"In fact, the mere act of opening the box will determine the state of the cat, although in this case there were three determinate states the cat could be in: these being Alive, Dead, and Bloody Furious."
― Terry Pratchett, Lords and Ladies
DISPLACED CHAPTER 2: Bloody Furious
Stella Andromeda Black has had one of the strangest days of her life, and considering whom her Father and Godfather were, that was quite a statement. Just last week she finally had made Harry realize that she was a girl and not another of his mates. Things where looking fine for them, although Lavander and Parvati told her that Harry wasn't a good for her because he was an immature jerk, like as if she didn't know that already.
But now Harry was her inmaturejerk.
It was true that Harry was a prick to everyone and a bigger one to those people he didn't like. But no one knew Harry's other side, the side he worked so hard to hide from people. But he couldn't hide it from her, he knew him since forever. Her dad and Harry's where best mates since they meet at Hogwarts, so logically Harry and Stella grew up together. It was quite funny see Harry try to hide things from her, but she knew him so well that she could easily know when he was lying or when he was upset or happy. She didn't need legilimency to read Harry's mind; a simple quiver in his voice, a slightly raised eyebrow or when he bit his lip. She knew exactly what each of these little ticks and cues meant.
Like that time in fourth year when she was expecting Harry to invite her to the Yule Ball, Harry invited Granger, of all the girls he could have taken to the ball she was probably the last on the list after Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall.
Granger wasn't really pretty nor she was funny, she wasn't Harry's type at all. She was a really quiet and introverted bookworm-teacher's pet, Of course Granger didn't turn down Harry's invite, Stella knew that Granger fancied Harry but she was sure Harry was completely oblivious of this. So this had come rather shockingly.
During the ball, Stella honestly had to accept that that day Granger had looked dazzling, she somehow had tamed that bushy hair of hers, put on some light makeup and donned on a simple yet eye-catching blue dress, Even the Ron Weasley stared stupidly at her making his date mad. This had made Stella really nervous, what if Harry and Granger got together! But thank merlin nothing came of it because Harry started to taunt Victor Krum, by kissing Granger in front of him, things got out of control and curses and hexes started to fly, after that Harry had made it very clear that he had just invited Granger to piss off Krum because he had heard him say he was going to invite her to the ball. Granger cursed Harry so hard that he was on the infirmary for a week with all the bones from his legs banished. She never talked to him since then.
For Stella this was the cruelest thing Harry had ever done, he wasn't a cruel bastard, just a jerk who liked to annoy people with pranks, she didn't talk to him for a week. When she questioned him why had he done that he just said the same thing: To annoy that idiot Krum because he is stealing my spotlight. Stella instantly knew he was lying she pressed him for a month, even threatening to stop helping him with his arithmancy essays, when he finally folded and Harry told him the truth.
Yes, he heard Krum say to one of his schoolmates that he was going to invite that quiet girl he saw alone in the library, because he wanted to get into her knickers, thinking that the shy girl was going to be an easy release of stress. Harry begged not to tell anyone because it wasn't a big deal and he had pulled a nice prank thanks to it. Stella knew he was lying again he had done that to protect Granger, but she wasn't going to tell everyone that Harry Potter was a Jerk with a heart of gold.
Now fast forward to last week Harry was feeling down so Stella set to cheer him up by smuggling a bottle of firewhiskey and going to the astronomy tower after curfew to drown his sorrows. When she proposed this, bottle in hand, Harry just started at her for a beat and spewed 'Oh my god I love you.' At first Stella thought that he really didn't meant it like that but then they reached the top of the tower he showed her that he really meant it like that. Things where really starting to heat up when Professor McGonagall caught them, half naked and half empty bottle of firewhiskey.
But this morning Harry had pushed her rather hard when she tried to kiss him. It didn't really hurt but she felt rejected so she slapped him and ran to cry on her dorm, which was rather idiotic she never saw herself as the type of girl who would cry for a boy, because she had always been one of them. She liked to play quidditch, even being Gryffindor's captain, she was never interested in what other witches where, like clothes, make up or gossip. She had no female friends and his best mates where Harry and Draco.
