Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Beyond the Veil of Time	By : AuctorRubra Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 1297 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter
characters, locations, or creatures created by J.K. Rowling. There is an
original character that is mine, some fake spells and such, and, of course, the
plot is mine.

Begin Act I: There�s
No Time Like the Present

Chapter 1: Face of a Memory

September 8^th, 1995

Professor McGonagall hurried
through the corridors of Hogwarts with a tall, young witch close on her heels.
She glanced back at the familiar girl to see her nervously fidgeting with her
amber colored robes. The child had an interesting look about her with short, spiky
brown hair. Her eyes were like molten silver. It truly bothered Minerva that
this child was being called upon by the headmaster for service to the Order,
but it could not be helped. From what Albus had told her the girl was only
seventeen, but was fresh out of an academy in United States due to an early
graduation program. She should have stayed in America, away from the war, but
Minerva supposed no one could really hide from it in the end.

�Alice was it?� Minerva glanced
over her shoulder once more.

The girl bobbed her head in
reply. �Yes ma�am.�

Alice kept on an emotionless mask,
uncertain of the older witch�s involvement in things. Soon they came to the
gargoyle blocking the path to the headmaster�s office. Two men were waiting
there for them. One was dressed all in black and his face was frozen in a
scowl. The other looked tired and his robes were worn.

�Alice,� Professor McGonagall
said, turning to face her. �This is Severus Snape, our potions master, and
Remus Lupin. Gentlemen, this is Miss Alice Grandelshaw, the�pupil the
headmaster requested.�

With that, Professor McGonagall
marched back off in the direction from which they came. Alice spared her a
curious look and then turned back to smile at the two men. �Shall we?�

Once inside Dumbledore�s office, Alice
dropped all pretense of dignity and rushed into the old wizard�s arms. He
smiled down at her with a twinkle in his blue eyes. �How are your mother and
father, Alice?�

�Well, thank you. Mother sends
you her love, Albus.� Alice pulled away and sat down in a wing-backed chair.
A wicked grin spread across her lips. �Now, do you actually need me as a body
guard, or was that just a little joke to get me to step foot in the godforsaken
country?�

�Down to business, eh?�
Dumbledore sat and folded his hands in his lap. �Yes, Alice, I do need you to
help me protect someone. You�re going to have to pose as a student to do so.�

Alice�s eyebrows disappeared
beneath her spiky bangs. �Student? Yes�well�are you sure I won�t be too
much�trouble?�

Dumbledore chuckled at the girl�s
stammering. She had always been wonderful in her studies, but she was also
known for misbehavior. Graduation had matured her and he had happily helped
her get a job as an auror in the U.S., but now he needed her here. He was
delighted that she had come overseas, even if he would need to deal with her mischievous
side. �Oh, I imagine you might shake things up a bit.�

The girl simply smiled. �The
boys� heads don�t turn that easily in England. I�ve visited before.�

�You were only seven.�

�I was still cute.� Alice laughed
at her godfather�s expression. No one who loved her ever wanted her to grow
up. �Mom thinks that coming here is going to save me from all those �drooling
American blokes�. You Brits sure are strange.�

�I see, dear. Lemon drop,� he
asked, holding out the candy dish. �Your mother is still having a difficult
time with your dating?�

�Ha! As if dad would even let me
date.� Alice eyed him suspiciously at that point. �I have always wondered if
they had some sort of bizarre arranged marriage waiting for me here. Have I
walked into a trap?�

�Of course not, dear,� Dumbledore said
with a knowing smile. �I know that your special condition would prevent such
things.�

�Thank goodness!� Alice released
a sincere sigh of relief. �For a moment I thought my godfather had gone
traitor on me. I love you, uncle Albie, but British men are far too uptight.
My pops is a perfect example.�

Dumbledore coughed politely.
�Remember we�re not alone, Alice.�

Alice�s face flushed crimson and a
sheepish smile twitched on her lips as she turned to apologize to the other men
in the room. It was hard to squeak the words out, what with one of them being
the very example of the prudish perfection she had come to expect from British
men. �Very sorry about that. Tongue got away from me.�

Remus looked at Dumbledore with a
confused expression. �Uncle Albie?�

�It�s only an endearment, Remus,�
the old wizard said. �She�s my godchild, but we are not related in any way.�

�The girl obviously has yet to
meet Potter or Black if this is how she thinks of us�Brits,� Snape said with a
sneer, biting out the final word.

