Starting Again, Learning Anew - Chapter One
Title: Starting Again, Learning Anew
Author: Vesperaer
Pairings: Harry/Luna
Rating: PG:13
Warnings: None, so far.
Summary: After being betrayed by his wife, Harry Potter is given a chance to start over by Luna Lovegood. What will he discover when he starts again?
Author's Note: A classic Do-Over, because I've always wanted to write one.
Harry sat in his best friend's home, glaring at the fireplace as if it had offended him, slowly sipping his third glass of firewhiskey. He was angry. No, he was furious. And he was hurt. It was as if someone had ripped his heart out before stabbing it repeatedly. Had Harry not been such a strong person, who had gone through so much, it might have broken him. As it was, it was a very near thing. Had it not been for his best friend, he might be doing a lot worse than drinking.
A sudden surge of anger overcame him, thinking about what she had done. What Ginny had done to him. What the Weasley family had done. He threw the glass into the fire, where it shattered, and buried his face in his hands. He was nearly weeping.
Luna Lovegood rushed into the room, looking more frazzled than her dreamlike air would usually allow.
"Harry? What was that noise?"
"'m sorry, Luna. Broke your glass." Harry slurred more than spoke.
"Here." Luna summoned a pot of tea and two cups from the kitchen. "You need to have something besides firewhiskey, Harry."
"Don't want it. Wanna forget."
"But, Harry, it won't go away. You have do face it."
"Don' wanna."
"Harry Potter. Are you just going to sit there and wallow in your misery while Ginny goes and has an affair with Marcus Flint?"
"Yes. I don't care about that. He can have her, for all I care. They deserve each other."
Luna was concerned. Apparently, there was something that Harry wasn't telling her.
"But, Harry, why? Don't you love Ginny?"
Here, Harry let out a barking laugh. "Love that shrieking harpy? Never have, never will."
"But you married her!'
"Two words, Luna. Amortentia. Potion."
Luna was horrified. The Amortentia potion was the most powerful love potion in existence. To be dosed with it, as Harry seemed to have been, was highly immoral, as well as illegal.
"For how long?" she whispered.
"Since sixth year." Harry replied quietly.
Luna was silent, internally scolding herself. She should have noticed. She should have Seen something like this. How had she not noticed? Looking back, Harry did fall for Ginny awfully quickly, after have no previous attraction to her. And when he fell, he fell hard. But as the muggles said, hindsight was 20/20. Whatever that meant.
"Oh, Harry. I'm so sorry." was the only thing she could think of to say. What else could you say to a friend when learning that their entire marriage had been a fraud?
Harry chuckled lowly. "And you know what the worst part is? Ginny never even loved me. She was after my fame and money."
Luna moved to sit next to Harry, stroking his hair as he leaned into her arms. And finally, Harry Potter allowed himself to cry.
After Harry fell asleep, Luna levitated him over to her bed, where she tucked in the sleeping man. She would take the couch that night, and ponder what she could do to help her friend. Luna Lovegood, for all of her eccentricities, was a powerful and brilliant witch, with the untapped potential of a seer. And there must be something that she could do for Harry.
The next morning, Harry awoke to Luna being back to her normal, ethereal self. She had made pancakes for breakfast, though Harry wasn't allowed syrup, as it apparently attracted Knials, tiny insect like creatures who would infest a house and cause the residents to forget to set the wards.
"Why are you in such a good mood this morning, Luna?" Harry finally asked.
"I've figured out a solution to your problem." she replied, stuffing a forkful of buttered pancakes into her mouth.
Harry snorted. "What, am I going to go back in time and prevent Ginny from giving me the potion in the first place?" For that was the only solution he could see.
Luna pouted. "How did you know!? You ruined the surprise."
Harry gaped. "You can't be serious, Luna. That's impossible! It would cause some kind of paradox, or something, wouldn't it?"
"That would be right - if there were two versions of you running around. But since you'll be traveling back only in soul, and then taking over the body of your younger self, that shouldn't be a problem."
