"Kalopsia"
"Two"
Ginny marched through the corridors of St. Mungo's, following the directions from the Welcome Witch to her brother's room. Luna had postponed her trip to Africa and insisted on extending her stay at Potter House for a little while longer, declaring that Rolf would be fine on his own and would share his findings with her. Secretly glad, Ginny only mildly protested. In fact, she was even more relieved when Luna told her she would watch the boys while she went to visit Ron at the hospital. Luna had a way about her that Ginny appreciated more than anyone else she'd ever known.
She paused outside the door, double checking the room number before knocking. Hermione's tear-filled voice called for her to enter. Pushing the door open, she took in the scene in front of her. Hermione sat curled up in a chair by the bed, her arms wrapped around her knees and her face red from crying. Ron lay still in the bed, his face serene yet pale.
"Ginny!" Hermione sniffed. "I didn't know you were stopping by!"
"I… Luna offered to stay with the kids. No change?"
The door snapped shut quietly behind her before she made her way into the room. She sank down into the chair next to Hermione, flicking her ponytail behind her shoulder.
"No," Hermione sighed in defeat. "They don't know what he was given. There're components in his blood that they can't identify."
Ginny bit her bottom lip as she leaned back in the chair. "Did Ron tell you about the case they were on?"
Hermione frowned, another sniff echoing in the room. "Ginny, don't you think if I knew anything about this case or where Harry could be, I would tell you? To see Ron like this and not know… I'm terrified for Harry. Why did they keep him and not Ron?"
"Ron really didn't tell you anything?" Ginny's heart sank. "But Ron can never keep his mouth shut… about anything."
"He's surprisingly tight-lipped about the cases they work on, especially since they were transferred to violent crimes last fall. Everything is highly classified, and he takes his work very seriously. He normally doesn't tell me anything about them until right before they hit the papers."
"Of all the times for Ron to become mature." Ginny rolled her eyes. "The one time I need him to be a blabbermouth with no filter, and he's silent as the night."
"Well…" Hermione hesitated, her eyes shifting uncomfortably between the siblings, "he was asking me some odd questions lately. Muggle related questions."
"Really? About what?"
Ginny scooted to the front of her chair, her back rigid. Hermione looked uncertain if she should say anything, but Ginny would not let it go. She needed to know. She needed to figure out a way to help Ron and to find Harry.
"Needles."
"Needles? Like a knitting needle?" Ginny's brow furrowed.
"No, just a needle. A medical needle. They're used by Muggle Healers. They can inject medicine directly into one's bloodstream or inject vaccines, IV fluids, and draw blood."
Ginny's nose scrunched up. She had never heard of anything like that before. Harry had mentioned nothing about needles recently, although Harry never really talked about the cases he was on unless something was truly bothering him. The one thing he did mention was going to St. Mungo's and meeting with a fifteen-year-old victim, apparently the only victim they had found alive. He didn't give any details, but she could tell he had been distant and nettled. Harry never dealt well with cases that involved children.
"So, I'm confused." Ginny flopped back into the uncomfortable hospital chair.
"He asked what would happen if someone directly injected potions into one's bloodstream," Hermione elaborated. "Which, honestly, I hadn't the faintest idea. Potions are generally ingested or inhaled. I've never heard of a potion being injected before. Ron asked my dad about needles at Sunday brunch, figuring he was a dentist and would know more. My dad pulled up pictures on his mobile and tried to help him understand."
"Would Harry have known about needles and injections?"
"He grew up getting vaccinations and probably has a general idea of all the different things a needle can do medically." Hermione shrugged. "He's probably just as lost as I am with how a potion would affect someone being injected rather than ingested. He wasn't exactly top of the class in potions."
"I seem to remember him giving you a challenge during your sixth year," Ginny said slyly, a smirk dancing on her features.
Hermione scowled. "Don't even start with that."
Ginny shook her head, her eyes trailing along Ron's body. He looked physically fine. If Ginny didn't know any better, she would think he was just sleeping. Her heart lodged in her throat.
"Ron has a needle mark on his neck," Hermione continued. "They're pulling in a few Healers who are familiar with Muggle medicine."
Ginny couldn't help herself. She stood up and leaned over her brother. She stared at his neck, trying to find a mark. Hermione told her it was his left side, so she leaned across his chest to get a better look. Tucking a flyaway strand of red hair behind her ear, she squinted to see a faint dot on his neck. It was red and angry looking. Ginny cringed.
