The trio of Gryffindors sat down. Seamus, who sat across from Harry, asked, "Hey. How are you guys doing? Are you ok, Harry? Snape seemed a little pissed off."
Hermione snorted, "A *little*? Hardly. He gave Harry some Detention for tonight."
Harry added with a frown, "And I don't think i want to know what he has planned."
Ron said, "I don't understand why it happened. Harry, you looked like you saw something bloody dangerous in the cauldron, smoke came out a few times..then, you accidentally tipped it over."
Neville said with remorse, "Harry..uh, I'm very sorry. It was my fault. I didn't mix it right. *I* should have gotten in trouble, but..sorry." He wiped his eye.
Harry waved. "Don't worry about it, it's too late now."
Seamus said, "So, what happened. Harry, you haven't been normal."
Ron explained, "It's his dreams. He had one last night."
Neville shuddered, "W-was it..was it about You-Know-Who?"
Harry shook his head. "No. It was about this warrior woman named Xena. I never heard of her before. From what I saw, she used to be a warlord, but turned good later on. She travels with her Amazon friend.. Gabrielle..fighting evil and stuff. And they can *really* fight! I just remembered something. This isn't the first time I had a dream of them..I had it before, when I was nine years old. Uncle Vernon started the fire up in the fireplace. I fell asleep on the couch one..I saw weird images in my sleep. A raven-haired woman on horseback, an army rode with her. Whenever she left a village, it was always burning behind her. Later on, I saw her fighting enemies and stuff. Last night, I had another dream. Same thing, Xena rescued some villagers."
Hermione said, "Was today any different?"
Harry nodded as he ate, "Yeah. She was evil. Dressed very differently, in regal robes. Like she was queen of the world. It was changed somehow, as she and Gabby were enemies. Xena had her put on a cross, ordered the guard to make an example of her by breaking the bard's legs. I saw other stuff, too. The past at Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor were pals, Malfoy was too nice, and other stuff..it was changed, a different history than we know it."
Seamus exclaimed, "Whoa! That's VERY scary."
Hermione gasped, as if she had learned something new. "Oh..my..GOD. I got it! Harry, this was alternate history. It's believed thar for every choice, we create an alternate universe and time-line..a universe exists from ALL choices that everyone in the past has made. There's billions of different realms similar to our own."
Ron said, "You sure, Herm?"
She said, "I'm sure. I read about this in a book once, something to do with physics. Harry, something about the potions..I don't know, but the way they were mixed, they must have triggered something. Maybe an opening, a window into the Multiverse of all the different events that *could* have happened in the past. It makes perfect sense!"
Harry agreed, "Yeah, you're probably right." He finished his food, then yawned. He was wondering what to do about these disturbing images. Harry could not understand why he kept seeing them. He looked down at his empty plate, at a loss of how to deal with it. As he did so, he found himself somewhere else..
*******************************************
---Mount Amaro---
---Roman Prison---
[Back in the past once again. It was snowing. Roman soldiers were leaning over two bodies, tying them to the crosses which lay on the ground.
The criminals were two women, dressed in grey rags. It was Xena and Gabrielle, and it appeared to be the end for them. Xena looked at her companion. She was quivering from the cold, trying to speak.
"Gabrielle.."
The bard slowly turned her head, gazing into Xena's eyes once more.
Xena said with conviction, "You were the best thing in my life.."
Gabrielle replied softly, "I love you, Xena."
The Roman placed a small, wooden block on Xena's left hand. He raised the hammer high in the air...and brought it down hard!]
**********************************************
"WHAT?!!" Hermione yelled, which got the attention of both the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables. "Harry, what do you *mean*?"
Harry shook his head vigorously, looking around. He was at lunch, back with his friends in the Great Hall. "Huh..what?"
Seamus laughed, "Uh..Harry? You just told Hermione that she was the best thing in your life."
Harry denied it. "No. No, I didn't say that."
Hermione said, "Yes. You did, Harry. You were looking at me. You said..'you were the best thing in my life'."
Seamus laughed, "Why, Harry..you got a crush on Herm?"
