Chapter 1
“I am sorry that I won’t make it back”, Harry wheezed as Ginny stared at his arm wound in horror, “At least you, you and everyone else in Hogwarts are safe”
He wheezed, coughing uncontrollably as the venom coursed through his veins. Fawks cried on the wound, desperately trying to fix the damage done but it was too late. Harry’s soul had been cleaved from his body but what the tears did was keep the body alive whilst the soul faded, just long enough for another soul, a lost soul to take its place. The new soul entered the body, just as Harry closed his eyes and fell unconscious.
As Fawks carried Ginny, Lockhart, Ron and Harry’s body up through the tunnels, this new soul was watching Harry’s life like a movie, integrating his memories in itself. A week later, Harry, the new Harry, awoke in the hospital wing bed, “I- have I truly crossed over?”
Madam Pomfrey immediately rushed to his side, bombarding him with questions about what happened.
“I- I had destroyed the diary with the fang that bit me… I was close to death, I could feel it and then, when Fawks cried onto my wound… It saved me?”, he was perplexed. He had been a scientist in his previous life, creating a machine to transport his soul into other universes. They called him insane, yet here he was, in the body of a character he once thought fictional. It wasn’t exactly what he had been hoping to achieve. He had wanted to enter a child much younger than this, to give himself more time to adjust to the world but now he was here, without a way to reverse his decision. This world was in the 90’s, he wouldn’t have the chance to recreate the machine again for what, 40- maybe 50 years? Not that he knew if physics worked the same way here but he could work with this. His original idea for the machine came because he didn’t want to die in one lifetime. He didn’t want 80 years and then it all would be over. He had always known that building the machine twice would be close to impossible, so he aimed for a second lifetime but in this world, he was a wizard, someone who could live for 200+ years naturally, if he took good care of himself. Of course, that would only work if he survived Voldemort’s return and for that, he needed to be smarter, stronger, more proficient with magic.
He knew -of course- that Harry hadn’t been the best student but watching those memories, it was painfully obvious that he was a moron. No more! He couldn’t continue with this mediocrity.
“Could I get my text books? I have to learn for the exams”, he asked Pomfrey, pushing up his glasses, only they weren’t there. It was then that he realized that he didn’t wear them and yet he could see perfectly fine. He had needed glasses in both his lifetimes, so it was confusing why he didn’t need them anymore. What had changed? The phoenix tears, he realized. In the original series, they had simply counteracted the venom but here, things were different. That was his first sign that he couldn’t fully rely on his future knowledge.
“Most certainly! The headmaster has postponed the exams till a week after summer break starts. All students must go to the ministry to take the exams. Headmaster Dumbledore knows it has been an exhausting year, so he wanted to give you some leeway”
“That’s good to hear, with the chamber opening, I didn’t have much time to study”
His Books were delivered to him by Ron, who was most happy to see him alive and well, “What happened, mate? You went in there and then this phoenix flew in with Ginny and your body. I thought you were dead”, he placed the books next to him, before hugging him, “I’m so glad you are okay mate”
“Yeah, I’m okay. I- don’t really feel comfortable with talking about what happened… I almost died and-”
“No worries mate, tell me when you are ready, no need to force yourself”, Ron smiled, patting him on the back, “I’ll see you when old Pomfrey releases you. I heard they are close to actually finishing the potion to de-petrify them. I am glad, when we went to the chamber, I wasn’t expecting to ever see Ginny again or Hermione, that I would die there and leave this world but now, everything seems to be going great, Ginny is saved, the victims are about to be unpetrified”
“Yeah, how things just work themselves out, right?”
He spent the following time learning, soaking up every bit of knowledge he could get his hands on. When the others were unpetrified, he spent his days with Hermione in the library. Harry might’ve been on the dull side but he wasn’t. He had build a machine capable to transcending the multiversal barrier, a bit of first and second year sorcery was nothing compared to that. When the end of the year feast came, he was more than ready to do well in the exams and yet he had another week to prepare.
The students were sitting at their tables, chatting, when Dumbledore stood up, “I am most happy that we can all sit together today, free of the worry about the heir of slytherin. This is a joyous occasions, brought to us in large parts thanks to two of our bravest students, who have done a great service to the school, as such, both Harry Potter and Ron Weasley will be given awards for special services to the school. They have both also received 100 points, though I haven’t had time to announce that yet. So, let’s see who has the most points, in fourth place, Hufflepuff with 342 points, in third place Ravenclaw with 389 points, in second place Slytherin with 432 points and in first place Gryffindor with 563 points”
With a wave of his hand, the banners changed into red and gold, the Gryffindor colors. The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers whilst the others politely clapped.
“Of course, we still have to award the quidditch cup, which has been won by the Slytherins”, he spoke, a big smile on his hands as he presented the quidditch cup to the Slytherin quidditch captain, Marcus Flint. This time the Slytherin table were the ones cheering the loudest.
There were other pleasantries but at last, he announced, “In a week from now, you will all be receiving a letter, inviting you to the ministry of magic to take your belated exams. The exact date of this test varies from person to person, as we all know we can’t possibly be having exams for all the hogwarts students at once. So, I advice you to not slack off during your break, though I am most certain this warning won’t stop any of you but you have been warned”, he chuckled.
They were sent off back home after that, filled into the hogwarts express.
Back at the Dursleys, he did something drastic, something that very well could’ve ended badly but he had a suspicion that it wouldn’t. You see, in the library, he had read about the trace and the way that it was described… well, the trace worked by tracking the age of your soul, which was why people who used time turners got out of it sooner than others, so, he suspected that, with his soul being considerably older, he wouldn’t be tracked. It was reckless to try but he did anyways, casting Wingardium Leviosa on his pillow and- nothing came, no owl from the ministry, no letter to tell him he was expelled. The day after, he walked down to breakfast and said, with confidence, “Things are going to change from now on”
“What are you blabbering about , boy?”, Vernon’s eyes were cold and his mouth was tugged into a frown.
“How about I show you? Wingardium Leviosa”, Vernon’s mug levitated out of his hand. Dudley yelped in fear. Vernon took a few minutes to collect himself before glaring at him, a cocky smile on his face, “You are going to be expelled for this!”
“Oh am I? Then where is the owl?”
Vernon’s eyes scanned the sky outside, seeing no owl to deliver a letter, he turned back and stared at him, eyes widening. He had realized the truth and now was shaking in his boots, his hands trembling as his eyes locked onto the wand in Harry’s hand.
“Like I said, things are going to change. Have I made myself clear?”
Petunia nodded hesitantly, fear in her eyes.
He didn’t expect to like this as much as he did. The feeling of power over them… it was addicting. He made them cower, just as he would Voldemort cower before him when he dealt with him. He was going to be the man who conquers!