Another chapter and, of course, another POV. Now it's Daniel's turn to show you his view of things. And again my most heartfelt thanks to every single reader out there (even those of you that don't always review). This story is getting far more attention than I'd ever thought. Enjoy reading.


Chapter Three

"So you see, you will soon understand that our worlds are indeed not so different at all. Because that is why you were sent here, to understand and learn."

A ghostly silence settled over the Headmaster's office when Dumbledore ended his tale at last. For the better part of an hour the old man had dominated the conversation by explaining to great lengths how he, together with President Hayes and General Hammond, had apparently worked out a plan to… what had been the exact words?

Oh, right, 'a cautious and secured attempt to narrow the gap between two worlds separated not by space but merely human fear'.

Dr. Daniel Jackson had always thought himself to be a fairy intelligent person (some people had even called him a genius, which may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but not by far); but this… well, he found himself in some trouble wrapping his mind around what he'd just been told.

Daniel tried to clear his head and threw a furtive glance in Jack's direction, only to see his team leader was obviously not faring any better. In fact, Jack was looking rather gob smacked; he bore the same expression he usually got whenever Sam was ranting about a new techno gadget that he couldn't make heads or tails of. It was also the same look he would get when he was trying to work his way through one of Teal'c's more hidden jokes.

Gob smacked.

A fond smile crossed Daniel's face seeing it. But soon enough the frown lines crept back into place and marred his forehead in confusion.

Could this really be true? Could it be that magic was real? Wizards and witches, spells and charms and potions… could it really be that humans on earth, born and raised by ordinary people, were capable of that? Able to do magic? To move things, change appearances, even transport themselves simply by means of a tiny wooden stick and some mumbled phrases?

It was a bit much, wasn't it?

"So, let me get this straight," Daniel finally broke the silence, looking questioningly at the old man, or wizard, across the desk. "You're saying you people here are all part of a big group, an entire human population, that's capable of magic, and you somehow kept it hidden from the rest of the world for centuries?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled delightfully. "That's exactly right, Dr. Jackson."

"Okay, let's say that I believe you," Daniel's frown deepened further, "and… I'm not saying that I do but… well, how did you manage it? I mean, how come nobody ever suspected a thing? Cause, you know, we've been trying to keep the Stargate program under lock for the last eight years and we were found out by nearly every other nation on the planet in no time. Not to mention the countless alien nations that know about it!"

"Daniel!" Jack reproached.

"What?"

Jack glared at his team member and shook his head with a sigh.

"What, Jack?"

But it wasn't Jack who answered. Instead that grim Snape-person drawled with a smirk: "And you still wonder why your precious secret program is no longer that amongst your nations, Dr. Jackson?"

"Oh," Daniel blushed when realization dawned. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned the Stargate program?

He threw a sheepish look at Jack but then faced Snape again when the black-haired wizard continued: "I am surprised you did not spill the password to your private quarters as well, not that I think your possessions would be of any value. I just hope you're nobody's secret keeper, for that person would be doomed sooner rather than later!"

"Severus," Dumbledore said quietly, "I think that is quite enough for now. We don't want for our guests to be put off by your sharp tongue just yet, now do we? After all, you will have to enjoy each other's company for the next two weeks."

"What?" Daniel and Jack exclaimed at the same time that Snape growled: "Pardon? I am certainly not going to play travel guide for these Muggles, Albus! Term starts in two weeks, I have countless potions to brew for the infirmary, and classes to prepare, and… not to mention that this whole idea of showing Muggles our world to… whatever it is you wish to achieve with it, well, in my opinion it is not only a colossal waste of time but also very dangerous."

Dumbledore fixed Snape over his half-moon spectacles. "I'm glad to see you care so much for our world, Severus…"

Snape huffed and threw a bitter glare back but Dumbledore continued: "And the dangers that could erupt from this kind of exposure are great indeed, I grant you that. But, my dear boy, you must also see that the positive consequences an alliance with a Muggle community could bring forth should outweigh every possible threat by far.

If an open mind is possessed by both parties, and I am convinced that SG-1 here does indeed own such, as well as the willingness to believe and learn. The question that remains now is: Will you let yourself be ruled by prejudices against Muggles or are you willing to overcome them and show the open-mindedness and, even more importantly, the faith I know you possess, Severus?"

Daniel watched the bad-tempered wizard contemplate Dumbledore's words silently for a moment that seemed to stretch infinitely. Eventually Snape took a deep breath and asked calmly:

"Why me, Albus? I am sure there are a lot of wizards far more capable of socializing with a bunch of Muggles than I am. Or more willing to try, as a matter of fact. Why does it have to be me?

