Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form, nor am I making any money from this story. I do, however, own the plot and any characters that appear in the story that are not apart of the original series.
A Different Reality
By Constellations
- In Which Many Meetings Occur -
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Harry pivoted around to get a better look at the forest and stopped mid step as he stared at what greeted his eyes. Built on a rise of rock was an enormous stone castle. Eyes widening, Harry gaped up at the structure. "Oh my."
Death put his hands on Harry's shoulders and looked briefly at the castle. "That, my son, is Hogwarts.
Harry let out a sigh. How the students at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry were actually able to navigate through the enormous castle was beyond him. Hogwarts was a myriad of twisting corridors, (often leading nowhere) secret passages, (taking you to the oddest places) and moving staircases (which Harry was developing a severe dislike of). Even after a week, Harry still had no clue how to make his way around the castle.
"There really needs to be a map of this place," Harry grumbled to himself as he walked along yet another corridor. He let out another frustrated sigh and ran his hand through his messy chin length black hair. This was not good. After setting out on an attempt to explore without Severus' guidance, he now found himself lost in a deserted section of the castle with no clue of where he was.
Leaning back against a wall, he slowly slid to the floor and drew his legs to his chest, contemplating what had happened earlier that morning. What had seemed like a grand idea before hand was quickly turning sour. Flicking an invisible piece of dust of his robe, Harry stared dejectedly at the floor. There were still several weeks left before the school started again and the only people in the castle besides Harry were the handful of teachers that had stayed for the summer. Which meant that it would probably be hours before someone would find him. Wonderful…
Harry stood and stretched his cramped legs. Oh gods, snap out of it Harry! He thought, mentally slapping himself. No ones going to find you if you mope around here all day. So after more stretching, the boy continued his trek through the corridors of the castle.
A half an hour later…
Harry was bored. He still hadn't encountered any semblance of a living thing since he had set out again and was starting to get discouraged. Slowing to a stop he glanced around him. The hallway's décor was definitely different from where he had started, which showed he had made some progress. But there was still an abandoned air about the place, like it hadn't been used in decades (even if it seemed perfectly clean).
There were no portraits adorning the walls either. It had been one of the first things Harry had noticed when he had realized he was lost. Lost in thought, he studied the walls of the corridor. From the looks of things, there hadn't been any portraits hanging on the walls for years. There were, however, more than enough suits of armor. Unfortunately for him, unlike wizarding portraits, suits of armor could not talk and though they did have some means of communication (mainly through motions), they were very hard to understand and Harry had given up asking them for directions ages ago.
What I need is a ghost. At least they would be able to give me some directions.
Harry continued his walk and had passed seven suits of armor and was about to turn a corner when a loud crash resounded throughout the corridor ahead of him. His curiosity getting the better of him, Harry raced around the corner to see what had caused the commotion when he heard another loud crash…
Surprise briefly flicked across Harry's features as he rounded the corner and stared at the source of the noise. Floating in mid air was…was… well Harry wasn't sure quite sure what is it was, but it had a devious grin stretched across its face as it happily destroyed a hanging chandelier, occasionally breaking off parts of the crystal and throwing it to the ground (which accounted for the loud crashes). Inching closer, Harry looked at the being curiously while it continued to dismantle the chandelier, seemingly ignorant to the fact that it had an audience.
Several more minutes and a severely damaged candelabrum later, it gave a satisfied nod at its work and focused its attention on Harry who was still gaping at it. With a grin still plastered to its face, it glided down to Harry's eye level and stopped.
"Ooooo…" It cackled with glee. "A wee ickle firstie all alone." The being paused. "Noo… you're too puny to be a firstie." Harry gave it an affronted look. His height (or lack of it) was a sensitive subject. It didn't seem to notice, however, and continued on. "Ickle firsties aren't coming for weeks." It sighed. "Oh wells, teachers will have to do…" The being trailed off as it did a double take at the sight of Harry's scar.
"Ohhhh… what do we have here?" Before Harry could say anything in protest, it reached up and pressed a small hand on his forehead. The boy blinked in shock. He was used to everyone staring at his scar by now, (even if it was annoying) but no one had ever touched it before. However, aside from a slight tingling on his forehead, nothing unusual happened, so Harry relaxed as the being examined his forehead.
Not many things come as a surprise to Peeves anymore, but this sure did. The instant he had touched the little one's skin he'd known… Peeves pulled away in shock, his arm still tingling from he protective magic that the boy was saturated in. How curious…How interesting…Who would have thought the rumors are actually true. To think that Death actually adopted a human… He studied the boy closer (particularly focusing on the scar that had caught his attention in the first place). And Harry Potter no less…
Drawing himself back several feet, he cackled. Oh how amusing… Eventually, Peeves refocused his full attention on Harry.
Sensing that he had its attention, Harry asked "Who are you?"
