Chapter Six: Replacement
This time Harry entered Tom Riddle's office by choice. Without being invited, he stormed into the room and tossed himself into a chair. Riddle looked up at him from whatever paperwork he'd been involved with, appearing unamused, and like so many other staff members lately, extremely tired.
"I want them arrested," said Harry. He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair.
"Who?"
"Potter and Black tried to dose me with a Calming Draught," he said, perhaps dramatically. "It's not the way you want your school to operate, right Headmaster?"
"So I've heard," said Riddle, returning to scribbling on a piece of parchment. "Do you disapprove of these methods?"
"Course I do," Harry said, louder than the Riddle, who winced from the volume, would have liked. Harry was thrilled to be the only one around Hogwarts brimming with energy. He intended to take full advantage of it.
"We have something in common, then, Mr. Mills," he said. He put his quill down and moved the parchment off to the side, before looking Harry dead on. "I, too, am left deeply disappointed by your methods."
Harry blinked at him, unwilling to speak until Riddle explained.
"Roaming around the grounds at night," he started. "Stealing from Hogwarts staff, disregarding a Head Auror's orders, and last but certainly not least, potentially mortally wounding a teenage boy. Is there anything else I should add? Perhaps something I'm not familiar with?"
"Mortally wounded?" asked Harry, confused but not sincere. "Is Longbottom dead?"
"It remains to be seen," said Riddle. "Poppy can't wake him."
"Oh," said Harry, trying to muster up enough care for a show. He couldn't yet bring himself to care about the consequences of his actions here. After all, this world might as well be a dream world, one he'd like to wake up from very soon. "That's… interesting."
"Interesting?" A raised eyebrow at his lack of concern.
"That's not what I meant," said Harry. "Well, it is, but aren't you curious?"
Riddle looked him over before sighing, apparently sensing no threat, or even a cause to worry. "I am, which is why I'm investigating. Cursed objects are a nasty business… we can only hope he didn't leave anymore around Hogwarts and that you'll have a bit more wisdom before using one of them."
Opportunistic as ever, Harry grinned and turned on a polite sort of tone. "Well, Sir, I wouldn't have needed the switchblade if I had a functioning wand."
"I grew up in an orphanage," he said, bored. "A smile and out of the ordinary respect won't get you what you're after." He began working on a different set of paperwork. "However, if I ever hoped to get you enrolled, you'll need a wand. We leave at three, sharp."
"What?"
"Diagon Alley," said Riddle. "You're familiar it, I assume. We'll leave at three. You'll meet me up here. Don't be late."
Harry, who expected a much more of a struggle, stayed in his seat and stared at Riddle blankly. Though the occurrence happened more and more now he was in a strange world, not a lot of things took Harry by surprise. He didn't like this change. He preferred to know about things before they happened.
"You're dismissed, Mr. Mills" he said, after looking up and seeing he was still there.
Harry wasted no time fleeing the room. He'd just been lectured by the Dark Lord, and if that wasn't frightening enough, in a few hours he would be going shopping with him. Even Snape would have been a better substitute, but Harry reminded himself he couldn't be too picky. Getting a new wand was a victory in itself. Harry only wished he didn't have to be escorted by Voldemort.
Fifty-Nine Years Earlier
"Ickle Amy Benson!"
Tom poked his head up from the book he read, watching a scene unfold from his usual spot under the largest tree in the courtyard. Billy Stubbs, with his fat hanging out of the drab and gray clothes the orphanage gave them, stood with his gang of devoted followers as they mocked a young girl. Stubbs waved around a toy wand Amy received at Christmas from a charity.
"Give it back!" Amy tried to shout, but it sounded mostly like sobs.
Stubbs and his friends laughed.
"Want it back?" He asked, then snapped it in half over his knee and threw the pieces on the ground. "There you go!"
Tom narrowed his eyes at Stubbs while Amy burst into a full cry, inciting more laughter from the gang of boys. Toys weren't easy to come by in Wool's Orphanage; she'd probably have to wait until next Christmas for another one.
"Don't cry, Amy," said Stubbs, retreating. "I did you a favor. Believing in magic and fairy tales… they don't exist. Not for us."
It wasn't until Stubbs completely disappeared before a boy in Tom's year approached Amy. With a smile he handed her his toy from the charity, a golden brown teddy bear with a missing eye. She used it to dry out her eyes.
