Disclaimer: See prologue.

A/N: I've called Scotland the "land of the Celts" here, uncertain as to what, exactly, it would have been called in the mid-900s. If you know better, please tell me and I'll fix it. Also, I don't know what year Hogwarts was really supposed to be founded, as if it has been written down somewhere so don't pester me about it. This date made sense for the story.

Harry woke stiff and aching. He remembered what had happened with the Thyme Draught and groaned. How could he have been so stupid as to be wearing the bloody thing while he was brewing? Rule number one was no overhanging objects, something even he had learned from Snape. But in his quest for absolution, he had become distracted and forgotten that most basic principle of lab safety. And apparantly he had paid for it.

Harry opened his eyes, but all he could really discern was that his surroundings were dark green. He thought he was likely in a canopy bed with green hangings, which meant he wasn't in the hospital wing, but his groan had not gone unoticed. The curtains were suddenly flung aside to reveal the blurry shape of a woman dressed in blue and white robes. About all he could tell of her other than that was that she had fair skin and dark brown hair. "Well, well. Decided to join the living once again, young wizard?" Her voice was melodious and thick with a Scottish accent.

Not liking that he had no idea where he was or who he was with, Harry shivered. Relax. If they had wanted you dead, you would be. Once again railing against his own stupidity, Harry said, "May I have my glasses, please? I'm nearly blind without them."

The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, lad. You were found in the Dark Wood without a pack to carry, nor a stitch on your body. What sort of glasses were they? Goblets of some kind? How did they make you able to see?"

Blushing as he realized that he was indeed naked beneath the heavy blankets that covered him, Harry tried to focus on the woman's question. A sinking feeling hit him. "I think I need to ask a different question. Where am I, for starters."

"You are in Hogwarts Mannor, a property of the Slytherin family in the land of the Celts."

Despite Harry's dislike for Hermione's constant refferal to "Hogwarts, A History", he had actually listened to some of what she'd told him. Hogwarts Mannor had belonged to Salazar Slytherin before he and his friends had decided to found the school. They had used it because it was the most functional of his estates, and it had easily been converted into the edifice of education that it was in the present day.

And that told him that he was not in the present day! The time turner and the Draught had combined to fling him into the past. "Oh, no! What year is it?" Just how far back had he been thrown?

Puzzlement in her voice, the woman said, "The year of our Lord, nine hundred and fifty-two. Why do you not know this?"

AD 952. Ten years before the school was founded. They were probably just getting started with the planning of it! Harry groaned, then answered, "I'm from a distant future. I was accidentaly sent here by a mishap with a potion. Merlin, but I fowled up this time! Professor Snape is really going to gloat over this one."

"How distant a future?"

"Over a thousand years."

The woman gasped. "I should go and get the Masters. They'll know better how to help you than I."

She rose to leave the room, but on impulse, Harry reached out and grasped her hand, able to use his Seeker's reflexes despite his lack of sight. "Wait. What's your name?" And why on earth did I ask her that? But he really wanted to know.

"Mary O'Rennon. I am a maid of the house. And what is your name, sir?"

"Harry. Just Harry." He didn't think it would be a good idea to reveal his family name, just in case the Potters were already a prominant family. "Do you think I could have some clothes before you bring any people in here?" Harry just knew he was blushing again, but he couldn't help it.

Mary chuckled. "Of course. There are a set of robes on a wooden chair beside the bed." And then she left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Harry stood up and took a close look at the garments he'd been given before putting them on. There were two tunics, one worn underneath that was light-weight plain linen with short sleeves which reached to mid-thigh, and one worn over the other which was dark green suede and had longer sleeves and hem. In fact, the sleeves were half again as long as his arms, so he simply pushed them up until his wrists came through, then bunched into even wrinkles all along their length. There was also a pair of pants, also suede, but undyed, that had a drawstring threaded around the waist and a plain leather belt which he put on over the outer tunic. Last were a pair of calf-length woolen socks and a pair of emerald dragon-hide boots. A black wool cloak was draped over the back of the chair. Harry was sitting on the chair pulling on the second boot when there was a knock at the door. "Come in."

Four people came into the room, two women and two men. One of the women had brilliant golden hair, and she walked up to him first. "Well, young one, you seem to have gotten yourself into a wasp's nest, haven't you?" Once again, Harry blushed, and the woman chuckled. "No worries, dear. We'll set you right."

One of the men harumphed. "Making promises again, Helga?"

Irritated, she answered him, "He's just a boy, Salazar, and I have every intention of trying to help him. There's one thing I know I can do." She returned her attention to Harry. "Now, Master Harry, I'm going to correct your vision for you, all right?"

Harry said, "I always wanted to get that done, but somehow I've never been able to find the time." He didn't mention that vision correcting charms were said to be lengthy and painful. He didn't want to seem cowardly.

Helga smiled, and it showed in her voice. "Now is it at a near distance or a far one when an object becomes blurry to you?" Through several questions and asking him to follow her lit wand across his face, the witch named Helga determined the strength of Harry's unaided eyes and then wove a charm around that strength by writing runes in blue fire in the air around his head. Harry was strongly reminded of watching Tom Riddle write his nave in the air, but there was no menace in Helga's actions. She then said, "Orbus transformo." The runes flashed brightly and the figures traveled across the air and into the pupils of Harry's eyes. He felt them change shape and his vision suddenly refocused into twenty-twenty clarity.

For the first time in his life, Harry could see unaided. He just sat there grinning for a moment, then realized that the four people in the room were watching him with somewhat amused impatience. "Sorry. Thank you very much, Miss Helga."

"Not to worry. I'm Helga Hufflepuff. This irritating old man behind me is Salazar Slytherin, the even more irritating man on the other side is Godric Gryffindor, and the nosy woman on the left is Rowena Ravenclaw." She was grinning to let him know that the insults were only in jest, but his eyes were too busy bugging out for him to register it. These were the Founders of Hogwarts! Helga looked askance at him. "I take it you've heard of us?"

Shaking himself, he realized he was staring again. "Yes, ma'am." How much should he tell them? After all, knowledge of the future could be dangerous. He remembered third year all too well, and this was not a mere matter of hours or weeks. This was more than a thousand years! "Did Mary tell you what I said?"

Salazar answered him. "That you were from the distant future? Yes, she did. I'm wondering two things. First, how did you accomplish it, and second, why did you try?"

Harry took a deep breath before answering. "The potion didn't do what it was supposed to do because I fowled it up. Do you know what a time turner is? I can't remember if they'll have been invented yet." Salazar nodded. "Good. Well, I was trying to boost the power of one with a potion, but I was a fool and didn't remove the thing from my neck. It caught on the edge of the cauldron, which snapped the chain, and it fell in. Everything exploded and I woke in this room."