Chapter 20
AAAANNNNDDDD Again

"Don't trust me, trust the magic," Harry said. "It would be nice though if you learned to trust me" he added with a smile. "Basically the magic isn't going to let me do anything that it would consider ... wrong. This is why this Dark Lord rumour tends to amuse me rather than annoy me."

"You mentioned that before" Dawn said. "When you were basically warned us off of you."

"Didn't want you tarred with my brush" Harry said with a shrug. "You're going to be here a little while, why make things hard for yourselves. I had not idea that some of you might want to stay or that this lovely Redhead beside me was my Earth based counterpart at the time."

Harry phone rang again and, he frowned at it. Nevertheless, ignored it for a little longer, He had a message service, he would catch up with them later. Whoever they were, he had no clue.

The door to Dumbledore's private quarters exploded open and Harry was on his feet in a flash with power leaping to his aid. However, he was brought up short; he was standing in the doorway, covered in dirt, blood and with a wild look in his eyes.

The phone continued to ring, "Answer your FUCKING PHONE," the other Harry ordered.

Harry did not pause, did not hesitate; he just flipped open his phone, "Greetings," he said the humour normally included with that word missing completely.

The other Harry breathed out in relief, crying softly as he faded out of sight. Harry watched him go, worry on his face. All around him, the room was in a state of stunned silence. Harry smiled, sort of, "Hello Rose" he said, "What's...Oh, okay... Hell yeah, I'm on my way." he said. "Sorry I have to go" Harry said seriously.

"What the hell just happened?" Faith asked, more than a little freaked.

"I don't know but I think it's vital I find out. So I'm leaving right now," Harry, said walking out of the door quickly, and leaving a shocked room behind him.

-xXx-

Rose leapt on him and pulled him into a massive hug as soon as he arrived on the grounds of Hogwarts and walked towards her, "Hello you" she said smiling.

"Hi," Harry said looking a little freaked out.

"What's the matter," Rose asked, just then the Doctor appeared out from the TARDIS. Looking a little stunned himself, "With either of you." she added.

"I erh- Fascinating" The Doctor said, "There has been a merger in space time."

Harry nodded, "I just saw myself looking like shit warning me to answer the phone," he said. "I was going to let it go through to my service. Apparently that would've been - bad."

The Doctor nodded, "Mergers are... rare" he said with a surprised expression... Then shook it off, "Come on, we need you to see something." he said.

Harry followed them into the TARDIS and looked around, "Hello old girl" he said smiling.

The engines started with their usual grinding like noise and just as Buffy and Faith arrived at full run, they saw the Blue box fading out of view. The two slayers looked at each other. "The Doctor?" they said to each other at the same time and pegged it back to the private chambers of Dumbledore.

They slid to a stop and breathlessly explained what they had seen.

-xXx-

Harry looked out of the open door of the TARDIS his eyes hard. "Dear sweet Merlin" he said softly. Hanging in the vista of space was a huge battle fleet of currently unknown origin. "Can they detect us?" he asked.

The Doctor shook his head, "We're fazed out of time slightly," he said, "Because of the TARDIS we can see them, but unless they have similar technology... They can't see us."

"Thankfully" Rose put in, her usually jovial expression serious.

"How did you find them?" Harry asked.

"Literally dropped in the middle of them," The Doctor said, "Scared the hell out of us."

"Don't blame you." Harry said. "This is obviously not good news considering me turning up looking... like I've not looked for a LONG time."

"I was hoping you might know who they are. Since you're even older than I am," The Doctor said. "They mean nothing to me."

Harry shook his head, "No clue. This is more than a little worrying."

The Doctor nodded in agreement; "Well" he said drawing out the word, "It's obviously a time or dimensional force. I hope dimensional."

"Me too," Harry agreed. "What they heck to they want though?" he wondered.

The Doctor spread his hands, "No idea. Shall I get myself caught and ask?" he asked with the ghost of a smile.

"I suspect that's what happened before." Harry said, "Or you would've stopped them. I don't think they'll going to let you escape."

"Ahh yes, that's a good point actually."

"But things have already changed. I can only assume I did not answer my phone. That means me being he will be significant." Harry theorised slowly. "You realise the only one that could've pulled that off, would be you right?"