"That's awful looking."
"Normally, a needle puncture wouldn't look like that. He put up a struggle, so the needle was most likely shoved in his neck and moved around a bit. There was blood all down his neck when they brought him in, it's how they noticed the mark."
"So someone ambushed Harry and Ron? Attacked even?" Ginny looked at Hermione as she straightened up.
"It certainly looks like it. For some reason, Harry was taken and Ron was incapacitated."
"Do you know anything about their trip to St. Mungo's last week to interview the fifteen-year-old?" Ginny frowned.
"No, I didn't even know there was a fifteen-year-old involved."
"Harry was upset. I knew something was wrong the moment he wouldn't let the boys out of his sight and kept telling them he loved them. When they went to bed, he brought out a bottle of firewhiskey."
"Harry never deals well with cases that involve kids," Hermione observed.
"Yeah, but I don't think it's been solely about kids. It just seemed like one of the victims was a child, because the case didn't bother him before last week," explained Ginny. "I mean, I could tell he has been frustrated with the case but not upset like he was that one night."
"I don't know, Ginny. I wish I had some information to help them. I just… Ron is very tight-lipped about work. He comes home, and he wants to be present and happy. He has no interest in discussing cases. Ron's rarely bothered by cases like Harry is… he just compartmentalizes everything and pushes it aside. He's very good at leaving work at work, which I don't always know if that's a good thing or not." Hermione bit her bottom lip. "I wish it bothered him more."
Ginny glanced at her friend. "Why?"
"Maybe he'd quit. Do you ever wish they would just… find a new career?" Hermione whispered as she stroked Ron's forearm. "I wish Ron would just go help George at the shop or open up a bakery or… something safe. We have Rosie now and I just… I just want our lives not to be fraught with danger at every turn. Just for once."
"Open a bakery?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"He's a really good baker." Hermione sniffed, glancing up at Ginny with tears swimming in her eyes.
Ginny reached out and grasped Hermione's hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She knew she couldn't just sit around and do nothing. It would drive her mad to wait for news that she knew would never come. Robards would tell her the bare minimum, probably tell her they were working twenty-four/seven with little to no details. She couldn't just wait. She had waited her entire life as Harry ushered her away from danger and protected her fiercely.
It took only a few moments for her to make up her mind.
"I'm going to the Auror office, see if I can find anything useful in Harry's office about the case. Do you want me to keep you updated on what I find?"
Hermione let out a puff of air, her eyes wide and head shaking. Disapproval radiated off her. It didn't bother Ginny. Honestly, Ginny didn't have time for Hermione to lecture her. Harry's life was on the line.
"Ginny, you're not an Auror."
"Really? I hadn't noticed," Ginny replied dryly.
"What exactly do you think you'll be able to do?" Hermione's brows furrowed. "Join the Aurors on a raid?"
"What? Like you're going to sit here and do nothing? You can't tell me you haven't flipped through Ron's chart multiple times, thinking of what kind of potion could wake him up." Ginny ripped her hand away from Hermione's and balled them up at her sides.
"Me trying to think of a way to help Ron is completely different than you trying to find out where Harry is being held! You can't just walk into a dangerous situation and Bat-Bogey your way through it! Harry and Ron deal with the most heinous crimes and criminals! Whoever took Harry is highly dangerous. You're not trained to deal with that!"
"I will not sit at home and twiddle my thumbs, waiting for Robards to give me no information!" Ginny felt her anger spike. "You do your thing and I'll do my thing!"
"Harry would not be pleased!"
"Well, Harry isn't here right to tell me that, now, is he?" Ginny seethed. "I'm done sitting on the sidelines! I'm done waiting for him to come home to me!"
"Harry is just trying to protect you!"
"I don't need protecting!" Ginny let out a bitter laugh. "What I needed was to go on that Horcrux hunt with you, to keep Harry calm and relaxed! What I needed was to be let in on some of the dangerous crap that Harry and Ron find themselves in at work, so I don't worry! What I needed was to not be treated like a child!"
Hermione huffed, her cheeks reddening. "Harry doesn't treat you like a child! He treats you like you're the most precious thing in the world to him! If something happened to you, Harry wouldn't be able to go. It would kill him."
"You don't think it kills me that Harry is missing? That he could be dead for all we know?"
"He's not dead," Hermione whispered.
"How do you know that?"
