A/N: sobs I'm so sorry! I try so hard to update every Friday and I missed! I have an excuse, obviously, but that doesn't mean it's excusable. I had to help work on an English project for school--making a movie. I got to be the psycho killer, named Bob. I got to kill the killer, and the innocent people!
Gilthas: That's horrible...
Me: shrugs It was all insanely fake looking and the ending stinks because we all got quite bored with it and ready to be finished, but...
Gilthas: sigh You humans can't stay dedicated to anything for any length of time, can you?
Me: I finished this story, didn't I?
Gilthas: Okay, but that's about it. Anyway, great chapter this one, if I do say so myself and a bit more is explained as well as the final battle begins!
Me: Shut up! You're going to give it away!
Gilthas: They're about to read it in a second anyway!
Me: Eh. Anyway, please reveiw!!
Chapter 21: Really Old Faces
Harry could not go back to sleep and he did not try. He sat up in bed and grabbed his robes, getting dressed quickly. He ran his fingers quickly through his hair as he opened the door to his office.
The portraits were still asleep in their frames but each jerked awake when Harry waved his wand and illuminated the room.
"Wh--What time is it?" asked a witch blearily.
"Time to get up," Harry said. "I just figured out who Voldemort has."
"Who?" asked Dumbledore, suddenly looking interested. "I have sent Fawkes to investigate but he has reported nothing that could appear so."
"That's because the person he has isn't the actual person," Harry said. "He has someone who can get me that person."
"I'm not understanding," Phineas said. "You woke everyone up at this hour to speak in riddles?"
Harry opened his mouth to respond when the door flew open. Harry looked up in surprise. It was the middle of the night, after all.
Crocker, the Minister of Magic walked in. He didn't look surprised to see Harry awake.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"Trouble," Crocker said. "I came down here as fast as I could."
"Was it the brooms?" Harry asked. "Because that was me."
"It's not that," Crocker said dismissively. "They told me about that. No, it's the prisoners we took in the last attack."
"What about them?" Harry asked, instantly wary.
"They're gone!" Crocker said. "Break out this very night! I came here as soon as I could!"
"How did they escape?" Harry asked.
"I don't know!" Crocker said, shaking his head. "We had them in our maximum security prison. There's no way they could have escaped without outside help."
There was something wrong with this situation. Harry gazed steadily at the man before him. "And you came as soon as you heard?"
"Yes," Crocker said. "I knew I had to tell you."
"Indeed," Harry said.
"Indeed, yes!" Crocker said. He seemed not to understand why Harry was looking at him.
"And what do you propose I do about it?" Harry asked.
"What?"
"It's a perfectly logical problem," Harry said. "I mean, in all honesty, what can I do? They're gone."
"They can't have gone far," Crocker said. "I knew that if we were to hunt them down, I should come get you."
"What time is it?" Harry asked, gazing pointedly at the clock on the wall.
Crocker seemed not to believe his words. "Why does it matter? Don't we have more pressing problems?"
"We do," Harry agreed. "Tell me,do you personally take control of the prison area, or were you just passing through?"
"My men woke me up," Crocker said. "Why should that matter?"
"Because," Harry said. His wand was out and he was twirling it idolly in his fingers. Crocker gazed warily at it. "It is clear by your appearance that you did not just get up. Indeed, that might be explained away by the fact that it might have taken a while to arrive at Howarts. And yet, if you rushed as fast as you claim to have done, your appearance would have decreased, rather than increased."
"I used a spell," Crocker said, shrugging. "I am learning, after all."
Harry shook his head firmly. "Not good enough. It would appear that you are new to this time."
Crocker took a step back. "What are you talking about?"
Harry stood and pushed his chair out of the way. Behind it on a small desk, sat the sneakascope. It was whirling fast and silently under the spell Harry had placed upon it.
Crocker snarled and made for the door. Harry had him floating in the air.
"Tell me," Harry said silently. "What is your name?"
Crocker's face contorted into an evil grin. "Oh, but you know me, Harry. Surely you remember."
"Indeed," Harry said, his eyebrows raised. "If you have as of yet failed to notice, your appearance has changed."
"I have not failed to notice," the man who wore Crocker's face grinned even wider. "But, as I remember, you did not see my true face for quite a while either."
"Crouch," Harry spat. "I should have known. Tell me, did you steal his soul, or was this another example of your Polyjuice Potion?"
