What if Voldemort never existed?
From the Unofficial Portkey Archive: https://portkey-archive.org/story/6289/
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter characters etc.
Warning: Book 1-6 spoilers
A/N: An idea that has been in my head for some time. Big thanks to my BETA, Katie!!
Into The Light
Lightning struck the air, tearing the night sky apart; its swirling blackness suffocating the moon. The jagged lights briefly illuminated the bloodied ground below where a fierce battle had raged. Only two people were left standing; each one's eyes locked on the other, oblivious to the storm around them.
The raven-haired boy wiped the blood off his face, his breathing ragged as he glared at the man before him with intense hatred. “You killed them!” He yelled, choking slightly on his tears, “Now you'll die!”
The man laughed, a cold fearless laugh that would have made any other person shiver in fear, “And what are you going to kill me with?” The man asked, his crimson eyes smiling mockingly, “Your pathetic curses?” He laughed again and walked forward, his black cloak blowing in the wind. “Poor precious Potter, the saviour of the wizarding world,” The man laughed, “You've already lost everything you love. What is the use in fighting me now? No one is here to welcome you back home, Harry.” He said cruelly.
Harry walked forward, his emerald eyes sparkling with hatred, “Nothing matters to me anymore; you've made sure of that.” He said bitterly, the hatred surging through him like a poison. “Only one of us lives tonight, Voldemort, and I won't be running.”
Voldemort smiled and brought out his wand, “Then let us begin.”
Harry nodded and raised his wand in salute. He thought that he would have been more scared than this, but after everything he had been through, all the friends he had seen killed, somehow he had become numb. Only one thing was clear to him, and that was to kill the spawn of hate before him; the man who had taken everything from him, replacing it with bitterness and despair. This was his last chance to end it all. It was either kill or be killed, and Harry wasn't giving up without a fight.
Voldemort narrowed his crimson eyes and sent a jet of purple light to Harry. Harry deflected it easily with his wand and grinned, “You didn't think I would come here unprepared, did you?” He said mockingly.
”So you learnt a few tricks; it still won't be enough.” Voldemort sneered.
They clashed together in battle, sending curse after curse, until Harry thought he was so magically drained he would collapse. He knew he could not keep it up any longer, soon the inevitable avada kedavra would come, and that would be it. Voldemort was just toying with him, and they both knew it.
Harry gasped as a spell hit his leg. He heard the bone snap sickeningly, and a surge of pain shot through his body. His leg gave a nasty throb, and Harry collapsed to the ground. Gasping slightly, he stared at his mutilated leg; the bone was sticking out at an odd angle, and blood oozed from it with each throb of pain.
Voldemort laughed, “You cannot run from me now, Harry.”
He moved towards Harry menacingly, and Harry realised with a sudden jolt that he had lost his wand. He looked around feverishly for his wand and saw it lying on the muddy ground.
”Got-to-get-wand,” Harry gasped, as he stretched his fingers out, while trying to push himself towards the wand. His hands closed around the muddy wand, when Voldemort's foot slammed down on his fingers. Harry heard the crunching of the bones in his fingers and the loud snap of the wood splitting in two.
He cried out in pain and looked up into Voldemort's pitiless gaze. “I'm going to crush you until nothing is left.” Voldemort said softly, his crimson eyes lighting with malice. “And then you shall die, knowing that everything you have loved I have destroyed.”
Harry could feel the rage boiling inside him, the desire to kill taking over him. His hand slid around the mud coming to rest on a particularly jagged rock. Harry grasped the rock in his hand and looked up at Voldemort, “I won't let you win!” He yelled desperately.
Voldemort laughed and leaned closer, whispering softly, “My dear boy, you've already lost.”
Harry lunged forward with the rock, slicing Voldemort's neck, the blood splattering his face like crimson rain.
Voldemort fell back sputtering and choking, clutching his neck in disbelief.
Harry sat up and stared at Voldemort, “You were right in saying my spells couldn't hurt you, but even you can't stop this.” He said firmly.
Voldemort stared at Harry through his crimson eyes, “You'll never kill me, Harry. I'll always be there like your shadow until the day you die.”
Harry watched as Voldemort took one last shuddering breath and fell back against the ground in a pile of blood.
”You won't come back this time.” Harry said firmly.
He sighed and fell back against the mud, staring up at the stormy skies. He had defeated Voldemort, but he had gained nothing; Hogwarts was destroyed and all his friends murdered.
”I can't even move.” Harry said bitterly. Was he going to just have to lie here next to Voldemort's body until he bled to death?
Unbearable tiredness seemed to sweep over Harry. He closed his eyes and felt the blackness start to surround him. If this was what death was like, it wasn't so bad. It kind of felt like you were falling into a peaceful dream, even the pain in his leg and hand seemed to have lessened.
Suddenly a blinding light shot out through the air. Harry opened his eyes and sat up with a jolt. White light poured around him, and he could feel a strange sensation in his body. What's going on? He thought to himself.
A still silence rang through the air, and Harry could only hear his own ragged breathing. That couldn't be right; there was a storm.
He looked next to him, but Voldmeort's body had gone. “What's going on?” Harry said, confused.
”Harry.” A voice said softly.
Harry looked up into the blinding white light and saw a figure descending from the light, her brown hair blowing gently in a non-existent wind.
”Hermione?” He whispered, tears falling from his eyes.
”Harry,” she whispered coming in to close the door.
”Hermione, what are you doing?” Harry asked, quickly pulling on his shirt.
”I'm sorry,” Hermione said, blushing, “I just needed to talk to you.”
”Oh?” Harry said surprised and sat down on the bed. “What's up?”
Hermione fidgeted slightly with her hands and frowned. Harry had never seen her so agitated before; she was normally so calm. “Hermione?” he prompted.
”Harry, please don't go to the cave; it's too dangerous. I promise we'll find another way.” She burst out desperately.
Harry sighed, “Hermione, you know there is no other way.”
”But-“
”No,” Harry said firmly, “You know what I have to do.”
Hermione stared at him, her honey brown eyes filling with tears, “But so many people have died already. I don”t want you to-“
”I'm not going to die, Hermione.” Harry said firmly and pulled her into his arms. “Don't you believe in me anymore?” He asked, looking down at her sadly.
”I do believe in you,” Hermione said softly, “But I don't want you to go.” She grasped his hands firmly and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, “I love you, Harry.”
Harry stared at her shocked. His whole life he had wanted to hear those words, and now hearing them, he finally understood why love was such a treasured thing. Looking into her eyes he knew that nothing could compare to the feelings of warmth that burned through him. “I love you too.” Harry said, smiling tenderly before he kissed her gently on the lips.
Harry opened his eyes and stared around him. The pillar of light, and the person had gone. Harry was surprised to see that his leg and hand had been healed.
”What's going on?” he muttered, standing up.
He peered around the room, but it appeared that there was no way out.
”Harry,” the voice said again, but this time clearer.
Harry spun around and saw Hermione standing before him clothed in white. She looked unearthly, almost angelic.
”Hermione, it really is you?” Harry said disbelievingly.
Hermione smiled, “Wake up, Harry.”
Harry tried to walk forward, but the world began to dissolve. He stared at Hermione's smiling face as it began to fade, “No, come back!” he shouted as he ran forward. Harry yelped in surprise as the ground fell away, plummeting Harry into the blinding light below.
OOOOOOOOOOO
”Young man, what are you doing?” A voice asked shocked.
Harry groaned and opened his eyes. His body felt stiff, and an odd buzzing sound was ringing in his head. “Where am I?” he asked as he looked around the cool stone walls that looked so familiar.
”Must have hit his head.” Someone said amused. Harry thought he recognised that voice but couldn't quite place it.
He stood up and swayed slightly; he noticed a bunch of people staring at him curiously. A man Harry had seen before was peering at him through his glasses, “Maybe you should go to Madam Pomfrey?” He said firmly.
Harry stared at them, confused, “What are you talking about?” Madam Pomfrey was dead; how could he go see her?
He stared at the young girl looking at him and was surprised to see a Ravenclaw crest on her robe. That was when it hit him: stone walls, the familiar faces, he was in Hogwarts, though he couldn't understand how.
”I have to go,” Harry said quickly and walked away slightly shakily. What was going on? And how was he possibly in Hogwarts?
He walked down the familiar corridors and gasped as a boy with flaming red hair walked past. “RON!” Harry yelled, running forward. “Ron, it's me. Harry!”
Ron looked at him confused. His blue eyes narrowed slightly, “What do you want?”
”Huh?” Harry said, confused.
”Don't even talk to me,” Ron said rudely and walked away.
