Author's Note: I'm still not sure where this story is going, but I'm enjoying writing it. thank you everyone who reviewed.

New World

Chapter Three: Histories

Harry sat uncomfortably in Dumbledore's office a few minutes later. PJ was on his lap as usual, and seemed to be falling asleep again. It was late now; the sun was dipping lower toward the horizon.

The room was engulfed in an uncomfortable silence. Harry glanced sideways at his parents. Lily looked happy, her eyes sparkled like they hadn't when he had seen them before… when she was talking to Fudge. He wondered briefly if it was because of him, but then sought something else to look at. His eyes rested on James. He had a sort of crooked smile on his face and stared right back at Harry. He flinched and turned his gaze away, running a hand over PJ's cheek to make sure everything was still real. Finally, Dumbledore broke the silence.

"Well, Mr. Potter, why don't you tell us about your world." He said calmly, twinkle in his eye magnified by the flickering candles on his desk. Harry tried not to flinch but knew that his eyes involuntarily darkened. PJ's grip on his shirt tightened. Dumbledore's eyes widened and the twinkle faded a little. He felt the other occupants of the room shift uncomfortably and looked up to find James still staring at him, all signs of smile gone from his face.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, trying not to sound defensive, but failing.

"I apologize, Harry, I know this is going to be hard, but I need you to tell me everything, from the beginning."

Harry sighed, he knew that was coming. "Okay, I guess it all starts on Halloween, 1981."

He saw the other occupants of the room stiffen, and James turned away for the first time. He smiled almost wistfully, "That's when your Harry died, isn't it?"

Dumbledore was the one who nodded, and Harry shook his head at the predictability of life. "Well, that's the night my parents died."

James gaze was back on him in an instant and he felt suddenly very vulnerable. "They had gone into hiding, with Peter Pettigrew as their secret keeper, and he had betrayed them." A look at his dad told him the same was true in this world. "Voldemort attacked, my Dad stayed downstairs to hold him off and my Mother went to save me. He killed them both… he was after me." He had to look away from James then. He focused on Dumbledore. "When he hit me with the killing curse it, sort of, bounced off and hit him instead. He was gone for thirteen years."

He was getting very strange looks from everyone and he looked away.

"How is that possible, how does someone survive the killing curse?" it was Remus who spoke, but Dumbledore who answered.

"The magic of unconditional love." Harry looked at him then to find him smiling, his eyes twinkling. "Because of your parents sacrifice." Harry nodded, and moved a hand up to his forehead and pushed back the hair so that the occupants of the room could see the scar there. His mother gasped and James was kneeling in front of his chair in an instant. Harry felt very uncomfortable as a tentative hand reached up to his forehead. James' fingers brushed the lightening bolt shaped scar gently, his light blue eyes focused on the disfigurement marring his son's forehead. Harry flinched at the kind-hearted touch and stuttered inaudibly, though James didn't seem to notice. His eyes misted and he reached further to pull Harry into a hug. PJ was now fast asleep and wasn't disturbed in the least. Harry was nervous and felt very uncertain, like it was a dream and couldn't be real. All the same, he hugged back cautiously. James held him in a reassuring manner for a few seconds. Lily had started to cry quietly. She looked more vulnerable at that moment than Harry felt. Finally James released and looked at Harry and gave him a small smile before ruffling his hair affectionately. Harry looked back at him, eyes pleading for some answer to a question he didn't know how to ask.

He quickly looked away as James resumed his seat. He noticed that more than just his Mother was wiping her eyes, but Remus and Dumbledore as well. Sirius just had this wide grin on his face like he had just witnessed the birth of a baby, and maybe in a strange way he thought he had.

Harry tried to continue like nothing happened. He cleared his throat, quietly and felt the tightness there. He then realized the wetness on his cheeks and quickly wiped the tears away. Unaware that he had even cried. "Well, after that I was taken to live with my Aunt and Uncle, Vernon and Petunia Dursley-"

"Why?" Lily burst out suddenly. Everyone looked very confused at this.

"I think it's a better idea if I tell you things in the order I learned them. So that will come later." Harry couldn't look at her then, he focused on Fawkes, sleeping quietly on his perch on the other side of Dumbledore's desk.

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"After my training as an auror was complete I began to work openly for the Order of the Phoenix. I was twenty-two and recently married to Ginny Weasley, my best friend Ron's little sister. The first major battle of my adulthood took place on July 15, 2002. I arrived at the battle late because I had been at home with Gin who was seven months pregnant with PJ at the time.

"The battlefield was pretty much the center of muggle London. When I arrived most of my friends were already there, Ron, Hermione, Padfoot and Moony… Anyway the battle was fierce, Voldemort had ordered his Death Eaters to kill every living thing they saw. I found Voldemort torturing Ron and attacked. We dueled, and he threw the Cruciatus Curse at me and hit me. Ron thought I was going to die, so with the last of his strength he hit Voldemort with a stunning curse and he disengaged the Cruciatus. Then used the killing curse on Ron. After that the Death Eaters took off."

Harry shifted uncomfortably, he had been sitting for to long, and talking about Ron was hard, and he knew the next two battles were going to be even harder. It was very late now, though Harry seemed to be the only one showing signs of fatigue. PJ had long since fallen into a very deep slumber but Harry hadn't moved him. It made him feel grounded, having PJ so close.