She was really angry when she realized Harry had made her cry and for one of his stupid pranks! When the rumor that people saw him and Granger get into an empty classroom her fury increased tenfold, she was going to hex him so hard he would walk funny until he was out of Hogwarts.
Still she put on tight shirt and pants that he was sure Harry once had gawked her on.
But when she finally found him he was slouched on a corner of the house table his lunch half finished with an expression she had never seen him with. So she decided to try a less violent approach she sat beside him but didn't talk giving him the cold shoulder, he didn't react but for a moment she saw a bit of relief on him that quickly disappeared.
When he said he was sorry, Stella rage melted away like ice in the summer sun, because Harry Potter was never sorry no matter what had he done or who he had hurt, he never apologized because he was a Potter.
After giving him a goodbye kiss she skipped away to only to be flanked by two girls: Lavander and Parvati gossip girls extraordinaire
"Is it true?" Lavander said eyeing Stella like as if she was a pink unicorn, Stella gave her what she hoped was a neutral stare
"Don't be like that Stella" Parvati added, her stare hadn't been as neutral as she had hoped "Did something happen between Hermione and Harry?"
"If you are so keen on knowing why don't you ask Granger?" both girls looked at like they ate something that had gone bad for weeks "…Or better yet ask Harry directly!" now they just cringed but their eyes looked past Stella's shoulder Parvati let out a silly giggle that made her lose her good temper. She followed their eyes to look the moment it exploded.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER I AM TOTALLY DISAPOINTED IN YOU!" Harry fell backwards hitting the back of his head on stone floor of the great hall, he heard some students sniggering and others just blatantly laughing out loud. "YOUR FATHER AN ME DIDN'T EDUCATE YOU, TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT" The voice was very loud, from a woman but strangely and distantly familiar, he wasn't sure where he had heard that voice before. "SIRIUS IS FURIOUS AND EQUALLY DISAPOINTED WITH BOTH YOU AND STELLA" Harry winced still lying in the cold stone floor with a painful throb on his head. Sirius was alive as well he couldn't stop himself from laughing while tears ran on his face
"No I'm not" said a familiar voice not as loud as the first one
"…WHAT? NO… SIRIUS!"
"Accio Howler!" The familiar voice said
"WAIT! NO DON'T SEND IT….."
"Hedwig go! Fly, be free!" the voice Harry was sure that was Sirius said.
"Dammit Sirius you are impossible" the woman voice said this time without that much fury.
"Come on Lily is not good to lie, we all knew this was going to happen sooner or later, and you have to admit the they make a cute couple" Sirius tone sounded sly and after a beat the woman answered
"Yes they are, but still… half naked and a bottle of firewhiskey on the astronomy tow—"
"SILENCIO!" Harry saw the-girl-that-wasn't-a-boy cast a silencing spell to the howler her face red as a beetroot "DIFFINDODIFFINDODIFFINDODIFFINDODIFFINDODIFFINDODIFFINDODIFFINDO" the girl yelled in a rapid succession making slashing motions at the howler then she turned away and ran away from the stares of the whole school and a few teachers.
Harry stood up with his eyes red and his heart beating faster and faster he looked at the howler which now was a small heap of shredded red paper. When the girl had left the great hall and he was received with applause and whistles from the male students and glares, scorn and contempt from the females. Harry just ducked his head and walked fast towards the great hall's exit.
Everywhere were Harry went he found himself questioned about what the howler had said, he had a vague idea of what had happened, but he knew as much as those asking him so he just ignored them. He returned to the common room he noticed both Ron and Ginny looking at him with a contempt that made his stomach somersault so he ran to his dorm room ignoring the questions some younger students threw at him.
He opened the trunk that was at the foot of what he believed was his bed. The first thing that he noticed was that the inside of the trunk was larger than the outside by a factor of three or four, the second thing was that the trunk was a complete mess, with books from previous years, broken quills and half eaten candy bags. Despite this and with relief he found his Invisibility cloak, he also took a book: Modern Magical History. His wand wasn't in the trunk he looked around and saw one on his nightstand; he grabbed it and pocketed it. Before getting out he donned his invisibility cloak and grabbed a copy of the daily prophet from Neville's nightstand.