Harry collapsed back into his seat, his head resting in his hands. "Luna." he said, his voice muffled. "Luna, what you are saying is madness. It's crazy! I mean, first, as far as I'm aware, it's impossible. Second, even if it were possible, wouldn't it be better for me to remain here, and just straighten out my life the best I can?"
Luna looked at him as if he was a very small child, and she was educating him on something very, very simple. "Harry. Think of all the good you could do with your foreknowledge. You could get Sirius out of Azkaban years earlier. You could prevent his death, and Remus's, and Tonks! You could end the war early, maybe even stop Voldemort before he has risen. Think of all you know now, and think of what you could change!"
Listening to her, Harry had to admit that she had a point. Just being able to save Remus and Sirius and Tonks... and Dobby. And Hedwig. And Snape, and Dumbledore. And Fred. And everyone else who had died.
"You're right, Luna. It would be amazing, if I could go back and do it again, knowing what I know. But how? How would I do that? It's impossible."
Luna looked rather like a cat who had caught a canary. "Not impossible. You must remember, my mother experimented with spells, before she died."
Harry nodded. He had heard the tragic story of the death of Luna's mother.
"Well, one of the spells she was working on was a trans-dimentional one, and another was one to travel through time. I've been workong on expanding her work for quite some time, and I've made a lot of progress. It should be able to send your soul back in time, to your younger body."
Harry gaped. He knew that Luna was brilliant, of course, but this was beyond anything he had ever expected from her. She was even acting in a reasonable, logical way. Was the world ending? He rather thought that it must be.
"Okay. Okay, Luna, what if I do this? What about you? Can you come back with me?"
Luna shook her head sadly. "No, Harry. I have to be the one to cast the spell on you, so you will have to go alone."
"But what will happen to you?"
"I'll live out the rest of my life in peace, knowing that you are happy in a new life, with another me."
And Harry could tell that Luna was sincere.
"...Alright. I'll do it. When... when will you be ready?"
Luna looked like Christmas had come early. "Wonderful, Harry! I'll be ready this evening."
Harry almost choked on the sip of coffee he was drinking. "This evening! You'll be ready that fast?"
"I've been preparing this spell for a long time. I knew that sooner or later you might want to use it."
Harry shook his head. He never quite understood Luna, and he supposed that he never would. He rather liked it that way, though. It made Luna, Luna.
But was he making the right decision? Harry didn't know. He knew that a lot of what he had been told, especially when he was younger, was a lie. He was ignorant about much of the Wizarding World and it's traditions. It had been something he had always been planning on rectifying, but he had never seemed to have the time. And Ginny and Ron had always seemed to think that it was a waste, anyway, and that had influenced him as well.
Maybe that was something he could change in his new life. He grinned. A new life. The ability to do it all again. Many would kill for the opportunity, he knew. And with his position in the world, he could influence a great many things.
Yes, he was making the right decision. Now, to wait.
Harry spent most of his day contemplating what he would do, and how he would deal with missing his friends. True, they wouldn't really be gone, as he would be encountering versions of them, but it wouldn't be the same. They wouldn't have experienced the same things that they had in this life.
It would be a sacrifice on his part. But it would be worth it in the end. To have Teddy grow up with his father and mother. To have Sirius' name be cleared. To avoid Ginny Weasley at all costs.
So, perhaps he was a tad bit selfish. Wasn't everybody? And Harry thought that after all he had done for the world, he deserved to be selfish.
By the time Luna came out and told him that she was ready, his mind was made up. He would go through with it. He would redo his life.
He followed Luna into her basement. She had changed into a set of white robes, and her blonde hair fell loose about her face. On the floor, a pentacle was inscribed, in a substance that looked and awful lot like blood. Harry decided he didn't want to know.
"Harry, are you sure?" Luna asked, one last time.
Harry nodded. "I'm sure Luna. Thank you."