"Because if someone killed Harry Potter, they'd want everyone to know! They'd be bragging about it!"
Ginny's jaw clenched. Hermione was right, of course. Sometimes she forgot how important Harry was at large, how famous he was. When it was just the two of them with their children, he was just Harry. He was the man who made quick quips, made her laugh until she thought she was going to pee herself, who loved playing with her hair and was always touching her, who allowed the boys to tackle him and played with them while screaming all around the house and garden. He was the man who always cooked breakfast, who walked Teddy to school more often than not, who attended every family event.
The Harry at home was a very different Harry than the one he portrayed to the public. It was as though they were two entirely different people. The Harry in public was stoic, almost cold, and tight-lipped. There was no laughter on the tip of his tongue when they were ambushed by photographers and he shielded his children's faces from the flashes. He was quick to break a camera, to verbally beat down a reporter, to be fiercely protective of his family.
"I have to go," Ginny finally said, her heart beating fast in her chest.
"Ginny, leave it to the Aurors to find him!" Hermione pleaded.
"Just because I wasn't hunting down Horcruxes with you three doesn't mean I didn't survive the war, Hermione. I might not be able to do as much, but if I can find out anything that might help them find Harry, I'm going to do it. You can't tell me that if it was Harry in this bed and Ron was missing, you wouldn't do the same bloody thing!"
Hermione opened her mouth to lecture before she closed it. "Don't do anything stupid, Ginny. Your boys need you."
Ginny only nodded in acknowledgment before she hurried out of the hospital room. She saw her parents walking down the corridor towards Ron's room. Her mother blew her nose in a handkerchief, her body leaning heavily against her worn father. Ginny didn't have time to be smothered by her mother. She turned and bolted down the corridor, finding a different way out of the hospital.
Harry woke up with his muscles sore, like he had just had a grueling Auror training session. He stayed very still, a familiar and comforting smell engulfing him. It wasn't Ginny's flowery, honeysuckle smell that filled their house, but it wasn't a gag-worthy vanilla scent either. No, it smelled like leather and wet dog and…
Quirking an eye open, Harry saw his godfather sitting in a chair next to the bed. He flipped through a Muggle magazine about motorbikes lazily. Blinking a few times, the previous day slowly came back to Harry. Cho. His parents. Sirius. Remus. The strange woman on the pavement. The man who had shoved a needle into his neck. Harry sat up, drawing his legs up to sit with them crisscrossed.
"I found you passed out on the pavement," Sirius said in a bored tone as he continued to look at his magazine, not bothering to look up. "You were minutes away from a trip to a Muggle hospital via an ambulance ride."
"What about the girl?" Harry croaked, his throat dry and head swimming, as Sirius handed him his glasses.
"What girl?"
Harry cleared his throat. "The girl in a dirty dress who was standing in the middle of the pavement. Her hands were drawn above her head."
Sirius rested the magazine on his lap, his eyebrow quirking up. "Just how hard did you hit your head when you went down? Harry, there was no girl. It was just you passed out on the pavement."
Harry swallowed the growl in the back of his throat. Something was wrong, seriously wrong, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was happening to him. He could clearly remember another life, he had seen that girl in the middle of the pavement, his vision had been distorted and blurry. It was almost as though he were on drugs or what he expected it to be like on drugs. The tree had melted into a pillar, the pavement flickered between different flooring, and he was seeing phantom people all around him.
"Yeah, she wasn't there," Harry said bitterly. "Just like Ginny died when she was eleven and Neville was the Boy Who Lived and I'm engaged to Cho."
"I'd be more than happy if you'd break off your engagement with Cho." Sirius leaned back in his chair, a hand carding through his hair. "She's a bit of a drama queen. Nothing you ever say seems to be right, and we both know her Bridezilla has only just started. Between the way she caters to the paper and is constantly pulling you more into the spotlight, telling you who you can and can't hang around with… you know that the two of us have never gotten on. I honestly don't know how you put up with it. You have the patience of a saint."
"Maybe that's because I don't remember ever being with her. I just… I want to go home, Sirius." Harry glanced up at his godfather.
"What's the last thing you remember?"
Harry swallowed. What was the last thing he remembered? Albus gurgling up at him. Ginny's breath tickling his neck. Teddy talking a mile a minute. James cackling. He tried to piece together the last concrete memory he had, but he felt like there was just a void of blackness.