The Doctor nodded, "Which is also worrying."

Harry nodded as well, "Yes"

"Why," Rose said fed up with them talking over her head.

"Because I'm not permitted," The Doctor said seriously. "I can't go back and change my personal destiny any more than I can let you do it."

"So you broke the rules." Harry said, "Which means a total cluster fuck"

"Yes" The Doctor agreed.

"Oh" Rose said looking a little more worried than she had been which was quite surprising, considering how worried she had already been.

"What do we do though I wonder," The Doctor said. "It's quite likely anything I think of I would have tried already, sort of."

"Which is why you wanted me here," Harry said. "Or you wouldn't have sent me back; you would've been immune to a merger I'm thinking."

The Doctor nodded again, looking out at the huge battle fleet, "Quite so."

Harry looked at him his face draining, The Doctor warned him to remain quiet with a glance. It had just occurred to Harry that there was only one way for the Doctor to merge. There was also one-way to create a powerful enough field to send a time clone backwards. He would have had to die, probably taking out part of the galaxy with him since he would have' had to over load the TARDIS's engines in the process. Apparently, the Doctor had already realised that.

Rose noticed the by play, "What?"

Harry shook his head, "Random thought," he said, controlling him and looking back out at the quite impressive vista before him.

"Uh huh," Rose said sarcastically.

"Obviously they have to be stopped." Harry said after a moment, sitting on the edge of the doorway with his legs dangling over space.

The Doctor opened the second door and sat next to him. Rose looked at them as if they were crazy. She knew the TARDIS would protect them, but their casual disregard for the fact their legs were out in space was leaving her feeling some serious vertigo.

They sat in almost identical positions, leaning their elbows on their legs and cupping their chins in a hand. They sat like that for a long time a thousand ideas coming to them and being rejected. Well there were quite a few more than that in the Doctors case.

About half and hour of Rose pacing she suddenly span on them, "Are you two going to do SOMETHING, There's a massive alien fleet on a direct course for M home planet. Somehow I don't think they want to borrow a cup of Sugar, and you're both just sat THERE"

"We are doing something..." Harry began

"...We're thinking" The Doctor finished.

Rose threw up her hands, "I'd forgotten how annoying you two are together," she muttered.

"You know... We're agreed this is bad, or you wouldn't have caused a paradox time merger right?" Harry began.

"Yes I think we can agree on that." The Doctor said.

"If you'd followed your normal SP, you would've tried talking to them." Harry went on.

The Doctor just nodded, he had a feeling where Harry was going with this.

"You were either then trapped for a while, or had tried everything you could think of and it didn't work."

Another nod from the Doctor was the reply.

"This means, oh god.… This idea will probably work. Because I KNOW you wouldn't even think it." Harry said, looking sick.

"That is not a good face." The Doctor said, some concern showing.

Harry nodded, "That's a BIG star." he motioned to the star in question.

"Yes, at least a type O I'd say... No, No- no-no-no."

Harry just nodded, "It's a huge fleet." he said, "I'm thinking that conventional weapons aren't going to work on them. Any explosives I could get my hands on would take out... Three at most, I also suspect they are shielded in some way, so perhaps none."

"No-no-no-no," The Doctor said backing up, and standing, "No!"

"I'm here because you knew I would think of something you wouldn't." Harry said, looking pained.

"I should talk...Yes well that's the point I suppose," The Doctor said with a sigh.

"What?" Rose said again, this time even more annoyed than before.

"The mad man is talking about forming a black hole." The Doctor said. "Besides it would probably work, but I have no way of making that star implode."

"Yes, what DID possess you to steal the ship without weapons anyway?" Harry said with a slight smirk, "But that's not the point."

"You stole this ship?" Rose asked, amused despite herself.

"Ah yes, well you see... urm... I suppose I did really." The Doctor replied.

"I can collapse the star, I think." Harry said. "I just need to get close."

"How do you intend to do that Harry?" The Doctor asked.

"With a lot of help," Harry said slightly mysteriously.

"We need to pick someone up?" The Doctor asked.

"No one I know on earth would have any power this far away from her. No, I mean Magic itself."

"Ahh, how close are we talking about here?"

"Convective Zone I'd say" Harry said thoughtfully.

