"Interact how?" Edward's eyes narrowed as he came to the realization that his friend could do more than just watch the history channel all day.
"I wanted to save someone that might have otherwise died. Look, it's a little complicated and I still need to talk to Professor Binns about it. I can't really say much now because I don't have much to say. I went back, found a village, tried to help it stave off a gob squad and then came back to find that three days had gone by."
"Well," Susan began, "when you can tell us more, do so. Now go on and eat."
"Yes, mom," Harry grinned.
For a few minutes the group ate and the table continued to fill up, some of the newcomers waving to Harry and others choosing to not notice the apprentice and his friends. When a sixth-year prefect came in and saw Harry, she made her way directly to the group.
"Glad to see you're up and about, Mr. Potter," she said in a cheery voice.
"Thanks, Jamie. Look, I want to thank you and you guys as well for finding me and getting me to the infirmary. I'd hate to think I would have been stuck standing in the library all night. Really, I had no idea that was going to happen. I thought I would make a quick trip back in history and then be back before curfew."
"Guess you learned your lesson then, eh?" Jamie said.
"I already spoke about it with my mum this morning. No more going back in time without someone at least watching over my uptime form. Yeah, that lesson sunk in."
"Good, I guess."
"Besides," Harry continued with a marauder thought, "from what I heard, you learned something as well."
"Oh?" said the prefect.
"I heard you were the one who knew the spell to strip off my clothes when I was taken to the infirmary. You naughty witch you." Wink.
"Oh, ha-ha, mister. I was busy escorting your friends back to their rooms. For your information, I happen to know it is Madame Pomfrey who disrobes students in her care."
"Oh? And just how do you happen to know that fact, Miss Summers?" asked a smirking Edward.
She looked at him then back at Harry. "You try dating a Quidditch player long enough and you will become familiar with some of the more obscure things you don't ever want to know about the infirmary. Good day everyone."
"Later, Jamie," Susan said for the group.
...
After dinner that night, Harry made his way back to the History classroom. Once there, he proceeded to the office in the back. He stood for a moment rehearsing the story in his head that he'd been giving to everyone today. He was sure he could use the same story on Binns and no one would be the wiser.
He knocked on the weathered door.
"Enter, Mr. Potter," came the monotone invitation.
Harry opened the door and saw that Professor Binns was grading papers. Or more accurately, one of the house elves was picking up a scroll and putting it on a scale. Professor Binns then looked down on the scroll and then where the needle rested.
"Hmmmm, mark this one as an EE, Inky."
The house elf nodded once and put his finger in the inkpot and wrote a fairly legible EE on the top of the paper.
"Just one moment, Harry. I want to get done grading the 5th year history reports."
Inky picked up another scroll and put it on the scale. A cursory Hmmm later and it was given an A grade.
"Pardon my question, professor, but shouldn't you be reading those essays?"
"Whatever for, Mr. Potter? I've taken stock of my students before and believe me, if they can't stay awake in my class any more than the rest, I'm sure I don't need to review their work since it is most likely passed around from one student to the other."
"Then why the scale, sir?"
"Ah. Yes. The scale. It is to see how much work they actually inserted into the paper that I am checking on. Mark that one an EE, Inky. And that will be all. We'll do the 4th year essays tomorrow night."
"Yessir," squeaked the house elf. Moments later the house elf was gone, leaving Harry alone with the ghost.
"I take it you want to talk about my recent trip in time?"
"Somewhat," Professor Binns replied, motioning for Harry to sit down. "As is, I've already heard about your little excursion from other students and the Headmaster. Details vary but that is to be expected. I'm more interested in understanding your reasoning for going back in time the way you did, Harry."
"I'm… uh, well…"
"Take your time, Harry."
"Well, to be honest, I went back looking for some information. I wasn't even planning on being gone long, but I knew I needed to talk with someone about wand making."
"Wand making? What about our Mr. Ollivander in Diagon Alley?"
"It's kind of an independent study, sir, and I've already discussed it a bit with him, and he couldn't really tell me much which is why when I found a reference in a history book, I thought to go ask the source."
"And all this led to your interaction in saving a village from a goblin rebellion?"
"Er… somewhat. It's more of what I still need to do, sir."
"If I understand your meaning, young man, you are still slated to go back and do something even though you weren't originally slated to do something to begin with. Right?"
"Yeah. Sure. You betcha. But, sir, don't you think since I've already done it, am slated to do it, am going to do it, that I should do it?"
Binns let out a ghostly sigh. "Harry, this is precisely why Time Turners don't go any further than they do. It is also why I wanted you to take it slow when moving back in time. You are looking for a temporal loophole to validate your actions back in the past."
"But, sir, I can't just sit aside when we go back in time and not try to help those that I can. No, I understand that I can't change history or I'll muck it up more than it is. I understand that, I really do. But what I'm talking about is not changing history. I want to get involved where it's not involved. All of history isn't recorded after all."
....
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