"Once we begin, there is no backing out. You understand? No changing your mind."
"I understand. I'm ready."
Luna smiled at him. "I'm glad. You've got to take off your clothes, and get into the circle. I'll do the rest."
Harry blushed. "Take off my clothes?" He almost squeaked.
Luna laughed at his reaction. "Yes, you have to be naked for the ritual to work. You have to be pure."
Grumbling to himself about nonsense rituals and idiotic requirements, he undressed, folding his clothing neatly in pile. His face and neck were a bright shade of red, and he kept his hands in front of himself, not wanting Luna to see anymore than she already had.
Luna barely restrained herself from leering at the man, forcing herself to remain in the spirit of the solemn ritual.
"Ready to begin, Harry?"
"I'm ready."
Holding a ritual dagger in her hands, Luna raised it up over her head.
"I call on you, the Guardians of the North. I call on you, the Guardians of the West. I call on you, the Guardians of the South. I call on you, Oh Guardians, to watch over this Ritual of Time, and protect us and guide us."
Harry could feel the magic in the air. It was heavy, and he felt it in his very soul. It was the most incredible feeling he had ever experienced, and he felt nearly euphoric.
"Harry." He heard Luna call his name. Was that his name? Harry? He thought so.
"Yes, Luna?" he said, a wide grin on his face.
"The ritual is started. There is no backing out now."
"Okay. I'm still prepared."
"There's something I have to tell you Harry. I wasn't completely honest with you about the requirements of the ritual."
This caught Harry's attention, and the grin faded from his face. That was not something he wanted to head.
"What do you mean, Luna?"
"The Ritual requires a sacrifice. A human life, to complete it. An old life for a new life."
Harry was horrified. "Luna! No, Luna, don't!" he shouted, forgetting about his nakedness as he stepped forward, but there was an invisible barrier surrounding the pentagram. He banged his fist against it, screaming for Luna to stop.
"Luna, NO. Don't do it, it's not worth your life! Stop it, please!"
Luna merely smiled at him sadly. "It is worth it, though. Oh, Harry, there is so much you don't know. But I trust you. I trust yout to fix it. To save everyone."
Ignoring Harry's pleading, Luna continued with the ritual.
"Oh, Janus, mighty God of new Beginnings and Time, of Doorways and Transitions, hear me! I beg of you, send this man, Harry James Potter, into the past. Send him to when he can do the most good. In return for this boon, I offer my own life."
There was an almighty flash of pure white light, and the last thing that that Harry saw was Luna collapsing, lifeless, onto the floor. He screamed, and then it was all dark.
With a loud gasp, Harry woke up. Breathing heavily, he scrambled for his glasses. Putting them on, he realized that he was once again in Dudley's second bedroom. Standing on shaking legs, he clutched the bedpost, his eyes tearing up. Luna. Oh, Luna, his dear Luna Lovegood. What had she done?
"Oh, Luna...."
He took a moment of silence, remembering her friend as she had been, in all her glory.
Opening his eyes, he wiped the tears away. There was only one thing to do now. Live his life to the fullest, and make Luna as happy as he possibly could. And he had to figure out what Luna meant. What didn't he know? And what did he have to fix?
He shook his head. There would be time for that later. Now, he had to figure out where, or rather, when, he was.
Looking in the convenient mirror in his bedroom, he gave himself a good look over. He was quite a bit shorter than he had been, and much thinner. Judging by his haircut, clothes, and his general surroundings, he hadn't even started first year yet. But looking around, he had his trunk and books, so he must have already gone to Diagon Alley with Hagrid.
He wondered what day it was, exactly. Harry didn't have a calender in his room, so he would have to find out from his aunt and uncle. Joy.
It appeared to be morning. His suspicion was confirmed when he heard his aunt's shrieking voice.
"Boy! Get up and make breakfast!"
Rolling his eyes, Harry grabbed his wand. Unfornately, he didn't have a proper holster in his posession, so he stuck it in his pocket, making sure that it was pointing away from anything important.
