Author's Notes: Well, here I am, updating again. I know pretty much how the first five chapters are going to go, though, so it's easy to write them. The others are less easy, so I'm pretty much in wilder territory with those.

This world's Harry does seem to be rather a wimp, but "our" Harry isn't always as bright as Hermione, either.

BekaJWP: Thanks for the tip and the compliments! I was somewhat guessing on the grass snake, which was why I didn't name it specifically. Thanks for the confirmation!

Tanydwr: I could make a living out of nit-picking, too, believe me. I'll let you know.

Everyone else who's reviewed: Thank you! Let me know if you see anything that can be changed.

The Best of All Possible Worlds

Chapter Three: Hiding at Hogwarts

"Harry! Come back here!"

Harry twitched reflexively at his name as he let go of Lily's hand and stepped away from her, but decided he would just have to get used to it. Dream, hallucination, or other world, as he had started to accept, the name wasn't going to vanish. He looked quickly around, orienting himself in Hogsmeade, and started towards Hogwarts. He thought he would probably reach the castle much more quickly than Lily and the other Harry, since his mum was currently chasing her son towards Zonko's and shouting something about making sure that he actually made it to classes.

Harry envied that kind of problem. He was practicing speeches in his head, trying to make them come out just right.

You see, sir, I come from another world… Perhaps not right at the beginning.

I seem to be stuck in a dream I can't get out of… No, that would make it seem as if he didn't take the problem seriously enough, and Harry had no intention of doing anything else.

You know I look an awful lot like Harry Potter? Well, you look an awful lot like someone I know… Closer to what he wanted, but still not right.

Harry tramped along, scowling and tripping over the Invisibility Cloak and listening to his almost-empty stomach, and arrived at Hogwarts before he expected it. He took a moment to study it. The castle seemed exactly the same, at least from the outside. The lake didn't ripple any differently. There were no extra towers, the way that Harry had almost expected, and the Forbidden Forest managed to look as dark and frightening as it did at home.

Then his eyes moved away from the Forest, and he straightened, heart slamming against his ribs.

Where's Hagrid's hut?

There was nothing where it should have been. Harry stared at the empty space of grass. He didn't know what it meant. It could just mean that Hogwarts didn't have a gamekeeper, but it could also mean that something had happened to Hagrid in this world. And if that was true, then who knew who else might be missing? Perhaps he would walk into the castle and find Voldemort as Headmaster. Harry shuddered faintly. If his mother was still alive and he was running around without his scar and not able to talk to snakes, then anything could happen.

But I can't think like that. If I do, then I might as well just give up and sit down right now.

Harry scowled. He was beginning to hate the voice of his conscience. It sounded a lot like a cross between McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape.

He kicked a stone to relieve his feelings, and entered the castle.

~*~

By the time he got to the gargoyle outside the Headmaster's office, Harry was ready to hex someone again. Breakfast must have just finished, judging by the delicious smells in the halls, and students hurrying late to their classes seemed intent on running in unpredictable directions, making it hard for him to dodge. Add to that that he had seen Ron and Hermione streaking towards the Charms classroom and had almost spoken to them out of sheer gladness, and Harry thought his feelings weren't unjustified.

It was just the icing on the cake to get to the gargoyle and realize that he didn't know the password.

Harry sighed. Should I hope that Dumbledore in this world has that same fondness for sweets? Well, pretty much useless to assume anything else.

Glancing up and down the hall so he would see anyone approaching, he whispered, "Chocolate Frog? Fizzing Whizbee? Flavored Beans?"

The gargoyle stayed motionless.

"Lemon drop?"

Motionless again.

"Chocolate cake?"

Motionless.

Harry bit his tongue as he heard footfalls, and dived towards the gargoyle, then realized the person might want to enter the Headmaster's office, shuffled off to the side, became concerned about being too far away to hear the password, and froze awkwardly where he was.

Professor Snape rounded the corner.

Harry gawked. The Invisibility Cloak cast a slight gauze across everything he saw, but it couldn't distort his vision this much. Snape looked happier, the way that Sirius had, but so much better than the Snape of his world that there was really no comparison. He had a slight smile on his face, hummed under his breath, and actually stopped now and then to draw in a breath of air, exactly as if he were glad to be alive.

Harry shook his head to clear it. I'm not sure if I want to know what could make Snape happy. Maybe Voldemort really is Headmaster.

He was so distracted with the thought that he missed the moment when Snape stopped by the gargoyle and murmured a password, a fairly long one. The gargoyle hopped aside, and Snape stepped past. Harry gathered himself for a dash, but the statue was already back in place.

Harry growled, and thought of waiting for Snape to come back.

But different thoughts rose up in his mind almost immediately. There was food, of course, but there were also the sight of Ron and Hermione, and even the thought of seeing what had become of other people while he was here.

Maybe I can figure out what the difference is between this world and mine. And even if I can't, it would be fun to see them.

His conscience pointed out that he should focus on getting home, not fun. But his conscience was sounding a lot like Snape at the moment, so Harry ignored it and made his way towards the kitchens.

~*~

Harry shook his head as he stepped out of the kitchens. He hoped that this world's Harry wasn't great friends with the house-elves. The house-elves were now severely confused as to why Harry Potter would be creeping around the school under an Invisibility Cloak, and making up very poor excuses about missing breakfast in the rush for his mother to get him here.

But his stomach was full, and with any luck he would be home by evening, so Harry tried not to worry about it too much.

He made his way quietly towards the Charms classroom, ducking inside during a moment when Flitwick's squeaky voice seemed especially loud. He saw a few people glance at the door, but most of them turned back at once. Maybe they were more studious than the ones at home, Harry thought with a slight grin.