Harry watched him walking away feeling very confused. What was up with Ron?
He looked around and noticed Hermione walking alone towards the library. “Hey!” Harry called, running forward, “Hermione.”
Hermione stopped and looked at him, confused, “Harry?”
Harry felt a wave of relief sweep over him; at least one of his friends recognised him. “Hey, what's going on?”
”Sorry?” Hermione said, puzzled, “What are you talking about?”
Harry sighed, “Well, you are my friend, aren't you?”
Hermione gazed at him blankly, “Friend? You hardly even talk to me.” She accused.
”What?” Harry said surprised, “Of course I talk to you; you're my best friend.”
Hermione only stared at him. “I think you've hit your head. Maybe you should get Madam Pomfrey to check it out?”
Harry let out a frustrated yell. Why wasn't anyone talking to him normally? “Look, I just defeated Voldemort, and now I'm in this weird place, and I need your help to get me back.”
Hermione walked forward and felt his head, “Are you feeling alright?” She asked concerned.
”What? Didn't you even listen to me? I defeated Voldemort!!” Harry declared.
”Um, Harry, who is this Voldemort? Seriously, did you take some babbling potion or something?” Hermione asked, bemused.
Harry stared at her, shocked. There was no way that anyone in the wizarding world would say, `who is this Voldemort?' Something was wrong, and Harry had to find out what.
”Ahh, Mr. Potter.” Professor McGonagall said briskly as she walked forward. “I've been looking for you. Your mother is here to see you.”
”Mother?” Harry said faintly. He stared behind Professor McGonagall and saw a beautiful woman with emerald-coloured, almond-shaped eyes. Her long ruby red hair fell around her, and she smiled tenderly. “Harry, how are you feeling now?”
”Mum?” Harry gasped, “Is that really you?”
Lily laughed, “Of course it's me, Harry.”
”This can't be real.” Harry said fervently, all of a sudden feeling very light headed.
They all looked at him strangely, and Harry knew, whereever he was, it was certainly not his reality.
A/N: Review please and tell me what you think.
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Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter characters etc.
Warning: Book 1-6 spoilers
A/N: Thankyou to all the reviews. I'm so sorry I've been terrible with updating but I've been unbelievably busy.
No Friend Of Mine
Harry tried to open his eyes but everything felt numb and heavy. A loud buzzing noise echoed in his head, and Harry had the distinct impression that something wasn't right.
”How is he feeling?” he heard someone ask in a concerned voice.
The buzzing in Harry's head grew lighter, and he could feel the heaviness in his body starting to wear off.
”His mind has gone into shock,” another muffled voice said slowly. “I don't know what could have caused this to happen, but…” the voice trailed off, and Harry could almost feel their eyes watching him. “He'll be fine.”
”But, it's been three days…”
”It's been three days…don't you think we should stop now?” the pale haired boy asked quietly.
”Don't even say it!” Harry yelled angrily. “He'll come back, Malfoy; I know it.”
Draco walked forward. “Ignoring it will only make it worse, Potter; you have to accept-“
”JUST SHUT UP!” Harry exploded, his emerald eyes flashing furiously.
Draco sighed. “Keep telling yourself that your precious Weasley isn't dead, but deep down you know he isn't coming back…”
Harry stared at the wall, completely ignoring the other boy.
”Potter,” Draco said harshly, “Weasley went missing three days ago…you know just as well as me that it's not because he's gone on holiday…”
Tears burned in Harry's eyes as Draco's words hit him like a sledgehammer. The brutal knowledge that his best friend would never laugh with him again, the sorrow he felt as Ron's face turned into a memory, everything was not fair…
”I'm sorry, Potter,” Draco said softly. “He didn't deserve this…”
”Harry, you're awake!” Lily exclaimed and pulled him into a hug, making Harry feel incredibly uncomfortable. He was not used to being hugged by anyone but Hermione.
”Mum,” Harry said quickly, pulling himself away, “What happened?”
Lily's smile faltered, and she looked at him keenly through her emerald eyes. “You went into a sort of coma. Madame Pomfrey says your mind went into shock and just closed itself off.”
Harry gasped, “So, I've been out for three days?”
Lily nodded. “I was getting worried, but you're okay now, so there's nothing to worry about.”
Harry frowned and looked away.
”What's wrong, Harry?” Lily asked concerned.
Harry shook his head. “It's nothing, mum. Um, can I ask what you're doing here anyway?”
Lily laughed. “Silly, I've been visiting your father, but Professor McGonagall told me about your little mishap.”
“Oh…” Harry said confused, wondering what that mishap was.
”Well, I'll come see you soon, alright? I have to go home and look after Adelle,” Lily said standing up.
Harry nodded and watched her leave. “Who's Adelle?” he said to himself once she had left.
Madame Pomfrey bustled in and fussed over Harry before declaring he was fine to go. Harry nodded and quickly left the Hospital Wing. It suddenly occurred to him that he didn't know just what he was supposed to be doing. To his great relief he saw Hermione walking past with her books clutched in her hands.
”Hey, Hermione!” Harry hollered coming to walk beside her. He noticed her raised eyebrow but decided to plunge on ahead anyway.
”Um, what class do I have now?” he asked quickly.
”You have Potions, Harry,” Hermione replied evenly and continued walking.
“H-hey, wait,” he stuttered and ran to catch up. “What's with you?”
”What's with you?” Hermione exclaimed, clearly frustrated. “You've been acting so…so weird lately. Not to mention you're talking to me for some reason.”
”What do you mean I've been acting weird?” Harry said puzzled. “And why wouldn't I talk to you?”
Hermione sighed. “Don't you remember anything?”
Harry stared at her bewildered. “I don't understand,” he said confused.
Hermione shook her head and continued walking. “Maybe you really did hurt yourself in there,” she muttered. “Not that it really matters much to me,” she said firmly and glared at him slightly. “If this is another one of your friends' games to make me look ridiculous again, I don't want any part of it. Just leave me alone, Harry.”
”Oh, c'mon, I wouldn't do anything to hurt you,” Harry said earnestly as he walked by her side.
Hermione raised her eyebrow and pushed open the Potions classroom, obviously trying to ignore Harry, but Harry wasn't going to let her get away that easily. She was the only person he could trust to help him with this, after all, how much different could she be in this world than from his own?
Hermione sat down at a table by herself, to which Harry promptly sat down next to her.
“What are you doing?” Hermione hissed angrily.
”Sitting by you. Is that a crime now?” Harry asked innocently.
Hermione scowled and pulled out her stuff. “Well, just don't get in my way.”
Harry grinned slightly and turned to look up at the teacher. It was Professor Snape, much to his surprise. Harry had always hated Snape during his school years, but something happened that would change how he viewed the man. Something he would never forget….
Harry sat up from the explosion and stared around feeling very dizzy. His eyes were swimming with black spots, and an odd ringing sound was echoing in his brain.
Someone groaned from underneath the rubble, and Harry stumbled his way over to find Severus Snape trapped under a large piece of building.
”Snape!” Harry exclaimed, surprised.
”You're okay?” Snape said sharply.
Harry nodded. “Fine.”
”Good,” Snape said, closing his eyes.
”I'm surprised to hear you say that,” Harry muttered.
Snape laughed bitterly. “Don't get me wrong. I still hate you, Potter. I hate the way you look, the way you act. I hate everything about you.”
”Then why—“
”I did it for Lily. I couldn't let her son die…not when you should've been mine.”
”Huh?” Harry said shocked. “What are you talking about?”
”I loved her. And he took her from me! Your face…is a constant reminder of that.”
”You loved…my mum?” Harry said quietly.
Snape nodded. “We were quite close at school, but things happened. Your father swept her off her feet eventually, and I was left with nothing but bitter memories.”
Harry frowned. “That's no excuse to hate me. I've done nothing.”
Snape laughed bitterly. “You're right.” He considered Harry through his cold black eyes and smiled slightly. “I always thought you were like your father, Potter. I see now I was wrong. You're more like Lily than you know.”
”Enough of that. We have to get out of here,” Harry said firmly as he stood up.
When Snape didn't answer, Harry knew it was too late. The man was already dead.
Harry knelt down by his old enemy and Potions teacher and stared at the face he had hated so much. “I think understand now,” Harry whispered. “I'm sorry…”
Snape's dark eyes glittered maliciously in the torchlight as he stared at the students. “Today we will be learning about Strengthening Solution. If any of you so much as think about sneaking some of the potion, it will be an instant detention.”
”See he hasn't changed much,” Harry muttered and leaned his head against his elbow.
”The ingredients are in the cupboard, and the instructions are on the board.” Snape said in his harsh voice and then sat down at his desk. It looked like he was marking some tests by all the parchment piled up.
