The Doctor and the Death Eater. Chapter 1, Arrival

Note: Taal, the Doctor's companion, is a CatPerson from New Earth. He picked her up sometime between "Voyage of the Damned" and "Partners in Crime," so she comes in between Martha and Donna as a companion.

"Come along, Taal." Called the Doctor, as he stepped out of the TARDIS. "Let's see where we are this time."

Taal followed shortly, her collar on her long blue coat turned up to hide her catlike face. "You only say that when we end up somewhere that we're not supposed to be." She said, reaching into her jacket to pullout her replicator. At the very least, a GPS might do her some good.

"No, no, no, no, no, don't do that, Taal." Said the Doctor, placing a hand over hers. She grumbled a bit, but retracted the wand-like instrument and replaced it in its pocket. "I have a bad feeling about where we are, and if I'm right- which I really hope I'm not, that little device could get us in a lot of trouble. Frankly, your appearance could get us in a lot of trouble, which is why I've been trying to stay away from twenty-first century Earth."

"Trying to stay away?" laughed Taal. "We were here just last week!"

"That was Halloween." Said the Doctor, trying to keep from laughing. Taal swatted at him with her claws extended, but missed on purpose.

"Hold on-" said the Doctor, running back to the TARDIS. "I forgot my coat." He ran back inside. Soon Taal heard a cry of dismay.

"What?" said Taal, leaning against the wooden exterior of the box. "Did you lose your coat?"

The Doctor poked his head around the corner. "It's much worse than that, Taal. Come in."

Taal opened the door and stepped in, immediately disorientated. The interior of the TARDIS was pitch black. Even with her cat-like eyesight, Taal could only make out vague impressions of where the central column was, and could only tell where the Doctor was because she could hear him. "Doctor! What's happened?"

There was a crash, like something metal had hit the floor, a curse, and then the familiar sound of the Doctor's footsteps. He crashed into her and nearly knocked her down. "Taal." He said urgently. "Can you see a light? Any light, no matter how faint."

Taal nodded and walked forward, eventually kneeling down above a nearly imperceptible glow. "There." She said, pointing to the floor beneath her. "I can't get to it, though, the grill's in the way."

The Doctor leaned over and pointed the sonic at the floor. A section of floor opened, and Taal reached in. She came away with a small green crystal, glowing faintly in the gloom.

"Brilliant!" exclaimed the Doctor, snatching it from her. The moment he touched it, the crystal glowed a little brighter. "Now, all we need to do is let it re-fuel, and we can go. But in the meantime…" he trailed off, and Taal finished his sentence.

"We explore!" the two raced out of the room, leaving the silent, dark TARDIS alone behind them.

The two began tromping though the forest that the TARDIS had landed in. Despite the Doctor's warning to Taal not to use the replicator, she pulled it out anyway and soon they each had a torch in hand and GPS in the other. Taal was lost even with the GPS, but the Doctor seemed to know where they were going. Muttering things like, 'no, it can't be!' the Doctor got on Taal's nerves so much that she raced ahead. She heard voices, and saw what looked like a flash of green in the darkness. A man ran through the shadows. She only caught a glimpse of his face, but he looked like the Doctor.

"Doctor?" she called. When he didn't answer, she ran after him, tripping over something on the ground. She looked down and then screamed. "DOCTOR! DOCTOR, COME HERE! NOW!"

The Doctor soon came pounding up behind her, his footsteps breaking every branch in the forest. "For heaven's sake, Taal, what is it?"

Taal pointed down at the body at her feet. "There was a flash of green. Someone who looked exactly like you was standing over the body. He ran off, and I saw what it was. I called after you, and you came in from the opposite direction! What's going on, Doctor? The green light… a man who looks like you… It all seems a bit, well… magical."

The Doctor suddenly stood up, and looked at her, his face full of terror. "Magic." He breathed. "Oh, no. No, no! NONONONONONO!"

"What, Doctor?" cried Taal.

"Magic. Green light. A man who looks like me but isn't- I always thought that he looked familiar in the movie, but I never paid much attention." A haunted look came over the Doctor's face. "This man is Bartemius Crouch. The man who killed him is Barty Crouch junior. We're in an alternate universe, slap bang in the middle of book four of Harry Potter."

"Oh my god." Said Taal, her eyes widening, the pupils dilating in fear. "Voldemort's coming back to life, Moody's a death eater, and that Death Eater… he looks like you!"

"We need to run." Said the Doctor, grabbing Taal's hand.

"Run? Run WHERE?" she cried, unable to tear her eyes from the dead man's face. "The TARDIS is derelict, and we're stuck here!"

"We're in a FOREST!" responded the Doctor. "We can hide in the trees!"

Taal's ear twitched. "we don't have time." She turned to the Doctor. "I'm sorry. I'm really-"

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" cried a voice. It was a young man's voice, maybe fourteen years old. Taal gave the Doctor one last look, before the spell slammed into her with its full force. She froze, and tipped over backwards, almost in slow motion. Her head made a dull thump as it hit the ground, and her eyes closed as she was knocked out.

The young man who had cast the spell stepped out from in between the trees. Keeping his wand trained on the Doctor, his face paled. "The man from my dreams."

"What?" said the Doctor. He hadn't read the books in a long time, and didn't remember any dreams.

"You're a death eater- you work for Voldemort!" Harry said, nearly shouting now.

"What?"

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" cried Harry again.

The Doctor had just enough time to shout one last "WHAT?" before the spell hit him. He pitched back, and his head hit the ground as hard as Taal had hit hers. Then the world went dark.