Harry Potter and the Time Fluke

Blood Wards

Twilight fell and Harry waited silently, perched on the edge of his bed. He glanced at the alarm clock on his desk, 11:55 p.m.

Five more minutes. Five more minute. Five more minutes. Only five more painfully long minutes, and he would be free.

He would no longer be forced to spend another summer with the Dursley's again. Only five more minutes until the blood wards protecting him from Voldemort vanished.

The first thing he would do when he turned seventeen would be apparating to Sirius' ancestral home, Number 12 Grimmauld Place. It was all his now. The Order wasn't even using it anymore, not since Dumbledore died. It was no longer a safe place for them to gather since Snape knows of its location. And Snape cannot be trusted.

11:58

Harry carefully rechecked his rucksack, making sure he packed everything for the umpteenth time before adjusting it on his shoulder. He peered out the window, scanning the night sky. Hedwig was already gone. He'd sent her on ahead of him. There was no need for her to be with him when he apparated. She knew where to find him.

11:59

Less than a minute. It was nearly time now; only a matter seconds stood between Harry and complete freedom. He almost felt nostalgic about leaving the home he grew up in, almost.
But he had greater things to worry about.

He extensively planed everything perfectly and spent hours and hours researching in the library in case his plan failed prematurely. If all goes smoothly as soon as he got to Grimmauld Place, he would set up new protection wards around the house. He'd managed to sneak to Diagon Alley while the Dursley's were out for the books necessary for him to become acquainted with blood wards. Since blood wards had been able to keep Voldemort from finding his hiding spot at Number Four, they should be able to continue keeping him at bay until Harry was ready to face him. All he really had to do was say a few words, sacrifice a few drops of his blood and a new protective shield that wouldn't allow Snape, or any other Death Eater or Dark Lord, inside.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The alarm blared throughout the once quiet room and seconds later, he apparated into the dusty old living room of Number 12 Grimmauld Place and immediately set about constructing the house's new wards. Hedwig was already situated on the stone mantel of the fireplace, watching his every movement with her bright amber eyes.

He rummaged through his rucksack and pulled out a plastic tupperware container, already about a fourth of the way full of his own blood, which he had collected over the past month, a paintbrush, and a rune covered knife that he'd purchased in Diagon Alley with the books. He quickly popped the lid off of the tupperware and cast it off to the side. Creating the protective wards around his new home before Voldemort decided to use their mind-connection to determine Harry's location captivated all of his attention. He dipped the paintbrush into his pre-drawn blood, and began to paint runic symbols on the dusty hardwood floor.

After about five minutes of the careful yet tedious work, he placed the brush into the container and the container on the ground outside of the bloody runes. He straightened up, and stared down at the crimson liquid on the floor. He held the handle of the knife firmly in his right hand and carefully rested the blade in his left.

"Suscipe me ad annos praesidium"

Harry spoke the spell in a clear, unwavering voice before quickly slashing his palm with the knife. He winced slightly at the pain it brought but watched, transfixed, as the blood rolled down his palm and dripped onto the floor. As it hit, a bright white light engulfed the room and Harry felt a familiar, but very uncomfortable tugging sensation in his navel.

This was not supposed to happen.