Chapter 3
Harry felt as if he was going to burn up, heat was emanating from every pour. Steam came out from his ears and nose and every breath was a searing gasp of pain as his lungs requested oxygen that wasn't there. With horrified realisation he knew he would either explode or all the liquid in his body would be vapourised. As suddenly as it had come the heat was gone and instead Harry felt as if he was going to be frozen instead as his very blood seem to solidify in the all-encompassing cold. His teeth chattered and his fingers curled up. There were hundreds of bright flashing lights that made his head pound and the tears pour from his eyes. He heard millions of whispers that got louder and higher in frequency until Harry clutched his ears to try and make the scream stop but the wave of noise seemed to grind through his bones. Finally he had a sensation that he was being pulled apart until he thought he must be scattered to all ends of the universe, but even as he thought this the sensation was gone. One of the lights got brighter and brighter until it was boring past his squeezed eyelids. Harry felt himself being pulled towards this all destructive force and thought he must surely be breathing his last. I'm so sorry every one was his last thought before he thankfully sank into unconsciousness.
How long had all this lasted? Harry didn't know. It could have been only seconds or even days. He emerged from the dark oblivion to find himself lying on a hard, cold floor. As he moved he let out a sharp grown of pain. At the same time Harry heard a soft hiss of surprise and groggily opening his still aching eyes immediately saw a wand pointing straight at his heart. Blinking to clear his vision Harry moved his gaze up and saw a ghostly white face gazing down at him, its eyes pools of black fire.
"Professor S-Snape what happened?" gulped Harry feeling thoroughly uncomfortable by the unmoving man who was still pointing his wand straight at Harry's heart.
"I'm sorry I looked at your memories it was an accident, I'll try never to do it again." As Harry spoke he tried to sit up wondering if any bones had been broken after whatever he crashed into or in the ordeal since. As Harry moved Snape seemed to come alive, moving with lightening speed he conjured ropes and bound Harry's hands and feet.
"Moboli corpus!" said Snape and floating a startled Harry in front of him began to march away from the corridor where Harry had been lying.
"Professor what are you doing, put me down."
"Shut up, or do you want some thing a little more fatal? What's your name?"
"Dh, it's potter, Harry potter professor. What's going on?" Snape seemed to slow in his furious march through the corridors of Hogwarts, Snape's grip slackened on his wand and Harry's shoulder slammed into a corner of the castle's wall.
"I don't know what kind of stunt you thought you were pulling, what if some of the students saw you, half the school would have been running with terror. Did the dark lord send you?"
"What! Voldemort?"
"Do not speak the dark lord's name," spat Snape, jerking his wand so that Harry collided with the castle wall again. His nose spurted blood. Harry yelled with pain and swore loudly as the blood trickled down his face.
"No," continued Snape calmly as if nothing had happened.
"Probably some sort of stupid prank, a charm or Polly juice I'd say. But I don't know how you got his hair. Which house are you in? For a trick of this idiocy and magnitude it will mean the loss of at least a hundred points."
"I'm in griffindor professor, I've always been in griffindor." Said Harry trying unsuccessfully to move his hand so that he could wipe away the blood. Snape lapsed into a thoughtful silence and Harry attempted again to find out what was happening but Snape shushed him none too gently by saying that if Harry wasn't quiet he would shut him up by force. As they marched through the silent corridors Harry wondered if his duties had finally proved too much for the man and turned him mad. He was a vital source of information for the order though.
"Professor I really think you should see madam Pomfrey, we could go there now, I feel a bit sick as well, I think I hit my head rather hard on the floor. And she needs to look at my nose." Said Harry scowling furiously.
"Quiet, some one's coming." As Harry opened his mouth to shout to the approaching person for help Snape mumbled a silencing spell and shoved the bound Harry into a cupboard and shut the door.
"Mr. Weasley why aren't you at dinner?" it was Ron if only he could shout for help.