Harry groaned slightly and made his way towards the cupboard. As he gathered his ingredients, he noticed Ron talking in a low voice to Seamus Finnigan. They looked at him through narrowed eyes and continued their fast mutterings.
Harry shrugged slightly and weaved his way through the cauldrons back to Hermione. She appeared to be busy measuring something and was still doing her best to ignore him.
”Hermione,” Harry said slowly, “Can you tell me what's with Ron?”
Hermione looked up at him surprised. “You really don't remember anything, do you?”
Harry looked down, feeling frustrated at how little he knew about this world. Everything was just so different here.
”The two of you used to be such good friends. But last year you were made Quidditch Captain, remember?”
Harry nodded. “Sure. So what happened then?”
Hermione raised her eyebrows again but didn't admonish him. “You removed him from the team. Said he wasn't good enough.”
Harry's mouth dropped open in shock. “I-what?”
Hermione nodded seriously. “After that, things just fell apart. You got into a fight a couple of weeks ago, and I think he's still angry that you won. I'd watch your back if I were you, Harry. He's definitely not going to let you off easy.”
Harry groaned and ran his hands over his face. “Just what I need,” he mumbled to himself.
Hermione stared at him curiously but didn't say anything.
”Well, I guess that clears up that. So what else has been going on?” Harry asked with some misgiving. From the sound of things, he was a total jerk in this world.
”Look, I'm not a Harry encyclopedia. It's not like I know everything about you. We hardly talk, remember?!” Hermione snapped grumpily.
”Whoa, calm down,” Harry said backing away slightly, “I didn't mean to make you angry.”
Hermione huffed slightly and started chopping up her potions ingredients.
”So, can you at least tell me why you hate me so much?” Harry asked her curiously.
Hermione's hand slipped on the knife and caught her finger; she stared at him incredulously, completely ignoring the blood dripping from her hand.
”Hey, you're bleeding!” Harry said, alarmed, and grabbed her hand away from the knife. He muttered a quick healing spell and smiled as her cut disappeared.
Hermione gazed at his hand holding hers with a fascinated look. Slowly she brought her eyes up to his, and Harry noticed the strange almost searching look in their honey brown depths.
”You're so different…” she said softly.
Harry quickly dropped her hand and pulled himself together. “I-uh, don't know what you mean.”
He looked around nervously and tried to avoid her questioning gaze.
“I know you've been acting weird lately, but it's like you're a different person,” Hermione said confused. “I don't understand what's going on.”
Harry frowned. “Something happened to me. I don't know what, but I can't remember anything.”
Hermione's eyes widened. “Do you think someone modified your memory?”
Harry shrugged. “Maybe.”
Of course he knew this wasn't the truth, but it was better to keep her in the dark at the moment. If he told her he was from another world, she'd just think he was crazy again.
”Okay, well, I guess I can help you,” Hermione said slowly, “Just tell me one thing.”
”What?”
”This isn't some kind of sick game, is it?” she asked quietly, her eyes downcast.
”I already told you. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Please, just trust me,” Harry said earnestly.
Hermione looked up, and their eyes met. Harry willed her to see that he was being honest; he didn't know what he had done to her, but he hoped she would find it in her heart to forgive him.
Slowly she nodded. “I believe you.”
Harry let out a sigh of relief and smiled at her.
“Thanks.”
Hermione merely nodded and continued with her work. Harry realised he had better get a move on with his potion, or else he'd be in a lot of trouble. It was lucky that he had gained a few tips about making Strengthening Solution during the war.
As Snape called for the students to bring up their potions, Harry quickly filled his vial and moved over to Snape. He handed the potion over and was surprised that Snape said nothing to Harry but merely nodded his head in Harry's direction.
Shrugging slightly, Harry followed Hermione out of the classroom and no sooner had he started walking towards the dungeon exit when he felt something very hard connect with his face.
Stumbling back, Harry rubbed a hand to his cheek and spat out a bit of blood. He looked around dizzily and saw Ron's dark blue eyes flashing with intense hatred.
”That's for the other week, Potter. Now we're even,” he said nastily and walked off, followed by Seamus and Dean.
Harry stared at his retreating back and felt a cool hand pull his hand away. It was Hermione.
”I told you to watch your back," Hermione scolded gently, while peering at his face. “Well, it looks like nothing is broken, but come with me to the Hospital Wing, and I'll get you some bruise salve.”
Harry nodded and followed her through the corridors, while trying to soothe his aching face.
”Why couldn't he have just cursed me?” Harry groaned.
Hermione laughed. “What, you'd rather be sprouting tentacles right now?”
Harry shook his head. Suddenly he realised what he had completely forgotten. “So, if I'm not friends with Ron…then who am I friends with?” Harry asked curiously.
”Neville Longbottom, William and Isabelle Black, you know.”
”Wait a minute!” Harry gasped. “William and Isabelle Black?”
Hermione nodded. “They're family friends. And, well, you became close friends too.”
Harry shook his head in wonderment. “How strange,” he said out loud.
”We're here,” Hermione said, interrupting Harry's thoughts, as she opened the Hospital Wing door.
Harry followed her in and surveyed the familiar white room. He watched as Hermione bustled around by the cupboards and came back with a foul smelling cream.
”Here, this will stop the bruising,” she said soothingly as she applied some of the cream to his face.
Harry stared into her face as she applied the cream. Her honey brown eyes were focused on his bruise, and her rosy pink lips were slightly parted as she concentrated. Strands of her bushy brown hair were falling about her pale face, and in one swift movement Harry had moved those silken strands behind her ears.
He didn't know why he had done it. All he knew was seeing her like that made him think of the Hermione he had lost, the girl who had always been there for him, to heal him when he was hurt.
Hermione blushed faintly and quickly stood back. “Well, it seems to be fine now. I think we should go,” she mumbled.
Harry nodded and stood up. “Yeah, let's go.”
A/N: So, tell me what you think ^_^
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Disclaimer: I did not create any of the Harry Potter characters or storyline.
A/N: Sorry I haven’t updated in so long.
Same but Different
Harry walked down the long dreary corridors, his hand running against the smooth stone. He could see the other students running and laughing, their happy voices echoing down the hallways, echoing in his mind. This place was full of life, but it was not his home.
“Harry.”
Harry stopped and turned his face in surprise. He stared at Hermione as she walked towards him. She had warmed up to him quite a lot after Ron had punched him in the face, he guessed that was one good thing. However, Harry still felt a horrible pain every time he saw the hate in Ron’s eyes. Ron had been his best friend and now he despised Harry. It was like fourth year all over again.
“Hermione.” Harry said with a small smile that didn’t quite disguise his hollow expression. “What are you doing here?”
Hermione frowned as she noticed his sad expression and walked close to him. “What’s wrong, Harry?” She asked, her gentle eyes filling with concern. It made Harry’s heart ache to see the expression on her face, he had seen it so many times before on the Hermione in his world, but this wasn‘t his Hermione...
Harry turned his face away so that he would not have to look at her face, but he couldn’t get her face out of his mind. She had been everything to him in his world, his light, his love…How could he keep pretending that he did not love her when she was right in front of him, granted she was not the same as his Hermione, but everything about her was so familiar.
“It’s nothing, Hermione,” Harry said quietly and continued to walk. He didn’t want to look back and see her expression, but he couldn’t help himself. He turned his face and met her eyes, those beautiful honey brown eyes. She looked hurt, and he knew it was because of him.
“Wait!” Hermione called as she walked back up to him. “We have Defence against the Dark Arts now. I thought I should remind you, since you don’t remember and all.”
Harry could see her nervousness and smiled slightly. “Thank you.”
Hermione nodded and walked off, her bushy hair swaying slightly as she disappeared around the corner. Harry took a deep breath and gazed out towards the courtyard. He could see the lake shimmering in the sun and the old tree that he, Hermione and Ron had used to lean against on lazy afternoons. Harry frowned slightly to himself. If this world was supposed to be a sort of gift to him it wasn’t a very nice one. Everything in this world was just a reminder to what he had lost in his own.
Harry sighed and headed off down the corridor towards the DADA classroom. He could see the students all crowing around and pushed past them as nicely as he could, before opening the large door. He spotted Hermione sitting in her usual chair and glanced up towards the teacher’s desk to see who the teacher was. His jaw dropped as he saw a man with scruffy black hair and blue eyes. It was James Potter, his father.
“Dad?” Harry said disbelievingly. First his mother, now his father?
“Harry.” James said cheerfully, giving Harry a slap on his back. “Glad to see you’re up and well. I wanted to go visit you but I had classes.”