With the help of the cloak he was able to avoid contact with everyone until he reached the observatory room at the top of the astronomy tower. He sat by a window, considered removing his cloak but decided to stay under its protection in case someone came up. He took his wand and casted a whispered Lumos, the light at the tip of the wand turned but flickered and went off after a few seconds. Harry frowned, Lumos was a spell he had done countless of times. He closed his eyes concentrated and did the wand movements carefully and whispered 'Lumos'. This time his wand turned on but still flickered from time to time.
Harry looked at his wand more closely and realized this wasn't the Holly wand he had brought at Ollivanders seven years ago, its wood as a little darker and it was also, maybe, shorter. He looked at it for few minutes; he noticed the wand didn't feel right on his hand. He shrugged and opened the copy of the daily prophet he took from Neville's nightstand.
Saturday, May 2 1998.
Whenever he was, the date was the same, although, if he remembered correctly it was Thursday not a Saturday, he pondered this for a second but then he read the headline
CHUDLEY CANNONS AIMING FOR THEIR THIRD CHAMPIONSHIP
This was definitely a twisted up alternate universe, he wondered what Ron would think about his favorite team winning three championships. He skimmed over the articles on the front page: AMERICAN DEPT. OF MAGIC APROVES NEW MUGGLE CONFUDUS LAW, SPELLBOUND TO MAKE REUNION CONCERT, DRAGON RESERVE: EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW, SCANDAL! THIMONTHY MCTAVISH MARRIES MUGGLE GIRL…
Gossip and news from other countries but nothing about Voldemort or the war, Harry looked again and started reading the article about the dragon reserve. He was surprised to not only read about Charlie but of his boss Rubeus Hagrid who apparently was a renowned dragon guru or something. He found this amusing and pleasing, Hagrid had reached his dream. He was drawn out of this reverie by the sound of light steps behind him.
He spun fast and without thinking pointed his wand at the source of the sound, only to find a pair of protuberant silvery grey eyes looking at him, the eyes of course where attached to no one other than Luna Lovegood, she stood there looking at Harry's with her ever present surprised look. Harry relaxed and lowered his wand.
Harry, again, considered removing the cloak but when she stopped looking at where he was sitting and started humming a happy song while swatting at the empty air he decided not to and see what his weird friend was up to.
After a few minutes of looking at Luna trying to catch Nargles or Wrackspurts, Luna stopped and cleared her throat.
"I know you are there."
Harry eyes widened and his eyebrows raised almost to his hairline he was about to remove his cloak when he heard someone come up from the stairs
"How do you always know?" Neville approached Luna with a smirk on his face "Where you trying to catch Wrackspurts?" Luna nodded shyly and reached for Neville hand "Any luck?" Luna shook her head and pulled Neville down so he had to bend and planted a kiss on his lips, the kiss lasted more than a friendly kiss should have. They started one of the most random conversations Harry had seen Neville take part of, they talked about Luna imaginary creatures but Neville took every word she said as serious as a herbology lecture, they latter talked about their careers, Luna wanted to be a magizoologist and Neville wanted to be an Auror like his mom and dad, who apparently where going to take him on a trip to the Amazon as a graduation gift, then Luna started telling Neville how her dorm mates had stolen her shoes again but thanks to a hex Neville had shown her the hair of the girl who stole it had turned neon green. Neville then started talking about the rumors that where going on Hogwarts halls.
"This morning Potter was acting really weird, he tried to pull a prank on Ron but then he just left" Luna started playing with Neville's fingers which made Neville smile. "Then there was this rumor that people saw him enter an empty classroom with Hermione" Luna looked at Neville with a frown on her face and he nodded, "Yeah, I didn't think he would have the guts to speak to her after what he did in the Ball"
"I feel sorry for him" said Luna on a dreamy tone, Neville cocked his head and frowned at Luna
"Why? …Why would you feel sorry for him" Luna let out a sigh while Neville squeezed her hand
"It must be really hard acting like a prat when you are not" said Luna while looking at the Hogwarts grounds, then she slammed her fist on her palm leaving Neville grasping air with his hand "he must have an infestation of Struppywonks, these creatures make you head hurt unless you act like a git" Neville smiled at her
"Do you want to go for a walk on the lake" Luna nodded and they both left down the stairs. Harry waited a few minutes to make sure they didn't come back. Neville and Luna! He wouldn't believe it if he hadn't seen how they smiled at each other. He shook his head and started skimming trough the Modern Magical Story looking for any indication of a war or the defeat of Voldemort, but there was nothing about dark lords, the last dark wizard was Gellert Grindelwald defeated by Dumbledore in 1945. Harry couldn't find anything about Tom riddle. He threw the book aside and donned again his invisibility cloak.
