A/N: I would like to thank everyone who read this and reviewed. Even the ones who didn't like it because at least they made an effort to read it.

I also need to offer an apology to those of you who hope to read what happens in the other world. I never managed to write that part. Every time I tried, it always seemed funnier to leave it to the imagination.

As I am short for time, here is the next chapter. I hope it meets your approval.



CHAPTER TWO: PRETTY CHANGES

"I'm sorry to tell you this," Albus Dumbledore said, after the two boys calmed down, "Tom Riddle has not been knighted. In this world, he chose a darker path to travel. He gave himself the name that he now goes by."

Harry and Draco stared at each other in confusion. Finally Harry asked, "Do you mean he became an actor or something?"

"THAT DOES IT," Ron yelled before anyone could stop him. Jumping up he leaned into Harry and screamed, "HE'S NOT AN ACTOR, YOU MORON. HE'S A CRIMINAL, A MONSTER, HE'S TOTALLY EVIL. HE KILLED YOUR PARENTS, HARRY."

"Not my parents," Harry said, calmly. "They're still alive. But thank you for clarifying that point."

"Doesn't that bother you at all?" Hermione asked. "Knowing that he killed your parents in this world."

"No," Harry said. "It's obvious he's in Azkaban, since you know about it. I don't have to worry about him. It's sad, as I said, but it didn't happen to me."

"What is really sad, Hermione," Draco said, "is that you never got to know me as a person. And Weasley, I do like the way you express yourself in this world, but could you tone down the volume?"

Ron sat down, stunned. Hermione sat back in her chair, speechless. Hagrid, sitting behind the two visitors was quietly laughing into his hand. McGonagall was imitating Hagrid while Professor Snape groaned. And Albus Dumbledore was trying to keep calm.

"Harry, Draco, Voldemort is not in Azkaban. He was never captured, and he has made several attempts to kill our Mr. Potter, fortunately without success."

"I don't think I'm going to like this, Sir, but was he, your Harry, at school when any of these attempts were made."

"He was here when all of them were made."

"And he is still after him?"

"No, Mr. Potter," Snape interrupted, permitting himself a thin smile, "Because you took his place, Voldemort is now after you."

Harry put his hands over his face and took a deep breath. He lowered his hands and looked at Draco. "How do we put a positive spin on this?"

"It's only for a week," Draco offered.

"I can hide for a week," Harry contended.

"I'll sneak food to you, Mr. Hare."

"And dessert, Mr. Drake."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Do the two of you understand the significance of the situation you are in?"

"Yes, Sir," both boys chimed.

"You don't seemed to be bothered by it."

"It's Professor Riddle, Sir," Draco explained. "He teaches Charms, but he also teaches us his philosophy. He says to always put a smile on everything. It confuses your opponent."

Harry continued, "he also said to be prepared but never anxious. If you have enough warning, act. If you don't, then it doesn't matter."

Draco concluded by saying, "he told us he learned that from you when he was a student."

"That's it," Harry said with a smile as he turned around to face the giant. "You're Rubeus Hagrid. Professor Riddle told us how you smuggled a spider into Hogwarts when the two of you were in school together, and how the two of you used it to track down and kill a basilisk."

"I thought he'd be taller, Mr. Hare."

"I read somewhere, Mr. Drake, that he is only half giant, on his mother's side."

"That would explain it."

*

"Let me get this straight," Ron Weasley said as the three of them walked to the Great Hall for dinner. "All that joking is all an act."

"Obviously," Draco said, "It's reflex, and a lot of fun."

"Besides, the reporters love it. That picture I have of Draco and Hermione, that won Lucius Malfoy his reelection."

"I don't follow? How could Malfoy carrying Hermione do that?"

"First of all," Draco explained, "In my world, Hermione is a ten. She always looks great in photographs. Also, she's muggle born, and most of the voters have muggles in their families. Dad is a pureblood, and from a line famous for it. Voters don't like that. But they do like mixing the old and the new. Three weeks before the election, the eldest son of Lucius Malfoy is seen in public with Hermione Granger, and everyone says, 'What a beautiful couple.' Enough voters changed their minds that Dad won with 52 percent."