"It is neither," Barty Crouch Jr. said through Crocker's mouth. Harry felt a surge of anger. Crocker had been his friend... "This man, this...Minister, if you please, is my decendant. It was easy enough for my master to torture him him for details and then transfer souls. You see, right now, the poor Minister's soul is in my body being sucked from him by a Dementor."
Anger whelled up inside Harry and he slammed Crouch magically into the wall. A horrible laughter rose from Crouch, even as blood ran down his forhead. "Were you friends, Harry Potter? Was this your friend? Need I remind you that it is your fault I was caught and forced into such a punishment?"
Harry felt a horrible anger in him. How could he? Crocker had been one of the first people to believe in him. Now he was dead. He shook his head. "You did it to yourself."
"I didn't!" Crouch snarled. He looked as though he wanted nothing more than to leap at Harry and strangle him. Harry supposed his expression must be a mirror image. "You did it to me! If you hadn't distracted me, I would never had been shot from behind!"
Harry couldn't believe the full stupidity of the man. His anger was sadly misdirected, though most probably it was Voldemort who had told him that it was Harry's fault and Crouch had believed him. Harry was the only living person that was left to lash out at.
"You are a fool," Harry said. "If you have failed to notice, there is no way that you can possibly defeat me. So this has happened twice now, hasn't it? You come in, deceive me, and in the end, you fail. What, you were supposed to come in and convince me that I was to go to the Ministry? Was Voldemort to kill me there? Was that the plan?"
Crouch smiled that horrible smile. Harry found it was horrible to look at on his old friend's face. Harry slammed him into the wall again but Crouch's smile did not diminish. "Was it?" Harry yelled.
"No," Crouch said. "You were not to die today. The Dark Lord wanted you to die when you had nothing left. You were to be gone during the attack."
"Attack?" Harry asked softly. Suddenly it clicked into place. "He's attacking tonight?"
"He's attacking...now," Crocker said. Harry wrapped the man in a spell to prevent him moving or speaking. He left the room at a run. He ran into Grander in the hallway.
"Harry!" Grander said breathlessly, the Kneazle on his tail. "I just woke up and I thought something was wrong and I--"
"Grander," Harry said. "I need you to do something for me."
"What?" Grander asked.
"I want you to find me someone and bring them here," Harry said. "Elizabeth Wently and her parents. You will bring them to my office." Grander nodded and turned to go. Suddenly Hary turned around. "And that's not Crocker," he said quietly. "Do not approach him."
Grander hesitated before nodding.
Harry ran to each common room in turn and told the portraits not to open for anyone--out or in. He had just relayed the message to the Slytherin portrait when the first attack came on the school. He felt the ground shake beneath him and the ceiling rumble overhead. He raced as fast as he could to his office. He flung open the door and ran inside.
Lianna was holding Elizabeth's hand and she was looking fightened at Crocker, still held to the wall by magic.
"What's this about?"
"Voldemort--" Harry began.
The door opened a crack. Harry's wand was out. The next second the door opened and Hannah and Ricky were floating in the air. Harry couldn't believe it!
"What are you doing here?" Harry practically yelled. "I told them not to let students out of the common room!" Ricky looked quite horrified.
"We were out before," Hannah explained though she too shrunk back in the face of Harry's anger.
"Of course," Harry said, waving a hand and dropping them back to the ground. "That odd danger sensor thing you do."
Hannah's mouth fell open slightly and Ricky elbowed her hard muttering, "I told you." Hannah glared at him. "We thought we could help."
Harry gave a short bark of laughter. "You're way out of your leage. Though, I may have some use for you. Stay."
"What are we going to do?" Grander asked. "You can't face Voldemort! Two days ago you couldn't stand! Not even you can be ready to fight him!"
"I have to," Harry said. "But I will not leave the world to his mercy should I fail."
"Then what do you plan to do?" Grander asked. The ground under their feet shook again.
"I plan to send for help," Harry said. "And I shall do it now."
"It will not work," Dumbledore said from his portrait. Harry whirled on him.
"Why not?"
"You have to be outside," Dumbledore explained. "We are most fortunate that Tom decided to come at night. The spell that I believe you have in mind works only in moon light."
Grander raced to the window. "It's overcast!" He shouted as the floor shook again.
