Story Note: This is alternate universe twice over. Not only does it take place in an AU but Harry is also from an AU. This is largely because I haven't read Half Blood Prince or Deathly Hallows in ages and couldn't make Harry cannon if I tried. So rather than a half assed attempt at a cannon Harry I'm just going to go all out and do whatever I want with Harry's background. Major events from Order of the Phoenix or earlier will probably still be valid. Past that I make no promises.
Author's Note: Please note the edit I did on Harry's comment on how long Voldemort has been dead. I originally had five years written, it should have been four. The change has been made to the previous chapter and is reflected here.
Sorry that this is a bit on the shorter side. Adding length to my writing is something I'm still working on.
*****
Chapter Two: Different universe. Same Moody.
There was an unconscious dimensional traveler spread out on Sirius' sofa. Sirius shook his head. Sometimes life as a wizard was just too weird. Even for a pureblood.
Eyeing the people around him, Sirius wondered if any of them ever felt like life was one big prank gone terribly wrong. Merlin knew it was how he was feeling at the moment. Though, come to think of it, James was looking kind of gob-smacked, so maybe Sirius wasn't the only one.
Their group was now missing quite a few people. Frank and Alice were off to the Ministry to make some quiet inquiries and potentially to do damage control. The Order really didn't need a bunch of Unspeakables poking around their headquarters just because some kid from another universe decided to show up there. Minerva, meanwhile, had been shipped off to the Hogwarts library with instructions to find anything and everything that might be vaguely useful.
Snape had simply left in the chaos that followed Harry's loss of consciousness, declaring that he had better things to worry about. Sirius was envious. He wished he could just pick up and leave. But the damnable house was his and the things that happened in it were Sirius' business by default.
Molly and Arthur had gone far more reluctantly, but they had a family dinner to attend and Albus had waved off their offers to stay with his usual lack of concern.
That left himself, James, Lily, Albus and Mad-Eye Moody to 'deal with the situation.' However they were supposed to do that.
Their current method of dealing was hanging around in uncomfortable silence while Moody searched Harry's pockets. So far he'd found a used tissue, some muggle money and a bit of lint. The ex-Auror looked affronted at the lack of anything incriminating, though it might have been Dumbledore's blatant refusal to allow him to do anything more that had him looking so sour.
Albus was examining Harry's wand. Personally Sirius thought he looked far too intrigued. It didn't bode well when Albus got that particular expression on his face. It generally meant that something important was going on that the Headmaster hadn't quite worked out yet, which then translated into trouble for just about everyone else.
"He looks like James," Lily inserted into the silence.
Sirius did a double-take. It had been far too hectic for him to notice before, but the kid bore a definite resemblance to the infamous Prongs. The length of his hair threw off the look a bit, but he had that trademark uncontrollable black mop that Potter males all seemed to have and the lean muscled build to go with it.
"A relative of … of the other James? Someone who doesn't exist here, or a distant relation I haven't met?" James wondered out loud.
"Definitely some Potter blood in him somewhere," Moody commented gruffly. "Not too close a relation though or he would have slipped."
Albus was twinkling madly. Sirius bit back a groan, knowing full well Dumbledore had figured out something that he didn't plan on sharing.
"He knows us," Sirius said. "And I don't mean our names. He knows us, or at least some of us."
"He said he was talking to dead people," Lily murmured. "If he knows – knew the other versions of us then this would be a terrible thing for him to go through. No wonder he was so distressed."
James shifted uncomfortably, "Figure some of us died fighting Voldemort in his dimension?"
"Likely," Moody answered. "Kid also mentioned the Longbottoms being in St. Mungo's."
"Now that's a pleasant thought," Sirius grumbled.
"His version of You-Know-Who has been dead for four years," Moody said. "Wonder if he knows how the bastard kicked it."
"Alastor!" Lily objected. "He's hardly going to want to talk about it."
Moody grunted. "If he has anything useful in that head of his we need to know it, Potter."
"Moody has a point, Lily," James said. "I don't like it any more than you do, but-"
"No one will be interrogating the young man," Albus declared suddenly. "Not unless it is absolutely necessary."
"Albus," Moody growled.
Dumbledore simply gazed at the ex-Auror over his spectacles. "I'm sure that given sufficient time and proper encouragement young Harry here will share any truly pertinent information of his own accord."
"You'd trust a perfect stranger like that? Some brat who's not even from our own dimension?" Moody demanded.
Albus raised an eyebrow. "Trust him? No, not entirely. Which is why Harry shall be confined to Grimmauld Place, with at least two Order members in attendance at a time."
"He ought to have guards," Moody grumbled. "That display of power earlier –"
"Was due to the strain of a sudden shift of reality. A perfectly understandable reaction in the circumstances." Blue eyes sparkled mischievously.