Alice quirked a brow at him. �Who,
sir?�

�Professor Snape is referring to
the boy you will be protecting and his godfather. Both have a penchant for
mischief, much like yourself.� Dumbledore was granted with a slight blush at
that statement. �Mr. Harry Potter is a fine you man, but he needs someone with
a good head to keep an eye on him. I would like to keep your true reasons for
being here a secret for as long as possible. Of course, young Harry keeps some
clever company, so I�m sure you�ll be discovered in the end.�

Alice was a little miffed by her godfather�s
lack of faith. �Really, Albus, I�m not a complete imbecile. It doesn�t matter
how young I seem, I am an auror and I will do my job.�

Dumbledore�s eyes continued to
twinkle. He knew the buttons to push to motivate this brave hearted, proud young
girl. He continued to instruct her. �You will be posing as a seventh year,
placing you two grades ahead of Harry. You will not be attending classes, but
rather hovering outside of Harry�s classrooms. Professor McGonagall will take
care of any suspicious seventh years who note your absence.�

�Wouldn�t it just be easier for me
to pose as a teacher�s assistant? Since I�m not to be taking any classes that
is.� Alice looked a bit relieved. She really hadn�t been looking forward to
sitting through lessons again.

Remus was the one who answered
her. �She has a point, Albus. If she was in some position of authority than
she would be able to move about the school freely.�

Alice nodded to the frail looking
man and turned back to face her godfather. �I like that idea. Would I get to
hex any naughty children I catch necking in the halls?�

�Necking?� This question came
from the dubious looking Professor Snape.

Alice turned to face him with a
bright smile. �Yes, necking. You know, lip sucking, tonsil hockey, spit
swapping�hmmmm�.I believe my mother calls it snogging, but really that sounds
like you�re swapping buggers or something so I�ll stick to American terms��

Snape gave her a withering look so
Alice stopped her line of thinking with a shrug. She looked over at the
other man who seemed to be fighting back a laugh and mouthed the word �uptight�,
only to make the poor guy snort. Snape�s body went rigid with fury and his
nostrils flared. All Alice did was wink at him.

�Are you finished, dear? It�s not
nice to pick on Severus.� Dumbledore smiled warmly at Alice as she brought her
full attention back to him. �I see your point though. Still, being a
teacher�s assistant would require you to be seen in classes or else certain
people would become suspicious.�

�Won�t they be suspicious anyway
if I�m not attending classes as a student?�

�If I may, headmaster,� Snape said
smoothly. �Perhaps we could give her the title of assistant grounds keeper
under the pretense of Mr. Filch needing the extra help. No one would think
twice about it, what with all the nonsense that�s bound to go on this year.�

Albus looked thoughtful for a
moment and then pulled out a quill and parchment and began to write. �Very
well, I believe that this is the perfect solution. Thank you, Severus. We�re
only a week into the term and Professor Umbridge has caused a bit of an upset
along with disagreements regarding Harry�s and my state of mind, so no one will
question your sudden appearance too thoroughly. I do hope you have some more appropriate
clothing along for the job.�

Alice looked down at her velvet
robes and wrinkled her nose. �Uncle Albie, you know very well that mother put
me in these dreadful things. I wouldn�t wear something this delicate.�

�I think you look rather fetching,
dear,� Albus said with a smile. �I hope you have something similar for the
Yule Ball.�

�Don�t make me gag, Albus. I�d
just be hovering in the shadows any way,� Alice said with a wry smile.

�All right, Alice. Now just take
this to Minerva, she should be back by now, and she will take you to your
quarters. There is an empty room right next to hers so you will be able to be
in Gryffindor tower. We will announce your arrival at the feast tonight.�
Albus held the parchment out to her and she bound out of her chair to take it.