Harry yelled, "Will you just SHUT UP? Why don't you shout a little bit *louder*, huh?! I did NOT say it, it was *XENA*!!!"
By now, Draco was snickering along with the rest of his class. A few other tables from Hufflepuff started to notice, then followed suit.
Ron said, "Harry! Please stay calm, ok? We're attracting attention. Unwanted attention..especially from those Slytherin blokes over there. And as we all know, *any* kind of attention from them is usually unwanted."
Harry sighed, taking a deep breath. "Okay..sorry, Herm. But I saw them again. They were being crucified by Romans."
Hermione was quiet for a moment. "So..you were just repeating what you heard in the dream?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah."
**********************************************
Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table, a brown owl just flew over to Malfoy. It dropped a scroll in front of him. He picked it up, unfolding it, and a few chocolate candies fell out. "Ooh, sweets! What have we here?" He silently read the letter to himself.
Draco,
Have you read the books I have told you to read? In case you have forgotten, they are the books on warfare and history in ancient times. I expect you to be done by tonight, for there shall be a test. Also, I would take care not to go where you do not belong, if I were you. There is no reason for you to repeat Pansy's mistake..the next time she interferes, our lord may not be so forgiving. Do not attempt to work magic with which you have had no experience. Your assistance shall be needed soon. Narcissa will give you details..
--Lucius
Malfoy scowled. Great..first Potter insults him at then end of Potions class, now he has to do extra homework that has *nothing* to do with magic. On top of that, he is supposed to help his father and You-Know-Who fulfill some evil plan. He mumbled, "Oooh, what fun."
**********************************************
Narcissa walked into the Great Hall. As she walked past the tables of the other houses and towards her son's section of the room, she found herself smiling evilly. She said with a sneer, "Here comes trouble.."
Malfoy looked up from his candy. "What?"
Narcissa shrugged. "Oh, nothing. I don't know why I said that?"
Malfoy asked in a bored, drawling tone, "What do you want now, mother?"
"We have business to discuss."
"Okay..what is it? Father told me you would come. So, what am I supposed to do?"
She whispered, "Not here. Let's go outside, away from all these people. What I must tell you is not meant for others to hear, as it is very important..only you are meant to know."
He sighed, "Fine..let's be done with it, then." He got up from his seat.
She nodded, leading him out the door.
**********************************************
Seamus watched Malfoy leave the room with his mother. "Guys..what the Hell was *that* all about? She sure looked awful suspicious, how she was acting."
Harry shrugged. "Damned if I know. I don't really pay attention to anything the Malfoy's do."
Ron said, "I'm with you on that, Harry. But it sure seemed bloody important. I wonder what they're talking about?"
**********************************************
In the hallway, Narcissa stopped.
Malfoy asked tiredly, "Ok..what now?"
"First..you would do well to change that attitude. What we need you to do will require your full attention."
He straightened up. "Alright. So, what am I to do?"
"You-Know-Who, as you may have figured out from Pansy's spying, has recently made an alliance with a soul as dark as his own."
"Alti?"
"Ah, I see you already know of the shamaness. Good."
"Not really. Pansy just told me what Alti was, what Alti told her..and that she was very powerful."
"That is all true. She possesses magic from an era long before Hogwarts, her abilities come without the use of a wand. She has power over life and death. You-Know-Who thinks she can be useful to our cause, and I for one do not plan to argue. At this point, Alti's spirit is wandering around, while her body is ashes. It is our task to gather the correct properties which are necessary to perform a spell that will bring her back."
"And, my part is.."
"Lucius thinks she may come here. In fact, she may be here already."
"Hmm..I haven't noticed Peeves around lately."
"It is *your* job to find this Alti. Inform her that You-Know-Who's
servant has begun the ritual. Tell her to come to our mansion. and..you would be wise to identify yourself the moment you see her. She's likely to be mentally unstable, given her range of power."
"Quite."
"Don't mess this up. Once you give Alti the message, let your father know immediately. Do you understand?"
"It'll be done, mother. I won't fail."
"Good..see that you don't." And with that, she walked past him, headed for the exit.