Heading downstairs, he glared at his uncle, before heading into the kitchen. He would cooperate to their petty demands. For now.
Making bacon, eggs, and toast, he put the plates full of food on the table, not taking anything for himself.
"I'm going out." he announced to his relatives.
Vernon looked at him suspiciously. "Where? Don't expect me to drive you anywhere, boy!"
"I'll catch the bus. Be back by dinner, Vernon!"
With that, Harry bounded out of the house. Once he was at the street, he stuck out his wand. And with a boom, the Knight Bus appeared.
Interupting Stan's rather boring speech, Harry stuffed a galleon in his hand, boarding the bus. It was filled with an assortment of comfortable looking armchairs, and Harry picked one near the door.
"Diagon Alley, please." he told Stan.
"Right away, sir, right away!"
About ten minutes and three stops later, the Knight Bus arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Thanking Stan and Ernie, Harry stepped out of the bus, and into the pub.
The Leaky was busy, bustling with witches and wizards, as usual. Harry grinned, glad to see it. He remembered, during the war, how it had been empty. He was determined that something like that would ever happen again.
He slipped quietly through the bar, to the back entrance, where he found the wall that was guarding Diagon. Tapping the correct brick, the archway opened, and Harry entered.
There was no time to stand around, gaping. He had to go to Gringotts, to get more money out of the bank. If he wanted to be properly prepared for Hogwarts, he needed a few more supplies. And he wanted to get a head start on learning about proper wizarding etiquette.
As he entered Gringotts, he realized that he didn't have his key. Hagrid had taken it with him. Fortunately, Harry knew that there were other ways to access one's account.
Walking up to a free goblin, he spoke.
"Excuse me, but I need to access my vault. I don't have my key, though. Is there any way I can still get to it?" He had decided to play the ignorant child. It wouldn't do for him to seem to know more than he ought.
The goblin looked rather irritated. Handing Harry a sharp quill and a piece of parchment, he spoke.
"Sign your full name here."
Bracing himself, for he recognized it as a Blood Quill, he signed his name in his blood.
The goblin prompty took the parchment and quill back, and examined the signature.
"Hmm. Harry James Potter. The Potter Vault and the Harper Vault."
"Wait a moment. The Harper Vault? What is that?"
If possible, the goblin looked even more irritated.
"The Harper Family was an old pureblood family. The last heir willed the vault to you after you defeated the Dark Lord."
"How come I have never hear this before?" Harry demanded.
The goblin shrugged.
"You must never have asked."
Infuriated, Harry took the two keys that were handed to him, and followed another goblin to a cart, which he boarded. The fast ride down to the Harper vault was exhilerating, as always, but Harry couldn't enjoy it. How could he have not heard of the Harper Vault in his first life? He shook his head. It was a mystery he would have to figure out at another time, for they had arrived at the vault.
Entering, Harry looked around. It was a decent enough vault, with about the same amount of gold as the Potter Vault. Harry decided to leave it untouched. He would keep it as an emergency fund.
Riding up to the Potter vault, he topped off his pouch of gold, ready for a shopping spree. Well, a book spree. He needed to learn more about his world, and it's history.
Heading straight to Flourish and Blotts, intent on buying everything he needed there. Starting at the history section, he began to fill his basket, starting with Hogwarts, A History. He never had read it.
An hour later, he had filled the basket to the brim, even with the expansion charm on it, and he lugged it to the counter.
The shopkeeper didn't even raise and eye, no doubt used to budding Ravenclaws attempting to empty his store.
His wallet considerably lighter, Harry left the store. He had paid extra for a bag with a powerful expanding charm and featherlight charm on it, and it was much easier to carry.
Harry had one more stop to make. Borgin and Burkes, in Knockturn Alley. He wanted to see what kind of objects the place held, now that he knew that Voldemort had once been employed there.
He pulled the cloak he had brought over his head, and entered the foreboding alley.
