Worried First Year
Little Ginny Weasley walked along the corridor until she found a compartment that was empty. She was feeling a little down because her brothers had all disappeared as soon as she got on the train.
Even Harry and Ron couldn't be found.
She decided that maybe talking to her Diary friend might help get her over her disappointment.
And so, after a bit of work to get her trunk on the shelf (she grew up on a farm – she might be small but she wasn't weak) she finally sat down and, looking at her diary, she started thinking about what she would write.
In another world, she would have been fairly uninterrupted on her trip, but in this world something happened.
Suddenly, right in front of her, a light appeared and it was in the shape of a man. She watched wide-eyed as an adult who looked remarkably like a Potter appeared right in front of her.
The man looked quickly around and down at her and said, "Hello, Ginny. How are you?"
Her only response was, "Wow."
Harry looked at his arrival point and recognized his location: The Hogwarts Express. Glancing around he saw he was in a compartment with one person, whom he recognized: Little Ginny Weasley. And on her lap was an item which he despised: Tom Riddle's diary. Thinking quickly his first words were a polite greeting. He grinned at her surprise.
"Yeah, I know. Quite flashy, idn't it?" he replied with a grin.
Ginny tried but couldn't stifle her giggle entirely.
"Anyway, ever heard of the Lone Traveler?"
Ginny gasped and nodded.
"Yeah, that's me. Anyway, how would you like to do me a favor?"
Very enthusiastically, Ginny said, "Yes!"
"Why don't I put away your diary in your trunk and then see if you can find your old friend Luna and bring her back here? Wait a moment." He looked around and, not seeing anything, he looked at Ginny, who had two hair clips. "Let me see your hair clips."
Ginny handed Harry the Diary, which he put in her trunk while she unfastened the two clips. Casting quickly, he put up a minor, temporary ward with the two clips as keys as well as his own wand holster. He handed her the two clips.
"Now, no one can find this compartment unless they have a clip or are me. I want you to go and find your friend Luna Lovegood and ask her to bring her things and sit with you as you want to sit with a friend. She's feeling about as lonely as you right now. Give her a clip, telling her that it will keep the wrackspurts away and help her bring her trunk back. Can you do that?"
Ginny looked at the clips and nodded, taking them. "Okay. I have to go sort out your brother and Harry who are, likely, right now driving your Dad's flying car to Hogwarts because the barrier closed on them. Do you want to know a secret about boys, Ginny?"
Ginny looked at the man and nodded. "Sure!"
"Boys, especially twelve year old boys, are idiots." Ginny giggled. "Bad news? Harry and Ron are twelve. Guess what that means."
She thought a moment and said, "They're idiots?"
"Got it in one," he replied with a grin. "Now, go on. Oh wait!" He took his wand and said, "Point me, Luna Lovegood!" His wand turned to show she was further back on the train. "She's thataway. Now, go and get her and I'll be right back. Okay?"
She nodded.
Harry quickly sat down and, remembering the old Angelina, used his gifts to transport out. His disappearance in blue light was very impressive to the eleven-year old girl. She quickly started moving down the train, looking for her childhood friend.
Harry opened his eyes and looked and found, to his surprise, that Arthur's old Ford was still in the lot. Looking around, he saw the two furtive twelve year olds approaching it quickly and decided on a course of action. Quickly he disillusioned himself.
He listened in amusement as Ron argued on driving the car to Hogwarts. As soon as the back door opened so that they could push their trunks in, Harry Traveler, still disillusioned, said, "You two are idiots of the first order."
The way that the two twelve-year olds jumped back was priceless. Harry noted in satisfaction that his younger version had enough sense to pull his wand and stood in front of his friend. Harry removed the disillusionment charm and said, "Yes. Big bad wizard here. Ron Weasley. Can you imagine the howler your mother would send if you stole your father's car and drove it to Hogwarts? Or how the Ministry might react if Muggles saw you flying?"
Harry Potter looked at Ron and said, "Howler?"
Ron's expressions said enough. "Not good. Mom can send a letter which yells at you loud enough for everyone around you to hear it. It's really embarrassing."
Harry T nodded. "Right. Now, instead of doing something so abominably stupid, we're going to fix the problem. Harry. Send Hedwig to Hogwarts with a letter, saying that the barrier closed but a wizard you met is helping you get there."
Harry considered that and then asked, "Who are you anyway?"
Harry grinned. "My name is Harry Potter. An older, and hopefully smarter, version of yourself."
Ron and Harry looked at each other and then at the man in front of them. Neither of them noticed, as they did as Harry asked, the sleep spell that Harry hit the rat with.
Harry took the final step of shrinking the trunks and had the boys put them in their pockets. A couple of minutes later, the Weasley parents showed up.
Arthur was more helpful than accusing. "Harry? Ron? Why aren't you on the train?"
