Chapter two: Defying the Laws of Space-Time
Friday morning arrived, and Harry Potter awoke. Wide-awake instantly, he leapt from his bed in search of the nearest bathroom to wash-up.
After thoroughly cleaning himself, Harry left and slammed the bathroom door behind him. This was how Harry and Lupin communicated in the large complex that was once the British Ministry of Magic. Depending on the time of day, a sound of a slamming door could mean a number of things. In this case, Harry was on his way to eat breakfast. This morning, as a result of slamming the door, Harry was unintentionally responsible for a mirror on the adjoining wall to fall and shatter across the floor.
Harry froze, but it wasn't long until a chuckle escaped his lips.
"Bloody superstitions."
Quickly ascending a flight of stairs, Harry found Lupin making breakfast in what was once an employee break-room, but was now their dining room.
"Morning Remus," Harry stated happily.
"Morning." Lupin was hardily in a good mood.
Setting out a plate of eggs, bacon, and pancakes, Lupin and Harry ate in silence. Harry pretended not to notice, but he felt Lupin's uneasy gaze falling on him at frequent and un-patterned intervals. His friend was also becoming increasingly unsettled and fidgety in his seat.
Harry set down his fork, steepled his hands and fingers in a very Dumbledore like fashion, and stared at his friend.
"What's up?" Harry asked, concern encasing each word, but with a stern edge to his voice that left no room for evasion of the question. Lupin froze and his face drained of color, but he still responded.
"Harry," Lupin paused, considering his wording for the unavoidable explanation. He almost looked ashamed of himself. "Harry, I have a confession to make. Please Harry, I want you to understand. I'm not trying to steer you away from going through with this today, but . . . I want you to be aware of some things first." Harry nodded for his friend to continue.
"Ok, as you know, I've gone 'back' quite a few times in the last few years. Sometimes, when I go back, I land in planes that are slightly . . . well . . . different than ours." Lupin stopped again and gave a look that begged for Harry to understand on his own. Harry countered with his own look; one that superimposed a question mark over his face. Lupin let out an exasperated sigh, and pressed on. "For example: One time, I went back and found Fudge had never been elected as Minister. Another time," Lupin got louder in an attempt to out volume Harry's laughter, "I went back and was shocked to find wizards and muggles working together, totally aware of the other's existence, in peace." Harry's laughter died. "But Harry – sometimes, when I go back, I pick up no magical signatures in all of Britain except for myself." Harry sat up straight in his chair and his eyes widened in understanding. If Lupin's words could be described as 'a bombshell,' it had just dropped.
"Remus," Harry's voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge present. "Were you certain?" Lupin nodded as he stared at his plate of almost untouched food, quietly awaiting the inevitable. "AND YOU TELL ME THIS NOW?" Harry lost all composure as a mixture of anger and panic set in. "I could go back to – to – to the middle of a transfiguration lesson at Hogwarts, or I could go back and be the only magical being in all of Great Britain?" Harry couldn't remember standing, but he was now. Having no desire to continue ranting, he abruptly sat back down and put his face in his hands.
"I'm sorry Harry," Lupin apologized sincerely. Harry looked up to his downcast friend and made a decision.
"I'm still going back. With any luck I'll end up somewhere good. If not, I'll just have to deal with the consequences if and when they find me." Lupin nodded in understanding. "I just wish you wouldn't have waited till the 'day of' to tell me this." Lupin sighed. He hadn't meant to keep this from his friend, but the right time always seemed as if it was a day away, everyday.
"Would you like to do it soon, everything is prepared?"
"Yeah, but give me a couple hours. I gotta go think on a few things." Harry thanked Lupin for breakfast, then stood up and left to find a quiet room where he could simply ponder the situation.
'This sure complicates stuff,' Harry thought as he sat in the Minister's office before the roaring fireplace. 'At least, according to the book, I'll still have my magic no matter where I come out.'
Harry had outlined his plan of action the night before, but that might be useless now. He planned on destroying Voldemort's Horcruxes immediately, and then Voldemort himself before any harm could come to his loved ones. But he'd made all his plans assuming he'd go back in time just like one would with a time-turner – same people, same world, same situation. Now, with the knowledge that an alternate timeline can almost certainly imply an alternate universe as well, Harry was . . . well . . . uncertain.
'Hell, there's one positive outcome though. Tom Riddle could be a muggle in my new timeline." Harry couldn't suppress a grin.
XXXXXX
"Now remember – no matter where, when, or under what circumstances – immediately suppress your magic and raise your occlumency shields when you reach your body," Lupin ordered. They had discussed the issue, and decided it best for Harry to lay low at first. In order to keep his cover, said precautions were necessary.
