Whatever the Weather
by Healer Pomfrey
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
I am only writing for fun. If you don't like my stories, don't read them.
A.N.
If you don't like this chapter, I will end this story after the previous chapter and continue this only on facebook.
I am sick of the people who try to take away a writer's fun of writing by critizing everything. I am not a child. I have more than fifty years of life experience, and I spent so many years at university having to be careful of what I write to take my doctor's degree, so that now I just enjoy to be able to write fanfiction the way I WANT to write. I have no interest in the babblings of know-it-all arrogant young people who should make their own life experiences before criticizing others. Please read the warnings in the summary: AU means Alternate Universe = different from canon! I know all the Harry Potter books by heart, but I love to change the "facts" according to my plots. If you don't like my stories, don't read them and leave me in peace.
"Mr. Potter, have you ever heard of the Department of Magical Mysteries within the Ministry?" Fudge enquired, looking at the boy in expectation.
"No sir," Harry replied in surprise.
"All right now there is such a department," Fudge continued and explained that said department had found out about the existence of another dimension two years ago. Only recently, they had been able to develop a communication system and had been in contact with the Ministry of Magic in the other dimension for a few weeks.
'Why is he telling me that, and what is another dimension?' Harry wondered, looking at the Minister with interest, when the older wizard continued.
"In the other dimension, there are about the same people as in our world, however, during the course of time, some things have developed differently. Why I am explaining this to you," he said, noticing Harry's curious expression, "is because we need your help."
"Excuse me sir," Harry replied in confusion, trailing off when the Minister raised his hand to stop him.
"While in our dimension, the magical and the Muggle world peacefully co-exist, in the other dimension, wizards and witches are being hunted and openly burned by the Muggles like it has been the case here in the Middle Ages," Fudge explained. "Therefore, our employees in the Department of Magical Mysteries are working on some kind of portal, which enables the witches and wizards to transfer to this dimension. We would like to have everyone transferred within the next few years. However, as you might be able to imagine, this transfer goes along with multiple problems. Apart from putting up such a portal or any other kind of transportation method, one big problem is that whilst all dark lords are gone in this dimension, there are some left in the other dimension, three if I'm informed correctly."
"Excuse me sir," Harry threw in, confused, "but what does this have to do with me?"
Dumbledore cleared his throat, before he replied on the Minister's behalf, "Harry, as of now, you're the most powerful person in this dimension, and you being a weather mage would allow us to get rid of all evil persons in a fairly simple way."
"Yes, because I can do the dirty work feeling like a murderer then, while everyone else can be happy," Harry responded, feeling very upset.
"Well Mr. Potter, maybe it'll look different if I tell you that one of the dark lords' names is Harry Potter," the Minister said in a sharp voice.
"Is that my fault?" Harry queried, as the first rain drops began to patter against the windows.
"Not at all Harry, not at all," Dumbledore reassured him, calmingly.
"According to my colleagues, who did some research in this area, it is possible that as a weather mage you might be able to access the other dimension and perhaps assist our employees finding a way to evacuate the wizards and witches from there," the Minister continued to speak. "Therefore, I'd like you to speak with my employees from the Department of Magical Mysteries and if possible to become my assistant, as the whole procedure is going to take years, and I'd like to have you as coordinator for the matter."
'As coordinator for fetching all witches and wizards from another dimension?' Harry thought in confusion. 'How would I even be able to travel to the other dimension?' He looked from the minister to the headmaster, uncertainly.
"I understand that I might be able to assist," he spoke up, thoughtfully. "However, I'd prefer to finish my Hogwarts education first. Apart from that, what would I have to do as the coordinator for the event?"
"You would have to fetch all persons to this dimension one by one and help them find a place to live and possibly to work," the Minister replied, eagerly. "You would have to try unite them with their respective counter part of this dimension..."
"Harry," Dumbledore interrupted the Minister. "I'm sure that many wizards and witches would gladly help their other selves. For example, if the Weasleys worked all together, they'd surely be able to enlarge their house for all of them to live together or to just build a second house next to it. However, since they're not able to communicate with their other selves before their other selves arrive here, they need a coordinator."
Harry remained thoughtful for a moment, looking up startled, when Professor McGonagall stuck her head through the door. "Harry, are you not going to play Quidditch?" she queried. "The match is going to commence in fifteen minutes."
"Ah, yes of course," Harry replied and rose from his chair. "I'm sorry, Headmaster, Minister. Please let me think about the matter." Seeing the older wizards nod their agreement, he hurried behind his head of house, deep in thoughts. 'So McGonagall and Severus and everyone will be here twice?' he thought, 'and my other self is evil, so I have to kill him or what?'
HP
Deep in thoughts about his earlier conversation with the headmaster and the minister, Harry feverishly searched for the Snitch, determined to win the match versus the teachers.
'I need someone in the other world to help me,' he thought. 'No one will listen to me if my other self is so bad.' Suddenly, he spotted the Snitch and realised, horrified, that Severus, who was the Seeker of the teachers' team, was flying right in the direction of where he Snitch was hovering. He sped up and dashed behind his guardian, noticing in relief that the older wizard apparently had not seen the Snitch. 'I'll speak with him and Poppy and ask them for advice,' he resolved, when he laid his fingers around the small, struggling ball in a firm grip.
"Congratulations students, the students win," Arthur Weasley, who had been refereeing the game, announced, followed by deafening applause coming from the students' stands.
HP
Right after the match, Harry motioned Hermione to accompany him and asked his guardians if they had time for him.
"Of course. Let's sit in my office and have tea in case I'm needed," Poppy suggested, gently.