The Doctor winced, "That's going to get... Warm"

"Yes" Harry said smiling slightly, "Rose get your clothes off, we're going sun bathing."

-xXx-

The Doctor looked over at the meditating Harry, his expression grave; this was against the way he thought. However, that was the point. Things must have been terrible for him to take a risk and flout his own laws like that, to flout in such a way, courted disaster. A Paradox, and most likely his sacrifice of life and the TARDIS herself, so Things must have been terrible indeed. He had done some terrible things in his life; some would think him a warlord in the days of the Time War. He had wiped out a form of life at the end. Yet even he would have baulked at the idea of creating a black hole. Because that is what they were, doing and that would affect space for several sectors. To save a planet, were they merely sacrificing another? Possibly, not, this was a dead region of space. Life had not yet evolved here yet. It never would when they did this. That was something worthy of note to the Doctor.

He looked over at Rose, were some things worth such a sacrifice, such an action. She looked back at him and smiled. Both his hearts skipped a beat, and he realised that yes... Yes there were.

He looked over to Harry; he could feel the power humming around Harry right now. Magic was a somewhat flimsy concept to the Doctor. Not because he did not believe it existed, he knew it did. It was just something he could easily quantify and that bothered his scientific mind more than a little bit.

One man was about to attempt something that simply should not be possible for a man with no weapons of any sort to do. That was a terrible thing to behold to the Doctor. Science and evolution had given the Doctor many gifts. To wield that sort of power though was not something he ever wanted to think about having to do.

They were now approaching the O class star and his beloved ship did not like the ride much. How Harry could remain centred like that in amongst the somewhat turbulent flight was amazing. Yes there he was, talking to his patron, as he had termed it.

The Doctor laughed slightly causing Rose to look over at him. "5000 years of knowledge and experience, bottled up and shoved into a teenager; what do you get?"

Rose laughed, "Harry," she said simply.

It was true, he was unique- an oddity and he had more knowledge in his head than any 17 year old should have to deal with. A responsibility that he often waved off as very little that was probably enormous. There was no one like Harry out there in the cosmos, or across the void. He had already changed things enough now that the future had been utterly changed. The Doctor could feel that, just as he felt many things about time itself. He picked up a mallet and whacked the console a few times, smoothing their journey a bit; he really needed to fix that damn thing.

"We are ready," a voice said. Only it was not Harry that had spoken or not just Harry at least there was a harmonic to his voice that was more than a little creepy.

"You agree," The Doctor had to ask. This was quite some undertaking after all. He knew that Magic itself was in that voice which still gave him the shivers. He had seen this before with Harry but it was not something he did often. The other time had been life or death as well, during his original journeys with them on The TARDIS.

"We are in agreement," Harry, said his voice vibrating with power.

The Doctor nodded, "I hope you brought your sun block," he said to Rose and with that, he directed his ship into the Star. They passed the Coronal Loops, The Turbulent Convection and a handful of other zones in quick succession. Only the TARDIS protecting them allowed them to get that far, but it was getting very hot. To put it in mild terms, The Photosphere of the sun was around 6000 Kelvin. The sun was a much weaker star than the one they had entered.

Harry stood glowing with power, looking out of the open door of the TARDIS. His eyes glowing brightly emerald, "Enough" he said with that strange Harmonic still evident.

The Doctor stilled his ship, eyes dark and intent.

Harry was lifted off the floor. Then he began to float out of the door. Rose made to take a dive to stop him. The Doctor caught her and held her back. "No, this is what needs to be done."

"He'll Die!" she screamed tears flying as she shook her head.

"Maybe" The Doctor said eyes averted from the brightness of the star into which they were flying. He pulled Rose into a powerful hug and covered her face so she could not see. Harry continued to float and was quickly swallowed by very, very hot gasses.

-xXx-

Harry's eyes flickered open slowly. Everything hurt, even his bloody hair hurt. "Oh god" he managed to mumbled.

There was a scrabble and a London accent said, "Oh thank god"

"Bleah, I feel like shit," Harry said, his voice not croaking as it felt like it should be.

Rose laughed, stoking his hair softly, "I'm not bloody surprised," she said.