It took a mock bow. "I…" He said with a flourish of his hands, "…am Peeves… general purveyor of mischief and mayhem."
Harry smiled. He had never met anyone like this before. "What are you exactly?" Harry peered closely at it. "You wouldn't be a ghost would you?"
He couldn't help but giggle at the look on Peeves face as he sputtered indignantly, "I am not a ghost." Looking at the young boy with a fixed eye he paused for dramatic effect, "I am a poltergeist."
Harry's eyes practically lit up in excitement. "Oh… I've never met a poltergeist before, but Severus used to go on and on about one at Hogwarts and all the havoc it caused." Taking another look at Peeves he added, "That was you, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
"So," Harry asked in an attempt to make polite conversation, (it never hurt to be polite to ghost, or poltergeists for that matter) "How long has it been since you um died."
The poltergeist looked thoughtful. "I'd say it's been around seven hundred years since my most fortunate death… give or take a decade."
"Fortunate, how so?" asked the boy, obviously confused.
Peeves smirked, "Well I certainly couldn't make this much trouble while I was alive and get away with it now could I?"
"I see." Harry replied in understanding. "You have a point there." The boy absently twisted a piece of his hair around his finger. "Why are you here anyways… I thought for sure this part of the castle was empty and I haven't seen anyone else around."
Looking questioningly at the poltergeist, Harry was almost sure he'd seen a look of surprise flash across his face, but when he looked again Peeves' face only showed its usual mischievous smirk. Harry shook his head slightly. He must have imagined it. Instead he focused his attention back onto the ghost who had yet to answer his question.
"You called." Peeves simply said.
Harry looked at Peeves as if the poltergeist had sprouted a second head. "What do you mean called? I didn't say anything."
Peeves shrugged his shoulders, if the boy didn't yet understand… it wasn't his place or on his authority to inform him. Instead he steered the conversation in another direction. "What are you doing there in this part of the castle? As you said before no one lives in this section of Hogwarts."
"I'm lost." Harry said bluntly.
"Hmm, well follow me." Peeves said as he turned from Harry and started to float further down the corridor. "I know of a secret passage around here somewhere that should take you to the Great Hall." Mainly out of the curiosity of why the poltergeist was actually willing to help him, Harry followed. Ten minutes later, Peeves abruptly stopped in front of a large tapestry that depicted a great grey dragon spouting flame from its mouth. Looking at the black haired boy he gestured at the tapestry. "This, I believe, is the right one."
"Thank you," Harry said with genuine gratitude. Peeves nodded absently, not used to being thanked. The boy smiled at the poltergeist hovering in front of him and on impulse, Harry reached over and gave Peeves a quick hug before disappearing behind the tapestry… leaving a very shocked poltergeist behind.
Peeves watched in silence as the tapestry slipped back into place. This was going to be an interesting year. Peeves continued to stare at the material, his smirk slowly growing into a broad grin. Now for some fun… He thought to himself, cackling with glee. He hadn't properly bothered McGonagall for quite some time…
Thanking the stars he had met Peeves when he did, Harry slipped out from behind another tapestry and saw the doors to the Great Hall over on his right. For several minutes he simply stood still, not quite believing he was finally out of that maze of deserted corridors. Pinching himself for good measure, a smile slowly crept across his features, relief washing over him. He'd really been afraid he'd never get out of that awful place.
Stomach rumbling, Harry soon forgot his afternoon escapades at the thought of food. Eager to stop his stomach's protests, he quickly ran out of the indented space of the tapestry and straight into what he first thought was a wall of black leather. Not expecting the collision, the impact caught Harry off balance and he fell backwards, his head hitting the stone floor with a soft crack.
Harry groaned. Owwww…that hurt…
"Are you alright?" Asked a voice in concern.
Harry blinked several times as his vision came into focus. The first thing that caught his eye was the long sharp tooth hanging from the ear of the man he'd run into. Blatantly staring, he watched as the man reached out his hand and help Harry to his feet. All the while, Harry continued to stare. He knew he was being extremely rude, but he couldn't help it. He had never seen in his short time at Hogwarts anybody who looked so… cool (the Wizarding World was not known for its fashion sense).
The guy in front of him was tall. Taller than anybody he'd met (besides his dad) and had long orange-red hair (that reached below his shoulder blades) that was pulled back at the nape of his neck and fastened with a cord of leather. Dressed almost entirely in black, he wore a worn leather trench coat that fell just above the tips of his thick black boots. Where the coat fell open, countless straps laced with metal could be seen crossing over his chest and several silver chains were wrapped around his waist. Glancing closer at the man's waist he noticed the glint of a dagger concealed on a large black belt.
To say the man was intimidating was an understatement… He is not someone I would want to mess with. Harry thought.