"Wasn't hungry," mumbled Ron's voice." Ron, not hungry that must be a first, thought Harry, usually he was one of the first down to dinner.
"I understand but you should not be wondering the halls alone, go back to your common room."
"Yes sir, sir why are you guarding that cupboard?"
"I am not guarding it, as a matter of fact there's a boggart in there, I am getting rid of it. Now go." When Ron had gone Snape opened the door and once again floated Harry in front of him. Harry was thinking hard, Snape had seemed considerate when talking to Ron, he hadn't taken off any points from griffindor when in his present mood Harry would have expected another 20 points at least to be taken off. They arrived at the gargoyle in front of Dumbledore's office without any further delays.
"Success lies in resistance," said Snape and the gargoyle jumped aside.
"Don't think of forwarding that password, it is changed every day."
"Come in," said Dumbledore's voice as Snape knocked sharply on the door.
"Eh, Severus yes come in, I wanted to discuss the inf…" he stopped, as glancing up from a pile of papers he noticed Harry.
"Who have you got there?"
"He claims that he is potter, I brought him in for interrogation and identification."
"Indeed, well there's no need for force, yet, put him down Severus." Reluctantly Snape lowered Harry into a chair and untied him. Harry began rubbing at his wrists and ankles to bring back some feeling into his limbs, that rope had been very tightly bound.
"Please tell us your name and why you are here." Giving a startled glance Harry tried to speak.
"Oh, yes, I forgot" said Snape and waved his wand to release Harry from the silencing spell."
"I'm Harry potter professor Dumbledore, I think his duties with Voldemort have finally got to professor Snape. I told him to go and see madam Pomfrey but…"
"It's a death eater trap, we should inform the ministry."
"Not so fast Severus. Harry, Mr. Potter please tell us what happened before professor Snape discovered you."
"Well, I had occlumency with professor Snape and I um accidentally saw some of his memories. So he took off 150 points from griffindor and when I said this was unfair he gave me a month's detention." said Harry, giving Snape a furious look, who was looking rather startled.
"Professor Dumbledore, he can't take all those points off for some thing I could not avoid and give me detention for a month, how am I going to practice quidditch or do my home work, or even carry on with occlumency."
"Please go on with your story, we can discuss the other matters later." said Dumbledore.
"Well, then I talked to Hermione for a bit."
"This would be Hermione Granger?" asked Snape suspiciously.
"Of course, well she was angry with me for losing all those points and for getting so much detention. We had a sort of fight about me isolating myself after . . . you know, Sirius' death…"
"What!" barked Snape.
"I didn't know the mangy mutt had . . ."
"Severus!" Snapped Dumbledore.
"Please go on Harry."
"Then we sort of had a fight and she said she and Ron would not put up with me much longer. Well then," Harry coughed nervously and ran a hand through his more than usually dishevelled hair.
"I ran from her, thinking I'd go outside to get some fresh air. Just as I was about to go in to the entrance hall I crashed into some sort of glass barrier. Immediately I got attacked by all these horrible sensations."
"Please describe these, eh, sensations." Said Dumbledore thoughtfully.
"I felt a lot of heat, I thought I was going to be cremated there and then it felt so hot, but then it changed to icy cold. There was also a lot of what sounded like millions of people whispering or hissing and this sound rose very high into a scream. There was lots of very bright flashing lights and I was pulled towards one of the flashing lights. I think I then passed out and when I woke up professor Snape was standing over me wand held out, poised to attack." Harry said the last part accusingly, glaring at Snape, who was glaring right back.
"I think I know what happened, it's a very rare phenomenon though, very rare. I would be very surprised if there has been more than a handful of these occurrences over the last thousand years." He had both Harry and Snape's complete attention as both waited impatiently for the headmaster to clarify, knowing it would be quite useless to hurry him. Dumbledore walked over to one of the numerous instruments lining the walls and shelves and picked up a very oddly shaped one, which was emitting an intermittent high pitch sound.
