sure well looked like it.
"The one and only," He smirked, aside the questions pooling in his head, he managed to still be his amazing self. "And who might you be?"
Harry froze. This person truly was Sirius, he could tell that much but the problem was, this person looks like they're not over the age of 16.
And just like that, everything slowly began to crumble around him. He truly had died in that war, leaving his friends to fend for themselves and he was here, back in time standing in front of the young Sirius Black.
He felt his knees weaken, he felt like he was about to throw up and was extremely overwhelmed by all of the sudden realizations. He dropped to his knees and Sirius worried, kneeling down to offer assistance to the young boy who he is beginning to realize- look a lot like James.
"You okay there, mate?" He asked. "Didn't hit you too hard, did I?"
Harry remained unresponsive, his thoughts were flooded by so many thoughts and they were all coming at him at once. He couldn't focus on a single thing, his thoughts were divided into the war, time travelling, young Sirius Black who is alive before him, Dumbledore, dying and living.
It was all too much and he felt like being eaten up by his thoughts, he was so close to losing his sanity right then and there from the switch that got turned in his brain but then a voice pulled him out of the dark.
"What's happening here?" The voice asked, and it felt like all the scrambled thoughts he had faded quickly away into nothing. Like they weer never there in the first place, it wasd quiet - in a comforting way. "Padfoot, you alright, mate?"
Harry's vision stopped blurring and all the thoughts began to safely tuck themselves away for safekeeping, he's gained the feeling on his knees and hands he hadn't realized he lost and looked around to realize he was still on his knees being held up by Sirius who looked beyond worried.
And right behind him was someone standing, Harry slowly trailed his eyes upwards and met a pair of foreign yet familiar set of eyes. Aside everything that has happened to him and the things he's gonna have to come to terms with - he felt safe. In that very moment, he was the safest he’s ever been.
He stayed there still, one word imprinted on his brain as he looked back in those warm, worried eyes.
Hazel.
They were hazel.
"Padfoot?" James asked, beyond confused at the scene he arrived to see. "Who's that?"
He had been also running away from Filch and his creepy cat when they just finished putting bright pink spots around his body and face that was sure to last for a week just because they were bored in class earlier.
Sirius managed to run faster because Lily happened to be in the halls and James got distracted, almost enough to get caught, but he managed to collect himself in time enough to lose Filch and followed where Sirius headed.
Now here he is standing behind a kneeling Sirius cradling a boy who looked to be about in his third year, and he looks dirty, he looked like he had been thrown around by a whomping willow and left to die in some forest.
Not to mention his eyes that were the brightest colour of green, he almost backed up seeing them - they’re the exact same - he can’t be mistaken. But why would a random kid have the same eyes as Lily Evans?
Sirius shrugged. "I don't know, mate." He replied, shaking the boy lightly to snap him back to his senses. "I just found him like this."
"You sure you didn't do anything to him, Pads?" James asked, smirking a bit and nudging Sirius with his knee, ignoring the growing curiosity about his bright green eyes.
"I would never," Sirius gasped dramatically. "Not when he already looks gutted, also I prank kids only when they annoy me, or they’re Slytherins.”
James chuckled and also knelt down to level gazes with the boy, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was familiar in a way and those eyes are way too distracting. He was tempted to ask the boy if he was in any way related to Lily but decided against it.
"Are you okay?" He asked, carefully placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "What's your name?"
The boy looked taken aback, parting his lips to say something, but just stayed silent for a solid minute before finally talking. "Harry, my name's Harry." Then his eyes widened, as if he had realized something and got up, too quickly that he almost fell back down and the two older boys followed, adjusting quickly.
"Woah, calm down, you might lose your balance again." Sirius called out to him.
"I'm terribly sorry," Harry apologized. "It was lovely meeting you both, but I have to go see Dumbledore real quick."
That’s right, the one person he could run to for help regarding something as bizarre as time travelling.
Harry then began running away, leaving the two older Gryffindors confused and just standing there, but then Harry turned back running towards them again. "You wouldn't happen to know the password to his office, would you?"
