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Author's Notary: After years of a dry spell and irregular posting, I have once again returned to make a new tale. A new adventure, and an attempt to convince myself that I can, and will finish a story for once. Special thanks to Brutus, Phoenix Fire, Nauze, Salient, and Otakun1Snake. Each of you has inspired me to get off the fence and finally make something.
Substandard Disclaimer:
Yes, dear reader, I am indeed the owner of Harry Potter and Warner Bros (™) and all associated media, products, coffee mugs and strawberries. It is for this very fact that I write stories pertinent to the Potterverse in fanfiction websites. I mean where else is a writer to put stuff that they exclusively own? Oh, J.K. Rowling is just my body double for events and book signing and hobnobbing and stuff. Lots of money is being made, and all copyright infringements are totally totally intended. Happy reading.
Prologue
The Department of Mysteries, like everything else concerning magic, held a great many things that were both wondrous, and oftentimes so astounding, that it would be considered deadly if left to the untrained and inept. Wizards, witches, and all such magical folk often fell prey to the hubris of their own belief and self-assurance. They often easily believed, or perhaps convinced themselves that they were more than up to the task of dealing with the unknown and unusual.
Those that did try, more often than not, united themselves with lost ones that had gone on before them to the next great adventure.
The Unspeakables that worked in the Department of Mysteries knew one immense secret: We were not alone in the universe.
With the right means, there existed countless dimensions, realities, and innumerable variations of the universe we knew or understood which could be accessed. Each one was more amazing than the last, filled with the most minute of diversities, or such unimaginable difference as to be a wholly alien existence altogether.
In one such universe, that is known by its inhabitants as the Monitor Universe, the divergence of events led one Luna Lovegood to joining the Department of Mysteries. She became an Unspeakable, rose in the ranks, and soon, became a Monitor of the multiple realities that existed. She would often be seen, standing stock still, just staring into the infinite web, following the intricate lines where her fancies took her, and observing the different lives of friends and enemies alike with keen interest.
There was one divergence that seized her attention in recent days, for the great artifact that this one held, and the tales of joy and woe that preceded the atypical events common in the life of one Harry Potter. Luna smiled with a fond remembrance, a sense of nostalgia as she recalled her personal involvement with her world and its people. Her involvement in the downfall of her version of Voldemort.
"Getting nostalgic again, are we?" said one Lucius Malfoy, as he marched up to stand next to Luna, "Ah, of course, I should have known."
He studied the reality that floated before them, labelled as the Dream Universe, playing out events in a bubble that allowed the Unspeakables to follow them from start to finish with relative ease, "This one certainly seems to be your most favourite."
"They're all my favourite, Lucius," said Luna placidly, "Every one of them is unique and wonderful in their own way."
Lucius chuckled and nodded, "Of course, my dear, I should expect no less from you. I wish I shared or even perhaps understood your immense fascination with all this." He gestured towards the Great infinite Web, which resembled a massive circular mirror with seeming cracks in its surface.
Luna gave Lucius a surprised glance, "Why Lucius, after all this time? Do you still understand so little of me?"
"Always." deadpanned Lucius.
"How droll," Luna smiled, and turned her attention back to the reality.
Lucius observed for a while, and then sighed, "Why do I seem to be such an insufferable prat in most of them?"
"You do have a tendency to favour joining Tom Riddle's lot in most," agreed Luna, "perhaps here, you are the exception to the norm. It's the wrackspurts in those realities."
"Now who's droll?" countered Lucius with a good-natured smile.
In the Monitor Universe, Lucius had never joined the Death Eaters. In fact, he was rather close friends of Arthur and Molly Weasley, and he raised his son and daughters to have open minds and a low tolerance for bullies. Draco, his eldest and the heir to the Malfoy fortunes, had proposed and married his long-time love, Ginny Weasley. The wedding was nothing short of national affair, given the notoriety of both families, their numbers, and their strong association with one Harry Potter.
Lucius, Harry and Luna had convinced Bellatrix Lestrange to switch sides towards the end of the war, turning the tide greatly in the favour of the Light, and Voldemort found himself facing the combined might of Britain's entire wizarding population, inspired by the courage of the good and righteous. The Death Eaters and any who would have followed him were beaten and subdued. With no option left to him, he tried to fight to the death, but Harry delivered some poetic justice that was perhaps a greater punishment than anything else.
With the agreement and liberty given to administer punishment by a fully supportive ministry of magic, Harry had restored Tom Riddle, making him completely human...and completely Muggle. He then wiped away his memory, and sent him to work construction, where a selection of Aurors monitored the man regularly. He would live out the remainder of his life never realising who he had once been.
"Well, it's Harry Potter Day," said Lucius, returning to the reason why he was here, "I certainly hope you plan on seeing your goddaughter for at least a token amount of time this year."
"Yes, she's turning eleven soon, isn't she?" asked Luna, "I have something important for them all."
Her tone was distracted, as if she were not fully aware of Lucius' presence, but the man knew far better. He smiled sardonically at the blonde, "This is the real reason why you're here, today, isn't it? Something to do with the Dream Reality's...rather unique treasure?"
Luna smiled up at the man, "I am oathbound not to speak, even to a fellow Unspeakable of this, my duty…"
"Yes, yes, yes," said Lucius with a wave of his free hand, "oh you do love to drivel on with that. For Merlin's sake, though, please try and remember to make an appearance this time. You only see Lucinda every so often, but I'm the one that gets stuck with her almost every bloody day. I'll never hear the end of it if you forget...again."
"I never forget," chided Luna gently, "I...merely arrived extraordinarily later than the norm."
Lucius simply chuckled and shook his head, then left the room. Luna peered at the reality's bubble, and smiled. It was coming to the interesting parts. She pressed her palm against the bubble and closed her eyes, allowing herself to be drawn into the experience as an unseen visitor, akin to falling into a Pensieve...