Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, unfortunately :(

AN - So this is a AU story canon up to the end of HBP, but from there on it goes off in a very different direction to JK's novel. When the story begins Voldemort is dead, however despite heavy loses on both sides, his followers have not been defeated or disbanded so are still a very real threat.

Guardian

The elderly man let out a tired sigh. "Thank you Dolly that will be all." He addressed to the house elf standing before him. "Feel free to go back to your usual duties now." With a small curtsey Dolly apparated out of the headmasters study, most likely back to the kitchens.

Albus Dumbledore stood up from behind his desk and left his rooms. He began making his way across the school to the hospital wing where, according to Dolly one of his guests was beginning to stir. "About time too," he muttered to himself. "It's been over a week." In fact it had been nine days since the Order meeting at 12 Grimmauld Place had been interrupted by the unexpected arrival of the two unconscious people, who now occupied the infirmary. How these two individuals, both looking only a year or two out of school, had managed to penetrate through some of the strongest warding in the country he had no idea. None of the wards were damaged, he had checked them himself several times. It was as though they had simply been given permission to enter.

After having taken control of the situation and he had had the two newcomers stripped of their wands and weapons then transported to the Hogwarts hospital wing where he placed them under heavy wards. Something about the two put him on edge, there very auras, even when out cold radiated power. But there was also something about them that made him believe that they were no real danger to him, they were not enemies. In fact he had had them checked and although there was a noticeable presence of lingering dark magic about them, they bore no dark marks.

Dumbledore's actions however meant he was being bombarded everyday with questions about the newcomers. Everyone who knew about them, those in the Order, were desperate for answers, many suggesting he just woke them. Yet he wouldn't. It wasn't there physical injuries, although they both had plenty, which had stopped him. It was the fact that whatever they had done to get to Grimmauld Place had left there magical cores almost fully drained. Waking them prematurely would kill them. And really what good would that do? Even if they were enemies no knowledge or advantage would be gained from them simply dying before they could be interrogated.

As he entered the hospital wing he saw a set of green eyes fix on him, widening slightly as though in recognition of who had just entered and then change to anger.

"Jokes are meant to be funny." The young man spat.

Dumbledore just walked further into the room, stopping a few feet from the end of the bed the man was currently warded to.

"I'm afraid my dear boy I don't know what you are referring to."

"Of course you don't!" he muttered, looking past the headmaster, as if to see if anyone else would be joining them. "I won't tell you anything. You're an idiot if you thing I'll fall for this elaborate set up you have going on. Do you guys really have nothing better to do?"

"Again I am at a loss as to what you are speaking about. Perhaps if we start from the beginning with our names?" Dumbledore paused as though waiting for an answer, but when he didn't receive one he continued, "I am Albus-"

"-Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," a voice to his left finished for him. Turning he saw that the young girl had woken as well and was now sitting up in her hospital bed, taking in her surrounds a grin stretching across her face. "We're in the Hogwarts hospital wing." She stated, looking more pleased by the second.

"Quite" Dumbledore replied, looking taken aback. "Have we met before?"

"Us? No." she answered still smiling, "It's just obvious. You look very much like my Professor Dumbledore, although that's hardly surprising is it?"

"I'm afraid I do not seem to be following you my dear. I am Professor Albus Dumbledore."

"Yes I know." She tilted her head to the side and gave him a curious look as though she didn't seem to understand what the problem was, what he was failing to grasp.

"But then-"

"I think the real question we should be asking is why we are here and when the hell can we leave?" he young man interjected, annoyance flooding his face. "And most importantly where are our wands?" He had clearly been unsuccessful in his attempts to break the wards holding him to the bed and was now focusing his attention on making sure his partner did not reveal too much.

"We're here because it worked!" she declared happily, throwing her hands in the air and allowing herself to fall backwards. "And our wands are in his office."

"Yes they are, but worked? What worked my dear?" Dumbledore asked while her companion stared at her in confusion for a moment before shaking his head in a resigned manner and continuing to take in as much details about their surroundings, no doubt trying to work out a new escape plan.

"You were meant to save us, not kill us." He muttered under his bed, barely audible.

"Don't be silly I'd never try and kill you," she laughed, "and even if I wanted to you know I couldn't. How long have we been out for?" she asked the bemused headmaster.

"Nine days" he supplied. "You were both in a rather battered shape when you arrived. Now I'm afraid I still haven't caught your names."

"We didn't give them." The boy snapped. "You actually expect us to just give you that information? How do we know you aren't a death eater? What proof do we have that you are who you appear to be?"

"He is." The girl responded after a moment, breaking the silence. "She told me," she continued nodding her head to the empty space on the right of Dumbledore.

"Are you sure?"

She smiled. "You can't lie about that."

"Well then," Dumbledore said, looking to his side to see if he could see who she had been gesturing at moments before, "now that you seemed to have established that I am not imposters, how about you tell me your names and how you came to find yourselves breaching the wards of Grimmauld Place."

"I'd rather not." The young man answered.