Harry looked at the man and said, "The barrier closed on us. This wizard helped up by shrinking our things."
The Traveler waved. "They were also debating driving the car to school." At that, Molly's face took on a harsh look and Arthur actually looked curious. The Traveler laughed. "Not a good idea. The invisibility charm would fail. Also, Arthur, if your car was exposed to the magic of Hogwarts, it would soak up enough magic to actually become sentient. You've tinkered a bit too well on it."
Ron and Harry's eyes grew wide at hearing that.
"Anyway, I'm going to get these boys to the express. My name is Harry Potter, Lone Traveler. I need you to go to the Ministry and ensure that Amelia Bones and Mad-Eye are at Hogsmeade to meet the train – it's very important. Can you do that?"
The Weasley parents were in shock at the name of the man and could only nod. Harry put his hand on the two boys' shoulders and used his particular gifts to take them to the compartment where he hoped the two girls had returned to.
And, looking at his arrival, his hope was borne out. Luna and Ginny were sitting next to each other, talking quietly – or apparently were before the grand arrival of the boys.
"Hello, Ginny. Hello, Luna. Ron and Harry? Say hello to Luna and Ginny. Ginny and Luna, say hello to the two idiots." The two boys looked at the traveler rebelliously even as Ginny giggled again and Luna looked at them with her traditional spacey look.
"Hello Harry Potter. Hello Ronald Weasley. Do you know that you have wrackspurts?" Ron's ears went red and Harry was confused.
The Traveler interjected. "They didn't but I did. We're fixing that now, though. Anyway, I'm taking down the ward." He did that. He then put his wand in the right position and said, "Point me, Hermione!" It showed her closer to the front. "Pointe me, Neville." He too was forward on the train.
"Okay, Harry and Ron, go get Hermione and Neville and ask them to join us."
The boys shrugged and did as asked. Very soon, the compartment was full with the six students. Harry Traveler conjured a stool and sat down.
"Now, a few things: Ginny? You know that Diary you found in your books?"
Embarrassed, she glanced around but nodded. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this but you need to see."
Harry did the old Tom Marvolo Riddle to I am Lord Voldemort trick. Ginny was very pale when he was done. "That means …"
Harry sighed. "Yes. Someone slipped you Voldemort's diary. If you keep writing in it, it will harm you. Luckily, you're too strong for it to have done much to you so far. As soon as were to Hogwarts, you're going to march up to the Headmaster and tell him that someone slipped it into your cauldron in Diagon Alley. Okay?"
She nodded quickly, like a certain House Elf. That reminded him. "Dobby!"
In the middle of the compartment, the House Elf in question appeared. "We know what the danger is at Hogwarts. Ginny is going to give the book to the Headmaster to destroy so you no longer need to save Harry's life. Okay?"
Looking a bit guilty, the house elf nodded. "I will see what I can do to help you become free from the bad masters who own you right now. But you can stop worrying for Harry."
The House Elf nodded and said, "Dobby thanks you." He then popped out.
Harry sighed even as the Hogwarts students looked on in amazement. Harry glanced over. "Okay. Next. Ron? Hand me Scabbers."
Confused, Ron did as asked and handed the sleeping rat over. Getting a piece of parchment from Hermione, the Traveler transfigured it to a cage and made it unbreakable before putting the rat in side.
"Okay. Ron? Bad news. You remember how Professor McGonagall turned into a cat?"
"Yeah. She's an animagus," Ron replied.
"Yeah. Well Scabbers isn't actually a rat – he's a Death Eater who's been hiding out since he betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort. His name is Peter Pettigrew."
Ron tried to protest, but Harry cast a spell which glowed only when cast on an animagus. "Bad news is that you don't have a pet. Good news is that if we turn the rat over to Amelia Bones, Harry's innocent godfather can be sprung from Azkaban. And considering how much the man loves Harry and will look out for him, I'm certain Harry will be more than willing to buy you a pet of your choice. Owl or cat – you don't like toads."
Ron looked over to his friend Harry, who was staring at the rat in shock and anger. Seeing Ron's look, Harry nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, whatever you want I'll buy it."
Seeing no reason not to tell her, the Traveler said to Hermione, "You're familiar is in Diagon Alley right now, an orange half-kneazle named Crookshanks who no one else wants. If I hadn't of shown up, it would have spent next year trying to kill Pettigrew because kneazles hate dark magic and he would have recognized the rat as being bad."
Hermione was now wide-eyed. "Really? I have a familiar?"
Harry grinned. "Just waiting there in the store for you."
Hermione was starry eyed.
"Okay. I think that's about it. No, wait. Neville."
The nervous boy gulped and said, "Me?"
"Yes. You. I have good news for you."
Curious he asked, "What about it?"
"You're about as powerful as Harry – you're in no way close to being a squib."