Harry shook his head, not really sure what to say. He had always dreamed of seeing his parents, to have them with him again, but now that they were, it wasn’t as nice as he thought it would have been. Maybe if the reasons were different he might have enjoyed it, but to lose everything that made his life have purpose just to have parents he didn’t even know back, it just didn’t seem enough like it had when he was eleven.
“It’s fine. I’m alright now anyway.” Harry said slowly, his eyes staring at his father, seeing the life in his father’s blue eyes.
James smiled and nodded his head. “Well, best take a seat, Harry, we’ll be starting class soon.”
Harry nodded, still feeling a little lost for words and sat down next to Hermione. She was staring at him with that same concerned look, and Harry realised he wasn’t doing a very good job hiding his emotions. Snape had always told Harry he wore his heart on his sleeve, and it seemed he was right, because right now he couldn’t hide his disbelief and sadness.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Hermione whispered as she leaned towards him. Harry could smell the faint floral perfume she was wearing. He inwardly sighed, she was wearing the same perfume that she wore in his world.
“Jasmine.”
“Huh?” Hermione said confused.
“You’re wearing jasmine.” Harry repeated, as he turned his face to look at her. Their eyes met and Harry felt his world slipping away as he looked into her beautiful eyes. She was smiling softly, her face lit up by some inward glow. He could see her pleasure in his noticing what perfume she was wearing, and realised with dismay that the glow lighting up her face was love. She was falling for him, just as she had fallen for him in his own world. Only, Harry knew he could not love the Hermione of this world. This wasn’t his home, and eventually he would have to give up this dream world and go back to the empty despair waiting for him back home.
“Potter, what the hell are you doing?” A female voice demanded.
Harry turned his gaze and saw a tall girl with large hooded eyes. Her long black hair snaked its way down her back, and he could see it glinting in the sun. Her piercing blue eyes gazed at him with an amused expression, and Harry realised without a doubt who this was.
“Isabelle Black.” Harry said slowly.
“Don’t you ‘Isabelle Black’ me, Harry, as if you don‘t know me.” She said with one raised eyebrow.
A boy who looked identical to her, but his hair was short sat down beside her. Harry realised they were twins, he also noticed they had the Slytherin crest on their robes; obviously this world did not put much in store in terms of house rivalry.
“Why are you sitting over here?” William Black asked looking slightly confused. “Neville is waiting for us.”
Harry could sense Hermione’s discomfort, and it hit him that his ‘friends’ probably disliked Hermione. He stared at the handsome twins and shook his head. “I’m going to sit here today, I’m sure you three can handle yourselves.”
Isabelle glanced at Hermione with an almost irritated expression. Finally she let out huff and flounced back to where Neville was sitting. William chuckled slightly and gave Harry a light slap on the back.
“Don’t worry about her, she’s just upset because Draco told her that she looks ridiculous in the new dress she bought.”
Harry nodded, and watched as William walked back to sit next to his twin sister. He turned his gaze to Hermione and paused slightly as he saw her suspicious expression.
“Why don’t you want to sit with your friends?” Hermione asked, her brows furrowing together.
Harry shrugged and leaned back against the chair. “I feel more comfortable with you. I told you, I don’t even remember them.”
“Then…why do you remember me?” Hermione asked in a small voice.
Too late, Harry realised. He had said the wrong thing, and Hermione would be sure to figure it out straight away. He frowned, wondering what he could say to make her not suspicious with him.
“I…um, well, I’m not sure why. I just do.” Harry said, tugging at his robe slightly. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable under her scrutinising gaze. She never did miss a trick and he wasn’t quite ready to tell her where he really came from, or what she really was to him.
Hermione nodded her head, though her eyes didn’t lose the suspicious expression. Harry had never been so relieved when James told the class to be quiet so they could get on with the lesson. He spent most of the time trying to avoid Hermione’s gaze but he could see her itching to ask him more questions. He stared around the classroom, his eyes falling on the students one by one. Almost half of the class were dead, and Isabelle and William Black did not even exist in his world; they never got a chance to. It hurt Harry so much to know that nearly everyone in this world was dead to him.
Harry jumped as he felt a soft hand on his arm. He turned his gaze and looked at Hermione. He sighed, realising they were the only ones still sitting, as the rest of the class filed out of the room. It seemed class had finished, and Harry hadn’t even realised, he had been so lost in his own thoughts.
“Come on, Harry.” Hermione urged. Harry stood up and followed Hermione out of the room, a gloomy cloud descending over him. He just wanted to get out of this place. To get away from everything. This place was a nightmare to him because he knew none of it was real.
“Hermione.” Harry said quietly, steeling himself to what he had to do. “I need your help with something.”
Hermione looked at him in surprise. “Of course, Harry. What is it?”
Harry took her hand and gently led her into an empty classroom. He locked the door with his wand and sighed. “Please, sit down.” Harry said, gesturing to the rickety chair.
Hermione sat down and watched him through her honey brown eyes. He took a deep breath and sat down opposite her, wondering what he could say to make her believe him.
“Hermione, what I’m about to tell you may be hard to believe, but you’re the only person who I trust in this world. I would trust Ron, but he….” Harry broke off and looked away. “Anyway, just please believe me when I tell you that I am not making this up for a joke.”
Hermione frowned, her confusion evident on her face. Slowly she nodded and Harry let out a sigh of relief.
“I’m not from this world.” Harry said seriously. He gazed into her eyes, willing her to see that he was telling the truth. He could see her confusion and hoped that she was not going to laugh at him, or think he was crazy, but to his surprise she only nodded.
“You mean, you believe me?” Harry asked in wonder.
Hermione clasped her hands on her lap and met his eyes. “I’ve been watching you, Harry. Watching the way you look at people, the way your eyes seem to fill with such unexplained sorrow when you see people. I’ve also noticed how different you are…”
Harry nodded to himself. He had gathered that the Harry of this world wasn’t exactly very friendly.
“Anyway, I realised that there were too many things making you different, and even a memory charm cannot change a person’s personality, so I believe you when you say you aren’t from this world, because that is the only explanation.”
Harry visibly relaxed and stood up off the chair. He knelt down by Hermione and clasped her hands. “Thank you, for believing me.”
“It’s fine Harry, but what do you want me to do to help you?” Hermione asked.
Harry looked at their hands intertwined together and frowned. “I need you to help me find the real Harry in this world.”
“What?” Hermione exclaimed in surprise.
“From what I’ve gathered, something happened to the Harry in this world. Can you tell me what?”
Hermione sighed as she tried to remember. “Well, about five days ago he went missing but then they found you in the Great Hall. Everyone just assumed it was Harry, but obviously it wasn’t.”
“What do you mean, he went missing?” Harry asked, his heart clenching with worry. He knew that the Harry in this world must still be alive somewhere, so he was hoping that maybe if they met, Harry would be able to go back to his own world. He hoped that would be the case.
Hermione sighed and placed a hand on Harry’s arm. “I don’t know Harry, but I doubt he would be off the school grounds. Perhaps he went into the Dark Forest and got lost or something.”
Harry sighed. That wouldn’t surprise him. He knew himself how reckless he could be. Still, the forest was dangerous, even he wasn’t that stupid to go I there himself.
“Then that is where we’ll look first.” Harry said simply.
Hermione frowned. “I could go look in the library. Perhaps there is something that explains this kind of situation.”
Harry nodded, “I’ll come too.”
They headed to the library and poured over books for what seemed like hours. Nothing could explain the strange situation Harry found himself in. There was not even a mention of alternative words. Harry realised there was nothing for it. They would just have to look for the Harry of this world themselves and find out what he knew about it.
Disclaimer: I did not create any of the Harry Potter characters or storyline.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You are all awesome!!
Reflection
Harry stared at the Dark Forest before him. He had been in here so many times with Ron and Hermione throughout his school years. Every single time they had found themselves in deathly situations, and Harry had the funny feeling it was about to happen again.
“What are you waiting for?” Hermione asked, coming to stand next to him, her wand lit up with a lumos spell, illuminating her face in the gathering darkness. They had needed to wait until night fall so that it would not be too obvious they were going into the forbidden forest. Neither of them were particularly thrilled about the idea, but Harry could tell that Hermione was afraid they would be seen before they even got in the forest.
“It’s nothing.” Harry said dismissively and walked through the trees. Instantly he felt a chill run down his spine, similar to the feeling one gets when being watched. He glanced about the dark forest and frowned to himself. There were no eyes peering out from the trees, no crunching of twigs. He shivered slightly, wondering if it was just his imagination, or if it really was something watching them. He had enough experience of this forest to know it was dangerous. Falling into a false sense of security could cost them their lives.