"You've been out a while," The Doctor said, leaning over him and checking him over a bit.

"When am I?" Harry asked. Normally one would say, where, but he had travelled with the Doctor before.

"60th Century, Earth." The Doctor told him. "You were a mess Harry. The medicine at this point is probably at its height."

Harry nodded, feeling pain as he did, "Ow" he noted.

"You were burnt to a crisp," Rose told him.

"Hmm, I should be dead" Harry said.

"I think your, Patron, protected you. There is no other way you would've survived otherwise."

"I didn't really expect to, to be honest." Harry admitted.

"Harry!" Rose snapped at him, though she was still stroking his hair. He doubted she was as angry as she sounded.

Harry looked around at what he could see. What he could see was a Hospital, clean, high tech but all the same a Hospital. "I need to get out of here," he said, pushing himself up right. He looked down at himself, "Huh" he said in surprise.

"You've lost several layers of skin" The Doctor said with amusement, "But you've been left with urh... bit of a tan."

Harry laughed and swung his legs out of the bed, "Who do I thank for the care?" he asked.

"Ah well, you see... You don't really want to do that." The Doctor said.

Harry frowned slightly, "Why not?"

The Doctor just smiled at him. Harry shook his head and was about to get out of bed, and then realised something. "Where are my clothes?"

The Doctor and Rose laughed and Harry got it. "Oh burned off?"

The Doctor nodded. Taking of his long trench, he passed it to Harry. "That'll have to hold you, come on let's get out of here quickly shall we?"

"Hmmm, we're in trouble again already?" Harry asked amused.

"Pretty much a constant state around you two," Rose said with a fond smile.

Harry looked at The Doctor seriously for a moment, "Did you..."

The Doctor nodded, "Yes I did."

Rose looked between them, "Has this got anything to do with you both waking up screaming?" she asked.

They nodded, "I think we fully resolved the Paradox and since in our own ways we're -" The Doctor began.

"... sensitive to the time lines" Harry ended.

"We, urh... remembered what happened" The Doctor said looking at Rose intently.

Harry smiled, got up and put on The Doctors Trench. Which caused Rose to blush, He leaned into the Doctor and whispered, "For gods sake kiss her man."

To both of their shocks, The Doctor did as suggested.

-xXx-

"So then the box just sorta faded away," Faith said.

"Hmmm" Giles said thoughtfully. "That is as was described in the journals I've read of ... Harry?"

They all turned to the door to find Harry standing there in only the Doctors Trench coat looking tanned as hell and swaying gently. After trying to magic a lock open he had found something slightly distressing out. He magic was utterly depleted. At the end of the day, a star is a delicate balance of forces, gravity, heat and gasses. It does not take much to upset that balance that said that not much was on a somewhat large scale of things. So it had taken Harry's entire well of power and a big old boost from Magic itself to upset that balance. Meaning that Harry was out of magic until he regenerated, that was a dangerous situation for Harry. So he had come to the one place he was most powerful. In other words, Hogwarts herself, He could regenerate faster here and he needed to fast. Meaning he had gotten the Doctor to drop him off just after he had left.

Faith moved in a flash as Harry smiled, said, "Has anyone seen my phone?", and then started to fall backwards. Catching him in her arms before he hit the floor, with the ease of her calling she hefted him into her arms and looked a little bit shocked, "He was only gone five minutes?"

"With the Doctor he could've been gone a month" Giles said, "Time machine if you remember."

"Oh, urh... he's skinny looking but its all muscle if you know what I mean." Faith said.

"Urh, I can't say I do" Dumbledore said, shaking off the shock.

"He's kinda heavy?"

"Oh, come into the lounge dear, put him on the sofa and I will fetch Madam Pomphrey immediately." Dumbledore said leading the dark haired Slayer to his living room then sending an Adfero. He looked down at Harry and shook his head, "Whatever trouble have you gotten yourself into this time," he wondered aloud with fondness.

"He saved your lives," Rose said sauntering into the room.

The Doctor was just behind her, "He insisted coming in to warn you. I can see that didn't quite work as he wanted."

"And you are," Giles said, his little family moving on the defensive.

"Oh Hello," The Doctor said brightly and moved forward hand outstretched, "I'm the Doctor," he said enthusiastically, "And you are?"