Harry laughed. "What Draco didn't tell you was that they didn't mean to do any of it. They wandered off a private beach, into a public area. That's why it's a muggle photograph. Isn't that true, Mr. Drake?"

"Quite true, Mr. Hare."

Ron shook his head at the thought of voting for which wizard should be in charge. He was still shaking his head when they walked into the Great Hall.

"I don't know half these people," Harry said as he looked around.

"And I don't know the other half," Draco said. "This is the Gryffindor table?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "But you may want to sit with the Slytherins. You might cause some problems if you sat with us."

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I'll give it a try. Have fun, Mr. Hare."

"Here's to good times, Mr. Drake."

As Draco walked to the Slytherin table, Ron asked Harry a serious question. "Are you ready? They're going to know you're not the real Harry."

"You've lost me?"

"Harry has a scar on his forehead, a curse scar."

"Curious. What was the curse?"

"The Killing Curse."

Harry jumped. "And he survived?"

"Who survived?" Seamus Finnigan asked as he walked by. He stopped and looked at Harry closely. Where are your glasses?"

"They needed to be cleaned. I put them away and put in my contacts."

Seamus nodded but his frown deepened. "And what happened to your scar?"

"I told you," Ron said.

"It's a funny thing," Harry replied. "I never had one. It turns out that was somebody else. And who are you?"

Seamus looked at Ron for an explanation.

"It's a long story, Seamus, but this isn't Harry. He's visiting the school from . . . a parallel world."

"Let me guess. Harry went there?"

"Exactly."

"Nice to meet you, Harry," Seamus said, shaking his hand. "I hope you enjoy your stay."

As Seamus went to sit down, Harry nodded thoughtfully. "He seems like a nice fellow. Who is that he's talking to?"

"Neville Longbottom."

"That's Longbottom?" Harry said appreciatively. "In our world his father is famous for his work as an Auror. They sent him to Beauxbaton's so he wouldn't have to deal with all the local publicity."

"Harry, here his parents are . . . well, they were also victims of You-Know-Who."

I understand, Ron. May I call you Ron? For all the smiles, yours is not a very happy world. Dumbledore is right about this being an education. I already miss the things I had. So tell me, who is my worst enemy in this school?"

"Malfoy."

"Really?"

"His dad is in with . . . him."

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Harry laughed. "I love the mystique. This Voldemort gives himself a fancy name, and then frightens people with it."

"Harry," Ron hissed at the mention of the name.

"Ron?" Harry replied. "Don't you understand? It's a marketing trick. You reverse the trick by deliberately using his name. Say it with a sneer, like he is worthless. Make jokes about him and the mighty will fall. It turns fear into vigilance. People watch for him and his men instead of watching out. Try it, and Ron, watch how people react. You can find who to watch by how they laugh."

"Harry?" Ron was clearly impressed. "That was wonderful, insightful, unexpected."

"You see, Ron. There's no problem with acting like a idiot as long as you don't think like one. Those who trust you know it's a game, and those who don't, well, they're never quite sure."

Ron held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Harry Potter."

Harry took his hand. "The pleasure is mine, Ronald Weasley. You are an interesting character, after all."

*

"That is interesting," Harry commented as his fellow Gryffindors explained how the houses were set up. "Gryffindors are brave, Ravenclaws are smart, Slytherins are ambitious and Hufflepuffs are industrious."

"That's about right," Dean Thomas said.

"We're a bit different," Harry explained. "We don't define our houses by virtues but by vices. Gryffindor is for pride, Slytherin for greed, Ravenclaw for snobbery and Hufflepuff for vanity. You could also make them, respectfully, Politics, Business, Research, and Sports."

"Hufflepuffs and sports?"

"That's right. Half of Englands Quidditch team is from Hufflepuff, and they always win the Quidditch Cup at school. Half the time that means the House Cup as well."

"You said I was in Hufflepuff," Ron said.