�Righto, uncle Albie.� Alice
headed for the office door smiling demurely at Professor Snape as she walked
by.

�And Alice,� Dumbledore�s voice
called, stopping her retreat. �Do try and follow the rules, but if you must
bend or break them to save Harry�s life�well then you must.�

Alice turned back and gave all
three men a very grave look. �If I have to bend or break them to save ANY of
your students then I will, without hesitation.�

With that, the girl spun about and
marched out the door to go get settled in her new home. Professor Snape and
Remus turned back to the headmaster both with mild curiosity in their eyes.
Both men were probably thinking the same thing. This was not what they were
expecting. Dumbledore could not help but sigh and pray that all of this would
turn out in the end.

�Well, now that that�s settled I
think we should discuss how to help keep her out of trouble while she helps,
Harry,� Dumbledore said softly to his two ex-pupils.

�I imagine it will be difficult for
her to interact with the students as an adult. Especially when she still looks
like a student herself.� Remus moved to sit in front of the headmaster, still
smiling at how playful the girl had been, with Snape of all people.

Professor Snape chose to remain
standing with his arms crossed over his chest. �None of this is sitting well
with me, Albus. You know what will happen, and we still cannot be certain of
the outcome.�

�I�ve explained this to you,
Severus. What has happened will happen and there is little we can do but
follow the path that time gives us.� Dumbledore smiled sadly at the two younger
men.

�You could spare her. Actually,
you could spare us all,� Severus said coolly.

Remus frowned at the potions master.
�I agree with your sentiment to a degree, Severus, but we both know that little
can be done to change things.

�I�ll have to agree with Remus,
Severus,� Dumbledore said while offering each man a lemon drop. �I chose Alice
specifically because she is the best with for the job. I am afraid that none
of us has the proper knowledge to stop what will come. She will protect Harry
with her life if it comes to that.�

Severus sneered at the statement.
�Yes, but apparently he�s not the only one. I think our past experiences would
have taught you that she is too young for this. That special condition
of hers is a menace.�

�Alice has already lost several
friends and acquaintances since becoming an auror this summer. Life is not
something she plays with.� Dumbledore�s face became grave as he said this,
remembering the sadness the child had gone through. He was glad to see her
able to be joking again, but there was still a bit of sparkle that was lost
from her eyes.

�Yes, well we shall see what she
does.� Severus tried relaxed ever so slightly then. The girl was trustworthy,
he had to give her that. �I don�t really care as long as she doesn�t go around
hexing the Slytherins for fun.�

�Oh, yes well you don�t know this Alice
as well as you think.� Dumbledore locked eyes with Severus and they twinkled
bright with knowledge. �There is a good deal of Slytherin in her. You should
at least know that well enough.�

Severus only snorted and marched
out the door followed closely by Remus who needed to take his Wolfsbane potion
that night.

_________________________

Alice found herself trudging along
behind Professor McGonagall once again. They made their way to the grand
staircase and Alice smiled as she saw the stairs shift position from time to
time. It seemed like a very good joke to her, one to keep the students on
their toes. Anything sneaky had to be good�well, as long as it didn�t hurt
anyone that is. Alice could remember a joke she had played when she was very
young on a neighbor boy. The little wizard was playing in a sand box and he
didn�t want to let her join his game. She had thought, at the time, that it
would be quite interesting if the little brat couldn�t ever leave his sand box
and then sand began to dampen and swirl and the boy was being pulled down.
Luckily, she managed to hold his head above the sand long enough for his father
to come save him. It wasn�t her fault, no child has control over their magic
at that stage, and she had been rather put out by his rudeness. She supposed
that if it really had been one of her trickster mind�s earliest jokes that it
hadn�t been that funny in the end.

Alice was just about as sick as
sick could be of stairs when they finally reached a portrait of a pleasantly
round woman. Professor McGonagall gave the password and led the way into the
Gryffindor common room.