"As I thought," said Dumbledore.
"There has been a large rapture in the magical field." Both Harry and Snape looked blank.
"What?"
"Mr. Potter, Severus, I am sure both of you are aware of the unusual amount of magic that surrounds Hogwarts and extends into Hogsmeed. There are thousands of very sophisticated wards that keep the castle and its inhabitants safe from external penetration. The founders did an excellent job and this has been added too by every head master or headmistress since. It is very difficult to enter Hogwarts uninvited. Mr. Potter, your entry activated the defensive wards. Somehow you were able to neutralise these, however, it has left a large hole in the castle's defences. I am afraid our enemies will notice this discontinuity in the magical field soon. The wards are being repaired automatically as I speak but the rapture was such that I will have to soon attend to it personally so there isn't much time."
"Professor Dumbledore what are you talking about? I didn't attack anything or go anywhere. I was already in Hogwarts as I explained to you, I haven't left the place for months."
Dumbledore sighed
"Mr. potter, you are no longer in Hogwarts." Dumbledore raised a hand to prevent Harry's startled exclamation.
"Please sit back down. What I meant to say is, you are no longer in your Hogwarts. This..."
"But where am I then? This looks like Hogwarts, the castle looks the same, you and professor Snape both look…" Harry came to a halt as he saw that Dumbledore did look slightly different. There were many more lines in his haggard face. This man's eyes were not twinkling, as Dumbledore's were wont to do. Now that he looked more closely he saw that this Dumbledore's hair and beard was slightly paler. His beard was wispy and Harry blinked when he saw a bald patch on Dumbledore's head that he had never seen in his counterparts. Harry glanced at Snape and saw that he too was different, much thinner and more haggard looking. Was that the robe he'd been wearing earlier? It looked different somehow, some thing different about the cut of the shoulder.
"You are in another universe," continued Dumbledore as Harry continued to look over Snape.
"But how can I be in another universe? I mean I thought there was only one." Said Harry anxiously, his eyes again flickering to Dumbledore's bald patch, he couldn't take all this in.
"There is a theory that there are many so called alternate dimensions or universes, occupying the same space but in a different frequency. The theory is very complicated but it is said that usually these universes exist without any contact or intervention with others. Occasionally however, and no one understands the reasons for this, some one from one universe manages to enter another. The sensations and pain you experienced was this universe resisting a foreign body, as structurally you will be slightly different. This cannot be much though or you would not be here. Your universe must be very similar to ours but there will be some differences."
"You mean there are all these potters and blacks running around all over the place?" Said Snape who had been silent throughout Dumbledore's speech.
"More to the point there are many Voldemorts, imagine what would happen if one managed to enter this universe," said Dumbledore quickly and Snape blanched.
"Now Mr. Potter time is running short." Said Dumbledore glancing over at more flashing instruments.
"I must ask you to show me your memories of the journey. I will have to do a lot of research to find out exactly how you got here, and more to the point how to send you back."
Harry watched as his memories flashed past in the misty substance of Dumbledore's pensieve making him queasy all over again.
When it was over Dumbledore locked the pensive away.
"You will have to take some veritaserum, you understand we can trust no one in the middle of a war. He opened a drawer and took out a little bottle.
Dumbledore poured out three drops onto Harry's tongue and waited for the potion to take affect. When Harry's eyes had gone sufficiently vacant Dumbledore said
"Harry do you or have you ever worked for Voldemort?" both he and Snape waited anxiously for Harry's response.
"No."
"Have you ever killed anyone?"
"Yes," both jumped. Snape smiled thinly at Dumbledore as if to say, I told you and took out his wand.
"Please explain." Said Dumbledore.
"What is there to explain? He's a death eater!" Said Snape.
"During my first year professor Quirrell was possessed by lord Voldemort. Voldemort was trying to steal the philosophers' stone, which was hidden at Hogwarts to make the alexia of life." Said Harry in a monotonous tone, his expression neutral.