He realized almost at once that that wasn't it. Harry—the other Harry, Harry corrected himself firmly—and Ron sat near the front of the class, and they were about to play a prank. Flitwick, standing on a pile of cushions and gesturing emphatically to make a desk blaze with inner light, didn't pay any attention. The rest of the Gryffindors were leaning forward and snickering as Harry and Ron kept their hands over something on the table, something that made their hands jump and flutter every so often.

Hermione, who sat beside them, was too busily buried in her books to pay any attention. Harry grinned wider when he saw her, even though it brought on another wave of homesickness. Things in this world could be different, but Hermione would always be Hermione.

And this one probably doesn't have bad dreams about the Department of Mysteries, either, he thought wistfully.

The other Harry and Ron played their prank before Harry could start feeling too guilty. Their hands broke apart, and an angry, buzzing insect zoomed off the table and straight at Professor Flitwick. It changed sizes as it flew, and by the time it reached the tiny professor it was nearly as big as he was.

Professor Flitwick squeaked with surprise and dropped off the cushions behind his desk. Harry and Ron bent over, laughing. Hermione glanced up for the first time, frowned, and gave them both a glance of utter disgust.

The insect turned around, then, and came straight back at the other Harry and Ron, missing the top of Harry's invisible head by about an inch. He flinched and dived under the table, just barely avoiding legs. What is that thing? It looks like something the twins would come up with.

Yelps drew his attention, and Harry peered out to see the other Harry and Ron pelting towards the door with the insect after them. He shook his head, but couldn't help a small smirk that worked its way over his lips. First an invisible anaconda, then this. I think I'm—he's—going to be traumatized by bedtime.

The insect had caught up with the other Harry and Ron, and started stinging them, or maybe biting them. Harry couldn't tell from the yelping. He started to move into a position where he could see better, but two voices yelling, "Finite Incantatum!" made him turn his head in other directions.

Hermione was on her feet, of course, wand out. The other voice came from behind her, though, and Harry stared. Neville?

He was still small and plump, but he didn't look timid. He had his wand out and wore an expression of calm disgust that was almost the same as Hermione's. He watched as the insect fell to the floor and muttered to Hermione, "It's always something with them, isn't it?"

Hermione, looking much darker, muttered, "Yes, it is," and went behind the desk to help Professor Flitwick.

Harry found he didn't feel much like watching his other self whimper from the welts that now covered his body, or get a detention. He sneaked past while the others were occupied with his other self and Ron, and into the halls again.

He was promptly almost trampled by a bunch of first-years, and had to shrink back against the wall. He scowled. It looks like there'll be some time before I can see Professor Dumbledore. I'd better find some place to hide where no one will find me.

He thought about the Room of Requirement, but someone could come in there. He didn't know everyone in this world. For all he knew, this Hermione would haul Harry and Ron in there to scold them.

Then he blinked, and grinned. If the other Harry doesn't speak Parseltongue…

Perfect.

~*~

Actually, as it turned out, it wasn't perfect. The second-floor girls' bathroom was incredibly busy, with girls pushing in and out at all times. Harry hovered outside against the wall until he was absolutely sure it was empty, then started forward—only to be knocked down by Hermione, of all people, going in. He sank back, ears burning, and shook his head.

I'm not going in there while she's in there.

He had to get in there, though, and so he debated for a while until he decided there was no choice for it but to use magic. Perhaps the professors would be too busy to notice, or perhaps there was no Filch in this world to prowl around and see him doing it. Just like everything else since he had come here, he would have to risk it.

Harry grimaced. I'm getting tired of that, he admitted to himself. Before he could talk himself out of it, he called on his good memories of home, especially laughing with his own Ron and Hermione, and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"

The silver stag formed and bounded into the bathroom. There came immediate squeals of shock, and a moment later Hermione scuttled out, followed by three other girls. Harry waited until he was absolutely sure no one else would come out, then ducked swiftly in. There would be a professor coming to investigate soon. He had to hurry.

He slid over to what would have been the right sink in his own world, and closed his eyes in relief. There it was, the snake. He hissed, "Open," and the familiar tunnel to the Chamber of Secrets gaped before him.

He paused only to cast a concealing charm on the entrance, hoping that no one would reach out and touch it, then jumped down the tunnel.

This time, it was much more exhilarating. Harry almost relaxed and enjoyed it, until it suddenly occurred to him that he didn't know if he could get up it.

This presented something of a problem, as did the violent landing at the end. Harry tangled himself in his Invisibility Cloak yet again, and sprawled violently enough to almost break his glasses. He shook his head as he stood up, good mood vanished yet again. I am going to be so glad when I can see Dumbledore.

He picked his way forward, wincing at the cracking of the rat skulls, pausing to let bad memories stream past him and vanish. They weren't as bad as the ones involving Sirius, though, so Harry thought he could bear them. He was gladder than ever that he hadn't watched that other Sirius tossing the other Harry in the air and calling him "godson."

He came to the doorway, and had to quash the suspicion that Tom Riddle was waiting behind it with a malevolent smile. That the other Harry didn't have a lightning scar was just about enough to make Harry decide that no Voldemort existed in this world.

That doesn't mean that Tom Riddle didn't exist, though.

Only one way to find out.

Harry hissed, and the snakes separated and slid aside. Harry held his breath, then relaxed when he saw no Tom Riddle standing on the other side, and started to congratulate himself on his cleverness.

"Who isss there?"

That had to stop when he caught sight of the very angry, very hungry basilisk just beyond the door, of course.

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