Harry took a deep breath and climbed the spiral staircase.
When he reached the top, he knocked gently on the door.
“Enter,” came Dumbledore’s muffled voice.
Harry opened the door hesitantly and stepped into the office.
It looked exactly as he remembered, though the man behind the desk appeared noticeably younger.
“What can I do for y—?”
Dumbledore paused mid-sentence, his eyebrows rising as he took in Harry’s appearance.
“My, you look remarkably like one of our students,” he observed, his gaze sharp and calculating.
“The resemblance is almost uncanny.”
Harry swallowed hard.
“That’s… kind of why I’m here, sir.”
Dumbledore noticed the teen’s obvious apprehension and offered a warm, reassuring smile.
“Why don’t you take a seat and explain things in your own time?” he suggested, gesturing to the chair opposite him.
Harry nodded gratefully and sat down, relieved to take the weight off his trembling legs.
“Hello, Fawkes,” he greeted the phoenix softly.
The magnificent bird trilled in reply and left its perch, settling comfortably on Harry’s shoulder.
“I see you’re already familiar with my friend here,” Dumbledore noted, sounding intrigued.
“Though I’m quite certain we’ve never met.”
Harry ran a hand through his hair, at a loss for how to begin.
Dumbledore leaned forward slightly.
“Sometimes it’s best to simply let the words come as they will. Overthinking them rarely helps.”
Harry nodded, steeling himself.
“What are your thoughts on time travel, sir?” he asked quietly.
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, considering the question carefully.
“Magic is a wondrous and mysterious force,” he mused. The source of this chapter is g.com.
“I fear we have only scratched the surface of what it is truly capable of. I have witnessed things most would deem impossible, yet I have seen them with my own eyes.” He shook his head.
“Time travel, while remarkable, is rather unremarkable compared to some of those wonders—though it does come with well-known limitations.” His eyes sharpened.
“Are you telling me you have taken a significant journey through time?”
Harry nodded.
“Twenty years,” he said hoarsely.
Dumbledore’s eyebrows rose.
“That is quite the feat. And what is your name, young man?” he asked, peering over his half-moon spectacles.
Harry took a deep breath.
“Harry James Potter, sir.”
Dumbledore studied him for a long moment before nodding slowly.
“You remind me strongly of young James. Though your eyes belong to another student I know well.”
“Lily… Evans,” Harry clarified.
“Indeed.” Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“So Mr. Potter’s pursuit will be successful.”
Harry remained silent, waiting.
“Now, Harry,” Dumbledore continued after a moment, “I do not doubt you are who you claim to be. But one can never be too careful in times like these. I will need to verify your identity.”
“I’ll do whatever is necessary, sir,” Harry said truthfully.
“Very well.” Dumbledore smiled warmly.
“I can perform a blood verification charm, or we can use Veritaserum. The choice is yours.”
“I’ll take the potion,” Harry replied.
He was far more comfortable with that than giving the man his blood.
Dumbledore nodded and called for a house-elf named Solly, who promptly fetched a small vial of Veritaserum from Professor Slughorn.
“Yes, sir. Though I’ve never taken it willingly before.”
Dumbledore rose and approached him.
“Open your mouth, please.”
Harry complied.
Three drops of the clear liquid landed on his tongue.
He felt the potion take hold but chose not to resist it—he needed Dumbledore to trust him completely.
“What is your name?” Dumbledore asked.
“Harry James Potter.”
“What is your date of birth?”
“The 31st of July, 1980.”
“Who are your parents?”
“Lily and James Potter.”
“And why have you come here?”
“To kill Tom Riddle, stop him from destroying our world, and save my family,” Harry answered, his voice catching as thoughts of Sirius and his parents surged forward.
Dumbledore sighed and returned to his seat, waiting for the potion to wear off.
When the effects faded, Harry looked at him and swallowed thickly.
“I apologize for that last question, my boy, but I needed to know,” Dumbledore said gently.
“So you are well aware of the problems we face.”
Harry nodded.
“And you have faced the man himself?”
“Since I was born,” Harry confirmed darkly.
“Could you explain?” Dumbledore requested.
Harry sighed.