During the following minutes, Harry explained to his best friend and his guardians about his conversation with the minister. "I don't know what to do," he finally said. "On the one hand, I want to help, but on the other hand, Hogwarts is my home and I don't want to leave it. Plus I'm unsure if I'm in a position to help anyone anyway."
"Harry, you can always remain at Hogwarts, for example as Poppy's or my assistant," Severus was the first to speak up. "Even if you wish to assist the ministry, which probably would be reasonable considering your unique abilities, you can do this while residing at Hogwarts."
"Exactly," Poppy agreed. "You should finish your NEWTs in any case, so the ministry has to content itself if you only do something during the holidays or perhaps in the weekends."
"Do you have an idea how you'd be able to travel to the alternate universe at all?" Hermione threw in, giving him a sharp look. "If you figure out how to do that and how to take people with you, one of us could accompany you, at least the first time until the Hogwarts staff gets to know you and realises that you're not evil."
"Yes, that's a good idea," Harry agreed.
"Harry, let me have a conversation with the headmaster about the matter," Severus promised, thoughtfully.
"Thank you sir," Harry replied, feeling very much reassured by his guardians' and best friend's kind support.
HP
During the first week of the summer holidays, Harry received an invitation to the Ministry of Magic. To his surprise, it was not Minister Fudge who introduced him to the Department of Magical Mysteries but Mr. Weasley, whom he had met a few times before, as he was not only the referee for the Quidditch matches students versus teachers but also the father of Ginny and the twins, with whom he was good friends.
"I've been selected to help you with this quest, provided that you're willing to support the case," the redhead began to explain on their way through the Ministry, "because our colleagues have found out that Minister Fudge is not alive anymore in the other dimension and that instead I am the Minister of Magic."
"Oh all right," Harry replied, smiling as he thought, 'That's good. I really don't like Fudge.' He let out a sigh, before he replied, "I will assist with this case, however, I wish to remain at Hogwarts and continue my studies at the same time."
"Any help will be welcome, Harry," Mr. Weasley replied, gently, giving him an appreciative nod.
HP
Harry's visit to the Department of Magical Mysteries was very interesting. None of the people in the department were introduced to him by their names, and it was explained that they had to remain incognito for their own safety.
"Let's show you our newest toy," one of them said and led Harry to a table in the middle of the large room.
On the table, there was a large globe, which they had to tap with their wand in order to establish a connection to the other dimension. It took a minute for the connection to activate, and Harry noticed in surprise how they could see several people inside the globe. Most of them were the other selves of the ministry employees who surrounded him.
"Hello," the person who had established the connection addressed their counter parts in the other dimension. "I'd like to introduce Harry Potter to you. He might be able to help evacuating you, and - provided that he agrees - he will be the coordinator for the whole campaign."
"Harry Potter?" one of the others queried in apparent shock. "Don't misunderstand us but we don't work together with people who run around and kill others. At least from the Muggle authorities we can try to hide, but not from Dark Lords and Death Eaters."
"Nonsense," the person next to Harry replied. "Our Harry Potter is not evil. On the contrary, he has got rid of Voldemort and of Lucius Malfoy, the two Dark Lords here in our dimension. He even received the Order of Merlin first class for it."
Harry looked at the older wizard in surprise. 'The Order of Merlin first class?' he wondered. 'That must be a mistake.' However, he knew better than to correct the man.
"Here, speak to them," he was told.
"Hello," he hesitantly addressed the people in the globe. "I'm Harry. The people here believe that I might help you because I'm a weather mage and might be able to also influence other parts of the universe including planets or dimensions. I don't know yet if it'll work, but I'll try to travel to your dimension, provided that I'll receive your full support, because I'm afraid what might happen if people mistake me for my other, evil self in your world."
"Hello Harry," someone who Harry recognised as Mr. Weasley replied in a kind voice. "First of all thank you very much for your offer to help us, and of course we promise that you'll have our full support. If you come here, we'll have a couple of Aurors accompany you to ensure your safety."
HP
Harry and the ministry employees from both dimensions spent the whole afternoon discussing how to proceed provided that Harry would manage to travel. In the end, they agreed that Harry should make his attempt while being in the Department of Magical Mysteries so that he'd arrive at the same place in the other dimension. Harry promised to think about how to accomplish the travel and to come back to the ministry for the first attempt on Monday morning.
HP
Back at Hogwarts, Harry could not help feeling very excited in anticipation, however, slightly anxious on the other hand.
"My boy, you should let Mr. Weasley take you to Hogwarts," Dumbledore suggested at dinner on Sunday evening. "I don't know who of us will be here and in which position, but I assume that at least some of us will be here, and they will surely support you if Mr. Weasley explains that you're not the Harry Potter whom they know. Before you leave tomorrow morning, I'll give you a letter that you can hand to any teacher at Hogwarts in order to receive their support."
"Thank you very much sir," Harry replied, gratefully. "I don't even know if I'll be able to travel there at all," he added. "I've done a few experiments reaching out for other planets, and I think it might work out, but I'm not sure of course."
HP
By the time Harry readied himself to take the Floo to the Ministry right after breakfast on Monday, his robe pockets contained a letter from Professor Dumbledore to the complete Hogwarts staff, letters from Snape, McGonagall, Lupin and Pomfrey to their other selves and several shrunken potions phials that he would need in case he used too much magic as well as the Marauders map, which might or might not work in the other dimension.
"Take care of yourself and come back tomorrow, no matter how late," Pomfrey instructed him in a no-nonsense voice.
"If you bring people here, we can always accommodate them at Hogwarts for a while," Dumbledore promised.
"Be careful," McGonagall advised him, uncharacteristically pulling him into a hug.
"I will," Harry replied, inwardly rolling his eyes at the over-protective adults. With that he stepped into the fireplace, shouting, "Department of Magical Mysteries."
tbc... (?)