Golden Age by black_blade

Chapter 1: Chapter One

After two hundred and forty years, Harry Potter thought that he'd seen it all, until he is transported back to 1977. In the midst of Voldemort's first rise to power and both sides of this war won't let him sit this one out.

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A/N: I've played a little with the dates of birth in this fic. Narcissa Black being the main one since she would have already graduated in the cannon universe and wouldn't be in Severus's year. Enjoy. This is going to be a long ride.

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Harry looked down at the gold device in his hand in interest. He idly picked up a pair of wirerimmed glasses to get a better look as he tried to read the words etched on the small golden sphere. There was something about it that looked familiar and he picked up a time turner in his other hand and compared the two. The runes were written the same but that didn't mean a lot. Gold was also used in anything that had to hold time. He placed both items on his desk, sat back in his chair and stared at them.

The Department of Mysteries was quiet around him. He looked through the glass windows of his office to see that everyone had already left for the day and he was the only one left. Which wasn't odd, since he was the boss. Harry stood with a groan and stretched his back. He may look young but at two hundred and forty years. He felt old inside. The magic of the Deathly Hallows holding him back from the relief of death. Cursed.

Harry sighed and picked up the gold sphere and slipped it away in his pocket. He picked up the time turner and returned it to his safe. He spun the dial, of the safe, and glanced around. In a way, he always knew that he would end up in the bowels of the Ministry. He'd tried his hand at just about everything but in the end. He'd ended up where all magical artifacts went that no one knew what to do with. He knew that he shouldn't think of himself that way but he found it hard not to some days.

He picked up his jacket and swung it around his shoulders before locking his door and making his way out of the Ministry. At this late hour, it was quiet, except for the Auror department. A few Aurors gave him a wave and he nodded back. They were used to seeing him at odd hours. A spectre that was whispered about in hushed tones. A relic from a war that was over two hundred years ago. He'd fought in wars since but never like the one with Voldemort. A war of children against Death Eaters and a Dark Lord. It should never have been like that but it had been. His childhood robbed from him before he'd had a chance.

Harry turned his thoughts away from that as he took the lift up to the streets of London. He stepped out and merged with the crowds. London was always busy and that's why he loved it. Even at close to midnight on a Thursday night there were still people around. He got caught up in the flow as he made his way down to the tube station. Just another random person like everyone else around him.

He stood as the train took off, even if there were seats available, and glanced around. Taking everything in as he held the rail with one hand and had his other in his pocket. He travelled two stops down before stepping off on his platform. He didn't live far from the Ministry and he could have just apparated but Harry liked the press of people. He could just let his thoughts drift as he unwound from the day.

When he made it up to street level, it was quieter, as he walked away from the tube station and towards his apartment. His hand found the gold sphere in his pocket and he ran his thumb over the writing there. His mind drifted as he thought about the device. He was sure that it was time related but he'd seen nothing like it before. And that was saying something. He was the man that people came to when they didn't know what something was. What he was, people didn't know. Harry snorted at that line of thinking then he felt something on the air.

He stopped in the middle of the brick walled alleyway and pulled the sphere out. It was about half the size of a snitch but larger than a marble. It sat in his palm easily and had one slightly flat side which stopped it from rolling away. He ran his thumb over the writing as he felt something building. He could easily read the runes but they were in the wrong order for a time piece. He was sure that the device contained something but not what. His first guess had been a grain of time but for what reason. There were no instructions, not that he'd expected that, but it would have helped. He sighed and slipped the thing away in his pocket and stepped forward.