Disclaimer: I own nothing; it all belongs to J.K.Rowling. I'm just borrowing the characters to play with for a while. This is for pleasure only, no profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: This fic is rated M and has a thoroughly excessive use of swear words. I just like them so much. Consider yourself warned.
WORLD #279 – The One with the Abuse
A.K. appeared right in the midst of the littlest bedroom of Number Four Privet Drive. The rancid smell in the air, bucket in the corner, and bloodstains on the floor told A.K. just about everything he needed to know. He saw an extremely thin, emaciated figure chained to the headboard. The sickly looking boy's labored breathing sounded painful just to hear. A.K. could tell ribs were broken, bruises and welts spotted all over his face and body, and it sure looked like his right shoulder wasn't in its socket.
A.K. silently popped outside and discovered there was no Order guard anywhere to be found. When he got back in the room, he took one look at Harry's body and was officially pissed off. He saw traces of magic on the cuts down Harry's arms and it made him even madder. He knew this was going to hurt, and the last thing he wanted to do was cause Harry any further pain, but the fact that he was asleep already meant he might as well heal the ribs.
A.K. put up a privacy charm and a silencing ward, ensuring neither magical leak nor sound would escape from the room. He walked over to the beaten and broken sleeping little boy and placed his wand just above the darkest bruise on the exposed upper abdomen. A.K. licked his lips and funneled his magic into healing Harry's ribs.
Harry woke up from his nightmare screaming in pain. He was flailing as his body went into spasms. A.K. had expected that and for this reason had yet to remove the restraints. Harry hadn't even opened his eyes, though one of them very well may have been swollen shut from the looks of it. Right away he began whimpering and begging, "I'm sorry, Uncle Vernon, I'm sorry."
A.K. would never understand this. He sighed and said calmly, "I put up a silencing charm. He can't hear us."
Harry blearily rubbed at his chest with his free hand and found where it hurt so painfully, actually felt more normal. He opened his eyes to see who was in his room, though his right eye was a struggle. Ever the intelligent one, Harry stated, "You're a wizard."
A.K. nodded. "I healed your ribs. You were asleep and that way works best when it's a surprise, so… surprise."
Harry saw what he thought was pity on the face of the strange wizard in his room. He forcefully began, "It's not what it looks-"
A.K. sat back in the chair he'd conjured and was rubbing his face. "Shut the fuck up."
Harry stopped suddenly and his entire body language hunched inwards even more.
"Don't fucking cower!" A.K. yelled, which sadly only had the effect of making Harry cringe even more. A.K. stood up angrily and held his wand straight in the air, "Listen up, you little fucktard, I swear on magic I will never hit you!"
Harry just got a horribly confused look on his face.
A.K. growled and added, "But I'll shake the shit out of you."
Harry couldn't stop the tears as his bottom jaw began trembling.
"Harry Potter!" A.K. demanded. "Are you a wizard or not?"
Harry was getting scared and was still tied up, but felt compelled to answer. "Huh?"
"Are you a fucking wizard or not?" A.K. insisted.
Harry meekly nodded and said, "Ye-yes."
"Well then why can't you fucking act like one?" A.K. yelled even louder. A.K. calmed himself and explained, "I know Vernon beats you. I know it's probably gotten a lot worse lately. And now, let me take a wild fucking guess here and say you've been having nightmares, keep waking him up, and it just makes him beat you more? Sound about right?"
Harry refused to meet the stranger's eyes.
"I'm going to save us both a whole lot of pain, and not even ask if the fat bastard has ever raped you," A.K. stated with his back towards Harry, so the boy wouldn't be embarrassed if he'd visibly flinched. "But what the fuck is your problem? Why the hell do you take that shit from him?"
Harry ignored the inquisition.
"I asked you a fucking question, you goddamn pussy!" A.K. spun wildly around to stare at Harry. "You are a wizard! You know your dad was an arrogant asshole, but do you think he would stand for this kind of shit? Hell, do you even think Ron would fucking take this?"
Harry slowly began to look up at his lecturer.
A.K. walked over and untied Harry pulling off all the restraints. "I know you miss Sirius… err, Sirius is dead, right?"
Harry lost it and clenched his eyes shut whimpering again.