"You want to keep him here?" Sirius questioned. "This place is barely fit for Order meetings; it's not set up for anyone to actually live in. And that's not even getting into the security issues."
Dumbledore waved off his concerns. "It is a simple enough matter to make the house habitable."
"Are two Order members going to be enough?" James asked. "We don't know what he's capable of. Or who he might contact."
"There are admittedly some precautions that will need to be taken," Albus conceded. "But with those in place two Order members shall likely prove more than sufficient."
"Who will be staying here, Albus?" Lily said.
"As long as you don't stick me with Peter Pettigrew it doesn't matter," muttered a weary voice.
Sirius jumped and automatically grabbed for his wand.
Harry was still splayed across the sofa, but his eyes were open and tracking. A light smirk was on his face – amusement at their surprise – but there was nothing to indicate what he was thinking.
"I hit you with enough power to knock a troll for a loop!" Moody exclaimed, wand at ready.
"Which is why you don't see me trying to sit up," Harry replied dryly.
Slowly Sirius returned his wand back to its holster, mind reeling. He'd been on the receiving end of Moody's stunning spell before. No one woke up that quickly. Maybe the magic he was channelling protected him a bit. It was a good explanation, but Sirius couldn't quite make himself buy it.
"Are you okay?" Lily asked.
Harry stared blankly at her for a moment before visibly shaking himself. "Yeah. Sorry about the freak out."
Lily smiled. "No apologies necessary."
"What do you have against Peter?" James demanded, focusing on what Harry had first said.
"So the rat is alive here, too bad," Harry mumbled to himself.
James' face grew dark. "Answer the question."
"He caused the death of my parents," Harry explained in a frigid voice. "If you value his life, you'll keep him away from me."
A shiver ran down Sirius' spine.
"Anyone else we should keep you away from?" Moody's question was ripe with sarcasm, but Harry appeared to seriously consider it for a moment.
"Bellatrix Lestrange."
"I doubt that will be a problem as she is currently residing in Azkaban," Dumbledore said mildly.
"Ah. Voldemort hasn't staged a breakout for his precious Death Eaters yet." Harry perfectly matched Dumbledore's tone.
Moody pounced at the chance for information. "He did that in your world?"
"Yes," Harry said flatly.
Moody opened his mouth to demand more but stilled at the warning look shot at him by Albus.
Sirius took his first really good look at Harry. He'd noticed the kid's physical features before, but now he caught the strain in his shoulders and the slightly pinched look on his face. The Auror in him noted the black bags under his eyes and the slightly too thin frame underneath his clothing. Despite lying down Harry's entire frame was tense, like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
If he'd seen that look on someone a bit younger than Harry he'd have sent someone to investigate his home life. As it was, he found himself plotting the best way to subtly get the kid under Poppy's care. He could definitely use a few nutritional potions, grown adult or not.
There was something familiar about the green eyes that tracked everyone in the room. A frown tugged at the corners of Sirius' mouth. He couldn't quite put his fingers on it. Harry's long bangs got in the way of a clear look, and the churning emotions that Sirius could see but not make sense of made it impossible to really concentrate.
Caught up in his musings, Sirius didn't stop to think about his actions when Harry moved to sit up. He automatically reached out to stabilize the young man, one hand gripping his forearm in an effort to pull him up.
His gaze flicked over Harry's hand then shuttered to a stop and stayed there. For a moment Sirius forgot to breathe.
Scarred into the back of Harry's hand were the words I must not tell lies.
"Padfoot?" James said uncertainly.
Sirius released his grip with an almost convulsive motion. "Sorry," he murmured, avoiding Harry's gaze.
The young man had gone completely stiff, but he nodded slightly at the apology.
Albus cleared his throat. "Harry, I am afraid that I am going to have to cast some spells on you, and I might require a vow as well."
"What will the spells do?"
"Keep you from venturing outside of the wards without my explicit permission. Prevent you from sharing any sensitive information you may overhear during your stay."
"Doesn't keep him from hurting people inside the wards," Moody pointed out.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Different universe. Same Moody."
A deep breath and a faint hint of power was the only warning they got. "I swear on my magic that though neither action nor inaction will I purposefully cause harm to come to any who stands against Lord Voldemort."
Magic swirled around him for a moment before settling.
Lily sucked in an amazed breath, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "That was an Unbreakable Vow. You didn't prepare or say or do any of the things you're supposed to, but you still managed an Unbreakable Vow. I never realized that was possible!"
Harry laughed. It was a good sound, boisterous and pleased. "Unbreakable Vows are all about intent, M- Mrs. Potter. The rest is just to keep wizards from making them by accident."
"Will that do, Alastor?" Albus inquired, a twitching smile on his face.
"Hmph. I suppose so," Moody allowed.
"I'm afraid that despite your rather impressive vow I must still do some casting on you, Harry." For once Dumbledore looked genuinely apologetic.
Harry shrugged. "Cast away."