"I don't know," Harry replied miserably. "I feel like it's all being sucked out of my mind. Like I'm losing memories and time and…"
"I don't know how to help you." Sirius sighed. "I don't know what's wrong with you. Let's get you to your mum and dad's, yeah? Maybe you'll feel better."
"My mum and dad are dead," Harry whispered. "Voldemort killed my dad first. He didn't have his wand on him, but he didn't care. He tried to save my mum and me."
"Harry."
"I hear my parents dying when I'd get close to a Dementor when I was a kid." Harry licked his bottom lip. "I wonder if I'd still hear it as an adult. Probably not. I'd probably hear Bellatrix murdering you."
Sirius grew pale, the corner of his mouth twitching. It was something Harry saw his own Sirius doing, the one who had died, when he was in Grimmauld Place and someone was trying his patience.
"I don't belong here, Sirius," Harry continued. "This isn't my life. I think I may be hallucinating."
Sirius let out a long sigh, his gray eyes weary. "I can guarantee you I don't feel like a hallucination."
"Isn't that what a hallucination would say?" Harry grimaced at Sirius' scowl.
"Why don't we just go to dinner at your parents, yeah? Lily is worried sick about you, and I promised her I would bring you over to the Hollow for dinner."
"The Hollow?" Harry repeated slowly, his heart hammering in his chest. "We're going to… Godric's Hollow?"
Sirius nodded. "Yeah, of course."
Harry felt the sudden need to run. He hated going to Godric's Hollow. He hated the damn statue, hated the ruins of his childhood home, hated the attention he would always garner while there. Except there probably would be no statue, no ruins. He couldn't guarantee not getting attention if he had still been the one to defeat Voldemort.
The prospect of seeing the house in its glory was slightly appealing. What were his parents' tastes? Did they have photographs all around the house like he and Ginny did? Did they prefer comfort over style in their furniture? What kind of Muggle things would be in the house because of Lily?
"Yeah, alright." Harry nodded, a tiny tinge of excitement flitting through him. "Can we… keep this between us? The entire memory, alternate reality thing between us?"
"I've kept secrets before from your parents for you, you know?" Sirius grinned.
"Somehow, I believe that."
Harry grinned as Sirius let out a loud bark-like laugh. The tension in Harry's stomach eased just slightly. The familiar laugh made his heart skip a beat. He had craved to have Sirius back in his life since he was fifteen years old. He often wondered how his life would have been different if Sirius had never died. Would he have gone on the Horcrux hunt with Harry instead of Ron and Hermione? Would he have called himself grandfather to Teddy, James, and Albus? Would Harry even be named godfather to Teddy if Sirius had been alive?
Carding a hand through his hair, he followed Sirius out of the bedroom. He thought that Sirius always liked Ginny. He probably would have been ecstatic when they married. Ginny always said Sirius was very kind to her, took the time to explain things to her when no one else would, had often sat up late at night talking with her when everyone else was sleeping. Harry wished he had been with the two of them in the kitchens of Grimmauld Place, to have the memories of his future wife, his godfather, and himself.
Sirius led him into a parlor with a grand corner fireplace. Pictures of the Marauders, Harry, and Teddy covered the walls. There were even some of Andromeda, Ted, and Tonks. Harry paused at a photo of himself, no more than six years old, being held by a teenage and pink-haired Tonks. They both wore Weird Sisters t-shirts. Another picture of him standing with Sirius and James, being supported by both a cane and by Sirius, at the World Cup, dressed in all green. A photo of him with his arm around Lavender Brown and dressed for what looked like the Yule Ball. Another photo with him on a motorbike with Sirius pointing out various things. A picture of Harry and a toddler Teddy swimming in a pond.
"It's Potter Hollow," Sirius' voice ripped his attention away from the photographs.
"Right," Harry replied thickly and made his way to the fireplace.
Harry went first, feeling uncertain and nervous. Taking a deep breath, he let the green fire engulf him. He stumbled out of the fireplace into an unfamiliar room. His breath hitched in his throat. There were photos everywhere of Harry as a baby, a toddler, a child, and an adult. Pictures of Teddy. Pictures of the Marauders. Hell, there was even one lone picture of Dudley and Harry as teenagers. Harry squinted at the photo, wondering when the hell his counterpart had met his cousin and why.
The fireplace lit up behind him and Sirius stepped out. He wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders and steered him to the back of the house. Lily stood at the cooker stirring the contents of what Harry guessed was their dinner, her wand tucked behind her ear as she cooked the Muggle way. James sat at the kitchen table, his thumb nail scratching on the wood. His face lit up when he noticed Harry and Sirius.