Harry cursed. "Doesn't matter." He said quickly, seeing little Elizabeth's freckled face looking at him in alarm. "I have a way out." The people in the room were silent as Harry walked over to a shelf and carefully lifted a box from it. Setting it on his desk, Harry opened it and pulled out two long silvery cloaks.
"I took this from the Minstry yesterday," Harry explained to the assembled group. "And I found this already in here. They are Invisibility Cloaks."
"They'll make us invisible?" Elizabeth asked, looking at the cloaks in wonder.
"Yes," Harry said. If it had been anyone else in the room who had asked the question, he would have snapped at them, but he couldn't bring himself to snap at the little girl that was about to witness something she was too young to see.
Harry grabbed the two brooms as well and tossed one to Hannah. She raised her eyebrows at him.
"I've never flied before."
"Trust me," Harry said quite seriously. "You will be a natural."
Hannah looked quite confused but Harry did not explain. "Grander. You will go with Hannah and Ricky since you've been on a broom. I will take the rest with me." Harry hesitated before going to Hannah and handing her the Invisibility Cloak. "You will land them in safety. Do not let the cloak slip."
Hannah nodded, her face white but resolute.
When they mounted the brooms, Harry swung the Invisibility Cloak over their shoulders and heard gasps from the others. They didn't have time for that.
"Do not let the cloak slip," Harry said.
He kicked off from the ground and heard Hannah do the same.
They flew out the window that Harry magically enlarged at they went. They glided silently into the night and landed on the ground. Harry instructed them very quietly to dismount without removing the cloak and they did it the best they could. Harry heard whispers to the right of him and motioned the others to follow them that way.
"We're here," Harry whispered and the other whispers quieted.
"Harry?" asked Grander's voice.
"Yeah," Harry said. "If we're going to do this, we have to do it fast."
"What are we doing?" Lianna asked stubbornly from behind him. "I'm not putting our daughter in danger!"
"Too late," Harry said, sorry that it had happened to Elizabeth. "We have to do this. It's either a little danger or everyone dies. Always have to make that choice."
"Harry?" Grander asked from the other broom. "What are we doing?"
"Spell," Harry said. "Can't hold them off myself. Not after only two days. I can't do it."
"Who's whispering in the dark?" asked a voice. Harry jerked his head over his shoulder to see who had spocken, putting a finger to his lips to tell the others to remail quiet.
"I heard someone over there."
A figure materialized out of the dark forest.
"Master wouldn't like our plans to go astray," said the figure, his face dark in the moonlight. "Whoever's out there, you had better show yourself and maybe the punishment won't be too severe."
Harry was trying hard not even to make a noise as he breathed. The figure stepped closer.
"I know you're there," he said, not far from Harry now. "Where are you?"
There was a wimper from behind Harry. The man's head jerked around and Harry knew he had to act or risk them all, knowing that they might be scene. His wand in his hand, he summoned ropes to bind and gag the man.
The light attracted attention. Three other men burst through the trees, wand ready. When they saw their fallen friend, they panicked and started sending random bursts of light. More people started appearing. Harry threw the cloak off himself and, waving his wand in a quick jerk, brought a strong wind rushing at the men and knocking them off thier feet.
Harry raised his wand over his head and brought a great sheild around him and the others. Then he raised his voice in a chant and began to shout.
Wind flew from around him in a great windstorm, ignoring the barrier completely, knocking the cloak off their shoulder and them to the ground. It was only a short burst and was gone after that. Everyone around them got hastily to their feet but Harry didn't see them.
Yelling another phase loudly the words of which he never knew until he said them, a flash surrounded him in a circle like a wall of light, so blinding to look at that all had to turn away. The next second it was gone and the darkness surrounded them completely, pressing onto everyone's eyes.
Five people rose off the ground and out of the darkness. The next second the light was back and just as blinding. Everyone sheilded their eyes and five people yelled in fear.
Five shapes entered the ring of light and disappeared behind it.
Inside the light was less, but still enough to see. Harry turned to the five figures and looked at them calmly, one by one.
Grander.
Elizabeth.
Wayne.
The man with no hand.
Hannah.
He turned away from the people and toward the wall of light. He chanted again, words coming out with each breath. Things he was suppose to do. Like the rest of his life was full of.
A portal formed in the light with another blinding flash.
"I need help," Harry whispered to the portal. "Please help me."
The portal pulsed. "I don't have the strength," Hary continued. "I need your help or I will lose."
The portal pulsed again, as though uncertain.
