REPOST: December 16, 2006

Chapter 4

When Harry opened his eyes, he found himself in bed in a small white room.

Looking up, he saw a man with his back turned to him. The man was wearing almost archaic maroon robes, the cut different from what Harry was used to. As he watched, the man dropped some sort of bark into a sizzling cauldron, and Harry realized that the man was preparing some kind of potion.

"Hello?" He called out uncertainly, not sure if he should interrupt.

The man turned around, and when he saw that Harry was awake, a smile graced his lips. "Salazar, Rowena, Helga! He's awake!"

A few seconds later, three others burst into the room. But they were unlike anyone Harry had ever met before.

First came a man with dark black hair. His features were sharp and angular, giving a no-nonsense impression. His green robes flashed dangerously in the light, but seeing Harry, his face seemed to soften. The woman who followed had kind hazel eyes, her dark red hair contrasting with the sapphire blue of her robes. The final woman was slightly shorter than the others, but her lush green eyes flashed with an almost hypnotic luster.

"Thank goodness you're awake!" The woman with the blue robes smiled as she walked over and placed a hand on one of his scars. A blue light radiated from her hand and the scar disappeared. She continued doing this until his body was scar-free.

Harry couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. After getting dressed and downing many potions, he cautiously cleared his throat. "Erm… would you mind telling me where I am and who you are?"

The man in the red robes suddenly laughed, the jovial sound ringing out in the room. "Ah, yes, the introductions must be made," he laughed, his eyes twinkling. "I am Godric Gryffindor, and that," he pointed at the man with green robes. "Is Salazar Slytherin. If you've heard any rumors about him, rest assured, the majority of them are not true. The lady with red hair is Rowena Ravenclaw, and finally, that is Helga Hufflepuff."

Harry's mouth dropped open, wondering if his hearing had left him. Did the man just say he was Godric Gryffindor? Part of him wondered if it was a joke, but everyone's faces remained serious. "W-what? How –."

"Allow me to explain," Salazar interrupted. "You are now in an alternate dimension, Harry. Your fate has been decided since the day you were born, young one, and it is your destiny to determine the outcome of the upcoming war. You are the one with the strength and the ability to do so. You are here to learn."

Harry was rather proud of the fact that his mouth didn't fall open again. "But why me? True, I'm the Boy-Who-Lived, but only because the killing curse rebounded, and that was because of my mother's sacrifice. I didn't do anything, so why was I chosen?"

"It is your personal history, Harry. You were sorted into Gryffindor, yet the Sorting Hat wished you to be put in Slytherin, did it not?" It was Rowena who responded, and Harry nodded. "Have you not wondered why?"

"I... thought it had something to do with my choice. At least, that's what Dumbledore told me."

Salazar scoffed, and Rowena threw a sharp glare at him before continuing. "It is because you, my child, are the heirs to both the Gryffindor and Slytherin lines."

For the second time in the hour, Harry felt as if his ears had deceived him. "What? I... How is that possible?"

"Several centuries back, our heirs each decided to pick another name in order to avoid the attention. The name change helped to prevent conflict with enemies. Godric's heir chose Potter, while Salazar's chose Frostpine. Vincent Frostpine had two daughters – Isabella and Helena Frostpine. Isabella married Nobilius Potter's son, Edward Potter. Helena fell in love with a Muggle, and chose to marry into the Evans family. When Lily Evans and James Potter had you, the lines were combined. Therefore, you are the only heir of both Salazar and Godric."

"It is your history that brings you here, along with your destiny in the upcoming war."

"So… my destiny is to defeat Voldetmort?" Harry couldn't help but feel as if he was in the middle of some bizarre dream.

"Voldemort," Salazar said with distaste, a sneer on his face. "He made what should have been noble into a crime – altered something glorious into something shameful. Riddle is no heir of mine."

He turned to Harry again. "You will be trained in every aspect imaginable, Harry. This process will take up to three years."

"Three years?" Harry gaped at the man before him. "But, what about my friends? And Dumbledore? They'll be frantic if I suddenly disappeared for that long!"

"Calm yourself, Harry. Time passes at a different pace in these dimensions – for every year here, only one day will have passed in your time. To your friends and family, you will only have gone missing for three days." Salazar paused to look at him. "Do you have any other questions?"

"Only a couple of million." Harry was completely serious, but Godric chuckled at his response. "If I'm the heir to the Slytherin and Gryffindor lines, how does Helga and Rowena tie into this?"