"You came!" James greeted. "Lily was worried you two would go off drinking or something instead of coming."
"James!" Lily hissed, embarrassment rising on her cheeks.
"Brain damage, Evans, he has no filter. He just says whatever is on his mind," Sirius replied with a soft smile as he took a seat across from James. "Although, I'm not sure you ever really had a filter."
"Prat." James lifted a shaky hand and gave Sirius a two-finger salute.
Harry took a seat next to Sirius, his hands wringing in his lap. He couldn't help but wish Ginny was with him to meet his parents, to see the banter between James and Sirius. His heart twisted in his chest. He should try to find a way home or figure out where here even was. Instead, he was having dinner with ghosts. Guilt crashed into him.
Within minutes, dinner was on the table. It was bangers and mash, little James' favorite. He had demanded it every single night for dinner for two weeks before Ginny had said enough was enough and refused to have any of it in the house. James had cried for days on end, stubbornly going on a hunger strike and sneaking snacks after bed with Teddy. Harry had turned a blind eye, pretending he didn't hear the children in the pantry at night. Molly, upset to see James refusing food, made him bangers and mash for Friday night dinner, much to Ginny's dismay. They even had a nasty row, one that Harry conveniently stayed far away from as not to anger his wife or his mother-in-law.
Harry stayed quiet for the duration of the dinner and opted to listen to his parents and Sirius reminisce about the old days. They talked about Hogwarts, the war, and childhood stories that involved Harry – tales that had never had a chance to happen. Harry found it hard to smile and nod, pretending he too remembered all the good times.
"I felt bad about our fight this morning." Lily turned her attention to Harry once they finished eating. "I didn't mean to accuse you of drinking too much. I just… I worry about you. You were always so open and honest as a child. After the war, I think you just started keeping more to yourself. Or, at least, not telling your thoughts to your dad and me. I know you're always with Sirius and telling him things. I suppose I just miss how close we were."
Harry felt a lump lodge in his throat. "I'm sorry."
"No, don't be. I suppose you don't need your mum as much as you used to. I understand you and Sirius have a very special relationship." Lily stood up, wiping her fingers underneath her eyes. "Anyway, I have a surprise for you to show you I'm sorry. Me being on your case about drinking too much probably doesn't help. You're young. You don't have children or anything yet. You and Cho should enjoy your lives and go out. I'll try to keep my worries to myself."
Harry looked down at his lap. Teddy, James, and little Albus. They were his children. He was a father with responsibilities. He rarely drank except for the infrequent occasion during holidays when Ron and George forced him to play some sort of drinking game with them. Harry tried to stay far away from alcohol as he could since he was a lightweight and often became very soppy. He didn't want his children to see him like that.
"I made your favorite for dessert!" Lily smiled as she laid down a dessert whose name he didn't know. It looked oddly familiar, like it was something Aunt Petunia had made occasionally but never let him taste.
"Yeah?" Harry trailed off, wondering for the first time if he and his counterpart were even the same person.
"It's Banoffee pie!" Lily gestured wildly to the baking dish. "You love Banoffee pie."
Lily placed a plate in front of him with a big slice. He pushed the pie to its side with his fork to see what was under the cream. There were bananas and what looked like caramel. Harry frowned. His heart twisted as he thought of Molly's treacle tart. He could remember when Ginny made him her mother's recipe when they first moved in together. She had been so proud, so happy. It tasted nearly as good as her mother's, too. Over the years, Ginny had perfected it where it was hard to tell Molly and Ginny's tarts apart.
Harry cut the pie with his fork. He slowly brought it to his mouth and took a bite. It tasted awful. He didn't know how he was going to eat the enormous piece in front of him. Would he have liked the dessert if he had grown up eating it? If his mother had always made it for him?
"Mmm!" Harry forced a smile on his face as he swallowed the contents down. "Good."
Lily dished out slices for everyone as Sirius glanced over at him. Harry grimaced in his direction. Sirius grinned widely before turning away, masking a chuckle with a cough as he accepted his pie.
Harry pushed the pie around on his plate, taking small bites and hoping to smear most of it on his plate so he wouldn't have to eat all of it. Every time Lily eyed him suspiciously, he took a slightly bigger bite and forced a smile onto his face. He turned his attention back to the never-ending pie.
