Four figures lay on the icy stone floor. The silence remained unbroken. The darkness remained unblemished.
The veil had fallen silent hours before, but the four remained motionless.
"Ben?" Arty finally whispered softly.
Nothing.
"Ben?" she called a little louder.
A light moan was her reply.
"Ben?" she repeated.
"Arty, he's here but he's unconscious," a young woman replied.
"Lucy, I can't see you," she called back.
"Lumos," Radulphus called out, illuminating the room.
Ben remained face down, no sign of movement. Radulphus and Lucia had both risen to their feet; Lucia went to her little sister's aid while her brother tended to Ben. Arty watched as her brother rolled Ben over but he remained limp.
"Is Ben-?" Arty began.
"He'll be fine, there's a nasty knob on his head, he must have made a bump on the way through," Radulphus replied before Arty finished her thought.
"This isn't right," Lucia commented as she looked about the chamber.
Arty pushed away from Lucia to be closer to Ben, leaving her brother to join his twin in investigating their surroundings.
"How long were we in there?" he asked, and referenced his watch.
"It's hard to tell, it seemed like only a few moments, but my watch says it's been nearly two days," Lucia replied.
"The veil," Arty started, "-it's not torn?"
"No, and the spot… This isn't our world," Radulphus said as he examined the special device.
Ben's hand moved to his head gingerly and he moaned softly.
"Arty?" he mumbled.
"Shh… you're safe," Arty whispered. "You took a bump to the head - can you stand?"
"I think so. Are we home?" he asked.
"No, we're someplace different; there are new markings on this device," Radulphus said. "I suggest we leave as quickly as we can and try to understand how this happened."
Arty took Ben by the hand and said, "Come on, he said it will all be okay."
Ben looked slightly puzzled, "Who?"
"The man at the Ministry; before we left, he told all of us everything would be fine once we got home," she replied.
Ben stopped them both short before he replied, "There wasn't any one there; no one stopped us."
Arty looked puzzled, and shook her head, "No, there was this old man, he said mum's going to be fine, and we have to find your parents; they're in danger. He said everything would be fine."
"What did this man look like?" Lucia asked, her training re-enforcing the question's tone.
"It's hard to describe. He seemed so familiar, like I've seen him somewhere before. His hair and beard were white and quite long, and he had the deepest blue eyes. He was wearing long robes, and a periwinkle blue cloak, and high-backed boots," she said.
"Anything else? Did he have a scar, glasses, or any other distinguishing features?" Lucia asked, continuing her interrogation.
"No, but he seemed so kind and friendly. He said mum was going to get better, but we have to help Uncle Harry and Aunt Hermione first," she replied.
"Except for a few details, that description fits a past Minister for Magic," Radulphus offered.
"Can't we go through that portal again, and go home? Maybe mum and dad are there," Ben asked.
Radulphus opened the special watch, and shook his head. "This arm hasn't set on a mark; I don't believe this is functioning correctly."
"We know we are still in the Ministry, and we also know this isn't home," Lucia began. "We also seem to have some contact with this unknown individual. Until that talisman points us home, we best find help."
"Then we go to Godric's Hollow and hope we can contact Uncle Harry and Aunt Hermione. We can't be seen yet, so first we get to the stairs and then to the Atrium," Lucia commanded and marched for the oak doors to the Chamber of Death.
"How are they, Healer Winston?" Hermione asked the medi-wizard. Jerry remained dazed and confused, but Hermione held up her hand to keep him quiet.
"We have no idea what has caused these attacks or how to stop them. If what you told us is true, she may not survive another seizure of this type. She's finally resting quietly, but her injuries are substantial. Time will heal some, but as to the othesr…" the medi-wizard replied but was stopped from continuing.
"Is there anything we can do?" Ginny blurted out with concern for them.
"No, there's no medical solution. There's a curse or dark spell on her, but none of our means of detection can identify the source, as if it's being hidden. The boy should be fine in a few days," Healer Winston said to them.
"When can we take them home?" Hermione asked.
"The boy can go home in the morning, but I would like to keep the girl for a few days until she stabilizes. She's weak from the blood loss; even the replenishment potions haven't helped her fully recover. We'll keep her under a dreamless sleep for at least another day," the healer replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must tend to my other patients."
Hermione followed him from the room and stopped him in the hall, "Healer Wilson, you're quite sure neither will remember the past day?" she asked.
"I'm certain, because whatever trauma that caused this will have scarred both of them deeply. You still refuse to say how this happened?" he asked Hermione.
"When I found them, he was unconscious and she had been bleeding," Hermione offered.