Harry steeled himself against his fears and gestured for Hermione to come up to where he was. He did not have his wand with him anymore, it had been broken in the other world so he would have to rely on her this time.
“Stay close.” Harry commanded, “I don’t want us getting split up, and we need to make sure we can see everything in front of us.”
Hermione nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation. She bit her lips slightly and looked about the forest. Harry followed her gaze and saw the many paths twisting off into the darkness. This place was like a maze in way. Harry couldn’t help but wonder what madness drove the Harry in this world to run off into this forest.
“Where should we start looking?” Hermione asked, her eyes glowing in an unearthly way in the wand light.
“I guess we’ll just head up one of these paths and see what happens.”
Hermione nodded her head and followed Harry as they walked through the trees. He found it strange going through the forest again. In his world it had been burnt down. Voldemort wanted to stop the centaurs from joining with the Light, so he burned down the forest, killing nearly all the creatures who inhabited it. Now, here he was again, walking through the forest, only this time it was in another world, with another Hermione.
“Do you think he is alright, Harry I mean?” Hermione asked in a worried voice. Harry stared at her face, trying to discern her expression. She looked tried and worried, though he guessed he probably looked the same. He hoped that Harry wasn’t hurt, or worse, dead. It could mean that he would be stuck here forever, cursed to live in a world he did not belong in, never to be reunited with his friends or his love.
“I’m sure he’s fine. I think…I will know if he’s dead.” Harry said slowly. It seemed plausible enough that they would have some kind of connection. Sometimes he felt like he was being drawn to where Harry was. When Hermione had said that Harry could be in the Dark Forest, Harry had felt a pull inside him, as if the Harry in this world wanted to be found. It made sense, so he just let his feelings guide him in the hopes that they would bring him to Harry, wherever he was in the forest.
Hermione sighed as she thought about what Harry had said. “Harry, when we find the other you in this world…you’re going to go back right? Back to your own world?”
Harry nodded. He wasn’t sure where Hermione was going with this, but he had an inkling that things were about to get very comfortable. He had sensed that something had happened between Hermione and the Harry in this world. When he had asked her why she hated him, she had been so shocked. He had thought that perhaps Hermione had liked Harry but he had not returned her feelings. It seemed plausible enough, since she had fallen for him so quickly.
“Hermione.” Harry said slowly, as he tried to find the right words. “What happened between you and Harry?”
Hermione looked away, her eyes downcast to hide her emotions. He could sense her discomfort and knew she did not want to talk about it. Not to him anyway. But he had to know, he had to know because this Hermione was so much like his, and he hated to see her hurt.
“Did he do something to hurt you?”
Hermione shifted uncomfortably and met his gaze. He could see the shame in her eyes and frowned slightly.
“His friend, Isabelle Black, played a prank on me that involved Harry. I don’t if he knew at the time, but well….she said that he wanted to go with me to Hogsmeade and….”Hermione broke off, her face heating up with pink tinges. “I guess I kind of liked him, so I waited where we were so supposed to meet but he never turned up. I found out what happened the next day and of course I was upset, but what really hurt me was that he never even said sorry. He just ignored me, and that was it.”
Hermione sighed and shook her head. “You probably think I’m stupid for holding a grudge over something so trivial.”
Harry smiled slightly and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You’re not stupid for feeling hurt. I don’t know he would be stupid enough to not see what a beautiful and talented witch you are. It’s his problem that he’s a jerk, Hermione; he’s the one who is missing out here.”
Hermione blushed slightly and met his gaze, her eyes filling with the same warmth he had seen earlier that day. He looked away, realising he had said too much again. It was so hard to keep his feelings to himself when she was so familiar to him. Even though she had experienced life differently to him, it was like seeing Hermione right there.
“Why are you so nice to me, Harry?” Hermione asked in a small voice, her hand reaching out to take his own in her warm grasp. “What am I to you in your world?”
Harry swallowed and closed his eyes. He could feel the same overwhelming pain threatening to wash over him. Seeing her so close, her eyes, her lips, it was like falling back into a lost dream where he was back with Hermione, holding her in his arms and loving her like he used to before all the war happened. His Hermione was everything to him. She was his rock, his other half, but she was gone.
Harry opened his eyes and looked at Hermione, his eyes filling with the sorrow of the memories. “She was my best friend….and she was my girlfriend.”
Hermione nodded her head. He watched her eyes close off, as she pondered to herself all that he had said. He watched her lips curve down into a frown, the same frown she would wear when she came across a problem.
“What do you mean ‘was‘?” Hermione asked, her brows furrowed together.
Harry sighed and ran a hand tiredly through his hair making it even more messy. “She died.” He looked away as the memories flooded back over him. He would never forgive himself for what had happened to Hermione, knowing that he could have saved her…knowing that he let her die. Harry clenched his fist and glared at the tree. If only he had another chance, he could try again. He could stop what happened in his world.
“How…How did she die?” Hermione asked quietly. He frowned and turned to face her, his eyebrows narrowing slightly. Why would she even ask something like that? He didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t want to admit what he had done, but then looking into her face he could see that it wasn’t her just being nosy, she only wanted to understand him.
Harry frowned and thought back to the day Hermione had died. He remembered it like it was yesterday, everything still so clear in his head…
Harry leaned against the wall, the sound of shouting echoing around him. He had gotten used to the explosions and screams of death. It was just another part of war, and war was all that happened now.
He lifted up his bloodstained face and stared at the camp. Witches and Wizards were rushing to and fro, their wands ready for any sign of trouble. Some wizard was screaming in pain as his leg had been blown off by a particularly nasty spell. Harry watched as a medic rushed towards the wizard and healed his wound, quickly handing him a walking stick. The medic rushed off to go help another wounded wizard, and Harry soon lost interest in watching the wounded being healed.
He tiredly stood up off the ground when a sudden explosion happened near him. The same medic which he had been watching was now lying before him with glassy eyes. Harry barely had time to realise the witch was dead when another explosion went off. He felt his body flying from the impact and crash into a part of the wall. Feeling rather dazed, Harry glanced about the rubble, his ears ringing loudly from the blast. As the dust began to clear, Harry could see shadowy figures moving towards him. As they got closer, he could make out the black cloaks and terrifying masks that covered their faces.
“Death Eaters.” Harry muttered under his breath. He quickly dragged his aching body off the ground and started to run towards the other side of the camp which was no up in flames. He knew that Hermione was somewhere around here and he was not going to leave unless she was with him. He didn’t want another case with what happened to Ron. Never would he split up from his friends again.
“HERMIONE!” Harry screamed. He could see people running in fear, or shouting out for their loved ones. He pushed past some girls and ran towards the other group of burning tents. People were screaming and shoving, pushing him in their mad rush to escape from the Death Eaters. These people were not soldiers, they were refugees, and Harry and his team had been staying with them while the others prepared for battle. Now, because of them, these people were being slaughtered.
Harry looked about wildly, until finally he saw the familiar bushy brown hair. Beautiful relief swept through him, and he ran towards her.
“Harry!” Hermione shouted in relief and crashed into his arms, her face burrowing into his chest. Harry held her against him, glad at feeling the solidness of her body which told him they were still both alive. He cradled her in his arms, hugging her for dear life. For a moment he had thought he had lost her.
Something flashed past him and Harry broke away from Hermione and glanced about. He saw the figures of the Death Eaters moving towards him and looked at Hermione. She nodded, her brown eyes flashing with her Gryffindor courage. They were both going to fight this time.
“Don’t let your guard down.” Harry whispered. Hermione merely nodded her head and gripped her wand.
They clashed against the Death Eaters, both sides sending spell after spell, until all the camp was lit up with bright lights and sparks. Though the Death Eaters were stronger than them, Harry and Hermione weren’t just fighting for power. They were fighting for freedom, and that seemed to give them the strength they needed.
Harry watched as one of the Death Eaters fell to the ground, and felt a boost in confidence. They were winning, they were going to beat them. He glanced at Hermione and noticed she had everything under control. Relaxing slightly, Harry locked on with two more Death Eaters, fighting them with all his strength. He defeated them and took a deep breath, his eyes shifting back to Hermione. He watched in horror as a Death Eater stood up off the ground beside her. Looking back now, he wasn’t sure why he did not call out and warn her. All he knew was as that moment time seemed to slow down as the Death Eater raised his wand, the green light of the killing curse moving towards Hermione in a horrifyingly slow movement. She stopped and looked at him, her eyes meeting his. He could see the love shining through her eyes, and knew that she did not know what was about to happen. Tears slipped down his face as he watched the curse hit her in the back, her body jolting slightly from the impact. Her eyes, which only seconds before were so full of life, now seemed to dull, as her body swayed towards the ground.