�Well, here we are, Miss Grandelshaw.�
McGonagall�s tone was curt and bristling.

Alice looked at the older witch in
surprise. �Ma�am, are we going to have a problem with each other, because I
promise that I won�t get in your way.�

�I do not feel that the headmaster
should be placing yet another child in the face of danger,� McGonagall said
quickly. Her face softened when she saw that Alice wrinkled her nose at the
word �child�. �My dear, you are still so young and I have outlived too many
promising young witches and wizards already. Do try and keep yourself out of
harms way.�

�I can�t promise that, ma�am,� Alice
said with a gentle smile. �I can promise that I won�t go looking for trouble.�

�That will be acceptable.� The
professor turned then to motion about the room decorated in warm hues of red
and gold. �The girls� dormitory is to the left, the boys� is on the right.
Normally they are unable to get into one another�s dorm but the wards will be
keyed to allow you into the boys� rooms without alerting anyone. This way you
will be able to get to Harry in the event of an emergency. When you�re looking
for Harry keep an eye open for Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. They are
his best friends and almost always with him.�

�Very good.� Alice looked down at
her amber velvet robes and frowned. �Are my things in my room? I imagine that
I should change into something more befitting my job before anyone sees me.�

�Yes, we�re lucky that no one was
in here to begin with. Your room is the first door up the staircase to the
right of the fireplace.� Professor McGonagall smiled then. �I assume you
remember how to get to the Great Hall. Change and then feel free to begin
mingling. With this small change of plans you�ll be sitting at the head table.
Tomorrow is Monday and you will begin at once.�

�Going to throw me to the wolves?�

Professor McGonagall gave a lighthearted
chuckle. �My dear, in this school it�s the snakes you need to worry about.�

The older witch headed out of the
common room at what seemed to be her customary march. Alice took another
moment to look about the room, her eyes resting on the blazing fire. She
wondered what her mother and father were up to and decided that she would have
to send them an owl after dinner that night. She hurried into her room then
and quickly located her trunk. Shedding her soft robes with a grateful look,
she donned dark green leather pants, a black T-shirt, and a leather vest to
match the pants. Next, she pulled a black leather duster jacket out of her
truck and tugged it on. Her wand still sat in the pocket of her amber robes
and she quickly retrieved it, feeling nearly naked without it somewhere on her
person.

Over the course of the summer, Alice
had learned to depend upon her wand as firmly as she depended upon food and
water. Part of her training had been to spend a two weeks in the wilderness
living off the land and defending herself from a multitude of random attacks.
She twirled the wand between her fingers for a moment. It was thirteen inches
of bendy willow, a dragon heartstring core, lacquered black with delicate
silver detailing from grip to point. Albus, along with her mother and father,
had always told her that the wand that chose her was just as showy as she was.
It was quite true she supposed, seeing as how you didn�t find many wands that
were intricately decorated. The man who sold it too her told her that it had
been sitting in the shop for nearly fifty years and that the dragon from which
the heartstring came was very old when it died. This lovely wand was her best
friend and for the rest of the year she would gladly have it tucked up her
sleeve for easier access. It had to be immediately on hand. She was leaving
nothing to chance.

After a quick look in the mirror, Alice
hurried out of Gryffindor tower, through the halls, and out the main doors.
She figured it would be important to memorize the layout of the grounds as
quickly as possible. The sun was low on the horizon, disappearing into the
trees, but the warmth of the day still clung to the air. It seemed that all
the students were lounging or walking on the grass, savoring this Sunday before
another week of classes began.

She received a few odd looks, but
chalked it up to the fact that no one expected a new face to be her age.
Several boys around her age cast appreciative glances her way, but she only
repaid them with a noncommittal smile. No matter the role she was playing, or
her actual age, she was an adult. She was a fully trained auror and that knowledge
alone was like a shield that encompassed her. A shield that quivered slightly
when she saw the ever foul Professor Snape heading in her direction looking as
grumpy as ever. She sighed and tried to remain calm, figuring that he planned
to irritate her every chance he got in order to prove to himself that he was
the bigger man.