"Yeah. Nastiest seeker in the school. That's why no one likes you."

"I'm seeker?" Ron said. "Do I win?"

Harry arched an eyebrow at the way Ron asked the question. "Yes," he answered. "I guess you're trying to outdo your brothers, and you're doing a great job of it. Anyway, you, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe are the backbone of the Hufflepuff team. You are best known as King Crab Gargoyle and the Weasel. It's rumored that the three of you are trying to violate every Quidditch rule before the end of your final school year. It's also rumored that you've already done so, and are trying to do it twice."

"Are we any good?" Ron asked in amazement.

"Quidditch Cup five years straight, and the house cup twice because of it. I know for a fact that you've been approached by at least three professional teams."

"Is that true, Harry?"

"Well, I think it was only two," Harry said with a grin.

Ron was very pleased with himself

A loud noise was heard from the head table as Dumbledore stood up to address the students.

"Some of you are already aware of what has occurred, but I feel I should explain it to the rest of you. There are many strange things that we have encountered in the world of magic," he began, "but one of the strangest is an artifact commonly called the Traveler Stone. It is a small reddish jewel with some interesting and dangerous properties. I believe that two of our students have come in contact with the Traveler Stone, and that is why I am telling you about this. Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, please stand up."

Both boys stood up and grinned nervously as everyone began to stare at them. Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued:

"If someone touches the Traveler Stone they immediately freeze in place while a voice tells them something to the effect of 'Come, Traveler. Cross over to another plane and learn what might have been.' When that person is able to move again, he or she is in the same spot, but in a different world. Their counterpart in that world, who has also touched the Stone at that same moment, finds themselves in this world. You will notice two obvious differences in these two students. Mr. Malfoy is wearing a Gryffindor crest on his robes. Mr. Potter appears to be his close friend, and he is also missing the prominent scar on his forehead."

Dumbledore paused as Harry felt his forehead, and grinned when the boy called out. "You're right, Sir. The scar is gone."

"Mr. Potter, the scar was on the other side of your forehead, but it was a nice try."

"Sir," Draco called out, "If your comments are true, and we are in a different world, then what is my status in Slytherin House."

Dumbledore commented. "You are Head Boy for that house. But I want to explain a few more things about the Traveler Stone. Please sit down."

"Lucky you," Harry muttered, as Draco sat down.

"You may sit as well, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore added, rolling his eyes.

With everyone seated, he began, "The Stone is an interesting artifact in that it was never made. It's existence was first noted over 1500 hundred years ago, and stories about a 'magic gateway' existed long before that time. As I have said, to touch it is to exchange places with your counterpart in a parallel world, but there are dangers in this. We know that our Harry and Draco encountered the stone in the fourth floor corridor near the Arithmancy classroom. They most likely arrived safely. Our two guest appeared on the school grounds right where we had planted the Whomping Willow and were saved from disaster by the intervention of Professor Hagrid. This is the greatest danger from the stone. What is a safe place in one world could be deadly in another world.

"If both parties arrive safely and survive, they usually return to their own worlds, again simultaneously, within a week or two. Sometimes, months or years will pass before the exchange occurs. Should one of the parties die, the other will remain in the other world. Also should you touch the Stone in your own world and then again in the world you arrive in, you will be trapped in that world forever. You could carry the Traveler Stone around with you for the rest of your life and it would have no effect.

"There is one more facet to the Traveler Stone, which explains why these problems arise. It refuses to be locked away. If it is put into a vault, it will relocate itself to a public place, with potentially dangerous consequences. We have found that we can move the stone about by placing it in a tin or a box, then putting it in the back of a little used cabinet and it will stay there. In this case, it worked for almost twelve years. If any of you should come across this tin, please avoid opening it. After all, what if you appeared in a world where this school did not exist. You could appear some distance above the ground, or worse, some distance below. It could be a very short adventure."

*

"Hagrid?" Harry asked as he saw the giant walk by, "I was told that my parents were killed in this world. Was that when I received the scar Dumbledore mentioned."