Lily frowned at him. "I really think you should take the day off work tomorrow."
Work. Work! Harry's head snapped up from his Banoffee pie. How could he forget about work? He could go into the office and try to find out information on the girl on the pavement, of the man who had stabbed a Muggle needle in his neck. Perhaps he could piece together what the hell was going on.
"No, no, I'm fine!" Harry shoved a sizable piece of pie into his mouth and tried not to grimace. "I love work! I'm sure Robards has something for me to work on."
"Robards?" Sirius' brow furrowed.
"Err… you know, I think I did bump my head at work. I think that's why my memory's a bit wonky." Harry shrugged. "Do you know what case I was working on last?"
"Case?" Lily cast a nervous glance at Sirius, who looked grim.
"Yeah… case as an… Auror?"
"An Auror?" James barked out with a laugh. "You're not an Auror!"
"Harry thinks he's being a bit funny," Sirius commented. "He knows he plays for Puddlemere United."
A beat of silence passed as Harry took in the information. He played professional Quidditch? At least he'd be good at it, as he didn't know how long it would be until he could go home. While mildly relieved they didn't tell him he was a Healer or Potioneer, he couldn't help but feel guilty. Ginny had played professional Quidditch. It should be her on the pitch and not him.
"The best damn Chaser Puddlemere has ever seen!" James proclaimed.
Chaser?
"Wait, what?"
Harry felt panic rise in his chest. He was rubbish at Chasing. Ginny had tried to teach him some moves and plays over the years for fun. He found Chasing distracting, as too much seemed to be going on. The calmness of Seeking was what he had always preferred. The serenity of flying around the pitch trying to find the Snitch, the few heart pounding minutes of thrill when he spotted it, the carefully crafted loops and sharp turns to fool the other Seeker, the way the crowd cheered right as his fingers wrapped around the little golden ball. He craved it, loved it.
"I taught you everything I know! You were a natural at flying. I had never been so proud in my life." James grinned.
"Yeah, I mean, he only killed Voldemort, but, you're right, being a natural at flying is way more important." Sirius shot James a sly smirk. "I'm glad we have our priorities straight."
"Sirius," Lily said in a low, warning tone.
"Oi, Lils, give him his wand. He's as forgetful of his wand as his dad is." James' hand jerked, his fork clanging against his plate loudly.
Harry watched as Lily wrapped her hand around his wrist, steading his hand. He gave her a grateful smile as they rode out the tremor together. Harry glanced over at Sirius to see he was looking everywhere but at his best mates, his eyes glued to the ceiling. The seconds stretched into minutes before Lily let go of his hand and walked to the cabinets to pull out a slender wand from the drawer.
The Elder Wand seemed to shine as Lily handed it over to him, a disapproving look crossing her face. He instantly felt the power of the wand seeping into him. He hated it. He wanted his wand back, but he doubted he ever had his original phoenix feather wand in the first place in this reality. He was not the Boy Who Lived. Voldemort's brother wand would not have chosen him. It would have chosen Neville.
"I trust you remember our talk?" Lily took her seat next to James.
"You could give me a refresher," Harry whispered as he clutched the wand in his lap.
"If you insist on keeping that ridiculous wand, it would do you well not to lay it about. Wizards have killed to wield the power of that wand. People have tortured for that wand. It would do you well to either get rid of it or start to take it seriously."
"I take this wand very seriously." Harry's jaw clenched. "Nobody should be in possession of it."
"Yet, here you are, possessing it." Lily frowned, her arms crossing over her chest. "I told you to get rid of it after the battle, but you refused. You and Sirius had a good laugh over it."
"We didn't have a good laugh over it," Sirius interrupted, his voice low and cold. "Harry was a target after the war. All the lose Death Eaters wanted to kill him. He needed a wand that would help him survive."
"It's been years, and he still has it!"
"Harry's an adult who can decide what wand he wants," Sirius snapped.
"Padfoot, mate, don't," James spoke up, his voice strained.
"Yes, Sirius, don't." Lily sneered and the sudden familiarity of the expression made him pause. For the first time in Harry's life, he could see how she and Aunt Petunia were sisters. "You seem to live in the delusion that you're also Harry's parent half of the time. I'm sorry to break it to you, but you're not his father."
Harry stared at Sirius, waiting for some bitter retort to escape his lips. Except, in that moment, Sirius looked like it was taking all of his willpower not to say something back. Sirius rubbed his jaw with his palm, his eyes flashing dangerously.
