Times of Trouble

When the train pulled into Hogsmeade Neville followed Harry off the train. The two of them were followed by their new acquaintances and possible friends. The looks on their faces as they stumbled towards the wrinkled old man calling out for the first years to follow him was reminiscent of his own look the first time he got off the Hogwarts Express.
Like he had done several years ago Neville headed across the platform towards the waiting boats and the lake. A tremor of anticipation went up his spine at the thought of seeing the castle from the lake at night once again.
In the shuffle of moving bodies Neville found himself separated from Harry. He ended up in a boat with Emily Thompson, Richie Potter, and another boy that he didn’t recognize. The new boy’s dirty blonde hair was cut in a rather unflattering bowl-cut, which didn’t help his angular features out at all.
“A-yo! I’m Preston, Preston Turnipseed. Who’re you?” The new boy, Preston Turnipseed, leaned over excitedly as he said this so his face was just a few inches from Neville’s face.
Neville leaned back quickly at the sudden intrusion of his personal space, almost tumbling over the side. Only a quick grab from Richie and Emily saved him from a wet tumble.
Preston completely missed this, “Isn’t this excitin? I can’t really believe it. Me and me Ma were visitin me grandma when I got me letter. I grew up in America you see. I had no clue ‘bout all this, me and me Ma were all balled up when we read the letter. But then the Professor showed up and cleared things up for us. Right nice of him, wasn’t it? He took us to that weird leaky bar, no, pub, sorry, don’t know me English words yet. Well, he took us to this pub and then to that magic street. Til we saw magic there we thought he was a four-flusher, just like me Pa. Me Pa’s spendin time in the pokey for cheatin at cards. Ma says he’s no good, but I like him still. He always gets me the best presents. Specially when he’s fresh out of the pokey, dunno why, think he’s sayin sorry. What does your Pa do? Bet he’s a wizard. Ain’t that just the best? I can’t wait to use me wand. Promised Ma I’d send her somethin’ splendid fer Christmas. She has to go home, so I can’t see her til next summer. Ain’t that sad? Yeah, it’s sad, but it’s also excitin’. I wonder what my Pa’s gonna say when Ma tells him? He’ll be proud, he will. He’s good like that. Always tellin me to better meself and make him proud.”
Neville felt his jaw go slack as Preston continued to talk. Did the boy ever breathe? Or even wait for someone else to answer? Looking over at Emily and Richie he saw that they were just as slack-jawed as him.
Where had this boy come from, and what was he doing at Hogwarts? Neville had never heard of an American coming to Hogwarts. Didn’t they have their own schools over there?
After a half a second Neville realized that Preston had grown silent. Wondering what had made the boy shut his mouth, Neville looked up.
And then he saw it.
The castle was just as magnificent as he remembered it, possibly even more so. It sparkled and shined above the lake like a giant fairy castle. He’d never seen anything so beautiful. The lights reflected in the black lake water, making him feel like he was surrounded by dancing fairies.
Apparently he wasn’t the only one that thought it was magnificent. There were audible gasps and cries of awe and surprise as everyone caught sight of the castle.
Unfortunately, the moment of quietness from Preston was too short for Neville’s taste.
“Stupendous! Tha’ place is marvelous! Are we goin’ to be goin’ ta school there? Wait ‘til I tell me Ma ‘bout it!”
Neville tuned Preston out again and just let the sight of the castle soak into him. For the first time since falling back in time he felt like he was safe.
Sure, he liked the Dumbledores, and his ancestor wasn’t too bad…even if he was eccentric, but he’d never really felt comfortable during the past month.
Now though, now he was home.
XXX
A shiver of delight and anticipation went down Albus’ spine when he saw the castle. He’d known it would be a glorious sight, that’s what all the books had told him, but nothing could have prepared him for the sheer majesty of Hogwarts.
He knew as soon as he saw it that this was where he belonged. His future lay inside of those ancient stone walls.
He just had to find it.
XXX
Hermione looked up at the huge clock above the bar for the millionth time that day.
A flash of sadness swept through her as she realized it was finally time. The train had to be at Hogwarts now and even now Harry and Neville should be crossing the lake with the real first years.
She couldn’t believe her luck.
She’d popped into this time period in the middle of Poland. Why she had appeared there, she didn’t know. She supposed it had something to do with space being as flexible as time, but she wasn’t sure.
She’d narrowly dodged some bandits by using some quick transfiguration work before starting out across the country. The compass spell she’d taught Harry during the Triwizard Tournament had really shown it’s worth during her month long trek across Europe.
Most of the trip had been uneventful. She’d spent her time sleeping in barns and doing whatever she could to get fed at night. She’d tried transfiguring pebbles into coins, but hadn’t been able to get the metal composition quite right. One shopkeeper had tried to get her thrown in jail because the coin wasn’t the right shade of silver.
She’d only found herself saved in that instance because of a cheerful boy with golden hair. He’d spoken quickly to the shopkeeper in Polish, handed over some coins, and then hurried her away before she could say anything.
He didn’t speak English, and she didn’t speak Polish, so communication had been hard. She did manage to get across her thanks before slipping away from him, which hadn’t been easy.
He’d tried to take her home with him and normally she would’ve agreed, but he was much too curious about her. She’d ended up stupefying him and disappearing into the woods.
She’d finally gotten to London a few days ago and had managed to get Tom the Innkeeper to let her stay and work for him. She’d convinced him she was a squib who had been thrown out of her home when she didn’t get into Hogwarts.
That morning she’d slipped out of the Leaky Cauldron and over to King’s Cross Station. She knew that today was September first and she was sure that if Harry and Neville where in this time period they’d think this was a good time and place to meet.
And, sure enough, she’d found the two of them, unfortunately it hadn’t been how she’d expected to find them.