"That's right, Harry."

"And who raised me?"

"Yer aunt and uncle."

"The Dursleys?" Harry groaned. "It must not have been fun. Mum spent years trying to reconcile with them. She even named Pet after her sister as a good will gesture."

Ron laughed at the thought. "Did she succeed?"

"Eventually, not that anyone except Pet and my aunt appreciated it. My cousin Dudley was part of the package."

"I've met that fat pig," Ron said as Hagrid tried to hide a chuckle.

"Fat?" Harry said. "Not in my world. He's in no great shape either, although he thinks he is. With him it's always why don't you magic your way to the door, why don't you magic the food into your mouth, things like that."

"I see his attitude is still the same," Hagrid laughed.

"You've met him?"

Hagrid gave a sideways glance to where Dumbledore was sitting. "On one occasion."

"And, Professor Hagrid, what do you teach?"

"I'm Professor fer Care of Magical Creatures."

"That explains why Lupin isn't here," Draco commented, as he walked up.

Harry rolled his eyes. "He's only here because of my father."

"Your father? It was my father who proposed the Wizards Council petition the Ministry on his behalf." Draco added sarcastically, "are you still mad because he stole your Daddy's thunder."

"That was unfair, Mr. Drake."

"Quite so, Mr. Hare, but my point is made. Lupin is not here in this world."

"True, Mr. Drake. Let us ask about someone else."

"Excuse me, Mr. Hare, but I intend to talk to someone else."


*

Hermione Granger sat apart from everyone else, trying to forget the embarrassing pictures she was shown. Then she realized something. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had shown her muggle photographs. That didn't make sense. It was still on her mind as she began to eat. Then Draco Malfoy sat down across the table from her."

"Hermione, please, I need to talk to you."

"About what?" she said crossly.

"Anything. It doesn't matter. As long as it's actually about something. Those Slytherins, Crabbe and Goyle, they tried to talk to me, I think."

"Oh, how sad," Hermione said sarcastically. "Couldn't they think of anything to talk about?"

"Hermione, I can't criticize their communications skill. They don't have any. I don't even think they have language skills." Draco paused for breath. "Let me give you an example. They're Slytherins, so I decided to ask them about trade ventures. That's always a safe subject. Goyle asked if I wanted to trade plates."

Hermione snickered at Draco's rant. "You tried to discuss economics with Crabbe and Goyle. They're your bodyguards."

"Wait. Why do I need bodyguards? I thought this Voldemort was after Harry."

Hermione grinned. "I think it's to keep people from beating you up."

"Really?" Draco said in surprise. "If I'm that much of a nerd, shouldn't I be in Ravenclaw?"

"Um, could I ask a question? The picture you have of the two of us. Why is it a muggle photograph."

Hermione watched as Draco actually blushed. "Well, you know how Wizard pictures move and sometimes seem to have a mind of their own? I didn't want a picture like that. It wouldn't seem right."

"What am I like?"

Draco looked up and smiled. "You're perfect. You're smart, well read, photogenic, but you know that, and . . . you like me, I mean, me. Not Lucius Malfoy's son, or an up and coming Wizard, or some rich kid. Me, Draco. Look at this."

Draco pulled out the picture where he was carrying Hermione. Her hand was on his shoulder as they kissed. "Enlargo," he called out, and the hand on the shoulder took up the entire picture. "See that ring? I gave it to her. Over the summer. When we graduate, we set the date. That's what she's like."

Draco smiled at the picture and put it away. He wiped a tear from his cheek, then noticed Hermione watching him. "I was thinking. What would happen if something went wrong and I never went back. You're nice, but you're not the woman I love."

Hermione squeezed Draco's hand. "You'll make it back. Love will find a way."

"Thanks, Hermione. I know I made it hard for you, looking the same as your antagonist. Thank you for seeing past that."

"You taught me to do that, Draco, and more quickly than I thought possible."

They sat in silence, and then began to hear the whispering around them. "She's holding his hand." "Did you see him cry?" They looked at each other and laughed.