Wishes can Backfire

godai

Rating: R
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 29/05/2005
Last Updated: 29/05/2005
Status: in_progress

Harry finds out that what he believes would have happened and what would have actually happened are two very different things

Chapters

1. Arrival

1. Arrival

Wishes can Backfire

I know the 6th book is right around the corner but this idea jumped into my brain all of a sudden.

Harry Potter does not belong to me, if it did you can be sure there would be a lot more Fred and George while a heck of a lot less of the Dursleys mistreating Harry (with a lot of torture for them). Too bad! Keep your Harry Potter JKR! I'll just read my collection of books!

Chapter 1: Arrival

Harry Potter was confused, one second he was at the Dursleys, perfectly alone and miserable, thinking he would have been better off getting killed by Voldemort as a child and the next he was standing in the middle of a dark forest. It wasn't the forbidden Forest of Hogwarts, he could be anywhere in the world for all he knew. His hand reached for his wand tightened to his ever present holster. Mad-Eye might have been scared for his buttocks but this was as real a situation as he was going to get.

Having finished his fifth year and passed his OWLs he wasn't about to get a letter from the ministry and this was a dire situation.

`I can't use lumos, I'd be a living target, I'll have to use something else to see.' He thought.

“Illuminesco Visualia” He whispered. His vision suddenly seemed to switch from being unable to see towards a detailed vision. Good thing he was wearing glasses. “I need magical glasses next time I go to Diagon Alley.” He muttered as he scanned his surroundings. He suddenly eared the sound of someone running, rather three people running his way.

`I should have learned disillusionment dammit!' He thought angrily. The first form to run was smaller than himself and noticeably female. When she looked over her shoulder, it was evident that she was being pursued. The two following forms were dressed in black and holding wands.

“You can't run from us little Mudblood!” a female voice sounded through the mask one of them was wearing. Harry's blood froze, he shook with rage as the hunted woman turned. Even though her face was dirty and her clothes were messed up he'd know this face anywhere.

What happened next was all a blur to Harry. He had studied apparition a little at Hermione's prompting, she was about to hit majority in the wizarding world, but he was far from ever realising an autonomous apparition, even at short range. Yet, he apparated from his hidden position to crouching right in front of his alleged enemies.

“Try touching a hair on her head and I'll make sure you're returned to Riddle in a small urn.” He growled. His position made him look wild and untamed, like a large dog guarding his bone.

“You and what army? You're most likely another Mudblood who got lucky, just like this filth! Avada…” The male Deatheater was preparing the killing curse but Harry was faster than he was.

“DIFFINDO!” Harry's aim had been to disable the man, the results he got from his simple slashing curse was a lot more than that. The red blade that was supposed to cut him enough to make him loose focus turned into a lethal attack, the woman dissaparated but, with his focus on the killing curse, the man couldn't evade the attack. His left arm was cut clean off his body along with his wand. The wizard was used to pain, he had been subjected to the cruciatus many times by his superiors or his master himself but having a limb separated from his body while he was focusing on a powerful curse made the pain almost unbearable. He fainted from shock.

Harry didn't even look twice, all that counted was Hermione well being.

“Hermione, are you alright?” He asked as he turned to his friend. The girl took a step back from him.

“Stay back!” She ordered. “You're one of them! You're one of those who killed my parents!” She screamed at him as she looked around for some sort of weapon.

“Your parents? But you sent me a letter yesterday!” Harry almost shouted, clearly not understanding what was going on with his friend.

“Could they have obliviated me from your memories?” He asked to himself as he put his wand back into it's holster. Hermione jumped towards what the other man had used. She found the stick and awkwardly pointed towards Harry.

“I. . .I. . .” she was stuttering.

“Hermione, put the wand down, I'm not with them. I'm your friend, you may not remember me but they might have erased your memory and replaced it with something else.” He said, trying to reason with the one who embodied the voice of his own reason.

“I know it happened! I have the scars to prove it!” She sent back keeping Harry far enough from her to be able to run. Five cracking noises announced the arrival of other wizards. On impulse, Hermione ran towards Harry, still pointing the wand but towards the newly arrived wizards. Harry had his own wand out into his hand and stood, his back to Hermione's, in a duelling stance. His enhanced sight must have been giving him visions. In front of him stood someone he though of as dead.

