FicWad

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the almost empty corridor.

If anybody was looking they would have seen a slim teenage boy, raven colored hair brushed over his forehead.

His fists were clenched, his posture stiff.

But nobody was looking, most likely everybody though he was safe in his bed.

At the end of the corridor he suddenly turned around.

After walking a few feet he turned again. His emerald eyes sparkled with rage and a touch of unease.

A door appeared right as Harry walked past it. He wrenched the door open, and without looking to see if anybody had seen, he walked through it.

The room Harry had entered was called The Room of Requirement, It's purpose, to fill anybody's requirements of course. Right now all Harry wanted to do was get away from everybody and most prominently, Snape.

Harry shook with rage at the very thought of the Potions master.

The memory he had just viewed gave him mixed emotions.

It seemed that Snape had been submitted to just as much embarrassment as Harry had. Was James really as mean and arrogant as Snape had always said?

After seeing the memory in Snape's pensive Harry found it hard ignore. Harry found he didn't like what he had seen of his father.

How could his mother marry someone that embarrassed somebody just because his friend said he was bored?

And what was Sirius doing! Why didn't he stop James? At least Remus should have said something! He was supposed to be the perfect prefect.

Everything Harry had thought his father was seemed to crash around him, leaving Harry feeling unsure of himself. Sirius had said so many times that Harry was just like his father. But know...Harry wasn't sure he wanted to be like his father.

After trying so hard to be like his parents, asking...begging people to tell him more about them just to find out this.

A cold chill ran down Harry's skin, and it drew Harry to the fireplace, one quick flick of his wand later and he had himself a nice fire. Harry sat in the only chair, wishing he had some hot coco.

The coco appeared right beside Harry, it even had the little marshmallows that he secretly loved.

A faint pounding started in Harry's head, taking his glasses of Harry rubbed at his eyes. Occlumency lessons with Snape had gone horribly. In fact, this was the worst lesson Harry had ever had.

It is your fault though, if only you hadn't given in to your cursed curiosity!

Harry sometimes found it disturbing that his conscious sounded like Hermione.

Oh crap! What was Hermione going to say when she found out?

Ron would understand, Hermione though...not so much.

Harry could already hear her reprimanding him. He would never hear the end of it.

Dumbledore would be worse then Hermione, Harry could see him now sitting in his high backed chair and staring at Harry with deeply disappointed blue eyes.

Harry shifted in his seat. Maybe if Dumbledore had told him what he was planning...told him anything, maybe he would have not felt the urgent need to look in the pensive.

But how would you like it if somebody viewed your private thoughts?

Please, this is Snape were talking about!

You think that he's so far from human that he doesn't have feelings?

Wait, don't answer that.

Harry suddenly felt uncomfortable. He was being put on the spot by his own conscious! Harry sat back hard and ran a hand through his hair.

"Gosh, I'm pathetic!"

The outburst sounded loud in the silent room...and the unexpected reply sounded even louder.

"I agree."

Harry jumped out of the chair and spun around to where the gravely voice had came from, upsetting the side table as he did so. Harry couldn't believe his eyes as he held his wand over the intruder.

"I hope your face doesn't get stuck like that or we'll never get married."

Harry snapped his mouth shut, only wondering for a second what the married comment meant. Standing right in front of Harry was a slim, tall replica of...himself.

He looked like an older version of Harry. The only things different were the height, clothes, missing glasses and the way he held himself.

The replica's hair was brushed over his forehead to hide the lightening bolt scar, hand's in his blue jean jacket, old green eyes, unshaven tired face.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Harry was sure this was a death eater trick.

The replica stepped forward and Harry raised his wand threateningly.

"I'm you, and to answer your second question....I need you to lower your wand first."

Harry snorted loudly a grim grin coming over his features.

"You think I'm stupid enough to do that?"

The man's green eyes narrowed to slits.

"You were stupid enough to look in the pensive. Yes, I know about that so pick your jaw up of the floor and listen to me, I..."

Before he could say a thing further Harry had jumped forward and poked his wand into the man's chest, right above his heart.

"No, you listen to me! I want to know who you really are, why you're here, and how you got here!"

Quicker then anything Harry had ever seen the man grabbed his arm and flipped Harry over his back!

While Harry lay on the floor the man snatched Harry's wand up, gathered the front of Harry's robes in one fist and pulled the stumbling teen over to the chair he had been sitting in so peacefully before.

Roughly the man pushed Harry into the chair.

As Harry tried to get out of the chair, the man slapped him!

Harry gasped, for the pure force behind the slap made Harry's face sting something horrible.

The man was panting slightly as he lowered himself to Harry's eye level, grabbed Harry's chin, and stared into his eyes. The man's eyes were deadly.

"Your in no position to make demands, you will listen or I'll make you, which one is it going to be?"

The man didn't need an answer, he straightened up and rubbed his left arm with his right making a pained face as he did so.

Harry was scared, who was this man and what did he want? Was he a kidnapper? One of Voldemort's minions?