He asked then, panting, and Sirius smirked. "Of course we do, look who you're talking to," He crossed his arms proudly. "It's Chocolate Frogs, by the way."
Harry curtly thanked them and began running away again.
"What the bloody hell was that?" James asked, brows furrowed as he watched the boy disappear into another hall when he made a turn, completely disappearing from their view.
"If I knew, I'd tell you, Prongs." Sirius replied with a shrug. Then he turned to James and grinned. "I have this itching curiosity and I guarantee it won't go away until I get answers."
"You're asking me to wait him out, outside of Dumbledore's office with you, aren't you?" James asked, pretending to be facepalming while Sirius nodded to answer. "I'm so in." he curtly replied with a mirroring grin.
Then the two boys began making their way down the hall to also go visit Dumbledore's lovely office.
"And who might you be?" Dumbledore asked the boy who entered his office, he didn't need to turn around from petting Fawkes to know someone was slowly approaching him from behind. He just lightly cooed at the bird and turned around to face James Potter- wait no, this boy was way younger.
"Did you manage to turn yourself three years younger due to a potion mishap, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked, already going through his cabinets to look for anything that could be of help.
"What?" The boy asked, confused.
"Isn't that why you came to me?" Dumbledore asked.
"I'm not James Potter, sir." Dumbledore halted, pausing and turning back around to examine the boy even closer.
"You're right," Dumbledore muttered, spying his green eyes. "Who are you?"
"My name's Harry," He awkwardly responded. "Harry Potter, sir."
For a man who has lived to see everything he could possibly witness, this one was quite new but he adjusted well to the revelation. He's witnessed enough extraordinaries to learn to adjust well, and right now he was just met with a brand-new fascination.
"I was born on July 31, 1980," He continued talking. "My parents are Lily and James Potter."
Dumbledore then began understanding the situation. "Ah," was all he said as he walked around his office fishing out books and returning to his desk, taking a seat and offering the one across him to Harry who didn't hesitate to sit down.
He felt like if he stayed standing any longer his knees were going to give out, and he'd pass out from both the confusion and exhaustion.
"Explain to me everything, from the beginning if you will and try not to leave out any detail."
And so he did, he sat there for what felt like hours, talking non-stop about anything and everything he could recall since he had the ability to remember anything going on in his life and his story ended with him running into the younger versions of Sirius and James.
It still felt unreal to him, meeting his Dad, although he was younger it was still a dream come true and he felt incredibly happy to have met the man he's missed before he even met. But there was no time to dwell in it, he had to seek out answers.
"Do you have any idea how this could happen, sir?"
"I'm afraid not," Dumbledore replied glumly. "But I shall help you seek answers. I am quite curious about your predicament myself, as for now. . . I suggest you stay at Hogwarts and study."
Harry frowned.
"We're left little to no choice but to let you adjust in this year and who knows? You might actually be a better student than you thought with your mother's wits now that there are fewer distractions in your school years."
Harry then realized something, wow that's something he's been doing the entire time but whatever, there is still a war about to happen. He's fought and died on the second one but now he's here to witness the first one.
"I can save them," He whispered mostly to himself but the old man caught on.
"Save who?"
"Everyone!" Harry immediately got up. "That's it, there won't be a second war if I end it all here. I know he has Horcruxes and where to find most of them. I can defeat him here and save my parents."
"I shall aid you in this quest, Harry but here's a thoughtful advice," Dumbledore cleared his throat. "It might do your parents well not to know of your real identity."
Harry suddenly felt his stomach turn, what was the use of having them so close to him when he can't even let them know who he is? He gets to possibly feel their embrace and hear them talk to him like he'd always imagined!
But he chose not to question Dumbledore, nodding slowly and turning away to walk out the office when Dumbledore stopped him, waving his hands to give the boys a set of clothes to change to and bid him goodbye.
"Took you long enough," A voice startled him once he made his way down the stairs and the gargoyle turned itself to hide the circular staircase again. "We've been waiting for an hour!"