"You named me godfather and I act as his godfather," Sirius said in a low voice. "I've watched out for this kid his whole fucking life! I took the kid in for a good year while you two recovered at St. Mungo's!"
"Yes, and you drank the entire time you did it. Don't think Remus didn't tell us how he practically stayed the entire year with you two." Lily scowled.
"I never drank around Harry!" Sirius pounded his fist onto the table, the dishes clanking. "I had a few when he went to bed every night. I was sober during the day with him! I took him to the hospital every single day to see the two of you. We practically lived there with you."
"Let's not fight." James heaved a sigh, his eye twitching again. "Lily, you know Sirius took expectational care of Harry. He was there for Harry in a way I could never be after… after I was damaged. Even after I went home, I was useless for years while I was rehabilitated. And Sirius, I would ask you to refrain from yelling at my wife. I won't ask you again."
"Well, it's been lovely." Sirius tossed the napkin from his lap onto the table. "Would you like help doing the dishes before I leave?"
"No, I'm fine," Lily replied as she wrapped an arm around James' shoulders. "I'm sorry. I know you look out for Harry, and I'm happy you do. You just tend to overstep sometimes, Sirius. You know that, don't you?"
Sirius nodded curtly as he stood up. "Yeah, I'll be back tomorrow. James has his appointment at nine? I'll help you get him there."
"Thank you." Lily's eyes softened.
"I should head out, too." Harry stood as Sirius levitated their plates to the sink. "I have… practice tomorrow."
"Do take it easy, won't you, sweetheart?"
Sweetheart. That was the term of endearment that Lily used for him? His heart twisted in his chest. Molly called him dear. Ginny called him love. His mother called him sweetheart. Harry smiled at Lily and nodded. A lump too big to talk was nestled in his throat.
Sirius clapped a hand on Harry's back, and the two of them left the house together. Harry stayed close to his godfather as they walked down the narrow lanes of Godric's Hollow.
"Thank you," Harry croaked out.
"For what?" Sirius paused in his stride, causing Harry to falter as well.
"For not telling them about what's wrong with me."
"I haven't the faintest idea what's wrong with you, Harry. I still can't decide if you're having a mental breakdown or you're a different Harry from an alternate timeline or if you just got hit too hard in the head with a Bludger."
"We were close, you know, where I'm from." Harry shuffled his feet. "You were the only parent I had for a while. You looked out for me at a time when no one else did. You lived in a cave for a year to watch out for me."
"A cave? Why the fuck would I live in a cave?"
Harry let out a soft chuckle, images of Sirius and Buckbeak lounging against the wall of the cave filtering into his mind. "It's a long story."
"Right. Look, if you don't want to stay with Cho tonight, you're more than welcome to stay at mine." Sirius reached out and gripped Harry's shoulder. "We'll figure this out. Together."
Harry nodded. The comforting weight of Sirius' hand on his shoulder disappeared. He riffled through his jacket pocket and produced a bit of parchment. He ripped off the corner and wrote in his big, loopy letters that Harry missed so much. He handed the parchment to Harry. Taking it, he glanced down to see an address.
"Clear your head for a bit, then come over. That bedroom you stayed in earlier, it's always been yours." Sirius smiled at him. "I love you. I'll see you later, yeah?"
"Yeah," Harry replied thickly.
With a crack, Sirius disappeared.
Harry blinked back the tears that accumulated in his eyes. It was the first time that Sirius had said those three words to him. They were the words that Harry had craved to hear growing up but never did. The first person to say those words to him had been Ginny when he was seventeen years old, when he was bloody and exhausted after the Battle of Hogwarts.
In a beat, Harry disappeared as well.
He reappeared in Ottery St. Catchpole. He could see the graveyard from his vantage point. He forced his legs to move, to carry him to the one place that may give him the answers he craved. There was a Weasley plot in the back of the graveyard, one where some grandparents and great aunts and uncles were buried. He knew the way by heart, having gone with Ginny yearly to lay flowers on her brother's grave.
He stopped in front of what should be Fred's grave. Except it wasn't. There was no Fred grave in the cemetery. Fred was alive, and Harry hoped, happy here. In place of Fred's grave was a different grave, a grave Harry had hoped he would never have to see.
