Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anyone else in his world. I also don't own the rights to Final Fantasy, although I do own a copy of the game.
A/N: This was just a random idea that I had, and it's taken over. I don't even know why. Dumbledore casts a spell, which puts the witches and wizards into a Muggle game, but will they be able to return? And who are they playing? But obviously, Draco is Tidus and Harry will be Yuna. The similarities are too close.
There will be three stories, and each one will have the characters in a different universe. And if you can't tell this story is Draco/Harry. But they probably won't actually get together until the third story.
Had to cut this chapter in half as well. Harry's turn... and he's just figuring something out.
Dreaming
Chapter 17-B: It Can't Be!
Harry watched amused as Tidus entered the Farplane. He himself had been amazed by the view. He looked out at it again, as the blonde stared.
They were on a ledge, above a vast expanse of clouds. But, as he looked harder, he noticed that below the clouds was a field of flowers, surrounded by waterfalls on three sides, and an ocean on the fourth.
He had tried thinking about his real parents, but as the thoughts formed in his mind, they had changed into Yuna's. They were floating in mid-air in front of him, looking regal. Harry realized that they weren't his parents, however… even if Yuna's mother had red hair as well.
He had been amazed the first time he'd heard Tidus' thoughts, but had grown to accept them, and even pretend that he couldn't hear them. It helped when he'd first heard the thought that Jecht was Sin.
Tidus obviously didn't realize that he could hear them, or thought that those ones weren't being broadcast. But now, as the voice spoke, he suppressed a grin at the words.
"The Farplane was cool, but I couldn't stop thinking about Yuna. Her parents-they looked so happy together. But it got me worried that maybe seeing them would make Yuna really consider Seymour's proposal."
Tidus walked over, and stood behind Wakka, who was speaking with the image of his brother… at least Harry assumed that's who it was, and Yuna's memories seemed to support the theory.
"Yo, Chappu! Meant to come see you earlier, ya?" Wakka said, kicking at the ground. "Sorry! I know you won't hold it against me. I gave up the game. I'm a guardian from here on, you know?"
Then he glanced at Tidus before continuing. "This guy-looks a lot like you-showed up. Traveling with him, I thought, maybe... you were still alive somewhere, ya? But then again, here you are on the Farplane. Guess your favorite place is here. So, how you been? Oh, that guy I just told you 'bout. I gave him your sword. He likes it."
He saw Tidus look down at the sword, and gasp. It seemed to be glowing. "Huh?"
Then he saw Lulu watching them. The blonde walked over to her, and she smiled.
"He is dead, and I am still alive. Coming here really makes that clear," she stated. "I should focus more on what I have to do now."
"What?" Tidus asked.
"I'm not even sure what I'm saying," she replied, shaking her head slightly.
Tidus sounded as though he did know. "Don't you mean that you should leave Chappu behind? I'm sure he was a great guy, but there'll be others."
She frowned. "Hmm… That's a possibility."
The guy was obviously in over his head, so he went for it. "How about… Wakka?"
"What, me? With Wakka?" She sounded shocked.
"Yeah, you two get along great!" he replied. 'When you're not trying to bite each other's heads off," he added to himself.
Lulu glared at him. "Getting along isn't enough. Not even close."
Harry laughed at that, remembering how much Ron and Hermione fought in the waking world. He knew that they would eventually connect, but he wondered if this dream was moving them towards it at a faster speed.
"Oh, sorry. My mistake," Tidus said, embarrassed.
Her expression was one Draco Malfoy had worn many times, smug and haughty. "You'd do well to remember that. Knowing a bit about women might come in handy some day."
"Yeah, I'll remember," he said, grinning.
"I won't be forgetting either," she said quietly, looking at Chappu's spirit. "Goodbye, Chappu. You always said I looked grumpy. But those were the happiest days of my life."
Then Tidus walked over to where Harry was standing. He looked over at the forms of Yuna's parents, and Harry got the feeling that he didn't think they were James and Lily either.
He turned to look at Harry, probably curious to find out whether he was going to accept Seymour's proposal. "So... Yuna?"
"I've decided," he stated.