Chapter Two
Author: Vesperaer
Pairings: Harry/Luna
Rating: PG:13
Warnings: None, so far.
Summary: After being betrayed by his wife, Harry Potter is given a chance to start over by Luna Lovegood. What will he discover when he starts again?
Author's Note: A classic Do-Over, because I've always wanted to write one.
Harry sat in his best friend's home, glaring at the fireplace as if it had offended him, slowly sipping his third glass of firewhiskey. He was angry. No, he was furious. And he was hurt. It was as if someone had ripped his heart out before stabbing it repeatedly. Had Harry not been such a strong person, who had gone through so much, it might have broken him. As it was, it was a very near thing. Had it not been for his best friend, he might be doing a lot worse than drinking.
A sudden surge of anger overcame him, thinking about what she had done. What Ginny had done to him. What the Weasley family had done. He threw the glass into the fire, where it shattered, and buried his face in his hands. He was nearly weeping.
Luna Lovegood rushed into the room, looking more frazzled than her dreamlike air would usually allow.
"Harry? What was that noise?"
"'m sorry, Luna. Broke your glass." Harry slurred more than spoke.
"Here." Luna summoned a pot of tea and two cups from the kitchen. "You need to have something besides firewhiskey, Harry."
"Don't want it. Wanna forget."
"But, Harry, it won't go away. You have do face it."
"Don' wanna."
"Harry Potter. Are you just going to sit there and wallow in your misery while Ginny goes and has an affair with Marcus Flint?"
"Yes. I don't care about that. He can have her, for all I care. They deserve each other."
Luna was concerned. Apparently, there was something that Harry wasn't telling her.
"But, Harry, why? Don't you love Ginny?"
Here, Harry let out a barking laugh. "Love that shrieking harpy? Never have, never will."
"But you married her!'
"Two words, Luna. Amortentia. Potion."
Luna was horrified. The Amortentia potion was the most powerful love potion in existence. To be dosed with it, as Harry seemed to have been, was highly immoral, as well as illegal.
"For how long?" she whispered.
"Since sixth year." Harry replied quietly.
Luna was silent, internally scolding herself. She should have noticed. She should have Seen something like this. How had she not noticed? Looking back, Harry did fall for Ginny awfully quickly, after have no previous attraction to her. And when he fell, he fell hard. But as the muggles said, hindsight was 20/20. Whatever that meant.
"Oh, Harry. I'm so sorry." was the only thing she could think of to say. What else could you say to a friend when learning that their entire marriage had been a fraud?
Harry chuckled lowly. "And you know what the worst part is? Ginny never even loved me. She was after my fame and money."
Luna moved to sit next to Harry, stroking his hair as he leaned into her arms. And finally, Harry Potter allowed himself to cry.
After Harry fell asleep, Luna levitated him over to her bed, where she tucked in the sleeping man. She would take the couch that night, and ponder what she could do to help her friend. Luna Lovegood, for all of her eccentricities, was a powerful and brilliant witch, with the untapped potential of a seer. And there must be something that she could do for Harry.
The next morning, Harry awoke to Luna being back to her normal, ethereal self. She had made pancakes for breakfast, though Harry wasn't allowed syrup, as it apparently attracted Knials, tiny insect like creatures who would infest a house and cause the residents to forget to set the wards.
"Why are you in such a good mood this morning, Luna?" Harry finally asked.
"I've figured out a solution to your problem." she replied, stuffing a forkful of buttered pancakes into her mouth.
Harry snorted. "What, am I going to go back in time and prevent Ginny from giving me the potion in the first place?" For that was the only solution he could see.
Luna pouted. "How did you know!? You ruined the surprise."
Harry gaped. "You can't be serious, Luna. That's impossible! It would cause some kind of paradox, or something, wouldn't it?"
"That would be right - if there were two versions of you running around. But since you'll be traveling back only in soul, and then taking over the body of your younger self, that shouldn't be a problem."
