Chapter Text
15th October 1991
“And that’s not barbaric?” Connor asked almost too stunned to speak.
“No more than skele-gro is.” Professor Burbage responded.
“But they cut out the knee joint and replace it with metal! How is that not completely insane?” He was nearly shouting.
“It’s quite progressive actually.” Burbage mused. “Back before modern medicine, muggles did all sorts of mad things. For example, the standard treatment for psychological distress was a lobotomy.”
He felt green. “I don’t think I want to know that is.”
She shrugged with a slight smirk. “A physician would severe the connection between parts of the brain by sticking a needle behind the eye.”
Connor nearly jumped from his seat. “f*ck! That’s not helping!”
“Language.” She chastised but it had a hint of thinly veiled amusem*nt. Never before had Connor been more grateful for being born into the magical world. “Surely you’re aware of magical folk of using muggle medical techniques? Prosthetic limbs are common when a limb can’t be salvaged through magical means.”
She was speaking way to calmly about this for Connors liking. “Well yes I’ve seen that. Especially during the war…” He trailed off at his slip which Burbage had the grace to not acknowledge. She’d never made Connor feel like he was being probed about the future which he appreciated fervently. Nothing good could come of that. Not when all he could remember was that damn snake.
Her eyes suddenly lit up. “Hold on just there. I have something to show you.” She shot to her feet and bolted through the side door that led to a storeroom where she kept a variety of muggle items. He’d been in there a few times now but each time he’d grown increasingly confused by what he saw. Last week he’d found what she’d called a telephone. Trying to understand how exactly a voice could travel down a wire to anywhere in the world had nearly given him a stroke.
Burbage emerged after a few minutes holding an old, battered leather roll. She grinned widely at him which was unsettling. Inside the roll were a series of metal tools. Blades, clamps, items with parts that screwed. The items looked disturbingly similar to some of the tools Yaxley had taught him to use on muggles. Connor immediately felt nauseous.
“These are some genuine surgical tools from the 1950s. A friend of mine who works at the Liverpool Royal Infirmary gifted them to me. Her daughter is a muggleborn witch who was in my year at Hogwarts so she taught me a lot about… Connor are you okay?” She trailed off when he keeled over in his seat.
His breathing was rapid and heavy. The memories of terrified screams battered his skull. His heart was beating so fast he expected it to burst free from his chest. The screaming was too loud. Too much. He clutched his hair as he cried out, trying to drown it out.
Burbage quickly tucked the leather roll into her desk before coming to her knees in front of him.
“Connor. You need to breath slowly for me, okay?” She said softly. “Can you do that for me?”
He shook his head as bile rose in his throat. She glanced around the room flustered trying to find a solution.
“Oh! I know.” She said quickly as she stood was rushed over to the small CD player he’d spend hours sitting beside while she marked essays. Burbage came back to her knees in front of him, taking his hands in hers as Fleetwood Mac started playing.
“Come on, honey.” She said softly with a hint of mirth. “I know you know the words.”
“Oh, thunder only happens when it’s raining.”
He did know the words. He loved this song. Gods it didn’t feel like enough. He could still hear the screaming.
“When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know. You’ll know.”
Burbage started singing along as she bounced his hands to the beat. He managed a small laugh at her which just encouraged her to sing harder.
The screams were growing quieter. Connor joined her with a low hum.
“I keep my visions to myself. It’s only me who wants to wrap around your dreams. And have you any dreams you’d like to sell?”
She pulled him to his feet and started swaying to the music. He couldn’t help himself as he burst out laughing at the implausibility of the situation. If he was alone he’d have occluded himself to hell and back or ran to Myrtle but Professor Burbage was dancing with him to muggle music. He wondered if if he’d allowed himself to experience this when he was younger, things could be different. No. It could have never happened so there was no point dwelling on it.
The song changed and he let himself breathe again. “I’m sorry, Professor.”
“No. Connor, I’m sorry. If I’d have known, I’d have never… I’ll put it away somewhere you won’t find it.” She wanted to ask, he could tell. Her eyes were filled with curiosity and apprehension. “Would you like an escort to the Gryffindor tower?”
Relief flooded his system as she held her queries. Surely she knew he’d lie, but lately lying felt bitter on his tongue. He shook his head. “No. Thank you, Professor. I was going to meet Harry and Ron in a bit.”
She beamed at him. “I’m so glad you’ve made friends like those boys.” Connor felt slightly nonplussed at the comment. Were they really friends? Could they ever truly be? Would they forgive him for hiding who he was? “I hope you don’t mind me saying… but I’ve been watching your younger self.” He tensed. “You have grown into a fine young man, Draco. I’m proud I got the chance to know you.”