"I'm afraid if you are unwilling to co-operate I will be forced to use another means to get the answers from you. It is imperative I know how you broke through the wards, so that I can stop it from happening again." Dumbledore stared directly into his eyes.

"Legilimency won't work on either of us Professor, it hasn't for many years." He snarled. "She may believe it's you, but if you want answers I want further proof."

"What will you consider as undeniable proof of my identity?"

"What is your favourite flavour jam?" the girl asked at the same time as the boy said, "Show me your patronus."

Chuckling at the absurdity of the difference between the two people in front of him he answered the question first, while pulling out his wand to demonstrate the second. "It would be raspberry my dear." He replied, to which she nodded seeming satisfied with the answer. "Expecto Partonum" he said flicking his wand and watching as the silver silhouette of a phoenix burst forth, more precisely his phoenix, Fawkes.

The two strangers watched the patronus as it circled them, before landing on the girls shoulder for a second, pressing its beak the scaring which marred the left hand side of her face and eye then disappeared. The young man looked at Dumbledore and nodded his head.

"How would you like to do this then?" he asked, "I would prefer a truth bond. Although I can refuse to answer any of your questions."

"A truth bond will work nicely I feel." Dumbledore agreed glad to finally have made some progress, if only a little. He came nearer to the two and cast the enchantment upon the three of them. A web of purple fed out of his wand working its way outwards until it encased the three of them, shone brightly and disappeared. "It should last for about an hour." He informed them, "and I took the liberty of adding a privacy layer, so anything revealed must be kept secret, unless permission is granted. Shall we begin then with your names?" He really was fed up of referring to them in his head as boy and girl.

"I'm Luna," the girl announced with a smile.

"Harry." The stiff response came.

"Would you happen to have surnames which go along with those fine names?" he asked.

"Yes" Harry answered, but offered no more information.

"And they would be?" he pushed.

"Irrelevant," came the one word reply. It appeared that even with the truth bond this Harry was unwilling to give too much away, still weary of the situation. Although who could blame him? His attire and condition when the two of them have arrived at Grimmauld Place told Dumbledore that they had not lived easy lives.

"Could I have a cup of tea please Professor, milk with two sugars?" Luna asked, seemingly unaware, or unfazed, by the tension which filled the room. "I haven't had tea in ages."

Dumbledore looked at her slightly shocked, but he quickly regained his composure and with a flick of his wand a cup of steaming tea appeared in front of him. As he moved forward to hand it to her she slipped off the bed and took it herself, smiled and settled herself back down.

"Thank you Professor." She said as she took her first sip.

"How were you able to break free of the wards on the bed?" Dumbledore asked her, intrigued by the young witch.

"Magic," she replied simply. Harry snorted from beside her.

"Maybe I should ask when did you break the wards?"

"A few minutes after I first awoke."

"And why did you not try and escape?"

"Why would I?" she seemed perplexed by the idea, as though the thought of escaping had never crossed her mind.

He gave her a soft smile and found himself wondering how someone so sweet natured and innocent as her had found themselves surrounded by such dark magic. "How did you break through the wards?" he asked remembering himself.

"They recognise us." Harry answered.

"I am afraid I don't understand. How did they recognise you?"

"Harry owns our 12 Grimmauld Place." Luna replied.

"Your Grimmauld Place?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Yes. But we came to this one to help."

"To help with what my dear?"

"Destroying Voldemort." She said it as though she was simply stating the weather. Both Dumbledore and Harry turned to stare at her. It was Harry who was first to break the silence.

"Voldemort is dead Luna. He died over a year ago." Harry gave her a concerned look, as though he was worried she had sustained an injury that he hadn't realised about until now.

"Not here he isn't. Not in this world." She looked Harry directly in the eye, "Can't you feel it? It's pushing against the edge of Hogwarts wards. It's stronger than in our world, more malicious, more bloodthirsty, more dominant and precise. It isn't looking to lash out, it has no need because it has its hold and it has someone who can control it here, someone with power. Voldemort is definitely alive in this world. Alive and powerful."

"You keep saying this world, am I to presume that the two of you came from some other world?" Dumbledore asked, curiosity written across his face.

"Of course Professor, we came through the veil." Luna announced like this explained it.

And for Dumbledore it did.

"And you came to Grimmauld Place by apparating?"

"Portkey set to go off just as we crossed over. Didn't fancy having to explain myself to whoever was on the other side so I went somewhere that would be safe." She explained, both men listening keenly to her.

"How did you know it would be safe? The Black family do not have the cleanest history my dear." Dumbledore asked.

"The same reason that travelers coming through the veil doesn't seem completely incomprehensible to you Professor. We are not the first."

Harry gaped at her and she could see the cogs turning, the meaning setting in.

"No indeed you are not." Dumbledore confirmed.

Another AN - I'm really sorry about the wait, so thank you all for sticking with me. Just after I published the first chapter I got ill and then have spent ages playing catch up on everything to do with real life. But hopefully I can give this story the attention I want to give it.

Anyway please give me any feedback, criticism is always appreciate.

Thank you for reading,

anotherlife