I Wonder If...

I Wonder If

By Apollo

Harry Potter walked out into the bright sunlight. He thoughts were occupied with the Quidditch game he had just won for the Pride of Portree. He had been marking the opposing seeker when his Firebolt Excel began jerking uncontrollably. His thoughts had immediately flashed back to his first Quidditch game as a first year. He instinctively looked around for a Death Eater. It was a few seconds before he remembered he did not have to worry about Voldemort or Death Eaters anymore.

He suddenly had seen the snitch. He managed to maneuver the jerking broom about twenty feet higher. He reached out and grabbed the snitch right before the jerking stopped. Back on the ground he had been told that a disgruntled Holyhead Harpies fan had managed to jinx his broom before security handled it.

Harry's thoughts drifted then towards a much more painful memory. Though the warm sun was still in his emerald eyes he suddenly felt very cold. He couldn't help but think about all of the pain that Voldemort had caused him. Here he was 18, one year out of school and he had nobody left to care for.

Harry remembered in May of his seventh year Ron running to tell him he had figured out how to kill Voldemort. He remembered thinking it was Hermione's job to figure stuff like that out. He remembered how Voldemort had attacked Hogwarts. Most of all he remembered waking up after Ron had defeated Voldemort and seeing all of them dead. Ron, Hermione, Neville, Parvati, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Ginny, George, Bill, Charlie, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Crabbe, Mrs. Figg, Remus, many Aurors, many Death Eaters, and Voldemort.

Voldemort was dead. So was everyone else Harry held dear to him. Percy, Seamus, Lavender, Sirius, and Snape had died before the final battle. Fred was the only Weasley not killed by Voldemort. Harry and Fred often talked or went places together. They were after all the only ones left.

Harry got back to the Potter family mansion, which he had inherited when he turned 17. He found Hedwig waiting for him.

Dear Harry,

Sorry to bother you right after a Quidditch game, but Headmaster Flitwick has owled me telling me that the Sorting Hat was requesting to speak with us. Who knew a hat could request anything? Meet me at Hogwarts at 5:30PM. He said he would be waiting for us in his office. I guess we will find out then. I have this strange feeling something good might actually come our way for once. See you soon.

Fred Weasley

That's a strange letter Harry thought. It was almost 5:30 though, so he got his cloak and disapparated. He reappeared of course right outside Hogwarts front gates. He hated coming to Hogwarts. He had all those painful memories. He remembered him and Hermione strolling around the lake during the Triwizard Tournament. He remembered him and Ron practicing Quidditch when Ron was selected as Keeper in fifth year. It was all so painful.

Harry Potter walked into the Entrance Hall and saw Fred waiting for him. It was not however the Fred he remembered from Hogwarts. It was a slightly older Fred who had no evil grin on his face and no twin to trick people with. It was not the Fred who had swooped out of the front doors to avoid Professor Umbridge's wrath. He still looked haunted by the fact that he had lost his six siblings and his parents to Voldemort. Harry did not blame him in the slightest.

Fred managed a small smile and waved to him to follow him to Flitwick's office. Flitwick had kept his own office even once he had been named headmaster. He had told Harry once it just felt wrong to be in Professor Dumbledore's office. Once inside Flitwick's office the Sorting Hat spoke up and asked Flitwick to leave. Flitwick obliged and stepped out of the office.

"I would like for you both to try me on one at a time," the hat boomed out;" you will disappear in turn and probably be very surprised by where you appear."

"Do think I'm crazy?" Fred and Harry asked in unison, " I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me where you'll take us."

"I was getting to that! All of this stuff around you was never meant to happen. Voldemort was not supposed to be defeated this way. Trying me on I will send you back in time and you both will change all that has happened," The hat boomed again.

"I'm willing, I guess, if Fred is," Harry replied. "I'm still not sure what we can do but mess everything up."

"If Harry will, then I will," Fred said.

Harry stepped forward. He lifted the hat and placed it on his head. Suddenly he felt like the hat was trying to swallow him. He felt himself being forced into the hat itself. Then a thought struck him, Boy who lived dies tragically in magical hat incident. Even while he felt himself being swallowed he couldn't help, but grin.

He suddenly landed with a whump on the hard, stone floor. A second later there was another thump and Fred landed beside him. Harry could not believe it. Did he dare consider he might be able to erase his parents and all of his friends' deaths?

Harry looked around. He and Fred were in a hall on the fourth floor that he recognized. The hall looked exactly as Harry remembered it from his time. He looked at Fred.

"Do you reckon we ought to go see Dumbledore?" Harry asked, "I mean it's not like we can just stay without anyone realizing that we don't belong."

"You're right we should see Dumbledore. It seems so strange that everyone is alive. I mean Dumbledore, my parents; even you're parents! I can't wait to get started changing the future!" Fred practically shouted.

Harry felt as ecstatic as Fred was. If he and Fred played their cards right he might end up with more than he started with. He might get his parents as well as his friends. As they walked towards Professor Dumbledore's office, Harry couldn't help, but feel happy. He hadn't truly felt happy since Voldemort had been defeated. He had forgotten what a wonderful feeling it was.

They arrived at the gargoyle in front of the hidden staircase. "Uhh, Frizzing Wisbees, Cockroach Cluster, Sugar Quills, Chocolate Frogs," Harry started and the gargoyle moved aside.

"How did you know the password?" Fred questioned.

"It's always a candy," Harry replied.

They started up the moving stairs and soon were at the door to Professor Dumbledore's office. Harry knocked softly on the door. "Come in," came the unmistakable voice of Albus Dumbledore. Harry couldn't help but be marveled by Dumbledore being alive!

Fred opened the door, and he and Harry went in. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, in all his majestic glory. "Sir," Harry stuttered, "My friend Fred and I have to tell you something,"

"We're from the future," Fred stated simply. Dumbledore motioned for them to sit down. They told him only what they had to, to get him to believe they were from the future. They told him they were sent by the Sorting Hat to change the future of the Wizarding World.

"Well," said Dumbledore after they finished, "You need to be sorted and then I will let you get to work. You can pass as transfer students from Beauxbatons."

Dumbledore grabbed the Sorting Hat from its perch high on a shelf. Harry stepped forward and placed the hat on his head. "Hmm, I see you have finally arrived. As before I must place you in GRYFFINDOR!" The hat whispered in his ear before shouting the house out loud.

Fred stepped forward and placed the hat on his own head. The hat and Fred seemed to be having some sort of argument. Fred kept telling the hat he was a Gryffindor. After some three minutes the hat yelled, "RAVENCLAW!"

After saying goodbye to Dumbledore they started down the hall. "Why did the hat put you in Ravenclaw?" Harry asked politely.

"It said I would find out eventually." Fred replied looking puzzled.

Harry and Fred headed to breakfast. They were very hungry. They had found out from Dumbledore that it was April 22, 1978. They were to pass themselves off as seventh years even though they were older. It didn't matter for Harry. He had never managed to out grow the perpetually fourteen years old look. Fred they would just have to say was big for his age.

Even though Fred was officially supposed to sit at the Ravenclaw table, it was a rule that often went ignored, he sat with Harry at the Gryffindor table. Harry sat eating eggs, staring around as though in a trance. He couldn't help himself. His self-imposed depression was lifting like it was tied to a balloon. He still couldn't believe it. He had a chance to change it all! An obsessive determination was suddenly clutching him. He had to change it all.

Suddenly he looked up to see a mirror image of himself standing across the wood table from him. Except the eyes, he corrected himself. The eyes were a brownish-green color. His father! His father stared in fascination back at him, his brow wrinkled in confusion.