"That answers that question," A.K. mumbled to himself, standing over Harry. A.K. gave it a moment's thought and decided, "I don't have time for this." He cast a dark arts paralysis curse on Harry freezing him, but the curse left his body responsive to the caster. "Yes, Harry, I agree, Sirius had a shitty life, got a shit end of the stick, and with him on that backflip through the Veil went your best hope for a link to your parents. Your parents intended chance at your own little completely normal family. But I need to heal you, and I need to yell at you, and it won't be easy if you're trembling and crying like a little fucking pussy."
A.K. lifted the grossly underweight boy up, cast a couple of souped-up Scourgifies and Reparos turning the broken cot in front of the headboard into something respectable. He laid him down and straightened out Harry's body to lay flat. "Relax, I've got to heal these bruises and cuts or they're going to bug the shit out of me. My name is Harry Potter, but I don't feel like explaining that to you right now, so just call me A.K. I've placed you under a paralysis curse, so that you can't piss me off, because I heal better when I'm not angry." A.K. started by healing the massive bruise and welt over Harry's right eye. Harry was staring back at A.K. intently. "Oh I see you're not so racked with guilt that you can't pay attention to me. In that case, let me set your shoulder and I'll release your mouth from the paralysis. But right now," A.K. smiled as he lined up Harry's arm. With a vicious roll and pop, it set itself back into the socket. A.K. continued, "I don't want you biting your tongue off." A.K. saw the pain in Harry's eyes and shrugged. "The loud ear piercing screaming isn't much fun either, but with the silencing charm that's really only a benefit to me." A.K. rubbed the tender portions of Harry's purple shoulder and sent calming and numbing charms all throughout the boy's upper torso.
"Alrighty then," A.K. continued a little too happily. "Now you should be numb enough that the worst you feel is a sting. You seem to be following me so…" A.K. twiddled his fingers and explained. "You are able to speak now."
Harry opened his mouth and A.K. interrupted him harshly, "Just because you can speak, doesn't mean I want you to." A.K. began healing the minor cuts and bruises on Harry's body. "And don't think I don't know what those cuts on your arms are. I'll keep them from getting infected, but you're going to wear those with shame until they heal the muggle way."
Harry snapped his mouth shut.
"Since it appears you actually have finished fifth year," A.K. continued as he rolled Harry over and worked on his back. "I know you know the Prophecy. And while the Department of Mysteries was a right royal fuck-up, you held your own damn well in there. You'll grit your teeth when you're under Cruciatus, you won't bow to any of those bastards and you'll do your damnedest to give every bit as much as you get. So why the hell must you cower and just take that shit from your Uncle?" A.K sensed Harry's jaw open and snapped, "That was rhetorical dumb-ass, don't answer it. And you were going to lie anyway, so save it."
A.K. rolled him back and ran over Harry's legs, numbing and healing where necessary. "If he were Lucius, you'd be standing defiantly in his face, refusing to show any weakness at all." A.K. kept going. "Vernon is a fat bastard. He is a monster. But you shouldn't be a fucking scared little child anymore. You've seen horrors. You've faced your fears. You're a fucking wizard, and more important than that, you're Harry fucking Potter!"
Harry couldn't move and see what was going on, but he quietly replied, "I'm no one special. I'm not a hero."
"I think the fact that I'm Harry Potter and I'm here should be a fucking clue you can be pretty damn special," A.K. replied and seemed to be losing steam. He released Harry of the paralysis, gave him a fresh robe to cover himself, one of his extra pairs of prescription glasses so he could see properly, and conjured some big, floofy pillows. "I think I got everything, didn't I?"
Harry weakly nodded as his eyes adjusted to being able to see more than blurry outlines. "Th- thanks."
A.K. sighed and took a deep breath. He was looking down at some of the scars on his own hands and arms. He looked up for a moment and saw Harry was watching him intently before exploding again, "Do you have any fucking clue how fucking stupid cutting your-fucking-self is?"
Harry paled and looked down.
A.K. pointed his finger angrily at him. "Look at me, when I'm talking to you! I don't give a flying fuck if you think it's your body, you're not hurting anyone, or you for some odd fucking reason think it's the only way for you to actually feel something. It's fucking retarded! Do yourself a favor, and next time just start poking yourself in the eye."
Harry was keeping his head down but doing his best to hold eye contact with A.K.
"In case you didn't know, cutting yourself is seriously the lamest cry for help there is. You consciously feel shame if people notice, but unconsciously you're fucking wailing like a baby begging for a goddamn bottle. Well, I get it!" A.K. yelled. "You're stupid! Message received loud and clear!"