Connor flushed deeply under her praise and her unexpected use of his given name. “Thank you.” He said quietly as he shifted on his feet.
She clapped her hands together breaking the tension of the moment. “Alright then! Same time Friday?”
“Same time Friday.” He said with a small smile as he left the office. He enjoyed their lessons. He really did. Except maybe he could have done without the knowledge of lobotomies for another lifetime.
As the weeks passed he grew more and more uneasy about their situation. His nightmare about her was one of the clearest, likely due to her close proximity as of late but something always stuck out to him. She never looked his way. Not once. She’d clearly known him. Was it that she felt betrayed and couldn’t stomach looking at him? She’d begged Snape. He might as well have not been there at all.
“Connor!” Ron’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “Where are you going?”
He realised he’d been walking straight past the courtyard they’d agreed to meet at.
“Sorry. In my own world I guess.” His eyes fell on Harry. “What’s going on…?”
Harry was floating several feet off the ground. “We’re practicing wingardium leviosa and Ron wondered if it worked on people.”
“Why would it not?”
“Honestly, it’s Hermione’s fault.” Ron rolled his eyes.
“Ron.” Harry said quietly from his position in the air.
“She’s been on my case about pronunciation since our first charms lesson.”
“Ron.” Harry spoke firmer.
“The girls a nightmare.”
“RON!”
“WHAT?”
Harry was staring wide eyed behind Ron and Connor. The pair turned to see Hermione stood clutching a large book to her chest. Her eyes were wide and glassy. She spun on her heal and spirited away.
“Nice one idiot.” Connor spat at Ron who was still staring at the space where Hermione had stood.
“LET ME DOWN!” Harry screamed as he swung his arms and legs wildly in the air.
“I… I don’t know how.” Ron muttered.
Laughter rang out around the courtyard. Connor spotted the first year Slytherins laughing hysterically at Harry’s sorry attempt to get back on his feet.
“For f*ck sake.” Connor sent a quick sneer at them before cast a quick finite at Harry who fell into a heap on the floor before turning on Ron. “You cast a spell on a person you don’t know how to reverse?”
Harry ran past the pair shouting for Hermione. Connor would have joined him if he wasn’t so aggravated by the ginger’s audacity for stupidity.
“I would have figured it out!” Ron shouted back.
“Really? After how long?” Connor was brimming with pent up rage. His voice growing louder with each word. “f*cking hell Weasley. You’re lucky it was a first year levitation spell. What if you’d transfigured him into something like… oh I don’t f*cking know… a ferret!” Something flickered in his mind but he couldn’t pin it down in that exact moment.
“Piss off, Matthews.” Connor immediately realised his error in using Ron’s surname. The laughter from the Slytherins grew louder. “You think because you’re both top of the class you’re better than everyone else? You’re just like her!”
“What is that supposed to mean?” He spat as he stalked towards Ron. He hoped beyond hope that Ron wasn’t inferring what he thought he was.
“Connor! Ron!” Harry came running back. He bent at his waist gripping his knees as he panted. “I can’t find her.”
“She can’t have gone far.” Ron said quickly. Suddenly he cared?
“I went far!” Harry gasped out between breaths.
Connor damned himself for his inability to cast a corporal patronus. He could tell her to come back. Except he couldn’t even if he could cast it because that was an advanced spell that sometimes took years to master.
“Well where would she go?” Connor asked with great annoyance at how the evening had panned out.
“The library?” Ron suggested looking sheepish.
“To cry?” Connor retorted, his annoyance growing rapidly.
“I don’t know where else she goes.” Ron shrugged.
“We’ve lived with her for six weeks. How can we not know anything?” Connor threw his hands up in the air as he paced away from Harry and Ron.
“Well where do you go to cry?” Ron shot at him.
“I don’t cry.” Connor shouted hoping the slight waver in his voice at the lie wasn’t obvious.
His eyes fell back on the Slytherins where his younger self was mimicking Harry’s airborne flailing. He wanted to stalk over there and wipe his nasty smirk off his face.
“Actually… I might know where she is.” Harry spoke up before dashing away.
Connor ripped his eyes away from himself before catching up with Ron to follow behind Harry as best they could but f*ck the boy was fast. Ron complained loudly as Harry took the stairs two at a time. They came to halt outside the entrance to the astronomy tower.
Oh for f*ck sake.
“Here?” Ron wheezed out.