She’d expected to find them hiding in the shadows like her, trying to not mess with the timeline and not cause a paradox.
Instead she’d found them strolling in the middle of a huge group of wizards. Wizards that were rather important. Wizards they should’ve steered clear of.
The Dumbledores.
If Hermione hadn’t been worried about causing more disruptions she would’ve stormed across the station and bashed those two idiots’ heads together.
What were they THINKING?!?!
Maybe Neville wouldn’t have known what to do, but Harry had traveled in time with her before. He KNEW that you couldn’t do anything to mess with time that hadn’t been messed with already. Sure, he’d gotten away with the Patronus Charm and saving Sirius and Buckbeak, but they had already known it was going to happen.
This time period was an unknown. They didn’t know what had been changed and what hadn’t. Anyway, no one had ever traveled this far back in time before. Even now time might be ripping at the seams after having so many people thrown into the wrong time period. Maybe that’s why she’d ended up in Poland.
She didn’t know and there was nothing she could do now but keep a low profile and wait until Christmas Break.
Maybe she could sneak down to Flourish and Blots and do some research while she waited…
XXX
Once again Harry stood in the Great Hall with a group of first-years and listened to the Sorting Hat sing its song.
And, like last time, his stomach was in knots and he felt most definitely queasy, if for an entirely different reason this time.
The Hat could see inside of his head. It would know he didn’t belong in this time period.
What would it do?
Images of all sorts of possibilities were flashing through his head. Would it call for help? Would it fry his brain? Images of smoke coming out of his ears as he writhed in pain appeared.
Would he be thrown in prison?
Would the Dumbledores be punished for hiding him?
Would his ancestor be punished?
It was with a jolt that Harry heard a plump wizard with bushy eyebrows and even bushier sideburns call out “Black, Phineas.”
A weedy boy with jet black hair strode confidently up to the Sorting Hat. The Hat only sat on his head for a second before it shouted out, “SLYTHERIN!”
Harry watched as several more students were called up, including a boy named “Crabbe, Walburga,” before, “Dumbledore, Albus,” was called.
Harry grinned as he watched Albus go up to the Sorting Hat. He couldn’t believe he was about to watch the great Albus Dumbledore be sorted into Gryffindor. This was a moment of history, one he couldn’t wait to discuss with the Headmaster when he got back to his own time.
The large Sorting Hat slipped onto Albus’ small blonde head. Unexpectedly, for Harry, it didn’t immediately call out Gryffindor. Nothing happened for so long that hushed murmurs began to circle around the room. After what seemed to be an eternity the hat shouted out, “SLYTHERIN!”
Harry’s jaw hit the floor. Albus was in Slytherin? Had he always been in Slytherin? Come to think of it, Harry had never asked him what house he had been in, he had just assumed Gryffindor. Had he been wrong?
What was going on?
These thoughts kept racing through Harry’s head as, “Gamp, Hesper,” became Ravenclaw and “Gideon, Brittany,” and “Gideon, Gerald,” became Slytherins.
When “Longbottom, Neville,” was called whispers filled the Great Hall and Harry turned his attention to his friend. Surprisingly Neville didn’t seem nervous or even stumble as he went up the Sorting Hat. He walked up to it like he was taking a stroll around the lake.
The Sorting Hat sat on him for about a full minute before saying in its firmest voice yet, “GRYFFINDOR!”
Harry grinned and clapped with the rest of the first-years. As he was clapping he heard someone comment in a confused voice, “I thought Donald Longbottom was the only one left in that family. Where did this boy come from?”
Turning, Harry saw a dark-skinned boy at the Hufflepuff table staring at Neville in a very curious way. Judging from the other confused faces and the whispers when Neville’s name had been called Harry could only assume that this boy wasn’t the only one wondering that.
“Lestrange, Robiere,” was called next. Harry wasn’t surprised when he was sorted into Slytherin.
And then it was Harry’s turn. The queasiness returned to Harry’s stomach even stronger than it had been before as he crossed to the stool, sat down, and slipped the Sorting Hat onto his head.
“Oh, what do we have here?” A voice whispered in his head. “Somehow, I’ve looked at you before, but I don’t remember doing that.”
“I’m like Neville,” Harry thought back.
“Yes, I see that. So you traveled through time and somehow grew younger while you did so. That’s probably because you ingested or touched some of the Time Sand. There’s a reason they kept it trapped in an hourglass you know.”
“Ah, so, you aren’t going to tell on me?”
The Hat gave a dry chuckle, “Why would I tell on you? You’re still loyal to Hogwarts. I see you’re confused about something. What is…oh, Albus Dumbledore. I suppose I’ll tell you, since you need to be warned. I was going to put that boy in Gryffindor, just like his parents, but he asked otherwise.”
“WHAT?!?!” Harry shouted inside of his mind.
“Yes, he wants to become more than he is and he doesn’t believe that Gryffindor will help him achieve greatness.”
“But..but it does! He’s the best wizard of the 20th Century! He’s amazing! How…what caused this?”
“Why, you did, dear boy.”
Before Harry could wrap his mind around that thought the Sorting Hat shouted out, “GRYFFINDOR,” the plump wizard pulled the hat off of his head, and he was stumbling over to a seat at the Gryffindor table.
Neville gave him a concerned look, but Harry didn’t respond. Old lectures from Hermione on time travel were now swimming though his head, taking over his ears, and drowning out the rest of the Great Hall.
A couple minutes later Richie joined him at the table.
“Harry, what’s wrong, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Richie whispered after he took a seat.
Harry shook his head, blinked, and swallowed sharply. “Richie, I think I did something really wrong…”
Neville leaned over to listen as Richie frowned and asked, “What did you do?”
Harry stared down at the gleaming gold plate in front of him, “I don’t know.”