Harry was getting angrier and angrier. "You wouldn't understand." He spat out.
A.K. smirked at the first sign of a backbone. Sure it was misguided and completely moronic, but at least Harry wasn't dead yet. "You're right. I probably wouldn't. I seem to think Harry fucking Potter should be able to stand up to his shitfaced uncle. I'm of the opinion, if someone hits me, I should hit them the fuck back. You remember back in grade school? Mrs. Fordham?"
Harry looked at A.K. oddly, realizing this man really may be another Harry Potter. He nodded unsure why A.K. was bringing her up.
"The golden rule," A.K. explained. "Treat others as you want to be treated. It's a very simple and useful philosophy on reciprocity."
Harry nodded remembering.
"The world would be a better place, if everyone subscribed to it," A.K. argued. He smiled dangerously, "And a lot of times, you should give people the respect they're asking for, and assume they subscribe to it as well. That means if some Death Eater is trying to kill you, you can't just be an asshole and respond with stunners every time. Be the better man, and do your best to kill the shitsack. It's only fair, to respond in kind. If your dumb-ass Uncle takes a swing at you, he's practically begging you to hit him back."
Harry was a bit confused. "I'm not sure that's what that rule means."
"What the fuck do you know? You cut yourself!" A.K. reminded. "And besides, you're disrespecting others by constantly trying to get them to treat you as you want to be treated. All the while they're treating you like they deserve to be treated. A lot of times, you just need to be the bigger man, treat them like they're asking you to, and pretty soon, they'll be treating you like you want to be treated. It's about give and take. Not just taking, hoping they'll stop giving." A.K. paused and took a breath. "You think you can stand up for yourself for once? Everybody's waiting for you to grow up here."
Harry just frowned and said nothing.
A.K. asked. "Look, I'm not blaming the victim for the abuse here. And you need to stop cringing and looking away. You've been abused. Deal with it."
Harry grumbled quietly to himself. "Sure sounds like it."
"What was that?" A.K. perked up and asked dangerously.
Harry frowned. "I said," he enunciated loudly, "It sure sounds like you're blaming the victim."
A.K. shook his head. "Wrong. I'm not blaming the victim, I'm blaming you."
The lack of response from Harry told A.K. that he felt he deserved his situation. A.K. sighed. "Listen up. I know Harry Potter. I know what you're capable of. And I know the man you can be if you just got your head on straight." A.K. grinned as he saw Harry absorbing his words. He explained, "Now, a little bit about me is that yes, I am Harry Potter. I lived a life very similar to yours in some ways and very different in others. I did some magical research in the hopes that the Veil was a gateway to other dimensions. I found nothing conclusive at all, but I learned an awful lot about dimensional travel. Around this time I got into a battle with Voldemort and won. Only he managed to come back again, with an element of surprise. I killed him again, and watched him carefully. He then managed to come back right before me. I killed him again and kept working on a way to contain him. He escaped and I swore a blood oath to oppose and defeat him in every form."
A.K. stopped and looked a little sheepish. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "We Harry Potters can sometimes do really stupid things. I'd sworn to battle Voldemort in every form, while at the same time knowing how to travel into alternate worlds and dimensions. I trust you see the quandary I've put myself in. So now, I just let my magical promise pick me a new place and time to appear in, and usually help out that world's Harry Potter to defeat Voldemort. And it brought me to here, and to today. So essentially your Voldemort problems are on their way out as of this moment."
Harry almost cracked a smile hearing A.K.'s story.
A.K. winced slightly. "But you've got a few more problems than just Voldemort. And we should look at how to deal with these. And I would like to start with Vernon Dursley."
Any trace of a smile disappeared from Harry's face, and he looked like a scared little boy again.
"I could go kill Vernon right now," A.K. stated plain as day as he inhaled on his cigarette, "with no hesitation. But to be honest, I'd rather not." A.K. took it as a good sign that Harry didn't seem to immediately jump to a negative conclusion. "Do you know why that is?"
Harry took a moment to compose himself. "Because…" Harry exhaled slowly and guessed, "Because you think he deserves a second chance?"
"What?" A.K. jerked up surprised. "A second chance? No. Fuck no. I figure that piece of shit is getting death or something more fitting."
"Oh," Harry said.