“She likes the stars.” Harry shrugged. “She was talking about astrology to Lavender the other day and how it’s baseless within science. Lav obviously wasn’t happy to hear that.”
“What’s science?” Ron asked tentatively. They didn’t have time for this. Connor barely had a grasp of the basics himself after nearly two months of private tutoring.
“That’s not the point.” Harry groaned. “The point is that she said she comes here sometimes to watch the stars. Said they help her feel grounded or something.”
“You couldn’t have said that in the courtyard?” Ron said, still gasping much to Connor’s shock. “You know… before you legged it up the entirety of the castles stairs.”
“You might not have come” Harry pointed a slim finger at Ron. “And you’re the one that needs to apologise.”
Ron swallowed his nerve down before nodding slightly. “I suppose.” Connor thumped him hard on the shoulder which was met by annoyed protests.
Harry slowly pushed open the door to the observation deck. Immediately they could hear gentle sniffling. “Hermione?” Harry called out softly.
The sniffing stopped. “Go away, Harry.”
The three boys moved through the doorway. Connor spotted Hermione sat on the edge of the platform with her legs dangling in the air. This was surprising given her newfound aversion to heights. His mind swam with images of that night as he looked around the open space.
Not the point.
Breathe.
“Ron has something to say.” Harry started. Connor heard a slight intake of breath come from where Ron stood.
“Hermione.” Ron started carefully. “I… I’m sorry I said what I said. It was stupid. I didn’t mean it.”
“It doesn’t matter.” She said quietly. “You were right.”
Connor shared confused looks between the other two boys. “What do you mean?”
She pushed her hair over one shoulder to meet their eyes. “I am a nightmare. You were right.”
“Hermione…” Harry tried to start but she cut him off by shuffling back a few feet before standing.
“I never had friends in primary school. I was too bookish. Too weird.” Hermione walked over to them, quickly wiping her face with her sleeve. “I don’t blame you. We don’t have to be friends. It can just be water under the bridge.” She made to walk around them.
“Hermione wait!” Harry called out.
“No it’s okay. Really.” She said quietly, not meeting any of their eyes. “I’ll see you round.”
She was gone before any of them could process what she’d said.
“Oh no…” Ron said slowly.
“What just happened?” Harry asked, his voice almost a whisper.
“Short answer.” Connor started. “You f*cked up.” He spat glaring at Ron.
“ME?” Ron shouted back. “What exactly did you do to fix it? Nothing!”
Connor snarled. It felt all too familiar which unsettled him. A plethora of nasty insults hit the tip of his tongue. Way too familiar.
“Stop. Stop it.” Harry moved between them both, blocking them with his body. “We were all wrong.”
Ron backed away from them. “Bloody hell.” He muttered under his breath.
Harry looked up at Connor through his too big glasses. “You swear a lot.”
Connor sneered slightly before turning away from the pair. What did it matter if he swore? It was outlet. That or his fists would swing.
His feet carried him towards the common room. Maybe she’d be there, and he could… what? She’d seemed to lump him in with Ron’s f*ck up. Would she even want to speak to anyone? No. She wouldn’t.
“My father says something is starting.” A very familiar drawling voice spoke down the hallway. Connor quickly ducked behind a suit of armour, eager to avoid a repeat of their last encounter.
“You don’t think he is coming back?” Blaise he thought. Connor wasn’t sure anymore since the Slytherins voices were so much lighter than they’d been since he’d last spoken to them.
“Shut up.” Draco spat. “Do you want the whole castle to hear you?”
Their footsteps approached quickly. He could count at least four sets.
“But if it does…” Pansy maybe? Or Daphne? “Then what would that mean for us? We just started school… he wouldn’t expect us to join our fathers right?” Pansy then. Daphne’s father wasn’t a Death Eater. One of the few who’d managed to remain neutral in fact.
“Would that be so bad?” Draco drawled. “We could do something about the sorry state of this school. Maybe purge it of it’s filth.” He was met by silence as Connor processed what he was hearing. He shouldn’t be surprised by it but after everything he’d been through… everything he’d done. It was revolting how much of game he had thought it all was.
“We won’t have to wait long anyway.” Draco said. “There are whispers it’s happening soon.” Oh f*ck. f*ck f*ck f*ck.
“Soon?” Theo. He was certain as the group had come into his eyeline. He sounded almost… scared.
“I heard my father talking about a plot…” Draco trailed off as the group rounded the corner and Connor bolted in the opposite direction.
