Tangled in Time

[2bornot2b]

Disclaimer: Do I even have to say it? We all know the drill, “I don’t

own this...” etc.


A/N: I’ve been trying to figure out a way to make a crossover of my

two favorite things for a long time, and at last, this is it. Sweeney

Todd and Harry Potter.


Warning: I have little to no idea where I’m going with this, but I have

a good feeling it will be 13+. Without a doubt, there will be violence.

It’s not for the squeamish. Also, it’s really AU, so beware.



Chapter 1: Call of Duty

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk doing paperwork. It was

always a tedious task and at that very moment he would have much

preferred to be reading, but, unfortunately, that would have to wait.

He took a sherbet lemon from the dish in front of him, and carried on

with his work. The sun was setting slowly. He knew for a fact that

there was no way that he could possibly finish his workload in the

remaining hours of the day. He tried to calm himself, but was

interrupted by an owl with a heart shaped face at his window. It

turned its head to face the headmaster, as if to communicate

something. Based on the glare, he seemed to know that even the bird

was aware of the terrible news within the parchment that was now in

his hands. The headmaster nodded in thanks to the owl and it flew

away. Dumbledore gingerly opened the letter and read,


Dear Headmaster,

I am afraid I must inform you that the Dark Lord has returned. We all

knew that he was not completely ridden of. His horcruxes are still out

there. Obviously Lily’s son must be the one to destroy them, but for

now, I think it would most likely be best to stop him now before he

gets worse. I have been notified as to what exactly the Dark Lord has

been plotting, and unfortunately, it will not be at all easy to ‘nip in the

butt’ as some may say. Have you ever heard of the serial killer

Sweeney Todd? This will require no more than two Order members,

aurors, or anyone else qualified in battling He Who Must Not Be

Named, aside from myself. Chose wisely who shall accompany you. I

shall disclose more information to the two of you in the Room of

Requirement tomorrow evening. That is all.

- Severus


Merlin! Thought Dumbledore as he sat before the letter in awe.

Voldemort had been supposedly “dead” for two years. He knew that

the day would one day come when Voldemort would live again in a

ghost of his former self, but he had hoped that it would never be this

soon. By the time little Harry got to Hogwarts was ideal, but that was

out of the question at this point. Only he and one other along with

Severus could fight Lord Voldemort. He knew that only one person

that he could trust to help him. He stood, pushed his chair in, took

the letter, and headed to Minerva’s rooms immediately.

[2bornot2b]

Okay, the format on here is really weird, sorry. Still getting used to it.

[2bornot2b]

Chapter 2: 1835
“And you will be known as Sweeney Todd.” said the voice inside his head. Sweeney was sure that he had gone mad from the prison camp. It didn’t matter anymore though: he was out. He’d escaped. Sweeney figured that the voice was a figure of his imagination. He knew that he should be locked up in Bedlam. There was something wrong with him, but he didn’t care. He didn’t have to tell anybody. The voice instructed him step by step on how to run away and build a raft. Unfortunately, he had to make do with what was on the beach in Australia, which wasn’t much. A sailor boy had found him and taken him under his wing. Anthony. That was the boy’s name.
For a sailor he had very feminine features. He knew that the poor boy didn’t shave just from looking at him. He had a childlike face and a scrawny body. At first glance, he expected him to be around fifteen or sixteen years old. The same age as my Johanna... he thought bitterly. The boy was twenty years old and had seen a good portion of the world since he left school; from the Dardanelles to the mountains of Peru, he had said. Yet, he said he loved London most of all. What a fool thought the barber. He found himself telling the boy of what happened to him. My wife and child...all alone.... he thought.
Silence. said the voice. The voice spoke with a raspy quality. It sounded sneaky and slithery, but it spoke the truth; or at least Sweeney thought so. It seemed weakened, but commanded him with purpose. You will find your wife and daughter. The voice referred to itself as “The Dark Lord”.
Months passed before they arrived in London. The boy seemed a bit too chipper for Sweeney’s liking, but he was eternally grateful to him. Anthony was a young fool, but there was something about him that he felt he could connect to. He reminded him of his former self. He was so young, so naïve. He knew that one day, Anthony would meet a fate that would make him realize the way the world works. That didn’t matter to Sweeney now, though. He needed to focus on himself. He would be returning to his wife and child.
He stood for hours staring into the grey sea. It reflected a grey sky pouring with English rain. They were approaching London. The second I find Lucy and Johanna, I’m getting us all out of here. He thought. We all need to get out of this great black pit. They don’t deserve to be there. He still knew that he would kill the judge one day. There wasn’t any way in hell that he would allow that wicked creature to die peacefully in his sleep. He was going to make him pay for what he’d done, but he knew that he would have to keep Lucy and Johanna safe. He would kill Judge Turpin when he knew his days were numbered. He would take the secret to his grave, keeping his family out of danger. They would never know.
When they finally reached land, Sweeney felt obligated to first thank the sailor boy, and went on his not so merry way. As he looked around the streets of London, he realized exactly how much things changed in fifteen years. Nothing was familiar. The faces he saw around him were those of strangers, and when he did see people he recognized, no one recognized him. His hair had turned black for reasons he could never quite understand, and he had the white streak in his hair from prison. He managed to find some dyeing material and added the streak the day that he became Sweeney Todd. It declared that the barber was a new man. Sadly, no one could even recall the old man. It broke a part of the man’s heart, not that he’d ever admit it. He knew, though, that there was one girl who’d never forget his face. He’d known her since they were children. He’d known her for his entire life. She was the one person in the world whom he trusted. His one faithful friend. Nellie. He proceeded to find her.