A.K. tilted his head up to look at Harry. "No, I'd rather not kill him, because I think if you're any kind of Harry Potter, you should get to deal with him, however you wish. You won't grow up any until you face up to what your life used to be or get some closure. Because in case it has escaped your notice, your life is going to be changing drastically from this point on."
Harry wore a sad smile. He looked at A.K. and then away a few times before warily nodding. "You're asking me to kill him?"
A.K. shrugged. "Killing him would definitely be a part of what I'd do, but you're not me. We're both Harry Potters, but we may not both be killers. A lot of Harrys I deal with aren't up to it or ready for it. And I'm happy to take their burden. It's what I do."
Harry sighed and looked down. "And what if I don't want to face him?"
"Vernon?" A.K. asked and received a nod in return. "Then it's not your problem. Though the odds of me killing him would be pretty good."
Harry appeared conflicted. "Why do you want to kill him so much?"
A.K. half-expected that question. "Well, he's an evil person, and he abused Harry Potter. Considering I'm Harry Potter, I'm not about to let that shit slide."
"But he didn't abuse you," Harry smartly pointed out.
A.K. shook his head. "No, not me. But try and imagine how protective you'd be of a proper family member. Then mix it with being an extension of you, and literally a reflection of who you are."
Harry sighed and knew he'd put the Weasleys to shame if he were an overprotective brother. He took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll confront him. How do you want to do this?"
"Does he wake you to make breakfast or anything like that?" A.K. asked unabashedly.
Harry nodded and dropped his head. "He always stops in here before he goes to work. But I'm not allowed to leave the room."
"Well then," A.K. suggested. "I should point out that I have all magic and sound being contained in this room. Which means you could introduce him to Harry Potter, the wizard, for the first time. Ministry won't pick up any underage usage. Ditto for Unforgivables if you've taken Bellatrix's impromptu lesson to heart."
Harry paled at the idea and reminder. A.K. had a bad feeling about this but it needed to be done. The sat in silence for a few minutes, while A.K. finished his cigarette, stamped it out, and charmed the stale smell out of the air. He was watching Harry trying to turn any fear he had into well-focused anger.
Harry's stomach let out a loud rumble. "Aww shit," A.K. remembered and dug into his pockets. He pulled out a bland tasting ration pack. "You need some food Harry. You've got to remind me of that sort of thing."
Harry tore into the food and was gobbling it all up. A.K. conjured him some water and just sat there quietly, observing the boy. After Harry had stopped eating and seemed settled, A.K. stated, "You know if you cut yourself again, I'll take out a full page ad in the Prophet just for the pictures."
Harry gulped knowing A.K. was dead serious.
"I'll blackmail, extort, and embarrass the hell out of you until you get it through your thick skull that cutting is fucking dumb." A.K. explained calmly. "Your head's not on right if you reached the point where it seemed like a good idea, so I can't even begin fathoming how to reason with your concept of logic. A healer would probably feed you some rubbish about how you're experiencing emotions and don't know how to cope with them. So by giving yourself small controlled bursts of pain, you're able to avoid dealing with emotions you don't know how to deal with. But I'm no healer," A.K. smiled widely. "And I find threats to be very effective deterrents, especially when I'm willing to back them up. You'll learn to open up and talk to someone quick enough."
Harry sat there motionless, looking at the remaining scars on his arms in shame.
A.K. enjoyed the uncomfortable silences like these. He could tell Harry was still thinking deeply, and A.K. took that as a good sign. It was getting light outside now, and Vernon would probably be waking soon. A.K. stood up and asked, "Is your trunk and wand locked in your old cupboard? Or where?"
Harry dropped his head and nodded meekly. A.K. was half worried his stuff might have been burned or wand snapped, but it appeared this Vernon was intelligent enough to know Harry would be going back to Hogwarts. "I take it he forces you to write those letters and Hedwig's hiding somewhere safe until she has to take them?"
Harry nodded again.
A.K. went downstairs and got all of the stuff from the familiar old cupboard. He tossed the wand to Harry, who fumbled trying to catch it. With a sheepish smile Harry picked up his wand and thanked A.K. for getting it.
A.K. stood up silently and cast a spell making himself completely invisible. "You're not a child anymore, Harry. The world can't wait much longer for you to realize that."
Harry nodded even though he couldn't see A.K. anywhere. He readied himself as he heard his Uncle come rumbling down the hallway.