“Sirius?” He asked, not leaving his duelling stance.

“Drop your wands, Deatheaters” Harry knew that voice and lowered his wand. Hermione still held hers high but it was apparent she had no notion of any magic at all.

“Professor Lupin!” Harry exclaimed.

“Who the heck are you?” Sirius asked as he saw the bleeding Deatheater at the feet of another wizard.

“Sirius, Pro. . .Remus, It's me Harry!” He said. “First Hermione doesn't seem to remember me and now it's you! Is the world around me been obliviated or something!” He said.

“We don't have time for this. You know they'll have reinforcements soon.” One of them said as he touched the prisoner, leaving the severed limb where it was. He apparated out of the forest with him.

“We'll go through this once we get to headquarters.” Remus told Sirius, Harry still not understanding.

“Alright. Portus!” He said as he created a portkey. “Touch this and everything will go smoothly, don't and we'll be forced to subdue you.” He announce coldly.

Harry knew they were outnumbered and Hermione, in her present state, was probably more of a liability than an ally.

“Alright, touch it Hermione, it'll take us somewhere safe.” He said, trying to sound reassuring.

The girl shook with what he surmised was fear as she touched the small object. Immediately, they were both pulled as though a hook had caught their noses. They arrived in a rather bright room. Harry reached for his wand to turn off the enchantment on his glasses but someone seized it from his fingers.

“I'll hold on to that.” Growled the same voice from the man whom had taken the Deatheater.

“I just wanted to cancel the Illuminescence enchantment from my glasses.” Harry deadpanned.

“Finite incantatem.” The man muttered. Harry found him staring at an older copy of himself, with one minor difference here and there. Like a bit of the cheeks which were different but the most striking was the eyes, the brown eyes. As long as you forgot the lack of scar on the forehead.

“Dad. . .” He said, completely confused. “But. . .but that's. . .” He trailled off, now lost in contemplation.

“Impossible you mean? My son died almost 15 years ago, he would have been 16 at the end of this month!” James Potter was clearly restraining himself. “When you turn back to yourself I'll make sure to kill you slowly Deatheater.” He snarled. Harry stayed silent as Hermione shied away towards a corner of the place, still holding the foreign wand in her hands. A red haired woman was trying to calm her into lowering the item.

“Please put the wand down please, we don't want to hurt you.” The woman said.

“You'll kill me, like you killed my parents, like you killed the social people, like you killed my teachers. . .” Hermione was into shock. Harry couldn't take it anymore, he walked over to his friend and, getting on his knees, he hugged her to him, holding the last piece of his world, or rather the only person he could relate to without being cursed to death at the moment.

“Calm down Hermione, it's alright, they're the good ones. They won't hurt you.” He stated. “Mo. . .Mrs Potter, she's a muggleborn witch, they seemed to be hunting her. Is there anyone who could take care of her for a while. I think no one here wants to trust me so I'll entrust her to you.” He asked the woman who looked like his mother.

“Alright, just let her go and I'll take her from here.” Her eyes showed a bit understanding as Hermione, exhausted, fainted. She left after a mobilicorpus, leaving Harry with James. Two cracking noises announced Remus and Sirius arriving in the room.

“So, do we have to pour Veritaserum down your throat or will you talk?” Sirius asked. Harry sighed heavily.

“Even if I tell you, you won't believe it.” He stated as he slid down the wall.

“Try us.” James said dangerously.

“I don't think I'm in my home dimension anymore.” Harry answered.

“What does that mean?” Lupin asked.

“Imagine a world where Voldemort killed James and Lilly before he tried to kill me, or rather your Harry.” Harry said, trying to put into words his history.

“Don't mock me!” Roared James. Harry's eyes raised to his.

“I'm not.” Harry answered as he held his head in his hands. “It's what happened in my home world. I got blasted by the killing curse and lived to tell about it.” He showed his scar. “It's hard to take in, especially since I died in this world.”

The story and growling from the marauders continued for half an hour until Harry got to the summer before his sixth year.

“Now I was just grieving in my room, cut off from my friends and having to support the Dursleys when I wished I never had lived when Voldemort attacked and wondered what the world would be like.”

“I'll tell you what it's like, Voldemort took over, we're the resistance, the freedom fighters. The new sport of the wizarding world is mudblood hunting!” James spat. Harry sighed heavily.