"It's me!" Harry said, louder this time. Voices were whispering in his head.
"Who is it?"
"Did you hear that?"
"What is it?"
"Where did it come from?"
"I need your help!" Harry said. "I can't do this without you and I don't have any time! Please help me!"
The voices came louder. They were coming closer to the portal.
"They need help."
"We have to go!"
"You're crazy!"
"Are you just going to stand there?"
"I'm going in."
"Stop!"
The light flashed green--bright, emerald, blinding green. A figure came out of it. It got to its feet as quickly as it could, looking around uncertainly before stumbling as if disoriented.
"Harry?"
The portal flashed green again, then again. Two more figures came out. Both looking disoriented.
"Where are we?"
"What's going on?"
"Who are these people?"
"Is that Harry?"
"There's a little girl here!"
"Is that Harry?"
The portal pulsed again. A final figure fell through. Harry looked at the figure and the next second, he dropped to his knees and the ring of light vanished though the portal still glowed dully, as though it was barely holding on.
Hands grabbed Harry by the shoulders.
Conserned brown eyes looked into his. Ruffled red hair shone brightly in the dull glow of the portal.
"Get out of the way!" said a gruff voice. More eyes looked into his, checking to see if he was okay. "Bloody hell, Harry! What did you do?"
"How is he?" asked a voice sounding calmer than the others.
"He's fine, Remus," said a the person in front of him. "He's just completely exhausted."
"How is he?" Another person pushed the person in front of Harry out of the way. "Who are you people?"
"Who are you and how do you know Harry?" asked the very angry person who just got pushed. "You don't know him! I'm his godfather!"
Grander dropped back in surprise. "Sirius Black!"
Sirius looked annoyed at the man's reaction. "They cleared my name, you know. You don't have to act like I'm some sort of killer!"
"Sirius," said Remus quietly. "I don't think I'm completely sure where we are."
"That doesn't look like Harry!" said a girl with bushy brown hair. "He's different somehow..."
Sirius looked at Harry closely. "You're right," he muttered. "Harry? Can you hear me? Are you okay?"
With great effort Harry pulled himself back to the present. "Fine," he gasped. Suddenly a very happy, warm feeling filled him. With a lung, Harry caught hold of a very surprised Sirius and hugged him hard. "I'm just fine."
"I'm not sure I understand," Remus said, looking around at the area they were in, his cool brown eyes lingerin for a moment on the portal and each of the people. His eyes paused on Wayne and his eyes narrowed slightly in confusion.
"Harry?" Sirius asked as Harry broke away. "I think you owe us an explanation."
"Indeed," said a cold voice. Every person in the clearing froze. "I see you found the Black's decendant."
"Wasn't that hard," Harry said, scrambling to his feet. "I'm not as stupid as you think I am."
"Th--That's Voldemort!" Ron said, taking a step back. "Harry! That's Voldemort!"
"I know," Harry said, looking at his friend. "I needed help."
"Are we in some sort of alternate dimension?" Hermione asked, looking around interestedly. Her eyes stopped on Grander and she paused, looking at him searchingly. "Who are you?"
"Hermione," Harry said. "Please."
Hermione jerked her eyes away from Grander and looked at him.
"We're in the future," Harry said. "3003 to be exact."
"What?" Sirius yelped. "You mean, 3003 as the date? 3003 A.D.?"
"I didn't mean to pull you into this," Harry said, shaking his head. "But I was losing. I couldn't do it properly."
Hermione's wand was in her hand and pointed at Voldemort's heart. "You leave him alone! We've had quite enough of you! Why don't you just die when you're supposed to?"
Voldemort looked amused. "My dear Granger. I do."
"What's he talking about?" Ron asked. "Harry, why are you 17 years old in 3003?"
"16," Harry said. "Sixteen bloody years old."
"I think I've waited long enough for this little family reunion to progress," Voldemort said. His face twisted into a terrible smirk. "Timeto die, Potter." He raised his wand. Hermione tensed from her place in front of Harry.
Instead of sending a spell, Voldemort shot sparks into the air.
The Death Eaters behind him took the que and surged forward.
Harry yelled a spell and raised his wand into the air. A large, light sheild surrounded the friends, reflecting green in the stubborn portal that refused to close.