Vernon threw open the door and burst into the room. He stopped at the sight of a healthy looking Harry holding his wand. Vernon smiled brightly at the implications. "Oh you've done it now, Freak. They're going to expel you and you'll never get to go back there." Vernon lumbered closer towards Harry fearlessly.
"Stop!" Harry insisted with his wand aimed at his Uncle. He failed to keep the waver out of his voice.
"Or what?" Vernon smirked as he mockingly held his hands up and inched closer to Harry. "Does the worthless bastard think anyone cares about him?"
Harry was visibly weakening and backing up. A.K. sighed silently from his hidden position.
"You think your freakish abnormality is going to help you?" Vernon insisted as he stepped closer and closer towards his trembling little nephew. Vernon lunged forward and slapped the wand right out of Harry's hand. He let fly a vicious backhand right towards the cringing frightened boy.
A.K. had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but certainly wasn't going to let the fat fuck connect on that swing. He'd maneuvered himself around Harry silently and right as Vernon's hand began to move forward, A.K. reacted. Before the attack came within a foot of hitting Harry, A.K. still under the cover of invisibility, punched straight into Vernon's oncoming hand from the opposite direction.
Vernon screamed as his hand shattered and pieces of his own bone were jutting straight out of his palm. He looked up to see a very scary looking man appear out of thin air.
A.K. smiled as his own fist smarted in pain, but he saw how much it had hurt Vernon. He stepped over Harry's cowering form and kept getting right into Vernon's face.
Vernon was rarely accused of being intelligent and immediately took a swing at the intruder into his home. A.K. just leant back to dodge the errant punch and looked over to see that Harry was watching the confrontation intensely. "You see, Harry? Golden rule. He obviously wants me to make an effort to hit him and far be it from me," A.K. explained to a shocked and confused Vernon Dursley. "To deny him that respect." A.K. announced as he punched straight down on Vernon's forehead with enough force whip his upper body back and legs out from under him. His entire body slammed onto the ground and from the sound of it, he may have even broken his tailbone. Vernon Dursley was out cold.
"Dammit," A.K. cursed in frustration. "He's unconscious already." A.K. looked towards Harry while he stepped on Vernon's crotch. "You okay?"
Harry just looked at A.K. like he had done the most impossible thing he had ever seen. After a few moments of gaping in awe, he nodded meekly.
A.K. sighed. "I'm disappointed but not surprised."
Harry just looked sad again and couldn't meet A.K.'s eyes.
A.K. just stood there, kicking Vernon while he was thinking about what he should do. A.K. smiled deviously at Harry. "You need discipline and confidence. And I know the perfect place for you to get it." A.K. reached out and plucked the wand out of Harry's hand. "You won't be needing this. In fact, you won't need anything."
A.K. pulled Harry to his feet. "Alright kid, hang on." A.K. grabbed the young man into a hug. "Intercontinental apparition can be a bit bumpy."
Harry weakly repeated, "Intercontinentahhh!" He screamed as he felt his body tensing and displacing as A.K. apparated them away.
A.K. landed and let go of Harry. "Alright, you wait here. I need to talk to a friend who's never met me before."
"Wait!" Harry called out as he looked at all the fences and barbed wire around. "Where are we?"
A.K. grinned widely as he yelled back, "United States Marine Corps basic training. Welcome to boot camp!"
Harry's eyes just widened and he gulped out a small eep. He began looking around and saw people that looked huge compared to him. Most of them were getting yelled at and did lots of running and push-ups. He wondered what the hell he had gotten himself into.
"Alright Harry," A.K. grinned. "I'd like you to meet Staff Sergeant Slaughter. Sergeant Slaughter, this is Recruit Potter."
"You weren't kidding when you said scrawny," the Sergeant agreed looking Harry up and down.
Harry just looked at the massive forearms on the uniformed man and looked back at A.K. in worry.
A.K. explained to Harry. "Okay, Harry. Consider this your summer camp from hell. You're going to be spending the next twelve weeks working your bloody arse off. You may hate me for this, you may hate your Drill Instructor, but trust me this is going to do you a world of good."
Harry looked at A.K. warily and the Staff Sergeant fearfully.
"Yes, we're in the states, and while the Sergeant here knows you're a wizard, the others won't. So don't do anything too stupid. It would've been too risky to do this back home, but this side of the pond, no one knows who you are. You're just another recruit in basic training." A.K. grinned at Harry's meek acceptance. "It's okay to smile, Harry."