“I thought the world might be a better place without me around, I got my parents killed before I could even talk a whole sentence, I got my friends injured many times over the years and then Cedric got killed just before the rise of Voldemort and last month, I got all my friends hurt and Sirius killed.” Harry felt the last of his energy leave him as he slumped to the floor.

“If you think I'm a Deatheater, just finish it off and kill me, that should rid both of our worlds of it's greatest blunder.” He muttered as he lifted his head. He received a fist in the face from James. His father's counterpart lifted him to his feet.

“Don't you dare take the cowards way out!” He exclaimed as he looked Harry in the eyes. “If what you say is true then you had to go through more than any kid ever did at Hogwarts and your parents would be proud of you!” He exclaimed. “They never would have wanted their son to join them in the afterlife until he got married, had an army of little Potters and was twice as old as Dumbledore.” James left the room swiftly, leaving his two best friends and Harry behind.

“Take care of him Moony, I'll got talk to Prongs.” Sirius said as he left.

“Come on Harry, I'll show you to a room.” Remus told him. Harry looked around and realised they were in the shreaking shack. It was the most likely apparition point outside Hogwarts as long as Petigrew didn't survive. James had most likely killed the treacherous rat with Sirius's help.

“Don't the deatheaters know about this passage through Wormtail?” Harry asked.

“He still lives in your world right? He died here.” Lupin announced. Harry nodded at what he had surmised.

“How? Was it my father or Sirius?” He asked, feeling curious.

“They say the female is the deadlier of any species. . .” It was all Remus would say. Harry deduced that it was Lily who got to him. They passed the tunnel and emerged under the whomping willow to Hogwarts, it was different from what Harry remembered. The castle he knew as a safe haven from his muggle hell seemed gloomier. Several gargoyles were perched here and there and Harry had no doubt they could become mobile if the need ever arose. The windows were replaced by openings from which wizards could shoot curses without staying open for attack. The school had given way to the fortress.

“The castle looks different.” Harry remarked.

“It should be, if you're a deatheater, we'll know once you pass the gates. The proximity wards won't let anyone connected to the dark come inside.” Remus explained. Harry froze, could his unwanted connexion to Voldemort make him evicted from Hogwarts.

“What about my scar.” Harry asked. “It serves as a connection to Voldemort.” Harry said.

“It won't evict you unless you are willing to keep said mark.” An old voice told him from the main gate.

“Professor Dumbledore?” Harry asked. The old Headmaster seemed two times older than Harry could remember seeing him. He was in the magical equivalent wheelchair and sitting next to both James and Sirius.

Harry sighed in relief as he stepped into the threshold of the castle. Since his second year there hadn't been a second when he hadn't wanted to be rid of the mark on his forehead.

“I haven't been called professor in ten years young man, I see you've been trained in occlumency.” The old man said. Harry hadn't even felt the probes of the old man.

“Not really, my instructor, if you can call that, trained me by constantly attacking my mind. There was no teaching in his methods except taunting me.” Harry explained. Dumbledore nodded as he waved his hand and made his chair turn around.

“Follow me please, I believe we may need to talk.” The old man told him. The three marauders followed them to the headmaster's office. It was quite different from Harry's memory. It had less odd objects and looked more like a wizard's version of a muggle war room.

“From what little I gleaned from your mind, I know you really are who you say you are. Now, since you have arrived her I'll give you a summary of what happened to turn our world so dark.” Dumbledore paused and to0ok a deep breath. “Voldemort took control of the ministry through Lucious Malfoy. His first decision was to have Hogwarts closed down. That was seven years ago. The cildren of the parents who didn't comply were taken away.” Harry winced slightly. The Weasleys had seven children, two of which most likely never went to hogwaqrts and neither did most of his friends in Gryffondor. “He then made muggleborn hunting legual. Along with many other laws which made the muggles nothing more than livestock. Nowadays, the state of secrecy is completely gone as the war escalated from a common wizarding guerrilla to a full out war.”

Harry nodded. That meant that the one whom he had cut a arm to could have been one of his friends. He shuddered at what he had done.

“I need to ask, are the Weasleys in the resistance? Ron, their youngest son, is, rather was, my friend where I came from!” Harry asked.

“They took him and young Ginny away before Arthur and Molly could come here, they were raised by deatheaters. From what we know, they mostly hang out with Malfoy and the other deatheaters.” Sirius told him.