Ginevra Molly Weasley
11 August 1981 – 29 May 1993
Beloved daughter and sister
May you find peace, joy, and love
In life's next great adventure
Harry sank down onto the ground, sitting cross-legged in front of Ginny's grave. Pulling the Elder Wand from his pocket and conjured a bouquet of flowers and rested them on the top of the stone. His hands dropped limply onto his lap as he stared at Ginny's name.
"I miss you," Harry whispered. "I have a feeling if I could talk to you, you'd be able to tell me what's going on. You always told me the truth. You were always my constant. I'm lost without you. I don't know if I want to go on without you. I know you'd call me barmy. I know you'd say that I finally have my parents and Sirius, so I should try to be happy. I just… I can't be happy without you, Ginny. You're my soul mate. You complete me. You make my life worth living. You make me happy. I don't know what I'm doing without you. I can't…"
Harry furiously wiped the back of his hand across his face. The dam broke and tears spilled down his cheeks. He bowed his head, no longer able to see Ginny's name.
"I want to know if I can come home to you. If I knew I could come home to you, I think I could view this as a little holiday. The not knowing is driving me mad. I don't know if I've somehow traveled to another dimension or if I'm in a coma or if I'm dead or what. I just don't know. I can't… Ginny, please, just tell me what's going on. Please, tell me how to get home to you."
"I don't think you're in another dimension."
Harry whipped around at the familiar voice to see Luna standing behind him. She looked just like he remembered her, with her long stringy blonde hair and brightly colored outfits. She sank down on the cold ground next to him, her silvery eyes wide and a soft smile on her face.
"You have Zowzies flying all around you," Luna continued. "They're feeding off your thoughts and memories, slowly taking them away and replacing them with a void of nothingness."
"That's cheerful." Harry couldn't help but laugh. At least Luna was the same.
"I think someone is trying to make you forget." Luna reached out and brushed his fringe off his forehead. "You're having trouble remembering things, aren't you? Like how you ended up here or the days leading up to today."
"I don't belong here, Luna. I come from a reality where Ginny Weasley is alive and we're married with kids. We're good friends. Are we friends here?"
"Hmm, no, I wouldn't say we're friends. You were always kind, but we were never friends." Luna smiled at him. "I could be your friend now if you like."
Harry blinked, his tongue moistening his lips. "Can you help me find someone?"
"I can't help you find Ginny if that's what you want. She died a very long time ago. I was very sad." Luna's gaze glanced at the gravestone.
"I want to find her brother, Ron Weasley. I need to talk to him. Do you know where he is?"
"Have you been to the Burrow? The Weasleys came back after the war. Although, I believe they have a lot of enchantments around the house. It's very hard to find if you don't know what you're looking for."
"They're here? They're still at the Burrow?" Harry wiped his sweaty palms against his jeans.
"Yes, why don't you stop by my house tomorrow morning. We'll go together. I'm afraid they might not take kindly to a stranger showing up at their house unannounced, even if that stranger was Harry Potter."
"Is nine alright with you?" Harry inquired.
"Yes, I believe you know where I live if we were friends in your mind before. I'm sure it's the same."
Luna jumped up, adjusting her dress. She smiled at him before she skipped out of the graveyard, her blonde hair swinging behind her. He watched her go, a soft smile on his lips. He would trust Luna in any reality, and he suddenly knew that she was the key to helping him find his way back home again. Harry turned back to Ginny's grave, his fingers tracing the indentation of her name. He was going to go home to her. He could feel it in his bones.
Nine in the morning. Harry glanced at his watch, longing ringing through him when he saw the flashy wristband and not the familiar beat-up watch that had once belonged to Gideon Prewitt, the watch he'd treasured since the day Molly had presented it to him. He let out a slow breath, his eyes on the time. If he had to wait until the morning to find answers, he needed a place to stay. He fumbled in his pocket for the address Sirius had given him, relief coursing through him. He would kip there for the night until he could talk to the Weasleys for answers. There was no way in hell he was going to spend the evening with Cho Chang.
He turned back to the grave, his fingers tracing Ginny's name once more. "I'm coming home, Ginny. I promise."
He'd make it home to her, he vowed, no matter what.
I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Still confused? I hope so! Thank you for all of the encouraging reviews! I'm a little late responding to the logged in reviews, and I will be responding as soon as I post the new chapter! It's been a very busy week, so I'm sorry I didn't get to them before. Don't forget to leave a review! They give me inspiration and make me want to write.
Special thanks to Arnel for editing. Special thanks to Bree for always bouncing ideas around with me.