Neville was shocked and the other kids were looking at him with curiosity (Hermione and Luna) or with wide eyes (Harry, Ron, and Ginny). "Why can't I get the spells right then?"
Harry Traveler sighed. "Because you have a wand not suited to you. Your dad's wand knows your Dad is still alive even if he's in St. Mungos and it doesn't want to change allegiance."
Neville pulled his father's wand out and looked at it and then back to the Traveler. "You know about m' dad and mum?"
With a gentle smile the Traveler nodded. "A braver pair you could not find. I believe if you tell these about them, they won't feel pity for you and won't judge you based on them."
With everyone looking at him, he said quietly, "Later. Another time."
The Traveler nodded. He looked around. "And finally: Luna. Everyone, this is Luna. She lives near the Weasleys with her father. She saw her mother die when she was 9. Not to disparage Ginny, who does have intelligence and power, Luna is perhaps the smartest student beginning Hogwarts this year. If nothing changes, she'd be a shoe in for Ravenclaw."
Luna had a small smile at that, as the others looked at her.
"Luna, I'm going to make a suggestion to you."
"Yes?"
"When the … item which judges you for your house comes to you, ask for Gryffindor."
She was confused. "Why would I do that?"
"Because in Ravenclaw, you would be bullied for the next several years and the other students would think you were crazy because you still have the belief in the wonder of magic and the certainty that there is more to it than what is already known. Yes, you have the wit for Ravelclaw. But if you come to Gryffindor, these five around you and others will be your friends. They will be good for you and you will be good for them."
Luna looked around and then said, "But I want to a Ravenclaw like Mummy."
Harry sighed. "Luna? You know your mother loved you, right?"
Luna nodded, tears in her eyes. "Seeing you alive in her last moments was a great comfort. Because she knew you didn't get hurt in the accident, she knew you would live and had true joy as she passed through the veil. You Mum was a wonderful woman who wants her girl to be happy. I think if she was available she would tell you that being happy is far more important than trying to be just like her."
The tears came faster and Ginny, sitting next to her, threw her arms around Luna's shoulder in comfort, pulling the smaller girl against her. After Luna had calmed down, she opened her eyes and looked at the others. All of them had comforting looks on their faces, except Ron, who just looked uncomfortable.
Finally she took a breath and asked the Traveler, "Gryffindor?"
Harry nodded. "Gryffindor. I have a secret for you."
Luna looked more interested.
The Traveler pointed to Hermione. "Gryffinclaw. Smarter than any Ravenclaw in her year but her bravery put her in Gryffindor." Hermione just smiled in response.
He pointed to Neville. "Gryffinpuff. The loyalty and hard work of a Hufflepuff but the hidden bravery to face down a dark lord if needed – I know, because I've seen it."
Neville was wide eyed at the description. Somehow he felt braver at the Traveler's words.
The Traveler pointed to Ron. "Another Gyffinpuff. Except the hard work – Ron's lazy."
Hermione, Ginny, and Harry all laughed at that as Ron looked at them with annoyance and amusement. "Anyway, he's as loyal as he can be – even if his temper gets the best of him at times. He took a hit last year when he knew he'd be clobbered in order to protect the other two and get them through the challenges. He'll grow out of his temper and instances of jealousy … eventually. He also can't be beat in chess – which is good for Hermione because she needs to learn that she can't be the best at everything. He'll be a bit of a git when his hormones kick in, but he always comes around - eventually."
Ron looked thoughtful as he considered the Traveler's words even as Harry and Hermione smiled at him.
Harry pointed to Ginny. "Her? She's the most Gryffindor of the lot – mostly because she had to survive her brothers. But she's also sneaky like a Slytherin, intelligent like a Ravenclaw, and – in quite a few universes I've visited – as loyal as any Hufflepuff. Still, she'll be in Gryffindor."
Ginny blushed as the Traveler told the others about her.
"And Harry here? He's a stone-cold Gryfferin – Just as Gryffindor as anyone else but had to beg the hat not to put him in Slytherin. Mostly because Malfoy went there and was a complete git to him and Ron. Childhoods like ours – you had to be Slytherin to survive."
Harry looked embarrassed even as the others looked at him with wide-eyes. "Hey – none of that. If he's like me, he wants people to think of him as plain old Harry – even if he keeps doing things that bring him attention. Oh – he's also a parseltongue."
Hermione squeaked. "Really?"
Harry nodded even as the local one was confused. "What does that mean?"
"It means you can speak to snakes."
"Can't everyone?" Harry was truly confused.
The Traveler chuckled. "No. people think it's Dark because Voldemort could speak to snakes and so could Slytherin. But people forget that Merlin was a Parseltongue and no one would accuse him of being Dark. Also, Parseltongues make the best healers – there's a reason why a healer's staff is shaped like a serpent, even in the Muggle world. Look up Parceleus from the 14th century – he could speak to snakes. You'd make a fortune in India and Australia as a Parseltongue – they'd be fighting over getting your services, trust me."