If he screamed nobody would hear... his breath was coming faster now.

"What do you want me to tell you so you'll believe me when I say that I am you?"

Harry stared at the man incredulously. One second he was slapping him and now he wanted to be friendly?

The man sighed when he caught the look.

With a quick wave of Harry's wand, (Why doesn't he have his own wand?)A plain wooden chair appeared and the man sat in it.Leaning back in the chair he closed his eyes. Harry briefly thought of trying to get away.

"Move and suffer my wrath."

Well there goes that idea.

"Let's see...something only I would know." the man muttered to himself.

He stood a few second later and pulled the chair closer to Harry.

"In second year Hermione stole the ingredients to make the Polyjuice potion while me and Ron created a diversion. When you told Sirius that you wanted to live with him was mainly because of the Dursleys. You like Ginny but don't want to say anything because you think that Ron won't approve."

The man took a deep breath and then continued.

"You slept in a cupboard before the Hogwarts letter came and sometimes you miss it. You wanted to be a train driver, then a pianist, then a magician when you were younger. You used to do everything you could think of to make Petunia love you before you gave up. You used to wish that Professor Snape would learn how to like you. Now you think yourself stupid for once wishing that."

Harry's mouth had fallen open a long time ago, now it snapped shut.

"Is that enough for you?" The man...Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I...Why are you here?"

A short sigh. "We keep coming back to that don't we? I have come to change are future."

Once again Harry stared incredulously.

"What! What's so wrong with my future that you had to come back and change it?"

The older Potter ran a hand through his messy locks just like Harry had a while ago. He seemed like he was trying to figure out what to say.

"Some terrible things happen in your future...I came back to try and stop them from happening."

"Like what?" Harry challenged. He was still having a hard time believing that this man was his future self.

The man stared at Harry until Harry felt uncomfortable, then said.

"I can't tell you how they happen but," he took a deep breath, "people you love die...your wife dies in your arms and you...turn bitter... you lose your friends because they either die or just can't stand to be around you anymore. Your children are killed before your eyes...and when somebody comes and asks you for forgiveness you throw him to the dogs."

He wasn't looking at Harry as he told of his fate.

"I...I woul...."

"Wouldn't do that?" The black haired man didn't look sympathetic.

"Oh, but you do. You turn your back on everybody you ever trusted and when they try to help...you tell them to leave and never come back and they do leave. Ron dies trying to protect you and Hermione can't stand the wizarding world anymore after that, so she leaves. There's no Dumbledore to run to now...no, he's been dead for years."

Harry was watching the man and wishing that he was bluffing, but the man was caught up in memories so terrible that he didn't even notice.

There was a desperation in his eyes that reminded Harry of Sirius before Harry had known he was innocent.

"Ginny...sweet... so sweet... and innocent as she lay in my arms...dying...I never got to say...goodbye." Harry saw the man swallow hard, and he watched dazedly as the man slowly slid down the wall, emotional agony written all over his face.

Harry himself felt numb. Ginny was going to die? In his arms no less.

How would Ron die? Who did he end up throwing to the dogs?

Harry sat down on the floor, he didn't even remember standing

up. To much information in so little time.

If any of this happened...Harry couldn't risk it happening, it would surely kill him. Harry didn't want to become bitter and mad at the world.

Harry took a deep, shaky breath. Looking over to the corner He saw his future self staring into space with a blank unemotional face. He didn't want that to be him one day.

"What...should I do?"

Slowly the man turned to look at Harry. After studying Harry for a moment, nodded to himself.

"This is going to sound crazy but....I need you to trust Severus Snape."

As Harry gaped he continued in a stern voice.

"You have to learn Occlumencey and Professor Snape is the best person to learn it from. I know he's tough,"

Harry snorted and the Older Harry glared at him and stressed the next word.

"but he really is the best there is besides Voldemort. So unless you want to be responsible for Sirius's death and many others I suggest you learn it."

Harry was shocked but he still managed to choke out,

"Sirius dies...because of me?"

The older Harry turned away without answering.

"If you play this game right you might still be able to live with him."

Harry was thinking this over when he felt his future self watching him.

Green eyes met green.

"Professor Snape's not very happy with me at the moment." Harry said carefully.

"I wonder why." The man returned dryly.

"What do I do?"

"That's for you to decide. Just remember to keep your temper and...Harry?"

Harry looked at his older self.

"Yes?"

"Severus Snape is a magnificent spy, but he hast to keep up a constant appearance that he hates you. So don't hate him for that, he's just doing his job."

Harry thought that over before nodding.

The older man suddenly shimmered and Harry stepped back in alarm.

After quickly checking his dirty watch, the grim faced man looked at Harry.

"I've got to go now, I'll see tomorrow same time same place. Don't forget to apologize to Snape, beg if you must, do whatever you have to as long as you get him to teach you Occlumency."

Before Harry could say anything his older self disappeared.

"Bye." Harry said to the empty room.