Harry forced a weak smile.
"Because it might be a little while before you want to smile again." A.K. took pleasure in pointing out as Harry's smile turned into a frown. He leaned forward and whispered to Harry. "I'll take care of everything in Britain for now. And don't worry, I'll take us both back in time when you finish up here. You'll be on the Hogwarts Express."
Harry just nodded as he didn't know what else to do.
"Thanks again, Staff Sergeant Slaughter. You know how to contact me, if its needed," A.K. nodded and shook the Sergeant's hand.
The Sergeant looked Harry up and down and said, "It won't be needed, but I got it."
"Good," A.K. agreed. "I'd say stick him on double rations the whole camp, but that's up to you." A.K. turned to Harry and saluted. "Good luck, Harry. These next few weeks will be over before you know it." A.K. grinned a little too much, leaving Harry feeling even more disconcerted as A.K. cast a Notice-me-not charm and apparated away.
"How'd he do?" A.K. asked the Staff Sergeant twelve weeks after he'd last spoke to him.
The older marine grinned. "If he were on the books, he'd have a couple of course records. You keep that boy focused, and he won't let anyone tell him he can't do something."
A.K. nodded. "Sounds about right. Any signs or things I should worry about?"
The marine shrugged a bit. "Enh... he's still keeping a lot to himself. He got a few addresses to keep in contact with some new friends, but I don't think he opened up about his past much with others."
A.K. figured that much. "He going to stand up for himself, the next time someone tries to fuck with him?"
Staff Sergeant Slaughter smiled widely and said, "Let's see what you think." He barked out loudly, "Private Potter!"
Harry marched into the room and snapped off a salute. "Sir!"
"At ease," the Sergeant ordered. "Your ride is here."
Harry's posture relaxed and he turned to his right. "A.K.!" He cheered and hugged the unprepared older man. Harry stepped back with a smile on his face. He pulled his arm back and decked A.K. across the jaw.
A.K.'s instincts had kicked in, and nearly reacted to the threat, but recognized it for what it was and simply took the punch and rolled with it.
Harry grinned and sarcastically snapped, "How's that golden rule when you're not able to hit me back?"
A.K. smiled a bit as he rubbed his jaw. "You're building some muscles finally. You almost look healthy."
"Careful there, A.K.," Harry joked. "They've got a strict policy on asking and telling around here."
A.K.'s expression shifted into emotionless business. "Arms?"
Harry knew right away what he was asking. He presented both of his forearms, angled up. "They're almost completely gone. Except from Wormtail's dagger and this one's pretty new."
A.K. looked at the gash Harry pointed to and looked up inquiringly.
"It was a bayonet accident that I have learned from." Harry explained with a smile. "And that's all you're getting from me."
A.K. nodded. "You may just live up to your name yet." He turned towards the marine. "Thank you, Staff Sergeant Slaughter. But this young man has a life to start."
The marine jumped to his feet and leaned forward. "Dismissed Private. Now get out of here."
Harry saluted the Staff Sergeant. A.K. grabbed hold of Harry and apparated them across the Atlantic.
Harry looked around at the clean looking apartment. "Where are we?"
A.K. went over to the bar and poured himself a drink. "Welcome Harry, to your new flat."
Harry looked at A.K. in surprise.
"We're in London, about two blocks from The Leaky Cauldron." A.K. explained as he watched Harry pour himself the same drink. "Privet Drive has been sold. You never have to think about the Dursleys again."
Harry frowned. "Did you kill them?"
A.K. shook his head. "You never have to think about them again."
"What did you do?" Harry asked demanding an answer.
A.K. smiled to see Harry so much more self-assured. "If you really want to know, I placed them in another world. Still put Vernon in prison, and Petunia and Dudley back in Privet Drive."
Harry looked surprised. "You really didn't kill Vernon?"
A.K. smiled with a touch of malice. "Yes well, this is a world where you died and Voldemort had ruled the world. I killed the Voldemort, but they were organized enough for the Death Eaters to essentially buy and takeover the Ministry. The light side and Ministry were so ass backwards I'm almost glad Lestrange is Minister of Magic. They'll get along just fine in that world." A.K. mock whispered at Harry. "Between you and me, Vernon's cellmate might have a few compulsion charms on him."
Harry just shook his head.