Tom closed his book. Wool's Orphanage was bad enough without Stubbs and his crew making things worse. Something needed to be done about him, and Tom knew exactly what it was. He waited until the courtyard emptied completely before collecting the broken pieces of the pink and purple toy wand.
Present Day
Harry had thought Mr. Ollivander was weird the first time he'd met him, but this world's version seemed ten times as strange. He took Harry's holly and phoenix feather wand and examined closely, under a lamp. Both Harry and Riddle watched, wanting to interrupt to get the process moving along, but ultimately they remained silent.
"It is possible," said Ollivander, finally. "Though very rare, for a wand to un-chose a wizard. More often than not, it's in cases such as our young Mr. Mills, where the wand feels its owner is no longer the same wizard it pledged allegiance to."
"But I am the same wizard," said Harry.
"Well yes, and no," Ollivander said. "Whoever our world's Matthew Mills was, is now gone – if he wasn't you'd never be able to land here – you're being here, in theory, replaces him."
"You mean, this world's version of me is dead?"
"There are a few other possibilities, but he most likely is," said Ollivander. "Don't look so shocked, Mr. Mills. Should it be a surprise you can't travel to a dimension you already exist? Think of the chaos!"
"I think what is most surprising," said Riddle, "is the fact you seem to know so much about this. You know, this information is hard to come by. Hardly any books that touch of it…"
"Oh, I wouldn't be too concerned, Headmaster," said Ollivander. "Used to happen a lot more often back before the Aurors started hunting fairies… back when they were allowed to stir up all kinds of trouble. Us wand-makers have had the privilege of meeting witches and wizards looking for new wands and claiming to have escaped from terrible, far-off lands."
Harry frowned at this news. For both James's and Lily's sake, he had begun to hope their version of Harry was still around, based on the fact Longbottom was still alive. This new information, if Ollivander knew what he was talking about, ruined any shot of hope the Potters had of being reunited with their son. For even on his best days, he couldn't imagine replacing this world's Harry Potter.
"Let's just get on with it," said Riddle, impatient. The walk through Diagon Alley had torn at his already thin nerves, having to stop several times while other shoppers gawked at and asked Harry questions.
"Right, of course," said Ollivander. "I've already got the perfect match for you. I made it a personal mission for myself after hearing rumors about a savior from another dimension."
"I'm NOT…" Harry began, then stopped after spotting a pointed glance from Riddle, who no doubt wanted to avoid another lengthy discussion or explanation.
Ollivander walked to the counter and retrieved a small, narrow box, identical to the ones which lined the overly crowded shelves. He took the lid off and handed it to Harry. "Try this one."
Warmth filled his fingertips and sparks flew, just like the day he bought the holly wand, the only difference was within him. Harry didn't feel like this wand belonged to him. He didn't feel like he truly owned this wand, though he might have chosen him. It felt all wrong.
"Bravo, Mr. Mills!" Ollivander clapped his hands with excitement. "Willow wood and phoenix feather, very powerful magic can be achieved with this one, once you're full potential has been unlocked."
Harry stared as if insulted. "Can I try another one?"
"No – don't worry about it Ollivander," answered Riddle, cutting in before the wand-maker could express his disappointment. "He's just being difficult. One of the more unsavory parts of his personality. We'll take it."
Harry opened his mouth to protest, but once again, fell silent at the sight of yet another sharp look from the Headmaster. He stayed quiet while Riddle made the purchase. Harry didn't like the idea of owning a willow wand, said to be suitable for witches or wizards who have yet to reach their potential. Something about that felt wrong for Harry.
Unless it was like Ollivander said. Was he truly becoming someone else? Another version of himself? The Potters' lost son?
There was only one way to find out.
Fifty-Nine Years Earlier
Tom had been looking forward to this day for a long time. The field trip to the lake had been long awaited by all the orphans and eagerly anticipated by Tom, for entirely different reasons. Before leaving his room, he put Amy Benson's toy wand, put back together with tape, in his day bag.
He sat next to Dennis Bishop on the bus ride there and told him about the cave, the one they'd lure Billy Stubbs into. After they were finished, Billy Stubbs left unharmed, at least physically. He never bullied again and gave Amy any extra snacks he received for being the staff's go-to snitch.
But more importantly, after that day in the cave, Billy Stubbs no longer doubted the existed of magic. He feared it.