The man, who had been watching Harry gape at his appearance, chuckled in amusement at the boy's wide eyed expression. Startled, Harry jumped slightly at the sound and looked warily at him. When his chuckling subsided, the man introduced himself. "I'm Bill Weasley… it's a pleasure to bump into you."
"I'm Harry." He said hesitantly. Bill raised an eyebrow in question and Harry steeled himself for the man's response. "Harry Potter."
Bill's glaze flickered briefly towards his forehead and Harry flinched. He knew all about his fame in the Wizarding World, but it was one thing to know and totally another to experience it first hand. Having everyone stare at his forehead with awe was getting old… really fast. But a moment later, the man turned his attention on Harry's face and the boy relaxed.
"So, what do you think of Hogwarts?"
Harry made a face. "It's very beautiful, but I feel as if I'll never be able to find my way around."
Bill smiled knowingly. "It does seem that way at first, but don't worry, you'll soon learn your way." Harry looked at him incredulously. "It's true." Bill replied. "Oh, by the way. Severus had been looking for you." He chuckled again at the thought. "I've never seen the man so frantic in his life. You've given him quite a scare. Did you really sneak away from Hagrid?"
Harry looked at Bill sheepishly and nodded. There was a pause. "Where have you been all this time?" The red-head asked curiously. "Severus has everyone out looking for you… I was about to go search myself… but it seems I didn't have to go far."
The boy wrinkled his nose as he remembered. "I got lost in an abandoned part of the castle."
Bill raised both eyebrows in surprise. "How did you end up here then?"
Harry's face brightened and he answered. "Peeves!"
Bill looked at Harry. "Peeves…?" He asked skeptically. "As in the poltergeist that terrorizes Hogwarts. Notorious for pestering and pranking the student population… especially first years."
"Yes."
"And you're all in one piece… he didn't hex you, drench you with something, or make himself a nuisance?"
Harry shook his head. "No, he was really nice."
"Nice?" Confusion etched in the man's voice. Harry nodded and stared at him quizzically. Still obviously confused, Bill pulled himself together. "I'm just a little surprised, that's all," He said in answer to Harry's silent question, "Peeves doesn't usually act that way around people. In fact, the Bloody Baron seems to be the only one that can make him act normal… or as normal as he can get."
Harry shrugged. "Maybe he likes me."
"Maybe…" Bill trailed off and let the subject drop. Squatting, so that he was eye level to Harry he asked, "How would you like to meet all of the Hogwarts staff? The rest of the teachers arrived this afternoon."
Harry agreed and took Bill's offered hand as they walked past the Great Hall. "They're having a meeting in the staff room soon… that's where we're having dinner as well." The red-head told the boy as they walked hand in hand.
Halfway to the staffroom Harry asked. "Bill?"
"Yes?"
"Are you going to be teaching here at Hogwarts?"
He chuckled. "No, I'm just here as an apprentice of sorts for Charms and to help with Dueling for a year or two. I want to gain more experience before I actually start working as a curse breaker."
Harry looked up at Bill in contemplation. Curse breaking, he finally decided, sounded like the perfect job for someone like Bill.
Many thanks to my fantastic beta and friend … Ashley
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Please review and tell me what you think about what I've written… I love hearing what you have to say! …Constructive criticism, etc is appreciated
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A word from the author:
Though a ways away… I would like your opinion of what House you believe Harry should be sorted into. If you are kind enough to do so… please give a reason as to why you believe he should be in a certain House (instead of just typing the House name… this helps me a lot more). I have an idea of to which House he'll go, but I'd like to hear your input as well.
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Thank you to all my reviewers and everyone who took the time to read my story.
Mikito, The Vampire Story Hunter, Night-Owl123, sunny smiles, Badassgothicgirl, gaul1, HecateDeMort
starangel2106 – Harry turned nine that past July 31st. In the story it is late August.
risi – hopefully this chapter answered your question, school won't start until two chapters from now.
Brenna8 – Yes… to all three… it will definitely be interesting.
aurorawolf – Your question regarding the relationship between Death and Severus will be answered within the next few chapters.
JE aka Yessina – I liked the tree part too…Severus does know that Harry is coming to Hogwarts and that will be explained more next chapter. For the most part, except for 'people' like Peeves, Bill, and Albus… along with several other teachers, most people will react to Harry's presence as they normally do (like the annoying habit of staring at his forehead). Also, while I had not planned on writing about Death's meeting, you gave me some ideas… so you might get to see what it was like in detail after all.
Kaaera – Harry will be Harry Potter. While Death did adopt him legally… last names are not very important to immortals. Harry is in every sense of the word Death's son… both legally, magically, and technically by blood because of the magic Death invoked when he adopted Harry. The name Death uses is only as a cover name of sorts when he needs to go to meet someone, etc in the mortal world, so Harry will not be taking his last name or any other.