--Another World—
A/N to Katie – You are absolutely right, my mistake, but if you did find out that he was your father and you realized that you'd spent your entire life with the wrong family (which you hate) wouldn't that horrify you?
Draco landed on the ground with an audible thud. He groaned and hoisted himself up from the earth. He shook his head from side to side and tried to clear his vision as he took in the sights that were offered to him...
The sky was a pastel plum and the sun was a very bright white, causing Draco to wince as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light. The grass was the color the sky should have been, a light sky blue. He stared around in total awe of it all, never before had he seen anything so spectacular.
This awe was cut short however by Harry falling from the sky and landing on top of him.
"OW! What the hell, Potter get off me!" Draco growled shoving Harry off him to the ground.
Harry wasn't paying any attention; his awareness was of the world around him. "Wow..." He breathed, eyes wide as he surveyed the place around him.
After a moment, Draco hit him in the shoulder. "Yeah ok, quit gawking, he need to figure out where we're going."
Harry nodded and resentfully turned his attention to Draco. "Alright, where do we go?"
Draco glared at him, "How am I suppose to know?"
Harry shrugged and started walking away, towards the white sun and what appeared to be the outskirts of a city of some sort.
"Hey!" Draco called after him. "Where are you going?"
"I don't know!" Harry called back at him. "But it's better then standing around in nowhere all day, isn't it?"
Draco glared at his back and increased his stride to catch up.
When they entered the city, they were immediately the center of attention. Everywhere they looked people were staring at them, they didn't appear any different then those around them, and yet they were oddly aware that the people here knew they weren't from this plain.
"What are they staring at?" Draco asked, lowering his voice so that only Harry could hear.
"I don't know, we're strangers... I guess... just- be quiet okay?" He replied and approached one of the bystanders.
"Excuse me, can you help us? We're looking for—" But the man just turned and walked away.
"Yeah, thanks for nothing!" Draco yelled after him and Harry elbowed him in the ribs.
"Be quiet I said." Harry said glaring at his 'companion', who obviously wasn't used to being ignored.
"Where are you from?" Came a voice from behind them and both boys turned to face the speaker. She was an older woman with a sullen face and a husky voice.
"Um—I'm not sure exactly..." Harry said timidly and truthfully.
"You don't know where you are from?" Said the woman a little unbelievingly.
"Well… earth... I suppose..."
The woman frowned. "Well you are still on earth, young one. What's your name?"
"Um... Harry Potter..."
The woman looked at him with mild interest. "Harry Potter? You must be from the third dimension. This is the sixth. Harry Potter... what a strange name. Why are you here?"
Harry sent a sidelong glance at Draco who evidently wasn't going to say anything and answered the woman. "We're looking for someone... by the name of Sirius Black... he's sort of... um... tall... and long black hair... and—"
The woman held up her hand for silence. "Yes, yes Child, I know of who you speak. Sirius Black is from your dimension?"
Harry nodded eagerly. He's heart was beating so fast he wondered if the others could hear it. Sirius was alive! He was alive and well by the sounds of it! He'd never felt this happy before, it was like the part of him that had went missing was suddenly back in place and nothing could break it again!
The woman however, looked quite serious. "Well I should say, you have a long journey ahead of you."
Harry blinked. "Pardon?"
The woman looked at him intently, as if studying his mind. "He is at the castle on Opal hill. You know how to get there. Don't you?"
Harry shook his head, his spirit was suddenly dampening again, and he had hoped Sirius was here and that he would be able to see him right now. No such luck.
The woman sighed. "Come with me."
Draco and Harry did.
The woman led them through many streets and people were still staring at them. Harry noticed for the first time that they dressed in strange fashions. Much like gypsies he'd seen in movies. The woman who was leading them was wearing a blue shawl over he entire body and had many earrings in one ear and then one large one in the other.
The woman finally arrived in front of a large hut and ushered them inside, she scanned the street to assure that no one was watching them and then she instructed them to sit down.
"We have been waiting for people such as yourself... to bring Lupis from his rein." She said, lighting a candle and illuminating the room.
Harry frowned. "I beg your pardon?" Draco looked equally perplexed.
The woman looked up at them, finished lighting her candles. "Remellus Lupis. The king of this dimension," She explained. "A selfish man, really. We, the people, have been waiting for ones such as yourselves, to aid us in our movement for freedom. He keeps us starving, so we have no choice but to obey him. He has his watchers on our every mood so there is nothing we do that he does not know about. Except, of course, our plans to overthrow him." When he said this, she lowered he voice as if afraid someone might be listening from outside the walls.
"Um—" Draco finally spoke up. "We're only here to get Black, we aren't here to be some sort of heroes…"
The woman smiled sadly and shook her head. "He is holding your friend captive. He will not release him without a fight. You seem to have fallen into the roles of redeemer weather you have intended it or not."
Draco frowned. "Well in that case, Potter is quite good at being a hero anyway." He said and leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms.