Present Day
Harry had a rule about following rules. He only did so when they were of benefit, and when they weren't, blissful ignorance was an excellent exit strategy. Unfortunately the same trick never worked twice, or even at all with a rule so common as a curfew. Then there was the fact he'd been caught at it the night before, but, in all honesty, Harry couldn't be worried about it. Last time his consequence was getting a new wand.
So this time he didn't sneak, didn't stay in the shadows. This time it didn't matter if he were caught, only that he arrived. He reached the second floor girls' toilet and went straight inside to the sink.
He could a deep breath, stared at the snake engraved tap and began speaking parseltongue, attempting to command the entrance to open. All in vain it seemed, as Harry's words did not, as much as he tried, come out in the snake language. Harry hissed 'open' several times giving all his effort to something which used to come naturally.
Harry tried without success for fifteen minutes before giving up, bitter. Back home and years ago he'd given anything to be without the ability of speaking to snakes, and now the disappearance of the trait worried him.
First his wand. Now parseltongue. It seemed like Harry was a different person here, having left a part of himself when he was ripped away from his home.
"Out for another stroll?"
So caught up in his thoughts, Harry hadn't heard the door open. Sirius stood in the doorway, leaning against the side, with the Marauder's Map opened in his hands.
"Do you make a habit of visiting the ladies' room?"
"Only at night," said Harry.
"Do you know what this is?" Sirius folded the map and held it up.
"A spare bit of parchment?"
Sirius gave a cocky grin and walked forward, unfolding the Marauder's Map to let Harry have a better look at it.
"It's a map of the school," he explained. "With added benefits. It shows the exact location of anyone in it."
"Oh," said Harry. "Useful."
"Yes and unfortunate for you," he said, refolding the map and putting back inside the pockets of his robes. "My possession for this map brings your midnight roundabouts the castle to an end. Whatever it is you think needs to be done after hours, you'll have to start getting it done in the daylight."
"I'm not doing anything."
"Except hanging around a girls' bathroom?"
Harry pulled on the best innocent face he could muster. "Look, taking walks helps me fall asleep. I walked past and heard a noise –"
"-Go to bed, Mills," said Sirius, using a tone that didn't suggest he believed his story. "And I'll know if you take any detours. Best go straight there."
Harry faked a carefree shrug and went on his way without another word. Outside, he appeared unbothered. Inside, a storm began to brew. If there was anything Harry hated more than being told what to do, it was being told what to do by Sirius, especially this new, strangely driven version of his godfather. The rest of his time in this dimension wouldn't go smoothly if he had Sirius breathing down his neck every five seconds, which is what he was faced with now he'd taken the map back from Evan and Grace.
Harry looked around the dark, empty corridors of Hogwarts as he stomped back to his room. Like Fred and George, he was beginning to feel he had somehow outgrown school. There weren't any answers about going home here and Tom Riddle didn't seem inclined to help him reach this goal.
Now that he was once again armed, he knew he had to begin plotting his escape from Hogwarts.
He only needed time and these days, he found he had plenty.
Fifty-Nine Years Earlier
"I can speak to snakes too," said Tom, just as Dumbledore reached the door. "Is that normal for someone like me?"
Dumbledore turned and looked at him, an odd sort of fascination lighting up his eyes. "No, Tom. It isn't what we'd call normal. It's a very rare gift. You're lucky to have it."
"You won't tell anyone, will you?" asked Tom, fearful. "I don't want to be different. I've spent all my life being different from everyone here… It'll be nice to be like everyone else for a change."
"No," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It will be our secret, as long as you wish it to be one."
Tom nodded and smiled back, thinking he'd found the one adult in the world he could trust. The staff at the orphanage were mostly horrible people, but this Dumbledore, the first wizard he ever met, seemed alright.
That night he went to bed hungry, like always, but with an un-removable smile plastered across his face.
Soon he'd be going home.
A/N: IMPORTANT: I've updated the ending scene from the last chapter. If you haven't read it already, you should. I think it's a lot better anyway!
This chapter was extremely hard to write, but next chapter should be more fun. Lots of Marauders and Lily (I know, we haven't seen her much - about to change!)
With Easter over the weekend, I don't know how long it'll be until an update. I'm shooting for Tuesday like normal.
And as always, thanks for reading!
Shout out to Stellar, Fuliminate, Nehlenia, DiamondGoddess, SO-LONG-LOVE, sharkmm and Lucky333123 for your reviews. You guys rock!