"Occlumency – up, magic – down, got it." Harry was on his back, arms and legs stretched out in opposite directions as far as they could go. He was on a large circular slab of granite that was as smooth as the finest cut marble. Light reflected off the surface of the stone in a way only magic could induce. It was large enough that Harry couldn't extend even one limb over an edge if he was properly positioned.
Cut into the granite's surface were numerous runic symbols. Some of the individual symbols were so old, their meanings had been lost. But, when read by a runic master, the symbols would read:
Torn from body, soul and mind
Sent through time, they will rebind
Locate thy brother, the pair will
Remove the twin, but will not kill
This magic Harry and Lupin were trying was said to be 'very inexact' according to the book's author, seeing as it had never been attempted. One could not simply choose a time, date, and place for rebinding. It was more guess work than that.
Depending on quantities of certain elements, one could only estimate the arrival time at best. Harry and Lupin had narrowed it down to somewhere between Harry's 11th birthday and his 16th birthday. That was as accurate as they could infer. There were just too many attributing factors and unknown variables.
The process, once all other preparations were completed (i.e. – the granite slab), was fairly simplistic. Harry had to take a very complicated potion; one that took all of Harry's finesse, and all of Lupin's attentiveness. The potion took close to two months to brew, and then required another month to mature.
Now, after three months, the name-less potion was complete. It looked a lot like oil. Harry would need to consume a goblet of the thin liquid; then, Lupin would have to recite a long incantation, found in the book, that would act as an ignition, or a catalyst of sorts. The incantation would trigger the potion; the potion would react, and they'd wait. It was that simple.
Lupin looked to be on the verge of tears where he currently stood to Harry's right.
"I'm going to miss you Harry," he choked out.
"I love you too Remus," Harry said genuinely. Lupin smiled before the two closed the distance and shared a brotherly hug.
"Ok, here we go. Drink this." Lupin held back his emotions and handed Harry a goblet of the fresh potion.
With out a second thought, Harry grabbed it and knocked it back. Despite its appearance, the potion could have passed for water, except for the fact that it was black.
"Anything?"
"Tasteless," Harry shook his head as he lay back and resituated himself upon the granite slab. "Ok, let's go. Do it." Lupin nodded and started reading directly from the time-travel book.
Harry could hear Lupin's voice articulating each Latin syllable perfectly, but in truth, he wasn't listening. He couldn't help but conjure up images of his old friends faces to the forefront of his mind's eye – Hermione studying in the Gryffindor common room, Ron playing chess at the Burrow, Ginny blushing as her elbow met the butter dish. If everything went as planned, he'd soon be seeing them all.
Lupin finished the incantation and the runes inscribed on the granite glowed bright white for a moment before changing to an electric blue. The light seemed to fill the room, casting eerie blue shadows everywhere. Almost concurrent with the color change, Harry's stomach gave an almighty churn, then another, and another. It was like a controlled internal combustion, as his innards felt as if they were set ablaze.
'The book never said it'd be painless,' Harry thought as he toughed-out the pain. He didn't want Lupin to know how bad it hurt, but the signs were hard to hide, as he felt tears bristling at the back of his eyes. He clenched is jaw tighter, attempting to stifle any groan that might try to escape. His blood was searing; it was boiling. It was pure, unhindered agony.
Instinctively, Harry did his best to relax. Fighting it would only make the pain worse.
Closing on a full minute, his stomach gave one final churn and the pain began to dissipate. It was odd; Harry literally felt his body systems start to shut down. His respiratory system went first. The inability to breath was terrifying. He probably would've screamed had he still possessed the ability to force air past his vocal chords.
Next, as if a bass drum was being played in close proximity to his head, Harry could hear and feel the steady pulse of blood in his skull fighting to maintain its rhythmic tune. His heart pounded hard one last time in his chest before falling dormant.
Harry was sure, had his nervous system not started to dull, he would've felt his limbs succumb to numbness as his circulatory system stalled.
'Is this what dieing naturally is like?' Harry wondered to himself. 'If so, this is terrifying.' The suspense was a form of torture in a league of its own. Harry decided, had he had the choice, he'd prefer a quick death; one without warning. It was strange though. Harry was definitely scared of what was happening to him, but he was almost tranquil. Because he knew what was happening, he held no fear.
Above Harry, Lupin started to fade in and out of focus. Tears were steadily streaming down his best friend's face, and Harry realized his hearing was shot, as he watched Lupin sobbing and mouthing words without pausing for breath; he was loosing his best friend too after all.
As the last remnants of sensation left his body, the feeling of weightlessness took hold, and Harry knew he was almost gone. Using every ounce of strength he possessed, he winked; Harry's piercing green eyes glazed over; Harry James Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, died.
