I'm terribly sorry for leaving you hanging for so long. This story isn't progressing as well as I thought it would when I started writing. But I hope there's still someone interested in this.
Here's the next part, enjoy. For disclaimer and everything see the prologue.
Two worlds collide
Chapter One
Severus Snape strode briskly along the small path that led to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the basket in his hand swinging to and fro with every angry step that he made. Its contents, the freshly cut herbs he'd collected right before he'd met the strange intruders, bounced around and threatened to fall out but he didn't have eyes for them now.
His eyes were fixed on the path before him but every now and then he risked a quick inconspicuous glance back to take in the three men he'd encountered in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. They were all clad in the same kind of green uniform, like some sort of muggle military group.
The gray-haired man possibly in his mid-fifties, who'd been called Jack by his companion, was obviously the leader. Although how he'd made it that far, with that insolent loose tongue he owned, was beyond Severus. He guessed the man must possess some other skills or qualities that spoke for him, and Severus had to grudgingly admit to a certain strength and protectiveness radiating from the man after all.
He let his gaze wander to the second member of the group, the one that had earlier babbled crazy-talk about planets and such.
He seemed to be younger than Jack, somewhere in his mid- or late-thirties, and although he was clad in a uniform as well, Severus was sure that this one was what passed for the intelligent one of the group. Not only the glasses on his nose screamed 'bookworm' but he possessed a certain air of knowledge and bookish curiosity. Severus had to admit that this man did strike him not as unpleasant as the first.
The last one though… now that was a completely different matter. Severus didn't know quite what to think of the quiet, broad man with dark gleaming skin and a golden tattoo on his forehead. A warrior, no doubt, but… was he a Muggle, too? Or something else entirely?
'And', Severus thought grimly while he turned his eyes onto the path again, 'how did this strange group of Muggles get here? How did they manage to pass the wards?'
He was still contemplating their mysterious arrival when he reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest and the green hills of Hogwarts' grounds appeared before his eyes. The castle loomed proud and strong on the horizon, it's many towers and windows gleaming brightly in the orange sunset.
"Oh, wow! Jack, look!" Severus heard the bespectacled man gasp and turned around to see that all three men had come to a stunned halt. Astonishment was written all over their faces and Severus smirked inwardly.
Yes, Hogwarts had never failed to amaze on first sight and nowadays, eight years after the Final Battle with Voldemort and the end of the War, the beauty of it was truly breathtaking (and it managed to impress even Severus every time anew).
"Is that, ugh… that's a school?" the younger Muggle stuttered.
Severus nodded silently and began climbing the hills in his usual long stride, desperate to deposit these Muggles at the Headmaster's doorstep and out of his responsibility.
"Nice," the man named Jack whistled impressed and started walking again. The others followed closely behind, the man's eyes behind his glasses flickering swiftly to and fro as if he had trouble taking it all in as quickly as he wanted.
"This way, move!" Severus beckoned them up the hills and led them towards the castle's main entrance. The large wooden door wings opened without a touch before them and Severus ushered the men inside.
His black robe billowed around him as he strode through the castle's entrance hall towards the spiraled staircase at the end and the three intruders stumbled after him looking around curiously. When they'd reached the large stone gargoyle that guarded the spiraled staircase Severus whispered the password ("Cappuccino Toffee" – Albus was currently working his way through Muggle sweets) and waited for the entrance to open.
He was surprised when the man named Jack suddenly addressed him: "Hey, if this is a school like you said, then why is it so damn quiet in here? Where I come from school kids make a lot more noise!"
Severus merely quaked an eyebrow. "Summer Holidays," he replied then and stepped onto the arrived staircase. "Now follow me, the Headmaster's office is up here."
"Summer Holidays?" the man with the glasses repeated and followed Snape up the stairs. "But today it's March the 14th!"
He threw a questioning glance at his two companions as if to confirm that he'd remembered the right date and for the first time the tall dark man's voice rang out: "I believe you are right, DanielJackson. It is indeed March in the Earth's calendar."
Severus was about to throw a scratching remark back in their faces (for it was certainly not March but August the 14th and he should know for sure since he had started counting the days backwards until term started again! And he knew he had exactly 16 days of blessed, dunderhead-free, peaceful quiet left until then).
He would have told those idiots in no uncertain terms if it hadn't been for the staircase to start moving in that exact moment. The look of utter shock and confusion written over the men's faces was too much for Severus and he had to press his thin lips tightly together to stop the laughter from coming out. Instead he smirked at their panicked outcries (the bookworm was even gripping his leader's forearm for reassurance – ridiculous Muggles!), while he was inwardly impressed with the stoic calm the dark warrior showed.