Malfoy frowned. "Right. As if I *could* fail." He went to open the huge doors, walking back to his table in the Great Hall..
Hermione snorted, "A *little*? Hardly. He gave Harry some Detention for tonight."
Harry added with a frown, "And I don't think i want to know what he has planned."
Ron said, "I don't understand why it happened. Harry, you looked like you saw something bloody dangerous in the cauldron, smoke came out a few times..then, you accidentally tipped it over."
Neville said with remorse, "Harry..uh, I'm very sorry. It was my fault. I didn't mix it right. *I* should have gotten in trouble, but..sorry." He wiped his eye.
Harry waved. "Don't worry about it, it's too late now."
Seamus said, "So, what happened. Harry, you haven't been normal."
Ron explained, "It's his dreams. He had one last night."
Neville shuddered, "W-was it..was it about You-Know-Who?"
Harry shook his head. "No. It was about this warrior woman named Xena. I never heard of her before. From what I saw, she used to be a warlord, but turned good later on. She travels with her Amazon friend.. Gabrielle..fighting evil and stuff. And they can *really* fight! I just remembered something. This isn't the first time I had a dream of them..I had it before, when I was nine years old. Uncle Vernon started the fire up in the fireplace. I fell asleep on the couch one..I saw weird images in my sleep. A raven-haired woman on horseback, an army rode with her. Whenever she left a village, it was always burning behind her. Later on, I saw her fighting enemies and stuff. Last night, I had another dream. Same thing, Xena rescued some villagers."
Hermione said, "Was today any different?"
Harry nodded as he ate, "Yeah. She was evil. Dressed very differently, in regal robes. Like she was queen of the world. It was changed somehow, as she and Gabby were enemies. Xena had her put on a cross, ordered the guard to make an example of her by breaking the bard's legs. I saw other stuff, too. The past at Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor were pals, Malfoy was too nice, and other stuff..it was changed, a different history than we know it."
Seamus exclaimed, "Whoa! That's VERY scary."
Hermione gasped, as if she had learned something new. "Oh..my..GOD. I got it! Harry, this was alternate history. It's believed thar for every choice, we create an alternate universe and time-line..a universe exists from ALL choices that everyone in the past has made. There's billions of different realms similar to our own."
Ron said, "You sure, Herm?"
She said, "I'm sure. I read about this in a book once, something to do with physics. Harry, something about the potions..I don't know, but the way they were mixed, they must have triggered something. Maybe an opening, a window into the Multiverse of all the different events that *could* have happened in the past. It makes perfect sense!"
Harry agreed, "Yeah, you're probably right." He finished his food, then yawned. He was wondering what to do about these disturbing images. Harry could not understand why he kept seeing them. He looked down at his empty plate, at a loss of how to deal with it. As he did so, he found himself somewhere else..
*******************************************
---Mount Amaro---
---Roman Prison---
[Back in the past once again. It was snowing. Roman soldiers were leaning over two bodies, tying them to the crosses which lay on the ground.
The criminals were two women, dressed in grey rags. It was Xena and Gabrielle, and it appeared to be the end for them. Xena looked at her companion. She was quivering from the cold, trying to speak.
"Gabrielle.."
The bard slowly turned her head, gazing into Xena's eyes once more.
Xena said with conviction, "You were the best thing in my life.."
Gabrielle replied softly, "I love you, Xena."
The Roman placed a small, wooden block on Xena's left hand. He raised the hammer high in the air...and brought it down hard!]
**********************************************
"WHAT?!!" Hermione yelled, which got the attention of both the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables. "Harry, what do you *mean*?"
Harry shook his head vigorously, looking around. He was at lunch, back with his friends in the Great Hall. "Huh..what?"
Seamus laughed, "Uh..Harry? You just told Hermione that she was the best thing in your life."
Harry denied it. "No. No, I didn't say that."
Hermione said, "Yes. You did, Harry. You were looking at me. You said..'you were the best thing in my life'."
Seamus laughed, "Why, Harry..you got a crush on Herm?"
Harry yelled, "Will you just SHUT UP? Why don't you shout a little bit *louder*, huh?! I did NOT say it, it was *XENA*!!!"