Harry screamed out in fury, his mouth forming those two deadly words before he even had a chance to realise what he was doing. The Death eater collapsed to the ground as the spell hit him, and Harry felt a grim satisfaction in knowing he was dead. He quickly ran towards Hermione and collapsed to his knees by her body. He turned her over and felt tears sting his eyes as he saw the hollow expression on her face. It was too late, she was cold, lifeless, gone….
Everything he had fought for, his last link to his life had died. If he was supposed to be the Wizarding World’s saviour, then he knew Hermione was his saviour. But now that she was dead, what hope did he have in winning. He had no one left to turn to. No Hermione to hold, no lover to love him.
Harry wiped away his tears bitterly and touched Hermione’s face, his hand shaking slightly from the emotions of sorrow attacking him as he closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry…” Harry whispered shakily. “I love you…”
“Harry?” Hermione said in a worried voice.
Harry sniffed slightly and looked away so she would not see his tears. “She was murdered.” he said shortly and continued to walk though he forest. Hermione frowned slightly, but knew not to push him for answers. She quickly ran to catch up so that he would not be walking in darkness.
Harry found himself at a fork in the path and frowned. Which way should they go? He stared down the path to the left and felt the familiar pull in his chest. Was the Harry of this world trying to tell him where to go? Harry placed a hand to his chest and gazed back down the path. He nodded his head and glanced at Hermione.
“We go this way.”
“How do you know?” Hermione asked in surprise.
“Because I can feel him.”
Hermione frowned but didn’t say anything, for which Harry was glad. He really didn’t want to explain his strange connection with the Harry in this world. Harry gestured for Hermione to follow him and started to walk down the path. Somewhere down there, Harry was waiting for him; waiting to take him back home.
Disclaimer: I did not create any of the Harry Potter characters or storyline.
A/N: I’m so sorry for all the typos in that last chapter. I really need to get better at reading over my writing!
Not Enough
Hermione paused to catch her breath. She could feel the beads of sweat gathering on her forehead and wiped her face irritably. Her gaze fell on Harry resting against a tree as he watched her through his emerald green eyes. She loved seeing the warmth in his eyes, warmth that did not exist in the Harry of her world. It had been a wonderful feeling when Harry had first noticed her. She had always admired him, though she was reluctant to admit it, and then when he had acted so kindly, and looked at her in that way, she felt her heart finally let go of its restraints and just fall in love with him. It was a nasty shock to realise the Harry she had fallen in love with was not Harry at all, but a boy from another world. He had loved the Hermione of his world, but she had died, and Hermione knew that it pained him, and that was the only reason why he noticed her, because he missed his Hermione, the one who he had loved.
“Are you okay?” Harry asked, pushing himself off the tree. Hermione nodded and took a firmer grip on her wand. She continued to follow him, her mind still preoccupied with what Harry thought of her. She wondered how much different she was from his Hermione. Whether they wore their hair the same, or enjoyed the same things. She couldn’t help but hope that maybe he could fall in love with her, just like he had fallen in love with the other Hermione. Maybe then he would stay in her world, and they could be happy. She knew it was selfish to think that way but she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t stop her feelings for him. He was so kind, so caring. He was everything she wanted in a boy, but he wasn’t hers to love. He didn’t belong here, and deep down she knew that no matter how much she wanted him to stay, he would never would. Not only that, the Harry she knew was somewhere in this forest, and it was too much to ask that two Harry’s could live in the same world. They looked identical, except this Harry had a scar on his forehead that her Harry did not.
“We’re getting closer.” Harry said, halting her thoughts. “I think we’re almost there.”
Hermione nodded, trying to put on a smile for him. She knew that he wanted to go back home, but in truth she did not want to find the other Harry. He had been cruel to her, he had mocked her. Finding him would mean saying goodbye to the Harry she loved.
Hermione sniffed slightly and to her surprise, felt a tear slide down her face. She didn’t know why she was getting so upset. She had only known him for a few days and yet knowing that he was going to leave made her heart ache. She loved him, with every fibre of her being, she loved him, but it seemed her love was not enough.
“Hermione, what’s wrong?” Harry asked, coming to stand in front of her. She looked up into his warm, green eyes and almost sobbed at the tenderness in his voice. Why did he have to be so nice? Why couldn’t he just be a jerk like the other Harry so she wouldn’t have to feel this way?
“I-it’s nothing. Forget about it, let’s just keep going.” Hermione said quickly, pushing past him to keep walking. She felt her heart sink as he grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back to face him. She could see the worry in his eyes and felt the tears once more come to her eyes. How could she not love him when he treated her so good?
“Don’t lie to me, Hermione. I know you’re upset, just please tell me what is wrong.” Harry asked kindly. Hermione found it hard to resist the gentle request, but she did not want to admit how hard she had fallen for him. How could she tell him how she felt when he was mourning for his lover? It would be cruel to do it, but the feeling she felt inside her was so hard to control. It was like a fire that could not be quenched. She knew she would have to tell him, if not to let it out of her system.
“Please don‘t go.” Hermione said sniffing slightly, her eyes downcast to hide her tears. “I know you want to go back to your own world, but can’t you just stay here?” She lifted her honey brown eyes, her lashes glistening with tears in the dim light, and stared into his face, pleading for him to listen to her. “I know I could never live up to the Hermione you know, but I could try. I could try to understand what happened. Just please don’t leave me here alone.”
Harry placed his hands gently against Hermione’s face, his emerald eyes staring straight into her own. She was shaking slightly from crying but she couldn’t help herself. Her emotions would not be repressed and she needed to know if he could love her back. Looking into his eyes, she almost found hope. There was warmth in his eyes, there was tenderness, surely he could find it in himself to have love there too?
“Hermione.” Harry said firmly, his fingers brushing away her tears. “You know I can’t stay here. I don’t belong in this world, and besides there is another Harry who has to live his life here.”
“But I love you.” Hermione responded tearfully. She didn’t want to listen to his excuses, she just wanted him to stay with her.
Harry sighed and pulled his hands away from her face. “I’m sorry.”
Hermione felt her heart clench at his words. She had been right, he only cared about her because she was like his Hermione. She was just a cheap copy of the girl he loved. She could never be the one he loved.
“So, you don’t care about me then.” Hermione said hollowly, her eyes once more downcast to hide her regret and shame.
“No, I do care about you. I just….” Harry sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “I’m confused, Hermione. Can you understand that?”
Hermione looked at him curiously. What did he have to be confused about?
“You look so much like the girl I love. You sound the same, you laugh the same…you even cry the same.” Harry frowned at her, his eyes once again filling with that unexplainable sadness. “Do you know what it is like, to have lost someone you love and then to see someone who looks just like them, and even acts just like them right in front of you?”
Hermione shook her head. No she had lost no one close to her in her life. She did not understand where Harry was coming from at all.
“It hurts me every time I see you.” Harry said in a strangled voice, as if every word he said pained him just as much as it hurt Hermione to hear it. “It hurts me because when I look in your eyes, I want nothing more than to kiss you and hold you in my arms, just like I held her…” Harry wiped his eyes and turned his face from Hermione’s gaze. “But I know that you are not the girl I love, so I have to hold myself back, for your sake, and for mine.”
Hermione took a tentative step towards him and placed her hand on his arm. She was the one who had caused him this pain. By allowing her feelings to get the better of her, she had fallen in love with him, and even pushed him for an answer when she knew he loved someone else. “I’m sorry, Harry. I shouldn’t have brought this up at all. Forgive me.”
Harry turned his face towards her and placed his hand over hers. He smiled at her gently, the same warmth reflecting in his eyes. “I should be the one forgiving you, Hermione. If I hadn’t let my feelings get in the way, you probably wouldn’t have to go through all this.”
Hermione shook her head, her own watery smile coming to her lips. Even though she was upset right now, he still managed to cheer her up in a small way. He was just so nice. She wished that circumstances could have been different for them.
“She must have been a lucky person to have you as a boyfriend.” Hermione said softly. Harry glanced down at her briefly and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.
“The person who has you as a girlfriend, Hermione, will be the lucky one.”
Hermione smiled to herself and leaned against him, taking comfort in his solid body. It still hurt her to know that he would be leaving when they found the Harry of her world, but at least she had told him how she felt, so that she would never have to wonder ‘what if?’. She thought it was sad that he would not be able to go home to the girl he loved. He deserved to have someone. She could tell that he had suffered a lot in his life, and she so wished that he could just be happy.
“C’mon. We’d better keep going. We still have to find this world’s Harry.”