Severus turned his back towards the Muggles and waited for the staircase to transport him to the Headmaster's door. When it stopped moving he stepped aside to make room for the others before he rattled his bony knuckles against the wooden surface.
"Enter!" Albus' calm voice could be heard from the other side and Severus threw one last assessing glance at the three men beside him (who'd finally managed to get over the shock of a moving staircase) before he opened the door.
"Headmaster," Severus began with a curt nod towards the white-bearded man perched behind his desk as per usual.
"Severus," Albus Dumbledore greeted back with a warm smile before twinkling blue eyes shifted to the strangers that had now stumbled inside as well. "Good evening, gentlemen," he added swiftly.
Severus took a step closer to the desk and said quietly: "I found these strangers wandering around the Forbidden Forest, Headmaster. I don't know how they managed to pass the school wards but they are clearly Muggles and, well…" Severus' face took on a look of haughty disdain and he scoffed condescendingly: "And they seem to think they've traveled through space!"
"Do they?" Dumbledore's face showed no astonishment at all and he stood up and walked around the desk.
"Hey, it's true!" the one named Jack cut in and glared at Severus.
"Albus, I think…" Snape tried to get the Headmaster's attention again but Dumbledore silenced him with one twinkling look before he said: "Now, Severus, where are your manners?"
Snape's mouth shut with an audible click and his gaze darkened a lot.
"Gentlemen, I do believe introductions are in order." Dumbledore had rounded the desk and stood now in front of Jack with a gentle expression on his face, extending a hand in greeting. "I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and if I'm not mistaken you are General Jack O'Neill of the United States Air Force and Leader of SG-1."
"Huh?" Jack gaped at the old man like a fish and Severus couldn't help but do the same. He glared from Albus, the meddling old coot, to Jack taking the offered hand and back.
"You, you know us?" The man with glasses asked stunned.
"Well, not personally. Not until now, I should say," Dumbledore smiled wickedly at the younger Muggle and shook hands with him as well. "But I have heard a lot about you. You are Dr. Daniel Jackson, Archaeologist, Linguist and a member of SG-1 as well." He let go of Daniel's hand and turned to the third member of the group.
"And you are of course Teal'c," he offered a polite nod and a smile to the broad warrior and Severus watched the stranger incline his head as well, "it is a pleasure to meet you at last."
"At last?" Jack repeated, still dazed.
"You knew we were coming?" Daniel Jackson asked simultaneously.
"Yes," Dumbledore beamed simply. "That's why I sent Severus to the Forest to welcome you!"
"Pardon me?" Severus' head shot up and he glared at the Headmaster. "Albus, you most certainly did not send me out to greet these Muggles! You didn't say a single word about it! I went into the Forest only to collect the Mirobulus Plant I needed for your…" he stopped mid-sentence and his eyes narrowed even further. "You conniving old coot!"
"Now, now, Severus. Calm down, my boy," Dumbledore chuckled warmly and placed a mollifying hand onto Snape's arm. "No harm, no foul. Lemon Drop?" He offered a bunch of sweets to the younger wizard but Severus scoffed and pulled his arm away.
"No, Albus, I do not want a bloody Lemon Drop. I want to know why you didn't tell me about… this." And he glared to where the three strangers stood silently. Until now, that is. Suddenly Jack spoke up: "And we'd like to know what's going on here, too, you know?"
Dumbledore let out a small sigh before he motioned for everyone to sit down in one of the many stuffy armchairs that occupied the office. Severus refused to oblige but remained standing rigidly, hands clasping the back of a chair so tight that his knuckles turned white.
"Severus, please do sit down. I will explain everything to you, dear boy, but, well…" Dumbledore looked chagrinned, "there's someone else involved in this, someone that needs to hear what I'm about to tell you and I'm too old and tired to have to say everything twice. So we will have to wait for him."
Severus let out an angry snort. Dumbledore was about as old as he himself was handsome. And who were they waiting for?
As if on cue there was a tentative knock and a second later someone stuck his head through the door. His messy black-haired head.
"Headmaster?" a soft male voice asked cautiously and a young man around twenty-five entered the office.
"Oh bloody hell!" Severus cursed and cradled his head in his hands. Could this day get any worse?
"Hello Harry," Dumbledore beamed, "please, come on in! I'd like you to meet some friends."
TBC
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