Harry collapsed back into his seat, his head resting in his hands. "Luna." he said, his voice muffled. "Luna, what you are saying is madness. It's crazy! I mean, first, as far as I'm aware, it's impossible. Second, even if it were possible, wouldn't it be better for me to remain here, and just straighten out my life the best I can?"
Luna looked at him as if he was a very small child, and she was educating him on something very, very simple. "Harry. Think of all the good you could do with your foreknowledge. You could get Sirius out of Azkaban years earlier. You could prevent his death, and Remus's, and Tonks! You could end the war early, maybe even stop Voldemort before he has risen. Think of all you know now, and think of what you could change!"
Listening to her, Harry had to admit that she had a point. Just being able to save Remus and Sirius and Tonks... and Dobby. And Hedwig. And Snape, and Dumbledore. And Fred. And everyone else who had died.
"You're right, Luna. It would be amazing, if I could go back and do it again, knowing what I know. But how? How would I do that? It's impossible."
Luna looked rather like a cat who had caught a canary. "Not impossible. You must remember, my mother experimented with spells, before she died."
Harry nodded. He had heard the tragic story of the death of Luna's mother.
"Well, one of the spells she was working on was a trans-dimentional one, and another was one to travel through time. I've been workong on expanding her work for quite some time, and I've made a lot of progress. It should be able to send your soul back in time, to your younger body."
Harry gaped. He knew that Luna was brilliant, of course, but this was beyond anything he had ever expected from her. She was even acting in a reasonable, logical way. Was the world ending? He rather thought that it must be.
"Okay. Okay, Luna, what if I do this? What about you? Can you come back with me?"
Luna shook her head sadly. "No, Harry. I have to be the one to cast the spell on you, so you will have to go alone."
"But what will happen to you?"
"I'll live out the rest of my life in peace, knowing that you are happy in a new life, with another me."
And Harry could tell that Luna was sincere.
"...Alright. I'll do it. When... when will you be ready?"
Luna looked like Christmas had come early. "Wonderful, Harry! I'll be ready this evening."
Harry almost choked on the sip of coffee he was drinking. "This evening! You'll be ready that fast?"
"I've been preparing this spell for a long time. I knew that sooner or later you might want to use it."
Harry shook his head. He never quite understood Luna, and he supposed that he never would. He rather liked it that way, though. It made Luna, Luna.
But was he making the right decision? Harry didn't know. He knew that a lot of what he had been told, especially when he was younger, was a lie. He was ignorant about much of the Wizarding World and it's traditions. It had been something he had always been planning on rectifying, but he had never seemed to have the time. And Ginny and Ron had always seemed to think that it was a waste, anyway, and that had influenced him as well.
Maybe that was something he could change in his new life. He grinned. A new life. The ability to do it all again. Many would kill for the opportunity, he knew. And with his position in the world, he could influence a great many things.
Yes, he was making the right decision. Now, to wait.
Harry spent most of his day contemplating what he would do, and how he would deal with missing his friends. True, they wouldn't really be gone, as he would be encountering versions of them, but it wouldn't be the same. They wouldn't have experienced the same things that they had in this life.
It would be a sacrifice on his part. But it would be worth it in the end. To have Teddy grow up with his father and mother. To have Sirius' name be cleared. To avoid Ginny Weasley at all costs.
So, perhaps he was a tad bit selfish. Wasn't everybody? And Harry thought that after all he had done for the world, he deserved to be selfish.
By the time Luna came out and told him that she was ready, his mind was made up. He would go through with it. He would redo his life.
He followed Luna into her basement. She had changed into a set of white robes, and her blonde hair fell loose about her face. On the floor, a pentacle was inscribed, in a substance that looked and awful lot like blood. Harry decided he didn't want to know.
"Harry, are you sure?" Luna asked, one last time.
Harry nodded. "I'm sure Luna. Thank you."
"Once we begin, there is no backing out. You understand? No changing your mind."
