An index of chapter recaps for Harry Potter and the Nightmares of Futures Past.
NOTE: Recap pages have unmarked spoilers!
Prologue
In the year 2010, Harry kills Voldemort and wins the war, but everyone else he knows is already dead and every British magical institution has been destroyed. He throws himself into study to stave off depression, and finds a theoretical means to send an object back in time, except that it cannot have any mass. Determined to make a difference, he resolves to send his own soul back to 1991 (killing himself in the process) to try again.
Year 1
Harry's soul successfully reaches the past and merges with his eleven-year-old self. To keep his time travel secret (especially as he doesn't trust the Ministry), he goes to Hogwarts as before, befriending Ron and Hermione, but sets out to build stronger friendships: he mediates between them more, becomes closer to Neville, and starts exchanging letters with Ginny. Using the presence of Slytherin bullies as an excuse (but actually to prepare them for the coming war), he begins group training in fitness and martial arts; Ron especially is dubious at first, but ultimately embraces the opportunity to improve both his self-defence and Quidditch ability, and all of them develop stronger self-discipline and work ethic.
Professor Snape is deeply suspicious of his inability to read Harry's mind (as Harry now has extensive Occlumency practice), and is even more hostile than in the original timeline. Harry is able to leverage his behaviour to persuade his friends to start learning Occlumency, intending to reveal his secrets once their minds are secure.
However, Harry's attempts to alter the timeline have mixed results. He is able to avoid getting caught smuggling the baby dragon out, and easily thwarts Quirrell's attempt on the Philosopher's Stone, but fails to prevent Neville's injury during flying lessons, and Hermione being cornered by the troll at Halloween, causing him to be concerned about whether fate is resisting his efforts.
- Back to Privet Drive
- Making Waves
- The Letters of Autumn
- A Changed Halloween
- Christmas at Hogwarts
- A Quarrel with Quirrell
- The Leaving Feast
- A Word with the Weasleys
Year 2
In keeping with his previous failed attempts to change history, Harry is unable to avert his under-age magic warning, and his altered behaviour leads Vernon Dursley to react to the owl more violently, beating Harry into unconsciousness and locking him in his room to starve. However, upon being rescued by the Weasleys and treated in St Mungo's hospital, he is taken in by the Weasleys permanently (against Dumbledore's wishes). Once there, he is able to arrange for Peter Pettigrew/Scabbers to be captured and exposed, which he hopes will cause Sirius to be freed; however, the Ministry stonewalls his attempts. He also pays for the wards around The Burrow to be greatly strengthened, and hides the Diary as soon as Ginny receives it.
As the school year starts, Harry brings Luna into his circle of friends, and she joins them in training. He also starts a school dueling club (after Lockhart's poor attempt), in order to prepare a wider variety of students. When it becomes clear that the Ministry will not re-open Sirius' case, Harry makes a deal with Rita Skeeter, and publishes (via her) a scathing condemnation of the Ministry and denouncement of all of the former Death Eaters who were not jailed. Both the Ministry and the Hogwarts professors are upset by his disruptive action, but he is able to persuade Professor McGonagall to let him alone, telling her that it's a necessary pre-emptive strike in case Minister Fudge launches a smear campaign of his own when Voldemort returns.
Sirius then escapes during the school term, and makes contact with Harry at Christmas. The adult Weasleys agree to hide him at their home, convinced of his innocence, although the school-aged children are not yet told (as their minds are unprotected from Professor Snape).
Toward the end of the year, Harry is attacked from behind by Draco Malfoy and an unseen "agent in place", knocked out, and rendered comatose with a skull fracture. Draco then steals the Diary from his trunk and contrives to deliver it to Ginny, who is deeply upset by Harry's injury and falls prey to the Diary's influence. Harry awakens from his coma just in time to learn that she has been taken into the Chamber of Secrets, and leads his other friends down to rescue her; they kill the basilisk together with a barrage of spells, and Harry destroys the Diary with its fangs.
He then confirms that his friends' Occlumency is advanced enough, and reveals his time travel to all of them. Despite his fears, they all reassure him of their acceptance and friendship.
Draco is expelled from the school for his actions, and Professor Snape leaves to take up a position at Durmstrang, with Professor Slughorn being hired to take over Potions. Several Slytherins make arrangements to ambush Harry and his friends for revenge, during their regular training, but Melissa Bulstrode (with whom he has an arm's length friendship) warns him, and the ambush fails.
- Worst Birthday Ever
- A Daring Rescue
- Doing the Mungo Shuffle
- A Granger Interlude
- A Dish Best Served Cold
- Moonlight Discussions
- A visit to Sunny Azkaban
- A Summer Seen Through Brown Eyes
- A Visit from the Eldest
- An Interesting Start of Term
- Dumbledore's Office
- Sirius Issues and a Quidditch Spectacle
- The Duelling Club
- The Christmas Express
- Christmas at The Burrow
- Mistletoe and Misshapen Musical Messengers
- Miserable Uncertainties
- All Hell Breaks Loose!
- Conversations, Confrontations, & Quidditch
Year 3
Harry reveals his history to the older Weasleys (who have also been studying Occlumency), causing an uproar in their home, but they still want him there, although they are concerned. Remus Lupin begins tutoring him and his friends over summer, granting them an exemption for under-age magic use, and learns of Sirius' presence, though he is not told of Harry's time travel. Sirius, meanwhile, has retrieved the Gaunt ring, Hufflepuff's Cup, Slytherin's Locket, and (possibly, text is unclear) Ravenclaw's Diadem, which they proceed to destroy. He is pursued to The Burrow by Dementors, but its upgraded defences destroy them.
Later in the year, there is an incursion of Dementors at a Quidditch match, and Melissa is murdered by the agent-in-place in the confusion, greatly upsetting Harry, who feels that his changes must somehow be responsible. He is able to arrange for Hogwarts' wards to be upgraded with anti-Dementor protections, but Peter Pettigrew (who has apparently escaped or been quietly released) arranges for Provisional IRA members to assault the school and damage the ward anchors, allowing the Dementors to attack again. Harry and his friends help to narrowly repel the assault without further casualties, and Pettigrew is severely punished by his master for failing to actually harm the students.
- A Relatively Pleasant Start...
- A Busy Summer
- Harsh Words
- Fear and Loathing
- Destructive Impulses
- Life, Death, & Quidditch
- A War of Words
- The Slughorn that Stole Christmas
- Return to the Chamber
- The Quiet Before the Storm
- The Battle of Hogwarts
Year 4
Harry attends the Quidditch World Cup with the Weasleys, and they successfully entrap Barty Crouch Junior, allowing the true Mad-Eye Moody to start teaching at Hogwarts. However, Harry's name is still entered into the Goblet of Fire, this time by Colin Creevey (who thought that Harry was just being modest by not entering). The Goblet chooses him, not as a fourth champion, but as the regular Hogwarts champion, with Draco competing for Durmstrang under Headmaster Snape, and Fleur competing for Beauxbatons as in canon. Harry's confrontation with the Hungarian Horntail is sabotaged by the agent-in-place, but he is able to stun the dragon and complete the task.