"Then I suggest you try and learn what happened to her. There's no assurance the memory of what happened will remain subdued. Now good day," he said and vanished down the hall.
Hermione returned to the room where Ginny and a cloaked figure remained, and watched the healer leave. Ben returned to his sister's side and gently took her hand. Hermione nodded to the third figure, and Anna lowered her hood.
"Mum, if the healers can't help, then what can we do?" Anna asked.
"Alone, there's little we can do; we need help. I've seen that look in her eyes before and I'm afraid for her life," Hermione replied.
"Look? What do you mean?" Ginny asked. She held the girl's hand but her eyes remained closed.
Jerry leaned on one arm from his bed to listen to the conversation.
"I've seen someone consumed by evil before," she said softly, looking at the helpless girl in the bed. "I hope we aren't too late to save her."
"Save her?" Jerry asked weakly.
"Yes. We have to get her to the Ministry, and back to her home," Hermione said. "Anna, you know the secret passages into the Ministry..."
"Mum?"
"I know you've been sneaking in; you have too much of your father in you. You'll have to lead the way and I'll carry her. Jerry, you must come with us: you should be able to walk. Anna will help you if you need assistance; she's here to help. But once we get to the portal, Anna, you must return home and tend to your brother and sisters," Hermione commanded.
"But mum, Fred is there with them, and you'll need my help. Besides," she said and pointed at the clock on the wall, "it's well past their bedtime."
"You will do as I say, young lady; your stepfather needs your help, and I want you to stay here," Hermione scolded.
"Yes, mum," Anna replied.
Hermione quickly scooped up the girl from the bed. She covered her with an old cloak, and the pair vanished. Jerry managed to stand and dressed himself quickly. Within a few moments he and Anna quickly left the room to join the others.
Harry sat alone at the helm of the 'Magical Times', monitoring the radar scope to track the weather front that just blew into their path. The squall line on the scope spread across the entire screen, but the distant sky seemed clear.
Concerned, he leaned into the doorway to the cabin below, "It looks a bit rough out here; I suggest you secure your things. I've tried to alter our course to avoid this, but it looks like a huge front."
He increased the throttles of the diesel engines and sped up the boat. The pounding of the waves against the hull intensified. He scanned the instruments again, trusting his years of experience in these waters. His mind was focused on the radar screen, but he secretly noticed he wasn't alone.
"We have to get home, something's happened," Hermione Weasley insisted. She held a locket tightly in her hand. She was quickly followed to the deck by Ron, and then the Potters.
"There's a storm on the radar, we have to turn to a safe port until it passes," Harry insisted, his eyes remained fixed on the horizon.
"There's no storm out there," Ron commented as he peered out into the distance.
"It's just on the edge of the horizon, you won't see it until it hits. I've seen this before, when tropical storms blow through without warning. Except…" Harry said, now examining the radar scope.
"Except what?" Ron asked.
"This is the beginning of hurricane season, but this one's come up too fast. There hasn't been any prior warning of a storm in the past week," Luna replied.
Hermione Potter looked into the radar screen, and back to the horizon. "Harry," she began and received two 'yeses'. "No, I meant my husband," she added and looked at her Harry. "That isn't a storm; we've been followed or discovered. It must be some form of cover, look here, there's no deviation in the strength from the radar; a storm front should have variable strengths. This is artificial; I suspect it's being used to lure us inland."
"Who would want to lure us inshore?" Harry, pilot of the craft, asked.
"Him," Hermione Weasley said, "Haven't you listened to what we were discussing? For all we know he's already been home, that's the only reason I can think of for Ann to call for help." She clutched her locket tighter as she spoke.
"As far as I'm concerned, he's not my responsibility. I've promised to get you as far as Beef Island and no further," Harry replied.
Hermione Potter pulled her husband aside, "Remember that spell you used on Voldemort? Unless I'm mistaken that might shield us from this 'storm' we can't seem to avoid."
Harry shook his head, "It's been years since I attempted it, and I was much younger then. That's why I believe I had problems with it when we were in that other world."
"All you have to do is cast the sphere around the boat," Hermione added.
"What if I misjudge the size? We could all be crushed," Harry said.
"You won't. I think I can convince my double to help me to Apparate all of us, and the boat, to safety," she said.
"No, it's too risky; there's bound to be another solution," Harry argued, attempting to reject her plan.
She turned to face the other Harry, "How soon will that storm hit?"
"It's hard to estimate; there's still no sign on the horizon, but the screen says we'll be in it in five, maybe ten minutes," he said.