"I understand. I'm ready."
Luna smiled at him. "I'm glad. You've got to take off your clothes, and get into the circle. I'll do the rest."
Harry blushed. "Take off my clothes?" He almost squeaked.
Luna laughed at his reaction. "Yes, you have to be naked for the ritual to work. You have to be pure."
Grumbling to himself about nonsense rituals and idiotic requirements, he undressed, folding his clothing neatly in pile. His face and neck were a bright shade of red, and he kept his hands in front of himself, not wanting Luna to see anymore than she already had.
Luna barely restrained herself from leering at the man, forcing herself to remain in the spirit of the solemn ritual.
"Ready to begin, Harry?"
"I'm ready."
Holding a ritual dagger in her hands, Luna raised it up over her head.
"I call on you, the Guardians of the North. I call on you, the Guardians of the West. I call on you, the Guardians of the South. I call on you, Oh Guardians, to watch over this Ritual of Time, and protect us and guide us."
Harry could feel the magic in the air. It was heavy, and he felt it in his very soul. It was the most incredible feeling he had ever experienced, and he felt nearly euphoric.
"Harry." He heard Luna call his name. Was that his name? Harry? He thought so.
"Yes, Luna?" he said, a wide grin on his face.
"The ritual is started. There is no backing out now."
"Okay. I'm still prepared."
"There's something I have to tell you Harry. I wasn't completely honest with you about the requirements of the ritual."
This caught Harry's attention, and the grin faded from his face. That was not something he wanted to head.
"What do you mean, Luna?"
"The Ritual requires a sacrifice. A human life, to complete it. An old life for a new life."
Harry was horrified. "Luna! No, Luna, don't!" he shouted, forgetting about his nakedness as he stepped forward, but there was an invisible barrier surrounding the pentagram. He banged his fist against it, screaming for Luna to stop.
"Luna, NO. Don't do it, it's not worth your life! Stop it, please!"
Luna merely smiled at him sadly. "It is worth it, though. Oh, Harry, there is so much you don't know. But I trust you. I trust yout to fix it. To save everyone."
Ignoring Harry's pleading, Luna continued with the ritual.
"Oh, Janus, mighty God of new Beginnings and Time, of Doorways and Transitions, hear me! I beg of you, send this man, Harry James Potter, into the past. Send him to when he can do the most good. In return for this boon, I offer my own life."
There was an almighty flash of pure white light, and the last thing that that Harry saw was Luna collapsing, lifeless, onto the floor. He screamed, and then it was all dark.
With a loud gasp, Harry woke up. Breathing heavily, he scrambled for his glasses. Putting them on, he realized that he was once again in Dudley's second bedroom. Standing on shaking legs, he clutched the bedpost, his eyes tearing up. Luna. Oh, Luna, his dear Luna Lovegood. What had she done?
"Oh, Luna...."
He took a moment of silence, remembering her friend as she had been, in all her glory.
Opening his eyes, he wiped the tears away. There was only one thing to do now. Live his life to the fullest, and make Luna as happy as he possibly could. And he had to figure out what Luna meant. What didn't he know? And what did he have to fix?
He shook his head. There would be time for that later. Now, he had to figure out where, or rather, when, he was.
Looking in the convenient mirror in his bedroom, he gave himself a good look over. He was quite a bit shorter than he had been, and much thinner. Judging by his haircut, clothes, and his general surroundings, he hadn't even started first year yet. But looking around, he had his trunk and books, so he must have already gone to Diagon Alley with Hagrid.
He wondered what day it was, exactly. Harry didn't have a calender in his room, so he would have to find out from his aunt and uncle. Joy.
It appeared to be morning. His suspicion was confirmed when he heard his aunt's shrieking voice.
"Boy! Get up and make breakfast!"
Rolling his eyes, Harry grabbed his wand. Unfornately, he didn't have a proper holster in his posession, so he stuck it in his pocket, making sure that it was pointing away from anything important.