I'm sure Mr. Potter here, our long-lost-yet-thankfully-returned sparkling celebrity, would be more than willing to take on that duty all by himself. I have no doubt that he will entertain them in some foolish form or another, perhaps with a friendly neighborhood welcoming party, only to spill all our secrets and leave the Wizarding World open and vulnerable to be overrun and squashed by Muggles like a bug, gullible fool that he is."

"Hey," the insulted youth exclaimed enraged. "I'm not gullible, you paranoid git! I managed to defeat Voldemort, didn't I? And remember how I did that, Snape? By trusting decisions that weren't my own! Decisions I didn't understand then, let alone like! One in particular, if you remember!"

Harry's eyes sparkled angrily uttering the last words and Daniel saw Snape flinch as if he'd been struck in the face.

Harry meanwhile took a deep breath and continued more calmly: "If Professor Dumbledore thinks this is a good idea then I will go with it. I trust him enough to know that he'd never endanger our world to threats of exposure. So, yeah, I'm willing to show these people around, explain how things work, and I will sure as hell tell them everything they need to know about you!"

Snape was about to release a scratching come-back but Dumbledore beat him to it.

"No, please, Severus," the old man's voice was quiet and gentle and yet it managed to cut through the air like steel. Snape pressed his thin lips together, black eyes glaring daggers across the room to strike down his opponent.

Dumbledore let out a sigh and eyed Harry over his glasses. "Harry, my boy, I think this is neither the time, the place nor the right company to be addressing the, ah… more personal issues you and Professor Snape regrettably still seem to have with each other."

"Ugh, right. Sorry, sir," Harry mumbled and looked down onto his worn trainers. A faint blush could be seen creeping onto his face but Daniel strongly suspected it wasn't the result of embarrassment rather than a product of the young man's anger directed at Professor Snape.

Who was currently not doing any better, Daniel noticed, if the rigid posture and tightly shut lips of the older wizard were any indication.

Whatever personal issues these two seemed to have with each other, and it was more than obvious to Daniel despite the short time he'd spent in their presence, they would have to put them aside for the time being.

Earlier Professor Dumbledore had gently asked these two wizards if they would be willing to function as SG-1's personal guides to the wizarding world. And Daniel had no doubt that both Harry and Snape would bend to Dumbledore's wishes and do it.

For Daniel could feel that somewhere behind the friendly-looking grandfather-façade, that was all Gandalf the Gray and Santa Clause, there was a very powerful and strong wizard inside. And that wizard was used to use control and manipulation, and he would do everything in his power to make sure things would go his way; no matter what, how or, like right now, who would have to pay the price.

Personal issues be damned.

An hour later SG-1 had been 'dismissed' from the Headmaster's office and together with Harry (and regrettably Snape) they'd been sent to the infirmary for a brief but understandable examination.

They'd walked across countless stone corridors, past marble or stone statues and high-polished suits of armor, which Daniel was sure had turned their heads to watch them pass.

Noticing Daniel's curiosity Harry had hurried to inform them about the most obvious differences the Wizarding World held in store for Muggles, such as moving staircases and animated objects or pictures.

And truly, the paintings and portraits that lined the stone walls on their way had been a fascinating novelty for Daniel. He'd seen some of them completely empty while the people in others had been staring, waving or even attempting to talk to him.

Daniel had seized the opportunity to hold a conversation with one portrait (an elderly wizard who'd politely introduced himself as Merribus Goodwater) and had therefore missed the others rounding a corner. He would have been left behind and hopelessly lost if it hadn't been for Jack noticing Daniel's absence at last.

Some time later the General had returned to where Daniel had still been talking to the portrait. And, grabbing the Archaeologist by the sleeve to pull him along, Jack had shaken his head at Daniel's antics and muttered: "Remind me to bring the handcuffs next time, Daniel. You wouldn't have a chance to wander off on your own while being handcuffed to me. And you wouldn't get into trouble by touching things!"

"Jack, I haven't touched anything!" Daniel had protested.

But Jack had simply crooked a resigned smile. "Not yet, Danny-boy. But I bet you, in twenty-four hours, tops, you'll find us some trouble. Remember, we came out in a forest!"

The Hogwarts infirmary was nothing like the one back home, Daniel noticed as soon as he entered the rather lofty area.

While the medical section at the SGC, stationed deep underground and therefore window-less, held many different rooms connected by narrow hallways of gray concrete, this infirmary consisted merely of one big room with the same high ceiling that seemed to dominate every room in the castle. It was located high above the ground on the sixth or seventh floor (Daniel had lost count somewhere along the moving staircases) and enormous glass windows to every side bathed it in bright sunlight.