He sprinted at full pelt through the halls to Dumbledore’s office, ignoring shouts from prefects calling for him to slow down. He had to get there. He had to warn him. f*ck not knowing about the future.
As he reached the gargoyle statue he realised he didn’t know the password. He paced in front of the gargoyle as he listed off every sweet treat he could think of. Magical and muggle. Eventually the gargoyle responded to peach rings. He took the stairs two at a time despite his now shorter legs making it harder than before. He burst through the door unceremoniously, slamming it against the wall.
Dumbledore was stood in front of a case of artifacts. “Good evening, Mr Matthews.” He spoke slowly with his characteristic glint of humour. “What do I owe the pleasure of your company?”
“He’s coming back!” Connor shouted though Dumbledore didn’t react to the outburst.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific, Mr Matthews.” He smiled like he had no troubles in the world. “There are many he’s after all.”
Connor gathered himself before uttering the name he’d refused to even think about for two months. “The Dark Lord.”
Dumbledore’s eyes flashed. “You-know-who you mean?”
Connor realised Dumbledore was right. Only his followers referred to him at that title. Connor nodded as he took a heavy breath.
“It is expected he will. After all you’ve come from a time of war.” Dumbledore moved to his desk where he took hold of a small dish of yellow sweets. “Lemon drop?” Connor shook his head as Dumbledore popped one in his mouth. “What exactly had you so upset that you burst in here as you did?”
“There’s a plot!” Connor was shouting again. “He’s going to get the-”
“The philosophers stone?” Connor nodded with a gulp. “I assure you, the stone is well protected.”
“But sir-”
Dumbledore rose his hand to silence him. “We agreed when you arrived that we would not discuss the future.”
Anger flashed through Connor. “You don’t understand!”
“What will come to pass, must do so without interference.” He said simply.
“Then why the f*ck am I here?” He was surprised the volume of his voice hadn’t shattered the windows. “What’s the point of all this if I can’t change things?”
“If you change things that have happened in your lifetime then you will cease to exist.”
Connor pondered that for a moment before saying quietly, “Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.”
“And why is that?” The old wizard appraised him through his half-moon glasses.
“If I can stop bad things happening then maybe it’s worth not existing.”
“Dark thoughts for someone so young.” Dumbledore mused.
“Am I though? Technically I’m eighteen.” He’d figured out the day he would have turned eighteen and celebrated privately. It was strange situation.
“You’ve lived eighteen years yes, but do you feel eighteen? Does your emotional regulation match that of someone in their elder teens? Or of an eleven year old?” It was true that Connor had trouble controlling his emotions now but he’d thought it was more due to the trauma. It was usually the trauma that triggered if after all.
“That… that’s not the point. Sir, please. You have to at least know even if we can’t change it.” He was begging. He really had changed. Draco would never beg.
“However you feel about your circ*mstances, it has never been your job to turn the tides of this war.” Dumbledore spoke in a tone that brokered no argument. “You were a child when you came back and you are still a child now. You do not bare that responsibility.” The f*cking audacity of what he was saying nearly sent Connor over the edge. How many kids in this school would enlist themselves in a war before they were of age? What of Harry? “Whatever comes to pass, must. Remember that Connor. Do so to save yourself from the burden of grief.”
“Grief? I can’t exactly avoid grief.” Connor laughed incredulously. “I see people every day who will die. I’ve MADE FRIENDS with people WHO WILL DIE.”
“I’m not referring to grief after death, but rather the grief that comes with living a life that is burdened by the choices we make.” Dumbledore said knowingly.
He needed to leave. He couldn’t stomach listening to this nonsense any longer. Dumbledore won’t hear him out. He won’t let Connor change anything. It was bullsh*t. He turned on his heal and went for the door.
“Mr Matthews.” Against his better judgement, he stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “I have heard you-”
“But you’re choosing to ignore me.” Connor glanced over his shoulder at the headmaster who’s signature amused glint was replaced with… shame? He didn’t care. He turned back and stalked from the office.
Hermione wasn’t in the common room when he returned which hadn’t surprised him. Either she’d have found another hiding place or retreated to her dorm. Connor had settled himself in armchair with a book though he stared into the flames more than he read the words on the page.
He couldn’t get the conversation with Dumbledore out of his head. How could he not want to know when The Dark Lord- when you-know-who would return. Even if he couldn’t stop it he could make plans. Set up initiatives to protect muggles and muggleborns. Get the aurors in. Anything. He could do anything.