Luna pointed to a black void off in the distance on the starboard side, "Harry, I've never seen a storm like that."
He too saw the void and called back over the roar of the engines, "That's not a storm. Hemione's right, it's a trap of some sort."
The vortex maintained its position in front of the boat with every move Harry made with the vessel until the swirling black void was nearly on them. The radar now was useless as the storm covered the entire screen. Black lightning cracked in the void before them, wind howling the song of death.
Hermione Weasley opened her locket again, her face paled and her legs buckled. "Ron!" she called.
Ron forgot his feelings for Luna and hurried to his wife's aid. Without saying a word, he looked at her locket. "Ann's name is gone?" he finally said and watched as other names began fading from the locket.
All she could manage was a nod.
"Harry, we have no choice, something's wrong back in England," Hermione Potter yelled. "You have to try."
A massive wave broke over the bow, spraying them with icy water.
Harry felt the cold wave from his spot at the helm. "This isn't right, these are tropical waters," he said.
The Auror stood stiff, and released a deep breath before nodding and commanded, "Keep the others in a tight group, in the centre."
Hermione Potter went to her double, and pulled her to her feet, "Listen to me, I need your help if we're to survive. You have to put aside whatever message that locket delivered and focus."
"No, I can't…" Hermione Weasley mumbled.
Harry put his hands together and began to concentrate; the rocking of the boat nearly dislodging his stance.
"Then you've doomed us and the family you have at home. There's untapped power that together you and I can use to Apparate all of us to safety, but I must have your help," Hermione Potter said, holding her double's arms tightly.
Hermione Weasley shook her head, "I can't…"
"Yes, you can; you're a Gryffindor," Hermione Potter insisted.
"CONTEGO OPERIRE HOSTIS," Harry recited; a blue field grew around the boat. A large wave harmlessly crashed over the protective blue sphere.
"Now, focus on someplace as far from here as you can," Hermione Potter yelled to her double. The deck of the boat began to shimmer, and a loose life-vest slid across the deck. The others braced themselves and held onto any fixed point.
The winds covered the protective sphere while violent streaks of black lightning cracked against the shield. Each strike created a deep blue glow fading the sphere's brilliance.
"I… can't… hold … this… much longer," Harry forced out, his face streaked from stress.
"NOW! We have to go NOW!" Hermione Potter yelled. The blackness swallowed them, and squeezed them as if being forced into a pipe.
"GOOD…" Hermione Potter shouted over the dim of the storm.
"Where?" Hermione Weasley screamed.
"Hold on, hold on… HOLD ON," Hermione Potter yelled, until the darkness of the storm faded. A firm jolt and splash let them all know they landed.
Harry managed a final wave, dissipating the shield before he collapsed onto the deck. Hermione Potter and Hermione Weasley both fell to their knees, then to the deck, joining Harry.
Ron left his point of safety to his wife's side, gently cradling her head. "We made it, we're away. You were brilliant," he cooed to her. Her hand relaxed and the locket slipped from her fingers.
Harry remained at his station, at the helm, and quickly studied the instruments.
"This is impossible, we've been sent nearly clear across the Atlantic," he finally said.
"Where are we?" Ron asked.
"The best I can tell, about one thousand kilometers from Spain, roughly about two days cruise, three days from London," he said.
"We might not make it," Luna replied, "the fuel…"
"Right, we can't make it more than seven or eight hundred kilometers," Harry replied. He pulled up a satellite map of the ocean on the display screen and grinned.
"So, we're short by 3 hundred kilometers, we could Apparate from there," Ron offered.
"Possibly, but we're maybe four hundred kilometers from São Migue in the Azores. We should be able to make land fall in less than one day - say by mid-day tomorrow - and get some fuel," Harry said. "Take them below and make them comfortable," he said as he spun the wheel about. The boat responded and lurched forward, heading south-west.
"Quiet, I think I heard someone. Boy, you stay back until we're clear."
"NOX."
The chamber fell dark again; the three men quickly sought the cover provided by the stone benches. A distinctive series of thuds alerted them that others had arrived through the portal.
The leader put his hand to the man on his left, that man repeated the signal to the third member of the team. They all remained silent.
Minutes lapsed; a moan from one of the newcomers was replied with whispers.
"She's still unconscious, but alive," a woman's voice said.
A younger female voice groaned in reply.
A young man's voice replied, "We have to hurry."
"Lumos," the woman said, holding her wand over her head, they all remained with their backs to the three men.
"Pull your hoods up, so no one will recognize you. I told you not to come with us," the elder woman said.
"Yes, mum, but he was having too much difficulty. You told me to stay with him and help. He needed my help, and she will need my help soon, too" the girl replied.