He shifted again. "The next significant battle was one month ago. Not that Voldemort backed off any but for a while it was just little hit and runs all over the world. The muggle population had nearly been annihilated and the Wizard population was cut in half, with the remaining wizards divided between light, dark, and to scared to make a decision. Anyway, that battle was savage. Hermione, Albus, Snape, Sirius, Remus and McGonagall all died in that battle. It was the final straw. I went a little, er… Well let's just say I didn't take it well. About two weeks ago, the night I came to this world, I tracked Voldemort down and attacked him in his hideout. I won, I defeated him. Not that it was easy, my wounds are just about almost healed now. After that everything just kind of froze, none of his Death Eaters knew what to do. As I was leaving they all just stared at me. But then it happened. I found out very quickly that Ginny had followed me because she thought I was trying to commit suicide. I found her, not far into the hideout. She had been killed while I was fighting Voldemort." He grew very quiet then, staring fixedly at the floor in front of him.

No one said anything. James looked like he wanted to get up and hug his son again, but didn't. Suddenly Harry made eye contact with Dumbledore.

"I'm really tired, is there somewhere in the castle I can stay for now?"

Dumbledore was taken aback by the question, but nodded. He stood and headed for the door. Harry did the same, being careful not to wake his son up. At the door Harry turned and inclined his head toward the room's occupants but didn't say a word. Then he was gone. With the door shut the room came alive again. Lily let out a pent up sob and fell into her husband's embrace. Sirius bombarded Remus with questions that he knew the man couldn't answer, but he asked just the same.

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The sun was bright when Harry left his room the next morning. He regretting having to take PJ with him, today he was going to find out about this world, and PJ didn't need to be exposed to that. He suddenly made up his mind and changed direction. PJ followed with a confused expression on his face, but not an unpleasant one, just sort of sleepy. Since they were alone PJ was comfortable enough to have his feet on the ground and Harry found that he really felt odd with nothing in his hands. He walked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, hoping that Remus, though he didn't know Harry or PJ very well, would watch PJ for him. Harry knew PJ wouldn't be afraid with Remus around, it was hard to remember they had only met yesterday and not five years ago, and PJ, it seemed, didn't make a distinction at all. He had commented earlier that Padfoot looked good with his new haircut and Harry had had to remind him that they were two different men, but PJ didn't seem to care.

He found the door and knocked quietly. PJ tugged at his robes and he lifted the child into his arms as he entered the classroom. The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw fourth years all turned to look at the newcomers but Harry ignored them, transfixed on the teacher. It wasn't Remus, but James. Harry smiled apologetically to the class as he approached his father. James face split into a wide grin as Harry approached.

"Um. I was looking for Remus or Sirius, could you tell me where I could find one of them?" James looked confused so Harry elaborated. "I want to leave PJ with someone, and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be uncomfortable with them."

PJ looked at James in a neutral manner, his sleep-laden eyelids half drooping and he didn't seem to care. "Well, Remus teaches Care of Magical Creatures and is down by the lake, last I heard, and Sirius teaches Arithmancy…"

"Dad?" PJ looked sleepily up at his father.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, looking somewhat caught off guard.

"If it's alright with Grampa I can just stay here."

Harry was thoroughly shocked and it looked like James felt the same way, but was smiling full force just the same.

"He's more than welcome to stay here."

Harry looked somewhat reluctant but didn't have time to make any sort of decision as PJ made it for him. He shifted his weight out of his father's arms and into his Grandfather's. James looked surprised but held PJ like some long lost treasure. Harry didn't know how to react, he smiled at James and ruffled PJ's hair before excusing himself. The class looked on with curiosity as James sat on the edge of his desk with the five-year-old in his arms and resumed teaching as if nothing had happened.

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"So let me see if I've got all this." Harry said, rubbing his eyes to regain some of his focus. He had been in Dumbledore's office all morning and now it was nearing lunchtime. "He took over all of Europe's Wizard Community but stopped there. Biding his time before moving on to the rest of the world. Hagrid is leading the giants in rebellion against him, Snape and Draco Malfoy are your spies amongst his Death Eaters and basically the only light wizards or witches still alive are in this school which has become sort of a sanctuary for those being hunted by Voldemort."

Dumbledore nodded with a sort of strange smile that unnerved Harry somewhat. It was the look he gave when he had some great piece of information that would change the world and he was keeping it to himself.

"What?" Harry asked, truly curious.

"Two things really. Not only are you far stronger today than yesterday, I mean, to the point where when you first walked in I thought you were a completely different person. And, even wide-awake, you don't beat around the bush and never once have you refrained for using Voldemort's name. A rare thing indeed on this world." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement at Harry's expression.

"Albus, trust me, there weren't many on my world who used his name either. But as far as my powers… let's just say I was on the verge of full blown fatigue yesterday and have yet to regain my full strength. So if you're surprised now… well, you'll just have to wait and see. I will tell you though that it may take awhile before enough of my powers return for me to be ready to face him again."

Dumbledore nodded in an understanding way before smiling widely. "Are you any good at transfiguration, Mr. Potter? Professor McGonagall is going to be away on business for the next week or so and I was looking for someone to take over her classes."

Harry thought about it for a moment. "Well, you had me teaching potions for a while on my world so I suppose transfiguration is a step up." He smiled. "Sure, I'll teach it."

"Marvelous. You start tomorrow. It's amusing though, that we are going to have three Professor Potter's teaching in this school at once."

((A/N: Please Review! I really appreciate it.))