'And?' Tidus wondered. He looked so confused. "Oh? Really? That's good."
Harry stared up at the faces before him. "I remember, when I was only seven years old, in Bevelle that day. My father had defeated Sin, and the whole town was out in the streets. Everyone was laughing. They all seemed so happy," he said. "If I defeated Sin, that would make everyone happy... wouldn't it? I must do what everyone wants, not just what I want." 'God, that sounds so trite,' he thought. 'Just like the fact that I have to defeat Voldemort to make everyone happy, even though I get the feeling that I'm not going to survive the battle.'
Tidus grabbed his hand. "Let's go back! You gotta tell Seymour."
"Before that..." Harry began with an earnest expression, wanting to see the reaction, "Call Sir Jecht. Give it a try."
"Huh?" he asked.
"Don't worry. He won't come." He knew he sounded confident. It must have seemed kind of scary, actually. 'But he won't, because he's Sin,' Harry thought, sadly. 'I'm going to have to destroy his father… and he hates the man.
He heard the voice again. "Trying not to think about my old man made me think about him, of course."
"See, told you!" Harry said, grinning.
The voice again, sounding bitter. "He isn't here because he's not dead. He's Sin."
Harry couldn't help himself. It was like when he taunted Malfoy, except he knew that Tidus wasn't going to take out a wand and hex him. "That means he's alive, you know?"
The voice sounded almost apologetic. "What if my old man really is Sin? What would I say to Yuna... heck, to everybody in Spira? Wait, why should I have to apologize for him, anyway? I'd rather never see him again."
Harry knew that his remarks made him sound as though he was mind reading, but he really wanted to know. "What makes you hate him so?" he asked.
But Tidus barely glanced up. "Everything he does just make me mad. It was his fault that me and my mother..."
Suddenly, the image of Yuna's parents faded and was replaced with a beautiful woman. Something about her struck Harry, as though he'd seen her before. He tried to think of the women he knew, but the ones he thought of he'd already recognized as other characters in the dream… Except for Professor McGonagall and Seamus' mom, but this didn't feel like either of them.
"Mom?" Tidus stared at her in shock. "It's her!"
"She's very pretty," Harry said.
"But... Wait. No one ever performed the sending on her," Tidus said, stunned, It was as though he was seeing something he'd never expected, and Harry realized that he probably hadn't.
"She must've accepted death while she was still alive," Harry replied.
The guy stared at him, starting to get angry. "Whoa there, that's my mother you're talking about."
Harry gulped. "Oh, I'm sorry!"
Then he shook his head. "It's okay. I think I just figured something out."
"What?" Harry asked, curiously.
"Why I hate my old man."
Then, the scene changed, and Harry realized that he was seeing Tidus' memories. He felt as though he was back in the Pensieve, and he felt himself blush, remembering the last time that had happened.
He saw Jecht, and the woman, snuggling together on a balcony. Jecht's voice was harsh, and Harry thought he remembered hearing something about the man drinking a lot. "See? I told him what I thought of him, right there!"
"Really?" she asked, laughing.
"'Course!" Jecht replied, sounding confident.
Her reply was quiet. "I suppose, but..."
Then he heard what must have been a younger Tidus. "Mommy..."
"Just a sec, dear," she called.
Tidus' voice broke in, resentful. "Whenever my old man was around, my mother wouldn't look at me. Maybe that's when I started to resent him, even hate him. When he left us... Mom just lost her energy."
Then the memory shifted, to young Tidus near the dock.
Auron's voice spoke up, and Harry was surprised. He hadn't realized that Auron had been in Zanarkand. "Is she all right?"
Young Tidus was hostile. "Why should you care?"
Auron sounded strange. "If she dies, I wouldn't know what to do," he replied, and Harry wondered why Auron seemed to care so much. He still wasn't completely sure who Auron was. The only possibility he'd come up with was Snape, but that was impossible. Auron seemed too nice… at least in his opinion.
"Don't say Mom is gonna die!" the boy shouted.
"I apologize." Harry saw Auron walking away, fading out.