�Miss Grandelshaw,� Snape said
smoothly inclining his head. �Are you settling in?�

Alice tried not to look surprised
or suspicious. �Yes. It�s a very nice�er, castle.�

�You were expecting something else
before you arrived?� His arms were crossed then and his expression stern, but
the silk never left his voice.

�I used to go to school in a one
level concrete building and then go home every night.� Alice scanned the
crowds of children. �Don�t these kids miss their families?�

�Well, Miss Grandelshaw, I�m sure
that in due time you will learn that we Brits have our reasons for the
way we do things.� She expected him to leave on that note, considering he had worked
his way up to sneering, but he stood there, looking at her, refusing to let her
ignore him.

�Did you need something, Professor
Snape? Did I forget to do something?� Alice was truly suspicious now. This
man seemed like a sneaky little grease ball and even though she liked all
things sneaky, she did not like being outside of the loop.

�Yes. The headmaster asked me to
inform you that you will be meeting with some people late tonight, after the
students have gone to bed.� Snape was speaking in a hushed voice and glancing
suspiciously about leading Alice to assume that she would be meeting the other
members of the Order of the Phoenix.

�Yes, well can I expect to see
your smiling face there?� Alice smiled brightly while silently hoping that the
man would just go away. He was rather unpleasant and she hated the fact that
she felt drawn to him.

�I should think not,� Snape
growled.

The smile curled her lips further then
at the thought of Professor Snape arguing against her presence in the school.
Maybe it wouldn�t be so bad after all. �Thank you, sir. Have you seen my
charge by any chance.�

�Well it�s your job to know where
he is, isn�t it,� Snape snapped and then marched off towards the castle.

Alice had the strongest urge to
stick her tongue out at the man but had a sneaking suspicion that he would
know.

�That was interesting. I�m
surprised he didn�t give you detention.�

Turning around Alice met a smaller
girl with bushy brown hair and chocolate eyes. She had a nervous smile and
kept brushing a wayward strand of hair from her face. Perhaps this one would
lead Alice where she needed to be. �Well he�d find that difficult since I�m
not a student.�

�Oh! I�m sorry, it�s just that
you looked young enough to be a student,� the young girl said with an earnest
smile. �I�m Hermione Granger.�

Ah! A stroke of luck at last.
Alice held out her hand to the girl who shook it eagerly. She felt a
familiar tug in her midsection and a tingling in her hand. �I�m Alice
Grandelshaw. I�m the new assistant grounds keeper from the States.�

�An American? This should be
exciting!� Hermione looked over Alice�s shoulder and began to wave someone
over. Alice turned to see one red haired boy and another boy with messy black
locks heading her way. �That�s Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. I�m sure they�d
like to meet you. Are you just out of school then?�

�Yes, just this past spring,� Alice
said with a wince, but then quickly tried to explain away her reaction. �I�m
just wondering how many people will assume I�m a student.�

�Hello, Hermione,� said Ron.
�Who�s your new friend?�

�This is Miss Grandelshaw, a new
grounds keeper from American, isn�t it fascinating?� Hermione was far too
excited about the whole thing in Alice�s opinion. She didn�t see what was so
great about being from a different country. No friends, culture shock, and bad
food.

�It�s nice to meet you, Miss
Grandelshaw,� Harry said politely. She took a moment to study him with a
covert smile. The boy seemed sturdy enough. She thought it was a pity that
someone so young had so much trouble on his hands. Studying him for a moment,
she released an internal sigh. She felt no pull from him and that was a very
reassuring thing.

�Are you replacing Filch then,�
Ron asked eagerly.

Alice decided that she had better
start off acting as an authority figure from the get go and frowned. �That�s
Mr. Filch, young man and no, I�m simply acting as his assistant. Seems you
students have gotten a bit excitable this year.�

The boy�s ears turned a lovely
shade of red and Alice smiled kindly at him. �I should probably carry on with
my inspection of things. You three behave yourselves because I�ll have my eye
on you.�

As she was walking away she heard
Harry muttering, �Great, another babysitter.�

That night at the feast, Alice
found herself sitting between Professors McGonagall and Snape. She prayed that
Snape would just leave her alone so she could eat and get back to her
inspections. The layout of the school grounds was firmly planted in her
memory, but she needed to work on the corridors next. Albus had allowed
everyone to eat before announcing her, but now the meal was ending and he was
trying to regain the attention of the students.