"When I touched quirrell his skin began to burn off and melt as a result of the protection my mother had left in me. When Voldemort left him, quirrell died."
"But that was an accident, some thing you could not avoid and more Voldemort's fault than yours. Have you killed anyone else?"
"It was my fault that Sirius died in the department of mysteries. I went to save him and instead let him and my friends into Voldemort's trap."
"Very well, have you ever killed anyone else?" asked Dumbledore.
"No."
"I think that is enough for now" said Dumbledore and gave Harry three drops of the veritaserum restores potion.
Harry sat up and looked again at Dumbledore. As the head master was returning the two potion bottles back to their drawer he said
"The veritaserum restores potion only works after veritaserum has been offered Mr potter, so you could not have taken that before I gave you veritaserum in order to keep your mind. We are therefore satisfied with your answers. Now I haven't much time. You must of course continue your education whilst you are here, Education is important in whichever universe you are in I'm sure."
"Great," mumbled Harry.
"We wouldn't want you falling behind potter." Sneered Snape, receiving an evil look from Harry for his efforts.
"You must of course be sorted again, accio sorting hat." Dumbledore place the old patched hat on Harry's head.
"O my goodness, Harry potter again? I'm sure I sorted you several years ago."
"Long story." Muttered Harry.
"Ah yes, travelled from another universe, well that doesn't happen often. You have come a long way, haven't you? My first interuniversal sorting. Well let see, lets see." Said the hat thoughtfully.
"Very stubborn indeed, of course some do call it determination. Thirst to prove yourself, loyal and hard working but above all brave and daring. Griffindor!" when Harry took the hat off with a muttered thank you, he was surprised to see that his robes had changed colour. Although most of it had remained black the edges, sleeves and neck were interwoven with red and gold.
"What happened to my robes? It's changed colour."
"Of course it has," said Snape, rather annoyed.
"Nothing unusual in that, when you are sorted your robes are automatically changed into the colours of your house, side affect of the spells on the sorting hat."
"Oh," said Harry feeling rather foolish.
"Of course you must change your appearance whilst you are here. We can't have Harry potter running around." Said Dumbledore.
"Transformo facies imago incognitus." Harry felt a tingling, itching sensation all over. Dumbledore handed him a mirror and Harry saw that his hair was now neatly lying on his head. It was brown and fell slightly below his ears. His vivid green eyes had been changed into a nondescript, dull blue. His nose was now slightly longer than before and his cheekbones and jaw line had also been changed. His infamous scar was also gone although his forehead was now rather spotty, especially where the scar had been.
"You must redo this spell every two hours." Said Dumbledore.
"It is a rather complicated spell, I would suggest you practice it later tonight, picture what you look like now and all should be fine. Make sure you are consistent though, it would look very suspicious if one day your eyes a blue and next they are brown. I am sure that I need not emphasise how important it is that you keep your presence here a secret. Mr. Potter, make sure no one finds out who you really are. If anyone asks, say that you are a transfer student from … The Australian Academy Of Magic."
"Won't people find it unusual that he is transferring in the middle of a war?" said Snape.
"Say that … your father has been relocated to England and of course he wanted his family near by." Said Dumbledore.
"Now" Dumbledore continued
"I think dinner should be still going on, I'm sure you must be hungry."
"Professor what about books and clothes?" asked Harry.
"School funds will be used to get you all the necessities. A trunk with all the essentials will be put in the boys' dormitory in Griffindor tower by tomorrow." Severus, may I have a word?"
"Eh, thanks professor Dumbledore, for all that you've done." Said Harry. Just before he turned away, Harry could have sworn that he caught a glimmer of suspicion in Dumbledore's expression. Harry went out of the office and trudged towards the great hall, suddenly feeling ravenous. With all that had occurred, it seemed like several days had past since breakfast and he hadn't been able to muster up the effort for lunch.