"That's another matter we'll discuss later," the woman scolded the girl.
The leader of the three men stared at the newcomers before he realized there were four people. The woman carried an unconscious girl covered with a dark cloak. He instantly recognized the elder woman.
"Hermione?" the leader called from his strategic location.
"Dad?" the boy called weakly. The other two men stood and together approached the newcomers.
"What happened? We told you to stay home," Ron demanded.
"We have to get her to a Healer; I've done what I can," Hermione said.
"What happened to Annie?" Sirius asked and stepped forward to take his grand-god-daughter from the woman he assumed was her mother.
"Sirius? Sirius Black?" Hermione asked apprehensively.
"I take it you're not Hermione Potter," Sirius said.
"No, I haven't seen you since you left sixteen years ago," she replied.
Sirius nodded, to Ron and Remus' mild confusion. "This is the Hermione from the world where I was trapped for twelve years, the one…"
"The one where I was abused by Harry, I've come to terms with that," she said completing his explanation.
Ron stepped to his son, "How's Annie?"
"Dad, she's dying. She had another attack and was really hurt. They couldn't stop her bleeding this time," Jerry said solemnly. "If they hadn't found us, she would have died."
"Us?" Remus asked.
"And Hermione couldn't help?" Sirius added; his memories of that day she escaped still fresh in his mind.
"No, I tried, but there's little I could do at the time. She was with Jerry, and he was injured trying to protect her," Hermione replied.
Anna remained partially concealed, and simply observed. Remus watched her cautiously as the others talked.
"I suggest we all leave and get Annie to a healer, or possibly seek out Abraham," Remus suggested.
"Who's Abraham?" Hermione asked.
"Someone that's been helping, and guiding us; apparently he's quite knowledgeable of details no one else is aware of," Ron replied. "We, or I should say I, met him a few days ago, when he managed to get the kids away."
"You still won't give up on that, he's been helping all along, we have to trust him," Remus snapped.
"I won't discuss the issue again, especially after that last bout," Ron hissed back.
"We had some disagreements in our last trip," Sirius replied to Hermione and Jerry. He still had Annie cradled in his arms.
"Dad, what happened?" Jerry asked Ron.
"We ran into some old friends," Ron replied.
"That's an understatement," Remus quipped back.
"The ministry seemed to have been attacked, and portions were altered," Sirius said. "This chamber seems unaffected."
"We're not home, dad. The veil was damaged when we left; there was a fight and…" Jerry began.
"Ron," Hermione interrupted, "they believe Ginny…"
"We don't really know, it happened so fast, I grabbed Annie and we went for the only safe place. We were standing there, next to the Arch, when we encountered a man named Snape. He and Aunt Ginny talked, just over there and someone fired spells at us from the door. Snape was hit first, and then Aunt Ginny. I grabbed Annie, Ben grabbed Arty, and we all ran into the veil. The last I saw of Aunt Ginny were her eyes, they were cold, as if…" Jerry stopped, wiped his cheeks, and took Annie's hand.
"From the descriptions they told me, they both were seriously injured, but we have no idea how bad," Hermione said stopping Jerry's thoughts.
"Listen, all of you, we all have been 'summoned' here for some reason. I believe the others will eventually find us, but for now, we have to get Annie Potter proper attention," Anna said from under her hood.
Remus smirked, "If you insist, Miss. I assume she's your daughter Hermione?" he asked.
Hermione nodded, "Yes, Anna is my daughter. Sirius, you must remember those weeks after… when you found me. She's all I have left of Harry."
Anna removed her hood and pointed to a dark corner in the distance, "And you have someone here too."
Ron sighed heavily and motioned for him to step closer. "Come, boy, they are friends."
"We can make that introduction later, Annie's our first priority. She needs rest," Jerry insisted.
"Right, son; Annie needs to be looked after properly. I suggest we use the stairs to the second level, there's an Auror's Apparation point there. We should be able to find our way to the Burrow from there," Ron stated, and led the growing team through the door.
"I don't understand, Rudy; what happened to both our homes?" Ben asked as they moved at a quickened pace through the forest.
"I wish I knew. No one at St. Mungo's knows anything about mum; it was as if she didn't exist," Radulphus replied.
"Why did you give the attendant incorrect names? And where did you get the name 'Stevens'?" Arty asked.
"Jake Stevens; he was the Muggle Studies professor when we started at Hogwarts. It's part of our instructions if we are uncertain of who to trust," Lucia explained.
They rushed through the forest and into a small clearing. A large oak stood next to a small pond, the grounds appearing unused for many years.