Connor was tired. He was so tired of trying to not feel the heavy guilt at what they’d go through, sometimes at his hands. Annoyingly Dumbledore was right. If he changed anything, he’d cease to exist. But would that be so bad? Would anyone care? No because they wouldn’t know otherwise. But what if he could make a difference in this timeline and by changing things, by ceasing to exist, could things be worse. Surely not.
Harry and Ron barrelled through the portrait hole looking flummoxed.
“A dog. A three headed dog Harry.”
“I know I saw it-”
The pair paused as they noticed Connor for the first time.
“What did you just say?” He drawled carefully.
“Nothing.” Ron said quickly.
He should forget it. He really should.
He stood slowly, placing his book on the table. “Didn’t sound like nothing. It sounded like you said you’d seen a three headed dog.” Each word was punctuated, emphasizing his current distaste for bullsh*t.
“WHAT?” Hermiones voice rang out shrill behind them. Connor spun on the spot. An unfamiliar feeling of concern flashed through him as he spotted the girl he’d been hoping to see for hours after she ran away from them crying.
“Bloody hell.” Ron muttered. “How many more people are going to find out?”
“You saw a Cerberus?” She ran towards the pair of wizards who were still stood stupidly in front of the portrait hole. “You actually saw a Cerberus?”
“Yes.”
“HARRY!”
“What? They know now, maybe they can help?” Harry muttered to Ron. “And they’re smarter than us.” Harry tried and failed to whisper low enough to not be heard by Connor.
Hermione balked slightly. “You want my help?”
Harry nodded with a shy smile. “Hermione really, we’re sorry about earlier.” He nudged a hard elbow into Ron’s side which was responded with a grumbled sorry. Harry rolled his eyes at his pathetic apology. “Really. We didn’t know you felt like that.”
Hermione shuffled on the spot, looking like she’d rather bolt back to her dorm than hear the apology. Before she could, Connor came up behind her, gripping her upper arm lightly and pulled her in a tight hug. Hugging Hermione Granger was one of the strangest parts of his new life. Not that it happened often. But he felt she needed it right now. He was proven right as she melted slightly in his arms, the tension of hours of crying falling away from her as she nodded against his chest. Even at eleven, she was a lot shorter than him.
Hermione pulled away. “Okay.” She wiped her face with her sleeve as she turned to Harry. “You saw a three headed dog… in Hogwarts?” Connor was surprised with how quickly she let go the issue given she could apparently hold an impressive grudge in her later years.
“On the third floor.”
“What were you doing on the third floor? It’s forbidden!” Hermione was beside herself and Connor had to fight the grin spreading across his face at her admonishment.
“We were trying to get away from Malfoy and his cronies.” Oh. That wiped his grin clean off his face. They didn’t appear injured…
“Anyway. We ended up on the third floor and thought we could cut through except the door we went through had a big bloody beast inside!” Ron was animatedly describing their encounter with hand gestures that made the rest of them take a step back.
“But what would something like that be doing in a school?” Hermione gasped out.
Connor’s mind flashed back to his conversation with Dumbledore.
“The stone is well protected.”
That had to be it!
The dog was guarding the stone.
There must be other protections beside the dog but what? Connor thought back to everything he knew about the stone but came up blank apart from the fact that it had belonged to Nicolas Flamel. Maybe he could get Harry to investigate it somehow. But how could he bring up the stone or Flamel without raising suspicion?
“We should ask Hagrid.” Ron said quickly.
“Why Hagrid?” Hermione asked curiously.
“He’s always muttering about magical creatures. Said he wants a dragon.” Ron said with a slight shudder. “Mental that is. My brother Charlie works with them in Romania and they’re bloody scary. He’s only been there a few months and already has scars.”
“Well we can’t go now. It’s past curfew.” Hermione said firmly in a voice that would make her a great prefect in a few years time. Harry and Ron shared a look that told Connor that they’d often flaunt the curfew rule. Hermione huffed as she picked this up too. “Honestly boys. Go to bed. We’ll speak to Hagrid tomorrow after classes.” With that she turned and made her way back up the stairs to the girls dorms.
“She really doesn’t help herself does she?” Ron whispered which was met with Harry’s fist connecting with his shoulder.
“You want her to hear you again?” Harry chastised. “We only just got her to speak to us again and I’m not sure how exactly that had happened.”
Neither was Connor in all honestly but he was too lost in his plotting to worry about it. He had to figure out a way to tell Harry about the stone. If Dumbledore wouldn’t hear him out then maybe he could influence things himself.