"I'm Rupert Giles," Giles said shaking the offered hand. "It's a possible pleasure to meet you Doctor," he said.

The Doctor sort of half smiled and then moved over to Harry ignoring the Slayer's present. He pulled out a stethoscope and held it against the young man's chest.

Faith was glaring at the man, rather protective of Harry despite having just met. Being around the man was interesting to say the least and being around him was also fun. Something she had not had in a while, especially since breaking up with Robin Wood.

Buffy was watching with a sense of readiness, Willow was - Buffy looked around and found Willow kneeling by Harry looking scared stiff. This was odd to say the least, Dawn looked like she wanted to be over there as well, and Xander too looked concerned. Giles on the other hand was just studying the Doctor.

"He's fine, just exhausted," The Doctor said.

"I don't really appreciate finding Harry in this state" Dumbledore said slowly, "Has he been with you... sometime?"

"Not all that long, he was out for a week" Rose said, "Then he insisted on coming straight here from the hospital." she chuckled.

"What's funny," Dawn asked curiously.

"Oh, it's just only Harry could spend a week in hospital and come out with a tan." she said fondly. It did not take a genius to see she and the Doctor were close either. Especially since the Doctor kept looking at her as if to make sure, she was still there.

"We don't know him that well" Giles said slowly, "But I have a feeling I know what you mean," he added smiling slightly. "What did you mean he was saving our lives by the way?"

"Massive Alien fleet, you know the usual," The Doctor said, moving out of the way as Poppy Pomphrey cam tearing into the room and straight at Harry. She had a medical bag in one hand, which she popped down on the floor. A wand appeared from within its depths and she started casting spells over him.

"She is who?" The Doctor asked, watching carefully.

"This is Madam Pomphrey and she is our school nurse."

"Tsk-Tsk-Tsk," sounds came from the matronly woman.

"What is it Poppy," Dumbledore asked, his face reflecting the concern he felt.

"I have never in all his time here seen Harry suffer from Magical exhaustion before," she said slightly surprised sounding. "Yet there it is - he looks like he has been Sun bathing as well, hmm, new skin growth, which is odd."

"Harry was treated for burns Madam Pomphrey," The Doctor told her, "The tan is a side effect of that - in a way."

"Burns, what sort of burns," she asked.

"Radiation, mostly, in various forms, heat, light and so on. Gas poisoning, and something the doctors did not recognise. I suspect that's the magical exhaustion you're talking about."

"What ever has he been up to this time?" Poppy asked.

"Alien fleet..." Buffy said leadingly.

"Let me just say that if it wasn't stopped it would've been the end of the world" The Doctor said seriously looking at Rose as he did so.

"You seem very sure." Giles said.

"I am positive" The Doctor said, "There was a paradox created by the instigation of a Merger. That created a temporary time clone. Harry said you saw that clone. Once the Paradox was resolved, I am not entirely sure how but it was, the memories of the event sank in to the only two survivors."

There was a moment of silence, "You are saying we died, that we all died," Buffy asked.

"Everyone died," he said looking at Rose again, who smiled slightly at him. At least she knew why he had suddenly stopped denying his feelings for her. The thought that she had died was not a pleasant one, but she was not going to now; so why worry. She had a fair understanding of time now, for a mere human as it were, so she was able to just shake it off a little.

"His power levels are rising," Poppy said suddenly sounding more than a little surprised.

Willow smiled radiantly, "It's the castle," she said a little dreamy sounding as she 'felt' what was happening, "Amazing" she said softly.

"I'm out of my depth here Albus. I would suggest you don't move him for a while though." the nurse said. "He is also physically exhausted and there is not much that can be done about that except rest."

"I will transfigure the sofa into a bed for him presently Poppy." Dumbledore said drawing his wand, to do that.

The Doctor actually stepped in between the headmaster and Harry. "I wouldn't do that right now if I were you." he said jovially, "I'm not entirely certain about magic. But I can tell you that he's in conversation with someone and doing anything to interrupt that would not be a good idea."

"Conversation," Dumbledore asked, he could not hear or sense anything. However, the thing with Occlumancy shielding was that it did indeed keep things in. It also deadened that sensory perception a bit. Even though Legimancy heightened that ability, The Doctor however was an extremely physically sensitive being. He was able to shield his thoughts but he was constantly open to the universe. It was something that took a very special type of brain to deal with in fact.