Hermione nodded and pulled herself away. She once again lifted up her wand so they could see, and together they continued their trek into the forest. It was strange to think that she wasn’t so upset anymore. Perhaps Harry had been right in saying that he didn’t belong here. She really didn’t know much about him. All she knew was that he made her feel warm inside by just looking at her, but even then she could see the sadness in his eyes. She didn’t think that his world was a very nice place if the Hermione there had been murdered, but he didn’t seem bitter about it. On the contrary, he seemed to be handling everything quite well. Maybe that was just the way he was though. He seemed to be one of these people who just kept fighting. No matter what problems, or trials came in his way, he would continue to fight. Hermione couldn’t help but admire that.
Looking at him now, Hermione realised how glad she was that she had met him. Sure, she had fallen in love with him and then realised that it would never work, but he had taught her an important lesson. To keep fighting.
Disclaimer: I did not create any of the Harry Potter characters or storyline.
A/N: It’s been a while, but unfortunately I got sick and did not feel like writing. I’m sure you don’t mind. Anyway, thank you all for the kind reviews.
Dream
Harry gasped as a particularly violent pain tugged at his heart. He felt like he was being pulled by his heart into a vortex which he could not escape. It was nothing like he had felt before; the pain was so unreal, so strange. It wasn’t exactly physical, almost a deeper emotional pain.
“Are you alright?” Hermione asked in alarm. Harry shook his head, trying to catch his breath from the sudden pain. He clutched a hand to his chest and stared at the trees.
“I’m fine. Let’s just keep going.” Harry said panting slightly. He frowned to himself, still rubbing his chest where his heart was steadily beating under his fingers. The connection between he and the Harry of this world had grown stronger, but the pain had been nothing like the connection Harry normally felt. It was frightening and made Harry wonder if perhaps something had happened.
Harry pushed some branches out of the way and beckoned Hermione to catch up to him so he could see ahead of him. The wand light was becoming not enough to light the way now that the trees were getting more dense. Harry judged it to be very late in the night now. He was slightly surprised at the lack of monsters in the forest, but perhaps in this world the Forbidden Forest was not as dangerous as it had been in his own. They had glimpsed a few centaurs here and there, but nothing to give them any alarm. Hermione seemed to be more afraid of the dark than any creature lurking around, though she did mention that there were werewolves in the forest, though Harry had not seen any. The only thing that had given him pause was the odd feeling that he was being watched. He didn’t have the feeling all the time, but sometimes he would get the sensation, always to find that there was nothing there. He had not mentioned it to Hermione for fear of alarming her, but he was sure that something was following them.
“Harry.” Hermione said in a hushed voice. “Look.”
Harry followed her finger that she was pointing and stared at the strange glowing light coming from within the trees. It seemed to be some sort of alcove and was nothing like he had ever seen before. Harry nodded to Hermione and led her into the alcove, only to stare in wonder at the sight before him. The strange blue light was emanating from a giant crystal, but that was not what made Harry stare. He walked forward, not really believing his eyes, as he stared at Harry Potter’s sleeping figure trapped inside the crystal. He was curled up in a foetus position, but there was no mistaking who the person was inside the crystal.
“What is this?” Hermione exclaimed. Harry could hear the disgust in her voice, and he himself couldn’t help the feeling of disgust creeping in as he stared at the strange crystal surrounding the Harry of this world. It was so strange, and he had no idea what it might be doing to him.
“How do you think we can get him out?” Harry asked turning his face to stare at Hermione. She bit her lip, frowning over the possible reasons as to how he got in the crystal in the first place. Harry watched as she shook her head and sighed.
“I’m sorry, Harry. I’m not sure what this is at all. Who ever heard of someone being stuck in a crystal?”
Harry shrugged and walked up to the crystal. He tentatively reached out his hand and touched the crystal, feeling the cool texture of the clear rock. It seemed to be some sort of magic shield, but whether it was imprisoning him, or protecting him, Harry did not know. Harry banged his fist against the crystal, pounding as hard as he could, but nothing happened. The crystal continued to glow, and Harry continued to sleep.
“Here, let me.” Hermione said, gently pushing Harry away. Harry nodded, watching as she placed her hands against the smooth rock and stared up at the sleeping form of Harry Potter. Her eyes were glowing strangely in the blue light, her skin seeming almost translucent it was so pale.
“Harry.” Hermione said softly. “It’s me, Hermione Granger. I’m not sure if you know it, but right now I am standing next to a boy who is very much like you, infact, in a way he is you. He’s Harry Potter too, but from a different world…”
Harry watched as Hermione frowned, as though pondering over what next to say. He glanced back up at the crystal and almost thought he saw Harry Potter move. Could it be working?
“He’s trying to get back home, Harry. But you see, to do that he needs your help. You’ve been in here a long time… don’t you think it is time you wake up and face the world again?”
Harry gasped as Harry Potter’s hand twitched inside the crystal. He could see the emerald eyes slowly emerging as the blindfold of sleep was lifted of Harry’s sleeping form, his head rising from the sleeping position until he was staring down at both of them, a confused expression on his face. Slowly, as if his body was stiff, Harry reached out and placed his hand against the crystal. Blue light blasted from where his hand touched, shattering the crystal into thousands of tiny pieces that evaporated into the air as soon as the flew out. Hermione and Harry stood back,. Their eyes wide as they watched Harry Potter slowly sink to the ground, his feet landing against the ground letting him stand upright.
“It worked.” Hermione said in amazement. Harry could not hide his own amazement at knowing that simply by her voice she had managed to wake him up.
“W-where am I?” Harry Potter asked in a croaky voice. Harry felt strange staring at this boy. It was like looking in a mirror, but there was one thing missing. This Harry did not have a scar. This Harry did not have Voldemort.
“You’re in the Forbidden Forest.” Hermione said gently. “Don’t you remember?”
Harry Potter shook his head, his emerald eyes frowning with confusion as he held a hand to his head. “The last thing I remember was playing Quidditch with Will.”
Hermione and Harry stared at each other, both confused by this strange pronouncement. If it was true what he was saying, and he did not remember anything, then he would never know how he got in here in the first place.
“So…you’re saying that you don’t remember that five days ago you went missing in the Forbidden Forest?” Harry asked with a frown.
Harry Potter shook his head, looking remarkably like Lockhart when he had lost his memory. “Even I am not that stupid to come in here by myself.” He said firmly.
Hermione sighed and placed her hands on her hips. “Well, this isn’t helping now is it? Perhaps we should just try get you back to your world, Harry?” She said, turning to face him. Harry nodded in agreement and looked back at Harry Potter.
“So, how are we going to do this?” Harry asked Hermione.
“I don’t know, I thought you said that you knew he was the one who could help you.”
Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I thought maybe once we met I would just go back, but it seems I was wrong.”
“Well, perhaps we have to touch or something.” The other Harry mused out loud. “I’m not sure how you got in my world, or even how I ended up in that weird crystal in this forest, but something isn’t right, and it hasn’t been for a while by the looks of things. We might as well try what we can now.”
Harry nodded and walked forward. He reached out his hand, meeting the other Harry’s in midair and waited expectantly for something to happen. Once again he felt the rush of disappointment as nothing happened. They were just identical boys touching hands.
“It’s not working.” Hermione said matter-of-factly.
“I can see that.” Harry snapped. He sighed, feeling bad as he saw the hurt on her face. He knew what Hermione was like, but he couldn’t help feeling frustrated now. After getting his hopes up just to be disappointed again was too much right now. He didn’t want to be in this world any longer. Didn’t want to see the yearning on Hermione’s face every time she looked at him, or even stare into the unmarked face of his otherself. The one who was lucky enough to escape from Voldemort ever being in his life, but wasted the chance by being a jerk and not even seeing the beautiful woman in front of him. It infuriated him, and he just wished he could escape it all, so that he would not have to feel this sorrow for the loss of everything that he knew.
“I’m sorry, Hermione.” Harry said tiredly. Hermione nodded her head understandingly. Harry realised at this moment that if he was going to be stuck in this world then he was going to try and set things right between Harry and Hermione. It was such a waste to let her love go to nothing, when Harry knew that the boy in front of him had the potential to love her. Sighing to himself, Harry stared at his other and walked forward. He placed a hand on his shoulder and gazed hard into his face.
“I hope that you appreciate what Hermione has done for you. She went into this forest to find you, not because of me, but for you. She may have thought that at one point it was for me, but deep down I’m sure she has realised the truth. I know how you have acted towards her, and I can’t say that I feel proud knowing that we are the same. I’m asking you to think about it now before you go back to the castle.” Harry said firmly. “Are you going to let things continue how they were before, or are you going to see that this girl before you cares about you, and has for a long time. She would take care of you, and you wouldn’t believe how much that will help you.”