A.K. added, "And no, I won't tell you what dimension and you wouldn't be able to find it."
Harry raised his hands in surrender. "I'm done. You're right. I never have to think about them again."
A.K. nodded and continued. "Dumbledore knows I replaced you. He also knows you were abused now. He really didn't know before. I ripped him a new one, and he knows he fucked up, he fucked you over, and he's indebted to you. He can't tell anyone what he knows either, but you can talk to him with impunity. And if you're up for it, he's offered to take you on as his apprentice. With Voldemort dead, you're going to be a high target for vengeful Death Eaters."
"Wait!" Harry interrupted choking on his drink. "Voldemort's dead?"
A.K. nodded smugly. "Yup, you and Dumbledore working together accomplished it. Only Dumbledore and us know his contribution was restricted to providing a reasonable explanation for the Ministry and public. The wizarding world knows you delivered the final blow. The dumb-asses in the Ministry insisted on giving you an Order of Merlin First Class. In exchange for attending the ceremony, you negotiated receiving adult wizard status. You're licensed to do magic as it pleases you, and for all intents and purposes are an adult." A.K. waved his arms around. "Like living in your own place, that no one in the world knows exists or where it's at."
Harry smiled at A.K. gratefully.
"Not even Dumbledore can find you here. It is a Fidelius. Dobby is your secret keeper."
"Dobby?" Harry asked.
A.K. nodded. "He helped me set the place up, but he's back working at Hogwarts right now."
Harry looked at his watch. "That's right! I'm at school now."
"Mmm-hmm." A.K. agreed as he finished off his drink. "I've got your trunk all set. So whenever you're ready, I'll pop us to King's Cross, September first. Any questions?"
Harry finished off his drink too and shook his head. "I'm a little tired, but I can sleep on the train ride."
A.K. stood up and began casting the spell, coordinating a jump into the ether and back into the same world at Kings Cross, 10:45 AM the first of September. "Alright Harry. You can trust Dumbledore. I think I scared him a fair amount, and the knowledge that I'm just a different you means he's going to respect you and help you. Dobby too you can trust to the ends of the earth. Come here," A.K. waved Harry over. A.K. wandlessly held a Notice-me-not charm up, grabbed a hold of Harry, and stuck his wand into the center circle of magic he had drawn up.
Harry watched the outside world flicker into pitch blackness twice, before covering them entirely in darkness. Massive transparent blue floating whale-like creatures flickered into view for just a moment, before the blackness overtook them and flickered back into a bustling Platform Nine and Three Quarters.
"I want you to know Harry," A.K. reluctantly grinned. "I think there's hope for you still."
Harry smiled up at A.K.
A.K. offhandedly pointed out, "It's not every Harry Potter that I let live, you know."
Harry gulped a bit at the reminder.
A.K. pulled out a spiffy looking trunk and enlarged it for Harry. "Here's your trunk. And, if we're lucky this is the last time we'll see each other."
Harry took his trunk and had an almost wistful smile. "Thanks, A.K."
"No problem, kid. It's what I do." A.K. grumbled. "Now don't forget, the stares won't be the evil accusing ones, but they're going to be a lot of them. You killed Voldemort and are their hero again. Deal with it."
Harry grumbled back and shook his head.
A.K. got his evil smile one last time and said, "Oh and by the way, I had the full page ad in the Prophet already reserved in case you fucked up. So I just used it to place you a giant personals ad. Have a good term, Harry." A.K. winked and disappeared from the platform in flickers. The last thing A.K. heard was Harry cursing his name angrily and calling him a "God damn son of a-"
Author's Note: Seeing as how yet another reviewer didn't leave their name and missed a big part of the point here, I'll just say it loud and proud: I'm not a doctor. I'm not a therapist. I'm not even a parent (to the best of my knowledge). AK's actions in this chapter are not the proper way you should handle your friend/sister/brother/child's cutting habit.
This is, in fact though a perfectly fine way for fictional person 1 to handle fictional person 1A because person 1 is quite familiar with how person 1B, 1C, and 1D has reacted the last ten times a person 1 has acted like a troubled teen. What I'm saying is that unless you are dealing with an alternate universe version of yourself, then the hard line is NOT necessarily the best way to handle depressed and attention deprived individuals because not everyone has as much resolve as Harry Potter. Okay? And sign in or leave your email when you review please. Especially when you actually have something constructive to say.