16th October 1991
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Connor left their last lesson of the day and immediately ran to Hagrid’s hut. The oversized yet small dwelling was surrounded by a healthy pumpkin patch, ready for the Halloween feast in a few weeks time. Connor couldn’t help but feel excited at the prospect even though his mind was screaming at him to remember something. It was there… just not quite.
Shaking off the thought the foursome knocked loudly on the large wooden door. “One minute!” Hagrid called out from behind the door. Inside they could hear metal clanging loudly as Hagrid protested. The four of them shared looks of equal parts confusion and curiosity at what could be happening inside until the door swung open.
The giant man glanced around until he looked to his feet where they were all gathered. His eyes lit up as a wide smile spread underneath his wiry beard.
“’arry! ‘ermione! Ron! Connor! What yer doin’ ‘ere?” His heavy Scottish accent was still tricky for Connor to understand which was surprisingly annoying since he’d already known the man for so long.
“We wanted to ask you about… three headed dogs.” Harry almost whispered the last words which had Hagrid’s smile falling from his face. He glanced around them again before ushering them inside and to take a seat around the large fire.
Hagrid shoved at them a plate of large… scones? Connor couldn’t tell but Harry and Ron both looked mildly uncomfortable at their appearance. He fumbled nervously with a large teapot and five cups before taking a seat opposite them.
“What’s this abou’ then?” Hagrid spoke slowly.
Before Connor could attempt to control the conversation Harry flew into a whirlwind explanation. “Ron and I found a three headed dog in Hogwarts on the third floor. Sorry we know it’s forbidden.” He said more to Hermione’s horrified expression than anything else. “We thought you’d know about it since you said you wanted a dragon.”
Hagrid stared at Harry for a long time before looking to Ron, then Hermione, then Connor. Discomfort flooded through him as he reached for one of the… cakes? He really couldn’t tell. One bite made him regret trying to answer the question as his teeth nearly broke.
“I shoulda never told yers about that.” He muttered under his breath.
“Hagrid.” Hermione spoke in a matter of fact voice that made the hairs on the back of Connors neck stand up slightly. “Why would a Cerberus be in Hogwarts? It makes no sense to have something like that around kids!”
“Yer askin questions yer shouldn’.” Hagrid said sounding annoyed. “It’s dangerous. Yer shouldn’t be concernin’ yerselves with what Fluffy’s guardin’ and-”
“Fluffy?”
“Guarding?”
Connor piped up with great amusem*nt at Hagrid’s slip up. He could use this.
Hagrid looked between the kids sat before him before cursing himself. “Yeah Fluffy. He’s mine. Leant him to Dumbledore.”
“You said he’s guarding something?” Connor said eagerly.
“That’s top secret. That is.”
“Top secret?” He asked innocently.
“Yeah.” Hagrid nodded looking self-assured for the first time since Harry said the words ‘three headed dog’. “Yer forget abou’ the dog. What it’s guardin’ is between Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel-”
YES.
“Nicholas Flamel?” Hermione nearly screeched.
YES GRANGER! GET THAT BRAIN INTO ACTION!
Hagrid looked like he was about to lose his mind with himself. “OUT! Nice seein’ yers but curfew will be soon.”
“But it’s only six o’clock!” Ron protested as Hagrid barrelled the kids out of the front door.
“Exactly! Best be off now.” With that the door slammed shut and the kids looked at each other with equal part bafflement and equal parts glee. Connor couldn’t believe his luck. He honestly hadn’t expected to get anything of worth out of the groundskeeper but the man was apparently a bigger fool than he’d ever realised.
“Have you ever heard that name?” Hermione asked the boys quietly as they made their way back to the castle. The three of them shook their heads. Connor tried to replicate the befuddled looks that Harry and Ron had to try to sell the lie as best he could. He had no plausible way to explain how he knew about Flamel so he’d have to be careful to plant seeds along Hermione’s path. She was smart enough to figure this out.
31st October 1991
They’d found nothing on Flamel or the stone. It had been over two weeks since Hagrid had slipped up and they’d made no progress whatsoever. Connor tried not to feel bitter but he and Hermione had been trawling the Hogwarts library for weeks for even the smallest mention of the ancient wizard but it seemed the topic was a knowledge black hole, which Burbage had taught him about the week before.
Years of education in astronomy could never have prepared him for the absolute awe he’d felt when he learnt about black holes, supernovas, and how stars were born. It was one thing to study their patterns but another to learn about their origins and deaths. Connor couldn’t comprehend how a seemingly random process could produce the artworks in the sky he was so familiar with. Since then, he’d found himself on the top of the astronomy tower more than once gazing up at the sky with a newfound curiosity.