�I have an announcement to make
before you all head off to your slumber,� the old wizard said with a smile. �Miss
Grandelshaw, could you stand please?�

Alice pushed back her chair and
stood. She gazed stonily out at the students� faces willing herself to look a
bit older.

�Miss Grandelshaw will be acting
as the assistant grounds keeper to Mr. Filch this year. She has the same
authority as any other adult on the premises and I expect you to give her a
warm welcome.�

The headmaster then led the
students in a round of applause and Alice couldn�t help but notice that
Hermione Granger seemed to be the most enthusiastic of the students. She
nodded her head to Albus and then the students before returning to her seat.

Professor Snape leaned towards her
then. �I hope you will exercise that authority indiscriminately.�

�And what is that supposed to
mean,� Alice said innocently.

Snape leaned right next to her ear
and whispered softly, �Just because you�re looking out for him doesn�t mean you
can punish anyone who goes against him. My Slytherins especially.�

Alice turned to face him then, her
eyes narrowed. �I assure you that there will be no favoritism.�

Seeing that the students were
leaving then, she stood and left for her rooms. Every student she passed
stopped to inspect her. She made a point to keep on a stern expression, still
hoping that it added a few years to her appearance. When she entered her chambers,
she saw that there was note sitting on the table by the fireplace. Opening it
she read:

The
headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix are located

at
number twelve Grimmauld Place, London. The Order
members

will
be assembled and prepared to meet you at midnight. You will

be
able to floo there from you rooms. I will be arriving after you,

so
be prepared to deal with them on your own for a time.

Alice memorized the words and then
tossed the note into the fire. With a deep sigh, she turned to leave her rooms
once more, determined to memorize the halls before attending the meeting, which
was still several hours away. There was plenty of time.

______________________

Hermione sat with her Arithmancy
book in her lap, gazing at the words but not really seeing any of them. Ron
and Harry were at a small table beside her chair indulging in a game of wizard
chess rather than their homework. Her mind kept going back to the young
assistant grounds keeper who had arrived that day. There was something odd
about her, something Hermione couldn�t quite put her finger on.

Closing her book, Hermione hopped
up from her seat and turned on Ron and Harry. �Did either one of you find
anything strange about Miss Grandelshaw?�

Ron stared at her blankly and
Harry shook his head. �Nothing, Hermione,� the green-eyed boy said with a
small frown. �Why do you ask?�

�I just got a very strange feeling
from her,� Hermione said softly.

�What kind of feeling,� Ron asked
before biting the head off a chocolate frog.

Hermione shrugged and sat back in
her chair. �It just seemed like I should know her, but I didn�t recognize her
face. It was like something inside of me sensed her and acknowledged her
presence.�

She turned her head to see how the
boys took this information. Harry look worried and Ron was looking at her as
if she had gone off her rocker. �I�m sure its nothing. Never mind. I�m sorry
I interrupted your game.�

Harry sighed. �You didn�t
really. Ron just beat me, again.�

The three of them chuckled and
then decided to get ready for bed. Hermione allowed herself to think about
Miss Grandelshaw for a few moments and then she drifted into sleep.

A/N: Well, there you go.
I�m sorry that so much of this was from my original character�s point of view.
I know that this might cause some people to be less interested in reading the
fic, but things will balance out more once she has met most of the major
characters. Things will typically be from the views of Alice, Hermione,
Sirius, and Remus and, when needed, from the PoV of some other major character
or in 3^rd person omniscient. There will always be a break between
PoVs and if I think it�s unclear as to whose eyes we�re seeing things through,
I�ll make a note. Please review and let me know what you guys think!
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Beyond the Veil of Time