By now, Draco was snickering along with the rest of his class. A few other tables from Hufflepuff started to notice, then followed suit.
Ron said, "Harry! Please stay calm, ok? We're attracting attention. Unwanted attention..especially from those Slytherin blokes over there. And as we all know, *any* kind of attention from them is usually unwanted."
Harry sighed, taking a deep breath. "Okay..sorry, Herm. But I saw them again. They were being crucified by Romans."
Hermione was quiet for a moment. "So..you were just repeating what you heard in the dream?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah."
**********************************************
Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table, a brown owl just flew over to Malfoy. It dropped a scroll in front of him. He picked it up, unfolding it, and a few chocolate candies fell out. "Ooh, sweets! What have we here?" He silently read the letter to himself.
Draco,
Have you read the books I have told you to read? In case you have forgotten, they are the books on warfare and history in ancient times. I expect you to be done by tonight, for there shall be a test. Also, I would take care not to go where you do not belong, if I were you. There is no reason for you to repeat Pansy's mistake..the next time she interferes, our lord may not be so forgiving. Do not attempt to work magic with which you have had no experience. Your assistance shall be needed soon. Narcissa will give you details..
--Lucius
Malfoy scowled. Great..first Potter insults him at then end of Potions class, now he has to do extra homework that has *nothing* to do with magic. On top of that, he is supposed to help his father and You-Know-Who fulfill some evil plan. He mumbled, "Oooh, what fun."
**********************************************
Narcissa walked into the Great Hall. As she walked past the tables of the other houses and towards her son's section of the room, she found herself smiling evilly. She said with a sneer, "Here comes trouble.."
Malfoy looked up from his candy. "What?"
Narcissa shrugged. "Oh, nothing. I don't know why I said that?"
Malfoy asked in a bored, drawling tone, "What do you want now, mother?"
"We have business to discuss."
"Okay..what is it? Father told me you would come. So, what am I supposed to do?"
She whispered, "Not here. Let's go outside, away from all these people. What I must tell you is not meant for others to hear, as it is very important..only you are meant to know."
He sighed, "Fine..let's be done with it, then." He got up from his seat.
She nodded, leading him out the door.
**********************************************
Seamus watched Malfoy leave the room with his mother. "Guys..what the Hell was *that* all about? She sure looked awful suspicious, how she was acting."
Harry shrugged. "Damned if I know. I don't really pay attention to anything the Malfoy's do."
Ron said, "I'm with you on that, Harry. But it sure seemed bloody important. I wonder what they're talking about?"
**********************************************
In the hallway, Narcissa stopped.
Malfoy asked tiredly, "Ok..what now?"
"First..you would do well to change that attitude. What we need you to do will require your full attention."
He straightened up. "Alright. So, what am I to do?"
"You-Know-Who, as you may have figured out from Pansy's spying, has recently made an alliance with a soul as dark as his own."
"Alti?"
"Ah, I see you already know of the shamaness. Good."
"Not really. Pansy just told me what Alti was, what Alti told her..and that she was very powerful."
"That is all true. She possesses magic from an era long before Hogwarts, her abilities come without the use of a wand. She has power over life and death. You-Know-Who thinks she can be useful to our cause, and I for one do not plan to argue. At this point, Alti's spirit is wandering around, while her body is ashes. It is our task to gather the correct properties which are necessary to perform a spell that will bring her back."
"And, my part is.."
"Lucius thinks she may come here. In fact, she may be here already."
"Hmm..I haven't noticed Peeves around lately."
"It is *your* job to find this Alti. Inform her that You-Know-Who's
servant has begun the ritual. Tell her to come to our mansion. and..you would be wise to identify yourself the moment you see her. She's likely to be mentally unstable, given her range of power."
"Quite."
"Don't mess this up. Once you give Alti the message, let your father know immediately. Do you understand?"
"It'll be done, mother. I won't fail."
"Good..see that you don't." And with that, she walked past him, headed for the exit.
Malfoy frowned. "Right. As if I *could* fail." He went to open the huge doors, walking back to his table in the Great Hall..