Professor Burbage had leant him her copy of a muggle textbook about space which is where Connor had found his attention on Halloween curled up in his favourite armchair in the Gryffindor common room. How strange it was that he had a favourite chair in Gryffindor. Three months ago he’d have scoffed at the very idea of stepping foot in the tower but now he couldn’t imagine reading anywhere else. The library was a close second but that was best for academic study. It was harder to hide muggle texts there especially as his younger self prowled the stacks. If he’d found him reading that stuff, things would be worse than when his skull had been cracked by Crabbe.
“I don’t know why you bother with stuff like that.” Ron scoffed. Exactly.
“It’s interesting.” Connor shrugged at the boy who was eyeing his book with a hint of suspicion.
“Sure. But isn’t normal astronomy enough?” Ron peered an eye over the book which was turned to a page about the moon landings. “Hmm. What would happen if a werewolf went to the moon?”
“That’s a bit out of pocket don’t you think?” Connor tried to sound incredulous but was too humoured by the ridiculousness of the question.
“Yeah but if a werewolf was flying around the moon and spied a full moon even if it’s not a full moon on earth… would they transform?”
Connor had to admit that was a very valid question though he doubted a werewolf would ever willingly travel into space to find out. In that moment, Harry and Dean came barrelling down the stairs from the dorms.
“Come on! The feast is starting soon.” Dean chirped happily. Connor knew what to expect but the older years had been spreading rumours about the feast to the first years. About the decorations and food. Dean, Neville and Harry had all been buzzing for days about it. “The others are meeting us down there.”
Together, Connor, Ron, Harry, and Dean made their way down the great hall which was already full of chattering students. The effect of the hall was not lost on Connor the second time seeing it. The ceiling had been charmed to mimic a lightning storm. Bats flew around everyone’s heads and the orange and black hangings which replaced the regular house banners. The tables were littered with pumpkins from Hagrid’s patch. Some pumpkins floated overhead carved with faces and lit with candles from within. Others were filled to the brim with sweets.
The boys made their way over the Gryffindor table were Neville was waving them over excitedly.
“Isn’t it amazing!” He gasped out while trembling slightly.
Connor took a seat between Hermione and Dean who were happily helping themselves to pumpkin juice dotted around in large pitchers. The contents on the tables changed to platters of desserts including treacle tart, candied apples, pumpkin pie, carrot cake as well as platters of meats and cheeses. Connor immediately took up a healthy slice of treacle tart while Hermione beside him squealed at the sight of the carrot cake. Ron dug into a candied apple while Harry just looked wide eyed over the offerings before snatching up a slice of pumpkin pie.
Peeves shot up through the table cackling to himself as the first years screamed. He was quickly chased off by nearly headless nick who bowed his head at the girls as they giggled to each other.
Connor chatted happily to Dean about their latest success in potions that day. They’d been the only pair to successfully brew a forgetfulness potion much to Draco’s annoyance which just spurred Connor on. There was something deeply satisfying about annoying the snarky prat even if technically it was himself. He’d have to analyse that later on when his mental faculties weren’t equal to an eleven year old child.
“Connor?” Lavender called out from across the table but before he could answer a loud crash sounded throughout the hall followed by terrified screams.
Connor swivelled in his seat to a fully grown mountain troll burst through the doors of the great hall.
A blanket of magic covered the tables. When Connor glanced up at the head table he saw Dumbledore stood with his arms extended casting the powerful shielding charm without the use of a wand. He tried to move but found he was stuck firmly to the seat.
The troll swung its huge club over the Hufflepuff table. When he thought it would crush the students underneath, it bounced off the shield and hit the troll on the head. The troll roared with rage at the impact, making the Hufflepuffs and nearby Ravenclaws cry out in terror.
All the other teachers flew forward, firing spell after spell at the troll, trying to take it down. McGonagall and Flitwick bolted down the aisle between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, Sprout and Trelawney ran towards Slytherin while Hooch and Burbage ran towards Gryffindor.
Backing away from McGonagall’s and Flitwick’s assault, the troll moved around the Hufflepuff table to the Gryffindor table. It stopped as it reached the first years and swung. Before he could process what he was doing Connor flung himself onto Hermione, who was directly under the path of the club. The shield held out but Connor gripped his wand to silently cast a strong protego around them which helped repel a second hit.
Hermione was shaking under him as he buried his head into her hair, keeping one eye on the troll. Burbage appeared in his sightline. She was duelling the troll with Madam Hooch like trained soldiers. Every spell, every dodge, every shield was perfectly placed. The troll swung low towards them again and he gripped Hermione harder, covering his eyes with her hair as the first years screamed around them.