"Good-bye Harry."
XXXXXX
It was almost indescribable, almost. Harry was . . . somewhere. His senses told him he was in a black void, but then again, he had no senses. Harry felt, but he didn't feel. He saw, but he was incapable of sight. It was almost indescribable.
Harry was a bodiless entity. According to his senses – no – intuition, he decided he was floating through some mass-less, volume-less abyss.
He had a hazy sort of consciousness. Complete thoughts were hard to form, due to the absence of a brain. Comprehension was barely within reach.
Suddenly, with a jolt, Harry felt a slight pull on his being. It was similar to the jerk sensation received when traveling by port-key, but because he had no body, it was slightly less uncomfortable. Harry felt as if he was being drawn somewhere. He was being pulled to an undisclosed destination.
He didn't quite understand what was happening, but he knew it was right. He would wait. He'd arrive where ever there was eventually.
What Harry didn't know, was that Time-Travel was almost parallel to apparition in terms of speed. It wouldn't take long for Harry to make the jump.
XXXXXX
Harry knew the spell had worked. It had to have, what with all the stories of 'bright lights at the end of hallways,' and 'pleasant music playing while one waited in line before the gates.' He was experiencing no such adventures; he was simply being tugged along, surrounded by darkness on his newly departed transit. Therefore, the only reasoning his weak problem solving conscious could conclude was that everything was going as pla –.
The best and only way to describe it was that Harry was slammed into a barrier of some kind. The impact was so forceful, Harry was surprised he wasn't dizzy. The barrier was similar, though not identical, to an occlumency shield.
Harry subconsciously urged himself to pass through the barrier. Much like a jack-hammer, Harry felt as if he were chipping through, though at an accelerated rate.
The wall of sorts was not thick, and Harry could feel it calling to him from the other side. It was encouraging him to try harder. There was a mutual attraction, and Harry desperately tore through. As the last chunk fell away, an indescribable sensation hit Harry, who at the moment was naught but a magically bound soul. Like magnetically charged puzzle pieces, Harry met his companion on the other side, but his intuition was disturbed to find another entity already bound to his desired counterpart.
With a force the opposition could not match, Harry tore it away and felt as it left through his previously dug hole.
There was no sight involved, but Harry knew this shapeless mass in front of him was his; he knew what he had to do without really knowing how the information came to him.
Completing the jigsaw, Harry wrapped himself around the mass of content, and then seeped into it and the two became one.
Almost immediately Harry felt different. His head was steadily clearing, almost as if he'd taken a Hang-over potion moments ago.
'Is this right?' Harry's first intelligent thoughts echoed through his body as he '–My body!' It was there now. He could feel it; his fingers and toes, arms and legs. It felt different though. He felt smaller in build, and weaker in strength. 'Magic – down, occlumency – up.' His mind was in working order, thank the gods.
Unless he was somewhere deathly quiet, with no lights to speak of, his sight and hearing were yet to return. But he could feel a light breeze on his face, so he knew the latter was more likely than not. Also, he could feel a hard, rough surface supporting his frame: possibly wood, or metal. He was sprawled on it rather awkwardly, and he hoped no one was making fun of his current state.
With a thought, his brain delivered a message to his toes, and he clenched, wiggled, and unclenched them experimentally. Harry did the same with his fingers before he heard a faint buzzing. His ears were rebooting. Wondering if his eyes weren't far behind, Harry elevated his eyelids and saw light overcoming the darkness.
A sudden sharp pain in his left pointer finger told him something was not as it should be, and he swatted away the source of the pain. His muscles were definitely smaller than his twenty-five year old body's had been, as evidenced by the lack of power he felt in his limbs.
'Ok, now where am I?' Harry thought. Making to stand, Harry realized he'd been slouching in an ordinary, old, wooden chair. Shakily heaving himself to his feet, he lost his balance and tripped over what he figured was a foot rest. 'Very graceful Harry. Good one,' he thought sarcastically.
Harry's eyes snapped open. His head impacting the earth (his face was in the dirt) had the effect of clearing his senses the remainder of the way, and what he heard made him freeze. It was all around him: a steady roaring of cheering voices and excited chatter. But that was only part of what made his stomach start re-churning. Before his face, not but 12 inches away, was a perfect replica of a Hungarian Horntail—complete with two bright yellow eyes, and an intimidating, razor sharp spiked tail.
To be continued . . .
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Hey! I thought that would be a pretty good place to cut it. I should be updating this pretty regulary, so no worries.
If any of you have some ideas for Harry, or if there's anything you want him to do, let me know, and I'll see what I can do. R&R
Thanks, Ben