He was walking aimlessly through the Hogwarts corridors when his heart skipped a beat and a knot formed on his throat he was looking at Albus Dumbledore in a purple robe with dancing elves on its hem that where actually moving, he was talking amiably with Professor McGonagall and professor Flitwick, Harry felt paralyzed as he looked at the, very alive, headmaster. For a moment Harry was sure that Dumbledore had looked directly at his eyes, but maybe he had imagined it, then he dismissed both professors and stood alone on the empty corridor and looking at Harry's eyes, smile an twinkling eyes and all.
"Is there any way I can help you Mr. Potter?" Harry heart beat faster than ever that it almost hurt his hands started to shake as he removed the cloak
"Ah. Yes, James' Invisibility cloak, a great asset for a lively boy as yourself" Dumbledore smiled his eyes twinkling, Harry couldn't stop the tears to start flowing after hearing Dumbledore's voice and seeing his blue eyes smile at him.
"I'm sorry professor…" Harry said knowing full that this Dumbledore, wasn't the one he needed to apologize "…for everything, for not asking more about you, for not believing in you… I'm really sorry" Harry continued sobbing and Dumbledore smile faded a bit along with the twinkling of his eyes.
"I beg your pardon Mr. Potter?" Harry shook his head, wiped away the tears of his eyes and looked directly at Dumbledore's eyes
"There is anywhere we can talk privately Professor?" Dumbledore maintained eye contact for a few seconds then his eyes went a little bit wider.
"Of course Mr. Potter follow me" Harry started to follow the professor but the stopped, when he remembered something that may be add a bit of credibility to his story
"Professor, I think I know the perfect place for this"
The room of requirement was now a circular high ceiling room with two comfy armchairs and a small tea table in the center with a fireplace, everything was tinted red and gold, Gryffindor colors. Dumbledore looked around like a small child in a candy store.
"This is the room of requirement" Harry motioned his hands "We used it during our fifth year for Dumbledore's Army meetings" Dumbledore looked at Harry who was smirking "It was quite an unfortunate name that caused you to leave Hogwarts for a short time"
Dumbledore looked at Harry with critical eye; Harry locked his eyes with the professor knowing full that he would use legilimency.
"Well Mr. Potter what is what you wanted to tell me?"
"Well I was hoping you already had an idea of what I wanted to talk but if you insist on me spelling it out loud… I don't think I belong here." Harry waited for a few seconds to see if Dumbledore stunned him and dragged him to St. Mungo's mental ward "My parents were killed by Voldemort when I was a baby, because of this prophecy …one of his followers overheard, but Voldemort wasn't able to kill me and he was banished. I grew up with my mother's relatives to recharge the protection my mother left me. A lot of things happened during my years at Hogwarts, and a lot of good people died including you" Harry paused as he saw Dumbledore face for any reaction "I went to face him and he casted the killing curse on me again… and I woke up here"
Dumbledore stared a Harry with a thoughtful look on his face. "It's possible that this is a powerful memory charm?" his eyes started twinkling and continued without waiting for Harry to answer "if you really are from a parallel universe…" For a moment Harry considered it, what if this was just a memory charm and the last seven years of his life had been a lie? Dumbledore looked at Harry and saw his expression of concern
"There is a way to know if you have had a Memory charm cast on you, but you must be willing to let me enter your mind Mr. Potter… "
Harry nodded he knew he could trust professor Dumbledore, or at least he hoped he could trust this version of him. Dumbledore pointed his wand at him and said in a clear voice
"Incessus Legilimens!"
And everything went black