Tidus spoke again. "The old lady next door told me... when a lovebird dies, the one left behind... It just gives up living so it can join its mate. It was just like that. I hated my old man even more." Then he began to sound contemplative. "But really, my old man..."
The scene shifted back again.
"Mommy..."
Tidus' Mom called again. "Just a sec, dear."
But Jecht pushed her slightly. "Ah, go to him. He'll cry if you don't."
Then, suddenly the memory was over, and Harry was left shaking. At the last second, before the flashback had ended, he'd seen two faces superimposed on Tidus' parents, and the revelation had shocked him to the core. He'd seen Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.
Tidus didn't seem to realize how transparent he'd become. "Oh, man... I must sound so stupid."
"I don't think so," Harry replied, staring at him in shock. 'Could that really be Malfoy? And, if it is, what would he think if he realized that he was pouring his heart out to me?'
"How embarrassing!" Tidus said, running his hand through his hair, and grinning. Harry's breath caught. 'In for a Knut, in for a Galleon,' he thought ruefully, realizing that it was going to be Hell if he tried to separate his feelings from Yuna's. The girl was definitely in love with Tidus.
He was spared more awkward conversation by Wakka, who walked over to them. "Well? Need some more time?" he asked.
Harry hurriedly replied, "No, I'm ready."
Lulu stared at him, and Harry could almost see the wheels in Hermione's head turning. "Did I miss something?"
The group exited the Farplane, and Harry knew that eventually he would have to come to grips with these feelings.
He stared at Auron, who seemed to realize that something had happened. "Thanks for waiting! I'll go give my answer to Maester Seymour."
But before they could go, a spirit began pushing his way through the barrier.
Two Guado gasped as they got a good look at him. "Lord Jyscal!"
Auron looked at Harry. "He does not belong here."
Harry was watching in horrified fascination. "Why?" he asked, wondering what could be so important that Seymour's father would try to escape from that place.
"Yuna, send him." Auron's voice was harsh, an order now.
Auron knelt, and everyone noticed that he seemed to be feeling odd.
"Lord Jyscal..." Harry said, hesitating.
But Lulu put her hand on his shoulder. "He is Lord Jyscal no more. Send him now!"
Harry approached the spirit, and began the Sending. The steps were beginning to feel way too familiar to him. A sphere dropped to the ground, and Harry picked it up, wondering if this was the reason. Then Auron stood up.
"Talk later. We leave now," he stated, and they left.
But, in the tunnel between Guadosalam and the Farplane, Wakka decided that he couldn't keep silent. "Wha... what was that just now? That really Lord Jyscal?"
Harry noticed Tidus watching him, and shook his head. "I don't understand how a man like Lord Jyscal could die and not be sent."
"I would think that he was sent once... but he stayed on Spira," Lulu replied, all answers as usual. "Something, a powerful emotion could have bound him to this world. Such things happen."
"That's against the rules, isn't it?" Rikku asked, and Harry grinned at her. She had revealed something important to Yuna earlier, and that made it easier to connect to her.
"It means he died an unclean death," Auron stated, and they grew silent, contemplating what the thought of murder could mean for Spira.
Then, when they finally arrived at Seymour's place, Harry looked at his friends. "I'll go... meet with Maester Seymour," he said, not meeting Tidus' eyes.
Auron seemed to know that Harry was contemplating a confrontation, and snarled, "Yuna! Jyscal is the Guado's problem, not yours."
Harry stepped inside, but instead of leaving when he realized that Seymour wasn't there, he put his ear to the door, and listened as Tidus and Lulu began to speak.
"Umm..."
Lulu sounded impatient. "What?"
"So, Lulu, what do you think about Yuna getting married?" he asked, and Harry was blushing again as he heard the boy voice his thoughts.
"As long as the pilgrimage continues, either way's fine." 'Thanks a lot, Hermione,' he thought, then realized that they weren't really her own feelings.
Tidus was getting angry, and Harry chanced a peek out the door. "That's it? What if she doesn't even like the guy? Is that okay?"
Lulu seemed sad. "People marry for many reasons," she replied.
"What's that mean?" he asked glaring.