Nellie sat in her shop and worried. She always worried, but she tried not to show it. She worried about the economy, she worried about business, and she worried about her little secrets, but most of all, she worried about Benjamin Barker. He was probably dead, but part of herself couldn’t admit it. She’d loved him since she was five years old and he’d found some flowers and put them in her hair. It was years ago, and many would think it to be a little silly of her, but she still remembered the flowers: daises and gillyflowers. For the rest of her life they remained her favorites. She kept them around when she was upset. Now, unfortunately no matter how hard she tried, she could not cheer up. She was bound to starve someday soon, and she could care less. She knew that she was growing thinner. She wasn’t the pretty young girl she once was. Her face was gaunt, her figure looked emaciated, and she was weary with a look of premature age. A little voice in her head told her that Benjamin would return. She’d assumed that it was the hunger talking to her, but there was this little voice in her head that called itself Bellatrix. It frightened her, but the little voice said that Benjamin was on his way. It said he was looking for her. Every time that this voice started to speak, it broke her heart a bit more. She grew weaker, and knew that she probably belonged to be locked up in Bedlam like poor Lucy. Benjamin would be heartbroken if he came back. It should have never been this way. Nellie thought. Lucy should be completely healthy and sane, waiting for his return.
You mean like yourself, Nellie? Said the little voice. Nellie truly hated that voice. It suggested some of the most horrible ideas sometimes. More often than not, she was tempted to give into them too. Many years ago, it had suggested that she kill Lucy. Under no circumstances would she do it. Lucy was her friend, and she meant a lot to Benjamin. She had never done anything to intentionally hurt her, even though she had never really loved Benjamin. She was her best friend, and it horrified and disgusted Nellie that she was capable of such thought. Nellie’s heart shattered when she’d learned of Lucy’s suicide attempt. The worst part was where exactly Lucy got a hold of that arsenic. It was Nellie’s. There were some moments during those fifteen years that she felt unable to control herself. This was not an exaggeration. She could try to move a limb, but if Bellatrix had forbidden it, then she was fully under the control of this evil part of herself. Whenever this happened, she heard the word “Imperio” in the back of her mind. She had tried screaming it at a couple of other people to see if it had the same effect, but she realized that she was just insane. One day, she found herself in one of these states, and had bought some arsenic. She kept it in the cabinet, and locked it shut so that if she were ever to go into another one of these states again, she wouldn’t hurt anyone. Unfortunately, Lucy was always good at getting what she wanted. She broke into the cabinet, took the poison, and went mad. Nellie always had a feeling that she spoke when she was in these states. She never remembered much of them though; it was like being drunk. At first, she thought that she was drunk, because she got something very similar to a hangover when it was over. Apparently Lucy had heard her, and jumped to some sort of conclusion. Nellie never quite figured what Lucy had assumed, considering that she didn’t know what she said, but she had a pretty good idea as to why she tried to kill herself. She was all Lucy had left in the world. If she was out to get her, there may have been nothing left for her. Bellatrix killed Lucy Barker. Nellie killed Lucy, and she could never forgive herself for it. As the deranged ghost of Lucy roamed the streets, she still cursed Nellie. She spat awful words at her, and it broke her heart to see her. Nellie was never quite sure who exactly killed Lucy. It was a difficult thing to explain, too. She had decided that if Benjamin was ever to return, she would tell him the truth. Lucy Barker was dead.
Later that day, a man with dark, vacant eyes entered the pie shop. He looked vaguely familiar, but she didn’t want to admit to who she thought he resembled. Nervously, she gave him a kitty pie and some ale to wash it down with. She chattered on and on as she normally did when she was afraid. It’s not Ben. She told herself repeatedly, but there was Bellatrix in the background being ever so helpful. Why don’t you just GO AWAY?! She mentally asked Bellatrix. Because I know that you need me, dear. Responded the maniacal voice in the back of her mind. GAH! Worst pies, worst pies in London…. She prattled on. Eventually, he stopped her, and asked her why no one used the room upstairs. To tell the truth, she just couldn’t bear to sell it. It was his, Lucy’s and Johanna’s. It was haunted in her memory, but no one knew what happened. She wouldn’t let anyone know. No one ever said it was haunted: just her. She told a quick lie so she wouldn’t have to go into it. Eventually, she told the story. The feel seeped out in her voice during the hard parts to tell, but eventually she did it. When he finally reacted with a howl of pain, she knew that it was Benjamin. He had come back to her!
“Not Barker. That man is dead. It’s Todd now. Sweeney Todd, and he will have his revenge.”

[2bornot2b]

wow, seems that other people actually look at this! Love y'all!!!! Comments are always appreciated...just so you know....

[Hufflepuff99]

Stupid question: Nellie is Ms.Lovett, right?