Heading downstairs, he glared at his uncle, before heading into the kitchen. He would cooperate to their petty demands. For now.
Making bacon, eggs, and toast, he put the plates full of food on the table, not taking anything for himself.
"I'm going out." he announced to his relatives.
Vernon looked at him suspiciously. "Where? Don't expect me to drive you anywhere, boy!"
"I'll catch the bus. Be back by dinner, Vernon!"
With that, Harry bounded out of the house. Once he was at the street, he stuck out his wand. And with a boom, the Knight Bus appeared.
Interupting Stan's rather boring speech, Harry stuffed a galleon in his hand, boarding the bus. It was filled with an assortment of comfortable looking armchairs, and Harry picked one near the door.
"Diagon Alley, please." he told Stan.
"Right away, sir, right away!"
About ten minutes and three stops later, the Knight Bus arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Thanking Stan and Ernie, Harry stepped out of the bus, and into the pub.
The Leaky was busy, bustling with witches and wizards, as usual. Harry grinned, glad to see it. He remembered, during the war, how it had been empty. He was determined that something like that would ever happen again.
He slipped quietly through the bar, to the back entrance, where he found the wall that was guarding Diagon. Tapping the correct brick, the archway opened, and Harry entered.
There was no time to stand around, gaping. He had to go to Gringotts, to get more money out of the bank. If he wanted to be properly prepared for Hogwarts, he needed a few more supplies. And he wanted to get a head start on learning about proper wizarding etiquette.
As he entered Gringotts, he realized that he didn't have his key. Hagrid had taken it with him. Fortunately, Harry knew that there were other ways to access one's account.
Walking up to a free goblin, he spoke.
"Excuse me, but I need to access my vault. I don't have my key, though. Is there any way I can still get to it?" He had decided to play the ignorant child. It wouldn't do for him to seem to know more than he ought.
The goblin looked rather irritated. Handing Harry a sharp quill and a piece of parchment, he spoke.
"Sign your full name here."
Bracing himself, for he recognized it as a Blood Quill, he signed his name in his blood.
The goblin prompty took the parchment and quill back, and examined the signature.
"Hmm. Harry James Potter. The Potter Vault and the Harper Vault."
"Wait a moment. The Harper Vault? What is that?"
If possible, the goblin looked even more irritated.
"The Harper Family was an old pureblood family. The last heir willed the vault to you after you defeated the Dark Lord."
"How come I have never hear this before?" Harry demanded.
The goblin shrugged.
"You must never have asked."
Infuriated, Harry took the two keys that were handed to him, and followed another goblin to a cart, which he boarded. The fast ride down to the Harper vault was exhilerating, as always, but Harry couldn't enjoy it. How could he have not heard of the Harper Vault in his first life? He shook his head. It was a mystery he would have to figure out at another time, for they had arrived at the vault.
Entering, Harry looked around. It was a decent enough vault, with about the same amount of gold as the Potter Vault. Harry decided to leave it untouched. He would keep it as an emergency fund.
Riding up to the Potter vault, he topped off his pouch of gold, ready for a shopping spree. Well, a book spree. He needed to learn more about his world, and it's history.
Heading straight to Flourish and Blotts, intent on buying everything he needed there. Starting at the history section, he began to fill his basket, starting with Hogwarts, A History. He never had read it.
An hour later, he had filled the basket to the brim, even with the expansion charm on it, and he lugged it to the counter.
The shopkeeper didn't even raise and eye, no doubt used to budding Ravenclaws attempting to empty his store.
His wallet considerably lighter, Harry left the store. He had paid extra for a bag with a powerful expanding charm and featherlight charm on it, and it was much easier to carry.
Harry had one more stop to make. Borgin and Burkes, in Knockturn Alley. He wanted to see what kind of objects the place held, now that he knew that Voldemort had once been employed there.
He pulled the cloak he had brought over his head, and entered the foreboding alley.
Chapter Two