He heard the troll cry out before falling to a heap on the floor at their feet. Connor looked up to the see the troll unconscious on the floor with Professor Burbage standing over it with a smoking wand. Automatically his eyes fell to the Slytherin table where he saw himself looking straight at him with a disappointed expression.
Well that explain why I can’t remember a f*cking troll.
Disgust flood through him at the expression on his younger self but it was shortly interrupted by Burbage gripping his and Hermiones shoulders.
“Are you both alright?” She asked in her usual kind. All evidence of the stone-faced soldier from earlier gone. They both nodded to her. She looked over the rest of the first years with the same question before moving off to a group of Hufflepuffs nearby who were in hysterics.
The spell sticking them to the tables released them as Dumbledore called out to the prefects to lead everyone back to the common rooms where the feast would continue in safety. He steadily came to his feet beside it, helping Hermione out of her seat. Parvati was blocked into her seat by the trolls huge body so he reached over and lifted her out her seat and onto the floor. They made their way out the hall in shocked silence. Connor didn’t realise he had Hermione’s hand gripped in his own until Harry grabbed them both and led them away from the retreating Gryffindors.
“What are you doing?” Connor whispered harshly.
“Snape left.”
What?
“Snape?” Hermione gasped. “What do you mean he left?”
“Before the troll came around to us, he ran out a side door.”
That was weird, even Connor had to admit.
“He had to have gone after whatever Fluffy is hiding.” Ron said urgently.
“That’s ridiculous.” Connor said before he thought about it. Three pairs of eyes fell on him with equal looks of confusion. He had to save himself. “What would Snape want with something that Dumbledore is hiding?”
“I don’t know but he shouldn’t have left like that.” Harry wasn’t going to let this go easily. “Not when students were being attacked. He’s up to something, I know it.”
“Harry.” Hermione said with a tone that was full of exhaustion.
“No Hermione!” He whispered loud enough that it rang through the walls. “I know you’re not suspicious of him like me and Ron are but we haven’t found anything on Flamel and now a troll have attacked.” Connor tried not to sneer at Harry’s use of we since Harry and Ron had done precisely nothing but conspire while he and Hermione had trawled the library.
“Harry stop. Listen to me.” Hermione’s voice gave way to no argument. “How could a mountain troll get into Hogwarts and into the great hall?”
Harry and Ron stared at her like their brains weren’t working. Connor just felt relived she was figuring it out.
“Someone let it in.” She said.
“SNAPE!” Harry threw his hands in the air.
“No Harry, Snape was in the hall all evening until the troll got there.” Harry turned back to her looking slightly downtrodden. “Who else wasn’t there?”
Harry and Ron just stared at her. She huffed annoyed at them.
“Professor Quirrell.”
“Yes?” The four jumped out of their skins at the sound of their defence teacher behind them. He was looking at Harry in a way that disturbed Connor. The man was involved in the plot, he just didn’t know how. “Shou- should you kid- kids not be- in you- your common roo- room?”
“Sorry Professor.” They all said quietly before trying to move around him.
“Not soo- so fast.” Quirrell smirked, eyes never leaving Harry.
“Quirrell.” Snapes characteristic drawl sounded out down the corridor. Connor couldn’t help the relief that flooded him which was not mirrored on the rest of their faces. “Terrorising children are we?”
“Now- now Sev- Sever- Severus.” Quirrell moved to the side which allowed Connor to see Snape. He was limping slightly and his trouser leg was torn. So he had gone to Fluffy.
“Children.” Snape drawled. “Away now.” His black eyes fell on Connor. “To your common room.”
Without hesitation, the four Gryffindors ran past the pair of professors back to the tower. Inside the common room had been spaced out with tables full of treats from the great hall. Small groups of students stood chatting to each other about the troll. Some were distraught while others were excited.
Hermione broke free from the three boys but Harry caught her arm. “Wait! We need to talk about Quirrell and Snape.”
“No Harry.” She shook her head. “I don’t know if it escaped your noticed but I nearly got crushed by a troll tonight. I’m going to bed.”
She turned away from them without another word and disappeared up the stairs. Harry turned hopefully to Connor who just shrugged and followed Hermione to the dorms. Once at his bed he drew the curtains and cast his usual silencing charms. He occluded with the sole purpose of trawling through his early memories of Quirrell. He was involved but he just didn’t know how. He’d have to keep an eye on the stuttering professor.