Past the pond, they could see two figures toiling in the fields.
"That looks like Uncle Bill, but who's the woman?" Arty asked.
"I have no idea, but stay close and let us do the talking. Lucy, I think it best if you take the lead and I stay back with Arty and Ben, in case this turns bad," Radulphus said.
"Right, now that it's been said: Arty, you and Ben must keep silent," she instructed, and led them across the field. Radulphus removed his dark cloak, following his sister's example.
They approached cautiously, until they reached the crumbling stone wall where the couple worked, the woman was strikingly beautiful. Radulphus gasped when he saw her features. Her long blonde hair hung over her shoulder in a thick braid, and the man with her was indeed their uncle.
"Hallo," Lucia called in a friendly tone. "I'm looking for the Weasleys."
The woman looked up from her work, and leaned on her hoe. 'Allo, what ez your businez with ze Weasleys?" she replied in broken English.
"We seem to be lost; this is their home, is it not?" Lucia asked.
"Merde, we have more lost people," she called over her shoulder. "And who are ze four of you?"
Bill looked up and blinked, "Merlin's beard! Fleur, stand back," he commanded, producing his wand with amazing speed.
"We mean no harm; please hear us out," Lucia asked, slipping her wand into her hand, nearly unseen.
"I have no idea how you escaped from Azkaban, Bellatrix, but by Merlin's beard, I'll send you back," Bill hissed.
"Lucy, he thinks you're…." Radulphus said, as he also unsheathed his wand.
"I am not Bellatrix Lastrange," she insisted. "We are Aurors, taking these two children home to their parents."
"And exactly who are you, Auror?" Bill demanded; his wand poised at her chest.
"We're looking for my mum and dad, my name's Ben Potter," Ben said, stepping forward.
"Quiet, boy," Lucia barked.
"Potter?" Bill asked, but maintained his defensive stance.
"As I said, my business is with the Weasleys; unless you step aside, we have no time to deal with hired help," Lucia warned, her wand began to glow, giving emphasis to her warning.
"My name," he yelled, and a red beam burst from his wand, "is William Weasley, and I was born in this house."
His spell was narrowly deflected by Radulphus; Arty and Ben were both pushed to the ground by a wave of the Auror's hand.
"Stop!" Arty shrieked, "Stop, he's family!"
Bill's attack ceased at the girl's scream and he also noticed neither countered his offence.
"Family?" Fleur asked cautiously.
"Explain yourselves, or get off my property!" Bill commanded.
"Do you know a Ginevra Weasley?" Lucia asked,
"She was my sister; she's been gone for years after Potter…" Bill said softly.
"Before that man broke her heart," Fleur finished.
"Sister?" Lucia hesitated, "Mum always talked about her brothers, but never about a 'Bill'."
"Lucy, remember he died with grandmum and papa," Radulphus said.
Bill froze, and shook his head in disbelief. Lucia lowered her wand, and Arty and Ben both stood behind her. In that moment, Bill saw them clearly.
"Ginevra is our mum," Lucia said softly, "Dad was murdered less than a fortnight ago."
"Who was your father," Bill asked, still on the defensive.
"Draco Malfoy; he was the Potions Master at Hogwarts before his disappearance two months ago. I specifically requested permission to find his killer," Lucia replied, her stance open; wand harmlessly pointed to the ground.
"Draco Malfoy was as bad as his father, and a coward. Ginny never would have had anything to do with him," Bill snapped.
"The obvious truth is we are not from this world, but a parallel one, where things turned out differently. We may not be able to prove this…" Radulphus said before Ben cut him off.
"What about that portal key? It may help at lease prove to them we are telling the truth," Ben suggested.
"Under one condition, you all surrender your wands until we can sort this through," Bill insisted.
"I'm afraid they can't do that, Bill. That would be a violation of their duty, and of my direct orders," another voice from the far side of the field said. Bill turned to see the newest member of this altercation, and saw Ron standing with a number of others.
"Ron?" Bill asked.
"Yes, and no. I'm Ronald Weasley, from their world. Bill, you've got to listen to them, we all came here from an alternate universe. But right now we need to find the root cause, and unless I'm mistaken there's a reason we have all ended up together," Ron said.
Ben noticed Sirius still carrying Annie, and left Lucia's protection to join his sister. "Mum?" he called out once he saw Hermione.
"No, dear. I'm not your mum," she replied. Jerry intercepted Ben and began to explain.
Ron and the others gathered in expectation of discussing the afternoon's unusual gathering, but instead left the glen for the relative comfort of the Burrow.