"Sometimes marriage doesn't require love, you know?" she said, turning a way a little. "Defeat Sin, and bring joy to the people of Spira. Get married, and bring joy to the people of Spira. For Yuna, they're just two ways down the same road. All you need is determination. If you have that, you don't need love."
Tidus shook his head. "I don't know... I just don't get it."
Harry watched as they moved their conversation, and wished that he could hear them. Suddenly, it was as though he was standing right next to them… the words were crystal clear.
Lulu was staring down at the doorway where Harry was, but didn't seem to see him. "Listen. If Yuna gets married, then I..."
"What? That again?" Tidus asked, obviously trying to change the subject.
Lulu turned to stare at him. "Yes. If she is to marry, I would want her to marry for love."
Tidus grinned. "See?"
Lulu wasn't moved. "But... If Yuna said she wanted to marry the one she loves, I would have to object," she continued, starting to walk away.
"Huh? Uh... You're not making much sense," he said to her retreating form.
"I know," she replied.
Harry noticed that his amplified hearing was still working, as Tidus walked past the town's shop, and Kimahri exited, bumping into him. "
Tidus tried to enter the shop, but Kimahri came out.
"Guado potions good," the Ronso stated. "Buy some before leaving."
Then, Tidus spoke to Rikku, who was huddled on a railing, seemingly deep in thought.
"When we leave here, we have to go through the Thunder Plains next, you know," she replied, and Harry noted a tense note in her voice. "I can't stand thunder."
Tidus walked back towards the group, and he stopped by Lulu again. "Lulu..."
"I've talked enough about that," she said.
"What?" he asked.
Lulu smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, just forget about it."
Tidus grinned at her again. "Geez! Grumpy!"
Lulu seemed even sadder. "You'll understand one of these days. I just don't want to give it words. Not yet." Then she turned to stare at him. "I shouldn't have to say this, but don't fall in love with her."
"Too late," Tidus replied, and Harry gasped. 'Oh Gods, what if that is Dr… Malfoy?"
Lulu's expression became unreadable. "I see. But... You must keep your feelings inside, until the pilgrimage is over."
Tidus walked away, starting to move down the tunnel to the Thunder Plains. But before he got very far, he ran into Shelinda.
Shelinda began the prayer. "My... Was the lady summoner not with you?" she asked, frowning.
Tidus shook his head. "No. She's at Seymour's place."
Shelinda looked put out at the disrespect in his voice. "That's 'Maester Seymour'. Or 'Lord Seymour'."
Tidus didn't seem bothered by her correction. "Oh, I'll be careful. Sorry."
"That's all right," she replied, and then she looked back at the tunnel. "Maester Seymour left Guadosalam a short while ago."
"You serious?" he asked.
Shelinda nodded. "I believe he went to the temple in Macalania. Maester Seymour is also the high priest of that temple."
"Whoa, I gotta tell the others!" he exclaimed.
Harry watched as he rushed back and began to tell the others, then he walked up the stairs, looking at Maester Jyscal's portrait. "Lord Jyscal, please tell me. What can I do to help?" he asked.
Then Rikku stuck her head in the doorway. "Yuna, let's go!"
Outside, she watched as Tidus became animated. "They say Seymour went to Macarena Temple." 'Macarena,' Harry thought, 'Wasn't that some crazy dance craze a few years ago?'
Wakka slapped him on the back of the head. "Macalania Temple."
Tidus gulped. "Aye."
"What I don't get is..." Wakka began, "why would the lord Maester head off without a peep to anyone?"
Rikku shrugged. "Maybe he wasn't expecting Yuna's answer so soon."
"Ah, that's probably it," he agreed, nodding.
Auron however, was staring at Harry. "Yuna, what is it?"
"Oh, nothing," he replied, feeling another blush coming on.
"Hmm… You're a poor liar." The man was still staring, almost as though he could see Harry, underneath the character.
Harry shook his head. "It's true. It's nothing!" he replied again, and began walking towards the exit. "Come on, let's go."
'Yeah, nothing, except I think my worst enemy from school is in love with me… and I think the feeling's mutual."