Harry glared at him. "How do we get to this Opal hill?" He asked.
The woman had lit another candle and was gazing into a crystal ball. Harry was reminded of Divination class.
"As I have said before, this will be no easy task. No one is allowed past the guards of Opal hill without the six medallions of the gods." As she said this, six medallions glimmered into view in her crystal ball. Harry and Draco stared at them. They were—
"You will travel to each part of this world and collect them, passing the tests that will be put before you will ensure your success, failure, however, will traumatize your cause." Lightning flashed in the ball, causing both boys to jump a little.
"I'm sure we can do it." Harry said and withdrew his wand. The woman raised her eyebrows. "I'm afraid," She said. "That those will do you little good here. The only thing that will aid you in this quest will be your own mind and skill." She said tapping the side of her head with a long finger.
"What?" Draco said, looking a little worried now. "No wands?"
The woman smiled and shook her head, amused. "I never said any wands what-so-ever. Just that, they will do you little good. The dangers here are hardly magic related and a lot of the spells I'm sure you used back where you are from, will not work here. Your best bet is to figure out a way to go about this journey without your use of magic."
Harry nodded slowly. "So there's not much magic here?" He inquired.
The woman nodded. Then she reached behind her and pulled out a square board and handed it to him.
"This is where you will put each medallion once you've collected it. Once you've obtained them all you must make your way to the bottom of Opal hill. There you will give the medallions and this board to a guard who will allow you entrance and then you will reach the castle." She said and Draco and Harry stared at the medallion board.
There where six circles with a different animal in each circle. There was a badger, raven, snake, lion, dragon, and a phoenix.
"How appropriate." Draco muttered and Harry couldn't stop a small smile.
"How do you know I'm going to help him?" Draco asked, pointing at Harry. "Sirius Black is someone I certainly could care less about." Harry leered at him but he ignored him.
The woman smiled and said, "Simple. Remellus Lupis is also the keeper of the Ring of Power. If you won't do it for the Black man, you will do it for the ring. Am I right?"
Draco said nothing.
"You will rest now," The woman said and pointed towards a curtain of beads, behind which, Harry could see were four beds. "Tomorrow you will begin your quest." Then she stood and walked towards the doors leading to outside. Before she left, she turned towards them and said in a low voice, "You are the ones who will deliver us from evil, I see that now, but keep in mind... the biggest obstacle you will face will be each other." And then she was gone.
^ ^ ^
"HE WHAT!?!" Ron hollered. His face was red and in his eyes flashed something much akin to fire. "Hermione! I can't believe you let them go like that!"
Hermione was humbled. "Well... they were very convincing..." She said quietly. She knew Ron would take this badly, but how badly she did not know until now.
"What if something happens!? What if it really was just a ploy for Malfoy to deliver Harry right into You-know-who's hands!?"
"I don't think that's it," Hermione said softly. "I've never seen Harry that excited before, he told me that he knew Sirius was alive, and how could they be transported to Voldemort if everyone else is so afraid of what's behind that curtain?" She said.
Ron was still livid. Hermione sighed and pulled the arrow pendant from her pocket. She handed it to him.
"Talk to it," She instructed and Ron gave her a distrustful look. "Just do it." She said.
Ron lowered his lips to the pendant and said, "Hello?"
There was nothing. "Hermione, what is this? –"
Then there was an interruption. "Ron?" Harry voice emitted from the pendant and Ron was ecstatic. "Harry! Harry are you all right? Where are you? What's Malfoy doing? How the hell could you take off with him and--!!"
"Ron!" Harry cut him off. "I'm fine, Malfoy and I are in this really strange house right now. Hey! Did you know there are different dimensions? You are in the third and I'm here in the sixth! Weird huh? Ron, Hermione, Sirius is alive!"
And Harry relayed all that had happened since his arriving in this strange new world. Hermione and Ron listened avidly.
"So I have no idea when I'll be back." Harry said, finished with telling his story.
"You'll be careful, won't you?" Hermione asked and Harry sighed. "Yes, I promise, Hermione. We'll be fine."
"What about, Malfoy? If he does something to you, I'll—" Ron was saying but then Malfoy's voice cut through.
"Breath Weasley, I won't murder your Golden Boy, but I might crush this stupid pendant if you lot don't let me get some sleep!"
"I better go," Harry said. "We have a long journey ahead of us."
"Of course," Hermione said. "Take care Harry and contact us if anything happens, alright?"
"I will. Bye."
"Bye."
Ron sat there for a long while, staring at the pendant in his hand.
"There, you see?" Hermione's voice cut across his thinking. "I'm sure they'll be fine. Nothing bad so far, right?"
Ron nodded slowly. "But... but..."
Hermione smiled sadly and sat down beside him. "I know. I know." She said and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Let's just wait for them though, ok? Trust him. Everything's going to go along just fine."
The sun was coming up... and their world was covered in sparkling golden gleams. They would wait because at the moment, that was all they could do.