“Dammit!” Harry swore. “The Longbottoms?” He asked. “Nevile was also on the list of the prophecy!” Harry exclaimed.

“All three of them were saved from the attack by your counterpart's demise.” Dumbledore said. “They have served as DADA teachers here for the last sixteen years.”

Harry sighed, at least Nevile was still alive.

“Do not carry the weigh of the world on your shoulders young man.” Dumbledore told him. “I realise you know the prophecy and it's content but what happened in this world is not your fault. You merely appeared in an alternate dimension where you died and the world became dark, but in another, Tom Riddle might not have ever turned dark, or you could be a dark lord in your own right. The world has an infinite number of possibilities and blaming yourself over something you had no control over is simply foolish, if not totally stupid.”

Harry felt lighter after those words, he could not help but feel responsible but the old headmaster had lifted some of his burden.

“How about I show him to his room in the tower?” James offered. Dumbledore nodded and Harry followed him out of the room. And towards the Gryfondor tower and what Harry surmised was the head boy dormitory.

“Is Hermione alright?” Harry asked.

“Lily is taking care of her so I wouldn't worry.” James answered. “You know we're not your parents.” James stated after a short paused.

“Yes, but it's hard. The only memories I have of them are the screams of their deaths which I ear whenever a dementor comes near and you torturing Snape in your fifth year which I saw in the slimy git's pensieve.” Harry stated.

“How the hell did you see his pensieve?” James asked.

“He's one of Dumbledore's spies and the potions master. Let's just say I have a terrible time in that course even though I can brew potions when he's not around I never ounce got a mark over an A.” James shook his head in dismay. Snape could sure hold a grudge through generations.

“Voldemort caught him then, we never understood why he executed him five years ago.” James said. Harry nodded.

“Dumbledore keeps as many secrets here than he does in my world.” Harry said for himself. They reached the fat Lady and James told the password. Once they reached the head boy's room James turned to Harry.

“You have to understand that most of the people here are on Voldemort's hit list so we can't give you quarters near the others. You'll receive your meals from the house elves in the common room. The young girl you brought with you is also here, since she's a muggleborn witch we'll see about getting her a wand from Olivander in a couple of days.” James said. Harry nodded in agreement. “It's not that we don't trust you, it's more like we can't afford to trust you should you turn out to be a deatheater in disguise.

“I understand. I'd do the same thing if it was me.” Harry said as he turned to the door.

“Goodnight son. . .” James uttered once the door was closed.

In the Head girl's room, Hermione was just waking up. In almost five years of running away, she had constantly dreamt about a knight in shining armour whisking her away to somewhere safe. She had most definitely never thought her knight would actually be a wizard and the safe heaven an actual castle.

“You're awake! I was thinking I'd have to leave you a note but that would have been rude.” Lily said from besides the bed.

“Where. . .where am I?” She asked the red headed woman.

“A safe place, it's called Hogwarts castle. I'll tell you all you may want to know about it after you've taken a hot bath and washed away all the grime off you and put on some decent clothing. They're all robes but what you're wearing right now won't do at all. There'll be a meal ready for you right here.” The woman felt safe, she was fussing over Hermione as though she were her mother for some reason but Hermione was not about to pass up any chance at a rest, even if it might be only a short one.

The good thing about the head prefects quarters were the private bathrooms along with the gigantic bath, Hermione had never seen a bath this large in her lifetime unless a pool could qualify as one. She chose the right perfume for her tastes and relaxed. She couldn't even remember the last time she had relaxed that much, the best equivalent she could think about was a quick dip into a stream or a lake, and never very long just in case she had to run away from yet another attack. She got out of the bathroom looking better than before.

“That's much better! Here, those were mine when I was about your age.” Lily told her as she presented the teenager with a set of school robes. She left Hermione to change and eat to find James down in the common room.

“James, are you alright?” She asked her husband.

“Yeah, it's just. . .he's so much like I thought our son would have been and so different at the same time.” He explained as he put his head into his hands.

“Dear, you know he's not our son.” She said rationally, all the while fighting the urge to fall into tears.

“That's just the thing Lily, in a twisted way, it's like we got our son back to us while not getting him back at the same time. It's torture!!!!” He exclaimed.