Willow looked down at Harry her eyes liquid with emotion at the feelings of love surrounding the younger man at that moment. It was heartbreaking in a way. A good way, but still it almost hurt.

"Yes, this castle is something else" The Doctor said with bright eyes. There was a hint of shadow though. He looked at Harry, then back at Dumbledore. "He's been through a traumatic experience," he said apparently unexpectedly. "If he weren't unconscious I wouldn't be able to get away with this" he said with a flash of humour, "But Harry will need those that love him around while he get's better. He has friends here without doubt, his girls I think he said. I suggest you fetch them."

Dumbledore nodded and an Adfero was winging its way to various heads of house.

"What about you?" Dumbledore said noting the darkness in the Doctors eyes.

"I urh..." he trailed off.

Rose stood beside him, her hand going into his, "He has me," she said firmly.

The Doctor smiled.

"So this fleet," Buffy said with a note of annoyance in her voice. Topics were flying around all over the place meaning she was finding it hard to ascertain the danger.

"Gone" The Doctor said. He nodded at Harry, "He's dealt with them. They won't be a bother"

Buffy nodded, now happy to have found out there was no danger lurking.

"How did one man deal with a fleet?" Giles asked.

"Well, he wasn't alone." The Doctor said.

"I meant no disrespect, you said..."

"... I don't mean us," The Doctor cut in.

Giles frowned at that, "Who then?"

"More of a what," was the amused reply.

"Magic" Willow said, her eyes unfocused, she smiled and said, "My patron is... talking to me. Well communicating, Series of images..." she said surprised. "Not a feeling like before but actually a lot more..." she blushed, "coherent and she's saying all sorts."

"What is it she's... communicating?" The Doctor asked, leaning forward with interest.

"Lot's... She is also showing me what happened before, tonight... If you... oh..." Willow blushed again, quite brightly. "That was different," she noted with some humour. Then she frowned, "Oh... I wonder why he was so sad…," she said.

"Sad?" Rose asked.

"Hmm, something... happened, a ... feeling shot between us when we were touching. He was really upset about it and pretty much blanked me asking about it." Willow said, her eyes unfocused both in thought and as she watched the picture show. She shook herself, "I think she wants us to know some of what was said after his phone rang for the second time."

"Go on Willow" Buffy said, looking at her friend carefully.

"Well first off, you need to be nicer to Harry" Willow said, "She doesn't like you being nasty to him."

Buffy smirked, "He doesn't seem to mind. But, one world save equals a little respect and I'll be nice to him." she allowed.

The Doctor nailed her with a look, "If one equals respect and latitude from you, then you owe him a LOT more," he said simply. "This is NOT the first time he's saved everyone on the face of the planet, and that's just this go around."

"This go around," Faith asked.

The Doctor just smiled at her, "Point is- he's done it before. So you should by the implied scale, let me see carry the 1, love him"

Xander frowned at that, The Doctor looked at him and smirked, "Well you're an imaginative fellow."

"Also, something about our phones, He says we have to get all the same brand as Dawn and Faith... He said he couldn't do what The Doctor did, but he can get them to work"

"Oh, I can do that" The Doctor said, holding out a hand.

A quick round of Sonic Screw Driver magic later and their phones began to work.

Willow looked at Buffy, "Dawn should stay here, not to work with Harry, but to work on her magic, and more importantly - to learn to hide it."

Buffy frowned slightly, but she trusted her friend so she would give it serious consideration.

"That's pretty much it, something in there must be more important than it seems though," Willow said shaking her head in confusion. "She won't - urh - say what though. Being in contact seems important though, so thank you Doctor."

The Doctor smiled at her, "Anything for Harry" he said, and making it very plain, he had not done it for them.

Willow nodded, "Everything else she showed me was for me I think." She smiled, "Boy did he read me the riot act about tapping her power."

Buffy frowned, but remembered what she herself had just said. She had to try to be nicer to Harry. Despite the fact, he had threatened to kill her watcher.

Faith looked to the Doctor, "So, Alien huh? How's that working out for you?"