Harry took a deep breath and stared into his other’s face, seeing the wonderment and confusion on his face. “You may not want to understand or even accept what I am saying, but all I can ask of you is that you will give it a chance. I know she cares about you, and I know you could care about her. Don’t let her go because you’re too proud, because believe me, losing this girl will bring you so much pain.”
The other Harry shifted his gaze from Harry and stared at Hermione, his emerald eyes frowning slightly. “Is this true, Hermione? Is it true what he says? That you care about me?”
Hermione nodded, her tears glistening on her lashes as she stared at him. “I’ve always liked you, Harry, even though I know you did not care for me back.”
The other Harry sighed and moved away from Harry, taking Hermione gently by the hand. “You’re wrong, Hermione.” Hermione looked up in surprise. “I have cared about you for some time now, but I was too afraid to admit it. My friends hated you, and I wasn’t sure what to do.” Harry sighed and looked away in shame. “Call me a coward, a jerk, anything you like… I know I deserve it.”
Harry walked away as the two continued to discuss. He could hear Hermione trying to reason with him and smiled slightly to himself. At least he had managed to do one thing right in this world. As he continued to walk, he suddenly collapsed to his knees as the same pain erupted in his heart. He gasped out in pain and looked up into the sky, only to see the tree tops blurring before his eyes. Everything was fading before him. Harry and Hermione were only two shadowy outlines, until they vanished completely before his eyes. A blinding flash of light surrounded him and Harry found himself in a familiar room, when he opened his eyes. Everything was made of white and it seemed to go on forever. There were no doors or windows. In fact, it was more like a long white corridor than anything else. Harry realised this was the room where he had first seen Hermione descending from the light.
“I was wondering when you were going to turn up.” A deep voice said from behind him. Harry spun around and stared at the old man walking towards him. He had a long white beard that trailed on the ground, and his eyes were of the clearest blue Harry had ever seen. He was wearing all white, giving him a sort of unearthly quality.
“Who are you?” Harry asked cautiously.
“Me?” The old man said chuckling slightly. “My name is Daergun, and I am the keeper of the Unrealities.”
“Keeper of the Unrealities?” Harry said frowning. “What do you mean?”
Daergun smiled benignly. “You do not understand, but you, yourself are from an unreality.”
“What are you talking about?” Harry said in increasing alarm. Why was he saying he was from an unreality, and what was an unreality?
“You do not exist, Harry.” Daergun said calmly. “You are nothing but a dream from another person’s unreality.”
“That’s not true!” Harry shouted. He knew he existed. He had lived his whole life up until this point. How could this man say that none of it happened? Harry knew he was real, there was just no possible way that he couldn’t be.
“Harry, do you know why Voldemort did not exist in the world you were just in?”
Harry shook his head. How was he supposed to know why Voldemort was not alive there?
“It is because Tom Riddle died along with his mother at childbirth. He never got a chance to grow up. I, being the keeper, created an identical world, giving the baby Tom Riddle another chance to experience life. The world you lived in was his unreality.”
Harry stared at the ground not really believing what he was hearing. He could feel his rage growing inside him as he heard Daergun talk. It could not be true. It just couldn’t be.
“That world you were just in is the real world, Harry. The boy who you saw is the only real Harry Potter that exists. You are just a copy, a sort of dream that was created to make Voldemort’s world seem like it was real.”
Harry clenched his fists slightly and stared at Daergun, at his old and ancient face. Right now he hated this man. He hated what he was saying because it made him afraid. Afraid because there was a possibility it was true what he said.
“What about the people that die in these unrealities? What happens to them?” Harry demanded, as he thought of all his lost loved ones.
“They disappear, Harry. Dreams are not real people. There is no heaven or hell for them. They simply fade back into the magic that created them to be reused again when the time comes.”
“Then what about me?” Harry exclaimed in frustration. “How come I managed to go to the real world?”
Daergun shook his head slightly. “I’m not sure. It has never happened before, but I do have one theory. You see, at the point when Voldemort died and was passing into the afterlife, you were by his side. Instead of fading away like every other dream, somehow you managed to pass into the portal between worlds. From there, you managed to find a way into the real world, perhaps you were simply searching for some meaning in your existence?”
“Enough!” Harry shouted, his face screwed up in anger. “I don’t want to hear anymore! What you’re saying doesn’t make sense at all. How can I not be real? I’ve lived my whole life, experienced everything. You can’t just turn around and say that I’m nothing but a dream, that I have no meaning. I watched my friends die. Saw my love fall right before my eyes, and you cannot tell me that I did not feel any pain, that I did not love her because I do not exist. To me my life was real. That world was my world, and I fought so hard to protect it! So don’t tell me it was meaningless.”
Daergun sighed and placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “It is hard to accept that this is the truth. You want to believe that you’re real, it is only natural to do so. But you must understand, Harry. In order for an unreality to seem real, every person must live their own life just as if it were a real world. It will be real for you in a sense, but your world has no future. The world that you knew no longer exists. It vanished as soon as Voldemort died.”
Harry gasped and stared in horror at Daergun’s face. He could see that Daergun was telling the truth and felt a pain clench at his heart. It had gone, everything had gone. He really did have nothing to go back to now.
“It‘s gone?” Harry repeated softly.
“I know this is hard, but I must make it clear what will happen to you now. I am going to give you two choices, Harry. The first is that you can allow me to let you fade back into the magic that created you, where you will cease to exist. The second, I can create you your own unreality and give you another chance in life.”
Daergun stared at him piercingly, his eyes strangely both harsh and sympathetic. “I have never done this for any other dream, Harry. Consider it a special offer that will only be given once.”
“Will I…will I remember Hermione?”
Daergun shook his ancient head. “You will no longer be the person you are now. You will have no memory of your world, or the world you were just in. You will simply start again as Harry Potter.”
Harry frowned to himself. There was not much option here. He did not want to just fade into nothing, but then he did not feel like he could accept a new life. Still, if he did not remember anything, perhaps it would not be so bad? At least he would have another chance, and Voldemort would not be there to terrorize him this time. He would be able to do things differently this time.
“I’ll do it.” Harry said firmly. “I’ll go to the unreality.”
Daergun nodded and waved his hand. A giant gold door appeared on Harry’s right, looking all at once inviting and imposing. This door was going to erase everything that he was, but it was also going to give him another chance.
Harry watched as the door opened, revealing a bright light from behind the door. Daergun nodded to him, urging him to enter. Harry swallowed slightly and walked forward. He could see nothing but bright light within the door, but he knew beyond this point was his unreality. Another world to give him the chance he needed to live life how he wanted to, in a world where he belonged.
Harry smiled to himself, taking a deep breath before walking into the light, where the door shut behind him.
OOOOOOO
The large steam engine puffed energetically as children boarded happily, waving and shouting at their friends. Harry grinned at the big steam train and turned his face to his mother, Lily Potter. Her long red hair was blowing slightly in the wind, her emerald eyes smiling down at him affectionately.
“I’m sure you’ll have plenty of fun, Harry.” Lily said with a kind smile. “You’ll love Hogwarts.”
Harry nodded and looked at his little sister, Adelle, who was watching him through large blue eyes, her wavy black hair escaping from the pink ribbon tying it up.
“Send me lots of letter.” Adelle demanded. Harry grinned and nodded, giving her a quick brotherly hug. He turned his gaze and saw Ron Weasley, his best friend, waving at him. He could see his other friends, Isabelle and William Black both saying goodbye to their father, who also happened to be his Godfather. Their pretty mother was leaning against Sirius and smiling down at her two children, saying something Harry could not hear.
The train whistle blew loudly, alerting them that the train would be leaving soon. Harry quickly said goodbye to his mother and boarded the train. He walked through the compartment and stumbled slightly as he banged into someone.
“Sorry.” Harry said automatically, as he looked up to see who he had banged into. He saw a girl about his own age with very bushy brown hair. She had warm, honey brown eyes and was clutching some spell books in her hands. Harry had the sudden feeling that he had met this girl before. He couldn’t explain it, but it was like there was some kind of connection between them, like they were close once.
“It’s okay.” The girl responded with a smile and started to walk past.
“Harry, hurry up!” Isabelle said bossily. Harry looked back and saw Neville, Ron and William Black, all poking their heads out of a compartment which Isabelle was holding open.
“Do you want to come into our compartment?” Harry asked.
The girl nodded in relief and smiled again. “I’m Hermione by the way. Hermione Granger.”
Harry grinned and started to walk with her back to the compartment. “I’m Harry. Harry Potter.”