The truly spectacular view of the Hogwarts grounds captured Daniel's interest immediately and so he nearly missed the arrival of Madame Pomfrey, the medi-witch.

"Alright, gentlemen, please take a seat over there," the elderly matron motioned to a bunch of cots at one side. "This will only take a minute."

"You don't seem surprised to see us," Jack stated and after a stern look from the woman standing in front of him he plopped down onto a cot and added: "Ugh, yes ma'am."

"The Headmaster fire-called just now," she replied, not caring for the confused looks she got in return. Instead she waved her wooden stick about (a wand, that's what that thing was), let it travel over Jack from head to toe, and muttered something unintelligible under her breath.

Daniel thought he heard something like "Muggles in Hogwarts, I wonder what's to be next!"

When the medi-witch had finished whatever she'd been doing to Jack she came over to stand towering over Daniel next. Once again she waved her wand and suddenly Daniel could feel a slight tingling wherever the stick hovered over his body. It wasn't exactly unpleasant, more like a soft warmth spreading over parts that had previously felt too chilly.

When she was finished with him as well (thankfully without finding anything amiss) the woman went to repeat the performance on Teal'c and suddenly, before she'd even started chanting the diagnosis spell, bright orange sparks shot from the tip of her wand.

"Oh, whatever is the matter now?" she exclaimed angrily and eyed Teal'c with a stern look as if the Jaffa had done something to provoke such a reaction.

"It appears that magic is obviously not compatible to the Jaffa physiology," Teal'c stated unimpressed.

"We will see," Madame Pomfrey shot back. "I'm not finished with you yet. The Headmaster asked me not to let you go until you were all examined. So that's what I will do. So please lie down here and the rest of you," she turned to where Jack and Daniel were standing, "get out of here for now."

"I am feeling well," Teal'c said at the same time that Jack spoke up: "I'm not leaving him alone in here!"

No glaring from the impressive witch would convince Jack to budge, Daniel knew that. And after a few seconds in silence Madame Pomfrey seemed to get it, too. With a headshake she sighed finally: "Fine, you may stay, and convince him to do what I say while you're here."

Jack nodded satisfied and motioned for Teal'c to lie down. The medi-witch continued: "Severus, I would like for you to stay, too. I might have to resort to more complex diagnosis spells and might need your expertise."

"Of course," Snape simply inclined his head and moved over to stand on the other side of the cot that Teal'c had finally moved onto. Then the Potions Master's eyes traveled over to Harry and Daniel and he smirked: "Potter, take our remaining guest and go."

"But," both Harry and Daniel started to complain but Snape went on: "Since neither of you would be of any help to us you may just as well get out and continue the sightseeing-tour around the castle that you so readily started earlier. I'm sure that you, along with some of the portraits, will be more than capable of engaging our guest in meaningless conversation."

Harry glared at Snape but said nothing. Daniel looked from one wizard to the other and then at Jack who nodded after a while and motioned for Daniel to go with Harry.

"Go and have a look around, Daniel. I know that your curiosity must be killing you by now!" Jack grinned and added with a glance at Teal'c: "I'll stay with T for now and we'll meet up as soon as we're finished here, okay?"

Daniel was still hesitating, he didn't want Jack and Teal'c to think he didn't care but... of course Jack had been right earlier. Daniel's curiosity was indeed nearly killing him. There was so much to explore!

And Harry seemed to be a nice enough guy, perhaps he even had some funny stories to tell, he'd spent many school years here after all. Daniel turned to look at the young man and met a smile.

"Don't worry about your friend. Madame Pomfrey knows what she's doing."

"Okay," Daniel finally nodded and followed Harry out of the infirmary. Just when he was about to close the door he heard Jack shout:

"Daniel?"

"Yeah, Jack?" Daniel poked his head back inside.

"Have fun playing outside, and don't get lost again! Oh, and remember, don't touch anything…"

"Shut up, Jack!" Daniel quickly closed the door and smiled at his young travel-guide. "Don't listen to him, Jack's always a bit…"

"Over-protective?" Harry supplied.

"Well, I was gonna say 'a bit of a mother-hen', but… yep, over-protective sounds about right. Well, he cares a great deal about us, or… well, about anyone on his team actually."

"Sounds like he's a good leader," Harry shrugged and started walking down the stairs.

"Yeah, he's the best," Daniel agreed and followed him. "Even if he is a mother-hen most of the times."

TBC

I hope you're all glad that there's finally something happening besides sitting in Dumbledore's office. Let me know what you think, please.