Harry glared stubbornly at Voldemort. He knew that a single, powerful spell, such as the Killing Curse, would break his sheild completely. But Voldemort did not shoot the curse. His thin lips curled into a horrible smile. Harry winced under the pressure of the shield as the lesser Death Eaters shot spells at it.
"Drop it," Hermione said suddenly, gripping her wand tighter and looking at the mass of Death Eaters around them.
"What?" Harry asked, caught off gaurd.
"Drop it," Hermione repeated.
"Drop it," Ron agreed.
Harry hesiated a moment before lowering his wand. The sheild fell.
Death Eaters rushed in at him in all directions. He did not expect to have to battle them, hoping to save his strength for Voldemort alone, believing his reputation would keep the lessers away. But it didn't. He had his hands just as full as the others. Either they were too afraid of Voldemort's wrath, or perhaps simply too foolish to know the difference, Harry did not know, but the fact was, he was wasting precious energy battling them-- energy that should go toward Voldemort's distruction.
He heard a yell to the side. Ron had been hit by a curse and was struggling to regain his footing and position from the weak, but ultimately disasterous jinx. A seconds weakness could cost Ron his life.
Harry shot off a great burst of energy, knocking all the Death Eaters near to him unconcious but at the same time using more energy than he wanted. He cursed several Death Eaters battling Ron and his friend managed to get to his feet. He shot Harry a grateful grin before turning his undivided attention back to the battle. Voldemort's Death Eaters were not very advanced in the magical arts, but Voldemort had obviously managed to procure the greater numbers.
Things were not looking exceptionally good at the moment when suddenly the portal gave off a final blast of light. Harry thought that it had finally disapated but he glanced over and saw that another figure had leapt out, not looking disoriented in the least. Harry tensed at the sight.
Suddenly the the ground beneath his feet began to shaking, growing more violent by the second. Harry whispered a hurried spell that lifted him from the ground and heard similar spells being enacted around him.
Harry was ready to attack this newcomer that was clearly controlling the shaking before he realized that all of his friends were in the air and only the Death Eater army was falling through the large cracks now forming in the earth. He hesitated and gradually the shaking stopped, the cracks closed. Everything was quiet, eerily quiet. Those floating released their spells.
Suddenly the figure spoke. "Voldemort," said a voice that Harry knew well. "Fancy seeing you on the other end of a strange portal."
"Who--?" Harry began. The figure walked toward them and Harry was able to make out his features.
"So the runt needs help again, eh?" the other Harry asked. "Should have known. What have you gotten yourself into this time?"
Harry was looking at himself. But it wasn't himself. It was someone else that looked like him. The person held out his hand revealing a scar on his wrist shaped like a cobra ready to strike. "Nice to meet you," the other Harry said. "I'm you."
It was Voldemort's turn to take a step back. He was looking at this other Harry with clear fear and anger in his eyes.
A slow smile spread across the features of the other Harry as he laid eyes on Voldemort again. "So, Tom. Still haven't given up this whole, world domination gig for a good desk job?"
"You!" Voldemort hissed.
"Yeah," the other Harry said, looking at the others for support. Harry had the distinct feeling that he had been left out of something major. None of the others looked surprised to see him. "Who'd you expect in your little time travelling sceme other than the veteren time traveler himself?"
Then it clicked. "It's you," Harry breathed. "The other Harry from the other dimension!"
The other Harry frowned. "I thought this was the first we'd met. Did one of you tell him about me?"
"Enough!" Voldemort said. He seemed to sense that he was at a distinct weakness. "It is time for you to die!"
"Only one problem with your plan," the other Harry said. He looked at Harry for a moment and something passed between them, an unspoken agreement. The other Harry continued. "See, if you couldn't beat one of us, what possible chance do you have against two?"
A/N: Bum Bum Bum!!
Gilthas: Yeah, the other Harry that popped out of the portal is the Harry that Phineas told...Harry...about in the previous chapters that caused too much confusion. Same Harry from BTBT and HRI.
Me: I wouldn't be surprised if flames came in saying you hate me because I'm a horrible person for not updating.
Gilthas: I doubt you'll get flames for it, but if you do, we can always use them to throw at dragons.
Me: blink Why? Dragons breathe fire, so aren't they resistant?
Gilthas: Dragons don't breathe fire. They breathe poisonous gas.
Me: Oh. I knew that. Different book series I suppose. I'm going to have to reread those over the summer.
Gilthas: Clearly. Anyway, I shall make the now familiar plea. Review!