It took a few minutes but the compartment had settled down from that revelation.
"Anyway – no one is all of one thing. Don't let a random decision on a House define who you are." Luna finally nodded at that.
Suddenly, the group was interrupted by the trolley. At the visitor's suggestion, Harry sprung for everyone there. Harry truly didn't mind – he had money and didn't spend much on himself.
Harry checked the time – there were still four hours until they reached Hogwarts. "Harry? Come out in the passage for a minute."
The five inside the compartment were curious but waited until the Traveler and Harry returned. Finally, the two came back in with wide smiles.
"Okay, Hermione. Get a piece of parchment out and write what we say."
Dutifully, Hermione did as asked.
Head of Gringotts Security or Bank Manager
Greetings. My name is Harry Potter, Customer Vault 687.
It has come to my attention that there may have been a failure on the part of myself and/or the Hogwarts staff as regards a matter of importance to Gringotts. I am writing this to rectify the situation.
Last year, it was reported that a Gringotts High Security vault that had just been emptied was broken into later that day by persons unknown. This occurred on July 31, 1991, which was the day I first ventured into the magical world since I was a babe in swaddling.
During the course of my first year in Hogwarts, I and my two closest friends deduced that the item that had been removed was taken to Hogwarts where it was being kept secure by several Hogwarts staff members.
However, the same person who broke into your vault (I am certain that this was only possible because it was empty and the normal security methods you use were not active at the moment) was also attempting to steal this item from Hogwarts.
During the first week of June of 1992, having deduced that the thief would be making an attempt to retrieve the item, I and my two closest friends worked through the various traps and puzzles that had been set up so that we could secure the item before it could be stolen.
Unfortunately, the thief was already there. The name of the thief was Quirinus Quirrell (I learned that in that moment and not before), erstwhile Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. However, he was being possessed by the shade of Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Voldemort. I should note that I observed Quirrell in Diagon Alley on the day that the vault was broken into – a matter I just put together as I was writing the letter and that my guess is that he was already possessed.
By Dark magics that I am not aware of, Tom Marvolo Riddle has anchored himself to this plane, preventing himself from crossing over to his final death which he utterly deserves.
During the confrontation with the thief, the magic which my mother used to protect me as a babe once again activated and Quirrell was killed. The wraith of Riddle fled.
I was unconscious for days due to this confrontation, my friends who were unable to make the complete trip unaware of the complete circumstances until I could describe it.
My assumption was that the responsible adults who were in the know would report this vital piece of intelligence to you and your organization so that you could learn of the proper culprit and the methods used so that future attempts could be thwarted.
However, it was suggested to me that my assumption might be in error. If that is the case, I and my two friends humbly apologize for any unintended slight.
I write this missive to you in hopes that the information contained will be valuable to you and to assure you that Gringotts has my utmost confidence in its procedures and methods of keeping its customers' accounts safe.
Yours in Business,
Harry James Potter, Second Year Gryffindor, Hogwarts
Ronald Weasley, Second Year Gryffindor, Hogwarts
Hermione Granger, Second Year Gryffindor, Hogwarts
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all signed the letter. Before the Traveler could do the next thing he wished, they were interrupted by the door opening. Standing in the passageway was Draco Malfoy and his two minions.
The Traveler looked at the boy and said, "Excuse me. Is there a reason that you are interrupting a private meeting?"
Taken aback, the boy spluttered, "I can go wherever I like!"
"Really? So you have special dispensation to be rude to whomever you want? I will ensure that the Headmaster is aware of your views and I am certain that he will have words with you about that. Now if you will excuse us, your presence is neither welcome nor appreciated. Good day."
With that, Harry wandlessly shut the door, ensuring that Draco could see the gesture. After a moment, the three boys retreated down the corridor.
The Traveler sighed. "Merlin, he's an idiot. I don't know what I'd do if I showed up in a universe and needed to direct him." The Traveler paused a moment and looked up. "THAT WASN'T A REQUEST!"
Ginny giggled even as Harry and Ron tried not to laugh. Hermione gave a long suffering sigh and Luna just kept her spacey look. Neville was wide-eyed.
The Traveler sighed. "I think I just jinxed myself. Anyway, letter done?"
Hermione presented it.
"Okay. Harry?"
Harry pulled out his Gringotts key and handed it over. "Let me know how much."
The Traveler nodded even as the rest were confused.
"Neville, Ron. We're taking a trip. Come on." The two boys were confused but moved next to the traveler.
"Oh, let me put that ward back up. I'm certain the four remaining would rather not have to deal with the idiots if they come back." The Traveler recast the ward on the compartment and then grabbed the two boys' shoulders and then orbed out.