"Despite your heritage and your house, you have the traits of all four houses in you, Harry." It was Rowena who responded, her eyes piercing. "You have courage, yes, plenty of it, yet you possess the cunning of a Slytherin. You are loyal without a doubt, and certainly have the potential to become one of the best students in Hogwarts. The Sorting Hat had to place you in one house, but your qualities far exceeds that. You have potential, Harry, and it would be a shame to let that go to waste."

"I know it must be a shock to you, but there is nothing that can be done. It is only best that we tell you everything you need to know right away. Three years is a short time for the amount you have to learn, and in order to complete your learning in that period, you must start training as soon as possible. Salazar will train you in Potions and languages, as well as the Dark Arts." Seeing Harry flinch, Rowena's eyes softened. "After all, how can you defend against something you don't know? Godric will take care of Defense, Transfiguration, and Animagus Transformation. Helga will train you in Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology and Apparation. And myself – I'll teach you the art of healing, Charms, and Ancient Runes."

"You'll also need to up your physical exercise, Harry," Godric added, his eyes twinkling. "I know it must be terribly hard for you to take in, but it is necessary. Now, go get a good night's sleep, and we can start tomorrow. I'll show you to your room."

A part of Harry still felt like he was dreaming, but he nodded. "Goodnight, everyone," he said quiet, his mind a whirlwind. As he followed Godric out of the room, he couldn't help but wonder if he would wake up tomorrow back in his cupboard at the Dursleys.

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"And then what happened, Severus?"

Severus Snape sat up in his chair, telling Dumbledore about what had happened in regards to Sebastien. "…and when I looked up, he was gone."

"That is puzzling indeed." Dumbledore sighed, and suddenly looked every bit his age as the twinkle disappeared from his eyes. "And in addition to that, I'm afraid I have very bad news, Severus. Harry Potter is dead."

"What?" Severus jumped up. It was true that he didn't like Potter, but that didn't mean he wanted the blasted boy dead. "How did it happen?"

"Death Eaters set the house on fire and sealed the doors and windows. Without his wand, there was nothing Harry could do. Everything inside the house have turned to ash."

The Potions Master was rarely surprised, but this was one of those moments. "Does the rest of the wizarding world know yet?"

"Harry's friends know already, and the article will be appearing in the Daily Prophet in exactly 4 hours. And now, Sebastien has mysteriously disappeared. I'm not sure what has happened, but there's nothing we can do but wait."

"Do you think Sebastien's disappearance is somehow related to Potter's death?"

Dumbledore looked at him thoughtfully before shaking his head. "It is possible, but improbable. As far as I can see, Sebastien is not connected to Harry in any way. We shall see." He stood up and walked towards Severus' fireplace. "I must leave no, Severus – there are things I must take care of. Take care – I will see you soon." With that, he was gone, leaving the Potions Master to brood over what had happened.

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Alternate Dimension; Three Years Later

"Harry. Three years have swiftly past since you first appeared in this dimension. Today, you shall go back to your world and make a difference."

Harry Potter stood in front of Salazar, Godric, Rowena, and Helga, looking at his mentors who had helped him through everything for the last few years. His eyes stung as he tried to suppress the tears. "I know, Salazar," he said, his voice choked. "I'll miss you all. What would I have done without you?"

"Before you go, young one, we have a gift for you." Godric reached into a bag and took out a large box, which he handed to Harry.

Harry took the box and carefully opened it. Placed inside was a knife – small and beautiful, but deadly. The handle was ornate, and carved on it were the initials of the four founders. Set in it was a large jewel, divided into four quarters. The quarter was ruby, the second emerald. Sapphire and topaz decorated the last two quarters. The colours fit together beautifully, the pieces coming together to form a whole.

"Thank you," Harry whispered, his eyes suddenly filling with tears.

"Only together, united, will you be able to defeat Voldemort," Godric said. "Remember to open up and accept the help of those who love you. Not everyone is what they seem."

"And remember – never show your true emotions to those you don't know. Feel, yes, but never show them on your face, for the enemy will use those weaknesses against you." Salazar's eyes seemed to pierce into Harry soul.

"My advice is this: wisdom is important, but friendship is so much more. Whatever happens, you are not alone. We will always be with you." Rowena smiled. "It has been a pleasure teaching you, Harry."

"And finally, Harry, remember ot have faith in yourself. You must believe in order to succeed." Helga pulled him into a motherly hug. "We'll miss you," she whispered in his ear.

"Thank you so much," Harry whispered. A smile graced his lips. "The last three years have been the happiest of my life."

"It was our pleasure." Rowena, like Helga, reached forward and hugged him.

"It is time to go," Salazar said seriously. "Are you ready, Harry?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Harry squeezed his eyes shut.

There was a whirl of light, and the Boy-Who-Lived was gone.

-End of Chapter 4-