“I know dear, just looking at him was hard.” She told him. “I can't imagine how it would have been to talk to him.” Her voice broke and she started sobbing. James held her for a minute in his arms before she broke away and dried her tears. “If I go up there looking a fright I'll traumatise that poor girl even more.”

“Lils, she saw me, Remus and Sirius in the same room. The sequels are permanent.” James announced to his wife.

Lily rolled her eyes as she left her husband on the griffondor tower couch.

“Maybe years of therapy might cure her of the first contact with you but it's the general idea of being a witch that might hit her hard.” Lily said, trying not to sound too serious about the whole issue.

Meanwhile, Hermione had managed to get out of the bath and get dressed into the robes Lily had left her. That's about when Lily entered the room.

“We haven't introduced each other yet, I'm Lily, Lily Potter.” She said as she entered the room.

“I. . .I'm Hermione Granger.” The girl stuttered as she took a reflexive step back from the woman.

“No need to cringe away, I'm no deatheater, in fact, I'm mostly like you.” Lily stated.

“Like. . .me. . .?” Hermione said, not understanding.

“A witch born to a normal family.” Lily stated.

“No. . .I'm not. . .one of you. I. . .I can't be!” She stuttered. Lily walked forward and embraced the girl, trying to calm her down.

“We're mostly the same, both of us born to normal family only to have them killed for no good reason except that some people are too obtuse to see what is right in front of them. But we can make a difference, by fighting them.” Lily told her.

“But. . .I'm just. . .I'm just. . .” Hermione tried to say something but a male voice came from the door.

“You're just the most brilliant witch to ever attend the Hogwarts of my world.” Harry said. He hadn't been able to sleep, as usual, and the sound of movement in the room had intrigued him. James was snoring on the couch, completely oblivious to anything around him.

“How did you make it up here?” Lily asked. “The stairs are supposed to turn into slides when a boy steps on them.

“Ever heard of taking a detour? I just used a sticking charm on my shoes and walked up the wall.” He said as though it was normal to do things like that one. “I meant what I said, just give Hermione a copy of Hogwarts a History and she'll be quoting it tomorrow. In two weeks time, she'll have read the material for the first and second years of study and started on to fourth year material in about two months. As long as she isn't too side tracked by little projects and the likes.” Harry had a little smile on his face.

“How. . .how do you know I'll be any good?” She asked meekly.

“Because, in all the different universes, I'm sure Hermione Granger is the best student of magical theory out there.” Harry answered as he turned to the door. “That and the school has a gigantic library on any and all fields of magical application and theory. You should get to sleep though. It's been a long day and tomorrow will probably be even longer.” Harry said, mostly for himself as he walked out. Lily let go of Hermione and turned to follow Harry.

“He's right, you should be resting.” She announced. “Breakfast is served in the great hall between seven and ten. Just say Blacky for help if you need anything.” Lily said as she closed the door behind her.

The door clicked shut and Lily saw Harry put his foot on the first step.

“The steps!” She exclaimed, waking James and not warning Harry soon enough. The stairs turned into the long slide and delivered Harry, on his posterior, at their very base before turning back to steps.

“You made it up there?” James asked incredulous.

“Yeah, I just climbed the wall.” Harry stated.

“You're a genius! If I had known that! Sirius is going to go ballistics! Not to mention some of the others!” James said with a large grin.

“Come on James, I'm off to bed, you should go as well Harry.” She instructed.

“I'll just stay here a while longer.” He said, not wanting to bother with explaining his permanent nightmares. He didn't need to, the rings under his eyes were enough to give him away.

“Blacky!” Lily called. An oddly dressed house-elf wearing a baseball cap over his ears and a overlarge shirt for puddlemere united appeared.

“What misses need?” He asked. Lily smiled at him.

“Just a vial of dreamless sleep potion please.” She asked. The elf snapped his fingers and said container appeared. “Sleep well.” She said, plunging her green eyes in those of her son for the first time and seeing, if not feeling, the atrocities he had seen in his short life.

“Thank you, it should help.” Harry said as he turned towards his room. He fell asleep, without the nightmares for the first time since Sirius's demise.

End note: I had this idea late at night while I was talking with my girlfriend, as she had quite a few good ideas like the Weasley thing, I give co-authoring credit to Bunnymoon whom has written two fics over at FF.net but cannot write in English. And since I'm too lazy to traduce them….you get the idea right ?

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