Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and any other characters, terminology and ideas are the property of their respective copyright holders.
Babylon 5, Crusade and any other ideas, characters and terminology is also the copyright of their respective copyright holders.
Inter Planetary eXpeditations, Harry's Journey
By Tangerine Alert
Chapter 4
Over at the other half near the Rim Mione was returning to her work, her Orange tree, which had survived her complicated watering system, and a small back log of translations…
She had been working on them and others that came across her section for the past fortnight, Earth standard time, even though the days and nights were longer than Earth normal. They had had word the Head of the Rangers, Delenn was visiting, IPX was allowing this visit…because they had certain rules to follow…the Rangers did work occasionally with IPX just as IPX did work occasionally with the Rangers, it was an unspoken arrangement…
Mione seeing her chance wrote a quick request for a meeting in her best Minbari to Delenn.
Later that week Delenn and two An'la'shok knocked on her apartment door. Mione had been spending a lazy afternoon, well one she sort of had off reading through a large old book, carefully noting down the various dates it spoke of.
Her eyes bulged as she answered the door.
"Doctor Granger…you wanted to speak to me…"
Mione welcomed her in and offered her a chair…and some tea, both of which she accepted.
"Sorry about the mess…I didn't expect you to…"
"Walk in personally? No, but your message intrigued me…who is this person that I helped and you wanted to thank?"
Mione put down the two cups.
"I'm not sure if you know him as Harry James…or Harry James Potter…"
"Harry…yes…"
"He's…a very old friend of mine…you could say we both came here the same way…from the same place…I just wanted to thankyou…for helping him…"
Delenn stared at the young woman in surprise. Harry James Potter had been an interesting person, aged beyond his years…much like this young woman had, their eyes betrayed it…and these two had come from the same place…
"How did you know about Harry?"
"It seems we both went into the same field…except he did his Doctorate first…" Mione looked at Delenn and continued. "He's a Professor in archaeology…
"You did not know he was here?"
"In this…" Hermione gestured her hands upwards "This universe, this time…no…I appeared on Babylon 5, fell in on Captain Lochley…she said she called in some favours for me…I got set up on Proxima 3…worked on my Doctorate…and now I'm here…"
"Harry spoke of a great battle…a war…you fought in this?" Delenn watched the young woman as she tensed, her eyes growing sad.
"Yes…Harry lost more people than ever…"
"Harry told me probably not all…but he seemed relieved that he could tell someone…"
"We all went through hell…Harry more than most…saw people killed before our eyes…before we had even grown up…" Hermione got up suddenly walking over to her orange tree drizzling some water on it.
Delenn watched her and rose to follow her to the balcony looking out over the some of the planet.
"But that is in the past…we lived so much in those few years…now…this is where I belong…and Harry too. We met on Mars recently…it was such a surprise, so unbelievable seeing him here…That other life…well it really is another life…" Hermione turned back to Delenn. "I just wanted to say while you were here…I just wanted to thankyou for seeing to him…"
Delenn watched the girl and smiled, she would have to get word to Harry, and find out how he was progressing…this young woman cared for him quite bit…
"The universe…is an interesting place Doctor Granger…"
Harry spent a good three years on what IPX termed a 'tour of duty' along several not so friendly planets, the upside was he was in charge of the quite small teams. They were dropped on a planet for about 3 months maybe 6 at a time and told 'explore', not the best for all people but Harry and others of his ilk enjoyed the challenge, these people were archaeologists who didn't want to be stuck on Felsecar, or at one of the home bases pouring over texts pertaining to the end of a world…which turned out to be destroyed 500 years ago…
He along with some others of his team (who had incidentally worked with Max) had been requested by IPX to drop in on Felsecar on their way back to Babylon 5 for transfer and redeployment…
Harry for once went happily to be surrounded by books, about 8 months after seeing Mione he finally got around to checking his messages, wincing when he noticed one in Minbari, it was from Entil'Za Delenn, Mione and her had talked…since then Harry had attempted to write to two very important women in his life…
Jumping on the hover bike, the only alternative to walking he flew around the large buildings and amazing spires of the various library buildings. Until he located the abby where a lot of the translators and literature experts were housed.
Grabbing his satchel he walked off into the buildings, finding Mione's door, knocking a voice invited him in.
"Hey stranger, long time." Harry walked in smiling.
At 32 Harry had buffed out to a handsome guy…
"Harry! You came!" She scwealed jumping up and hugging him.
"Forced stop over."
Mione looked at him.
"And I wanted to see you…"
"Harry, you're here…"
"Yeah." Harry looked around her apartment…it was filled out like a study, but with a nice balcony.
"Your tree's grown…" Harry nodded to the tree which was now sitting in a rough pot.
"Had to…"
Harry walked back to his satchel. "Which reminds me…" Harry pulled out a small pot covered dome thing.
"A gift." Harry handed it to Mione…
"Harry…"
"I have been trying to keep it alive…and make sure it all took root."
"Took root…?"
"I've been trying in my off hours at horticulture…one might say herbology…" Harry smiled. "It has been producing apples all year round, give it something acid based and it will nurture it. So basically…"
"The leaves…or the bits from my orange tree…"
"Yep keeps it alive…as long as you're not looking for a pure tree, because it's a mix on an Earther apple, and a Narn/Drazi plant mix thing…"
"Don't you…?"
"As I said, the planets I do stop over on are either dusty or freezing and occasionally liveable and nice…and lately dangerous. It's only just stayed alive…"
"No danger here…unless you count the other academics…and you're more in danger than me."
"?" Harry looked at Mione.
"Closed planet…there's some people visiting occasionally…but a girl…and boy and everyone's got to have some fun, and when there's new people visiting…it's like when the sailors used to drop into towns…except the reverse…"
"So does that means…" Harry inclined an eyebrow to Mione. She snorted.
"No Harry, while everyone probably knows everyone else on this rock intimately…I think I'd rather stay friends with you…"
"That's ok I'm not that hurt…so no…"
"Goddess no, how boring would that be? Tea?"
"Sure. Anything exciting happened to you in the last…what is it…?"
"3 years since we met on Mars…how many planets have you been to?"
"A few, longer hauls on a few dangerous ones…all interesting, heading back to report, review, go over findings…re-translate things, then probably out on a large dig with a small group, Max is supposedly putting one together I might try and get on that…"
Harry leaned into a heavily cushioned chair and picked up a new, yet old book, it was entitled 'The Hogwarts Chronicles'. Reading through the first few pages he chuckled, it was like Mione was re-writing the history…Dumbledore was there…fighting Grindelwald…Harry flipped through the pages chuckling as he went.
"What's so funny?" Mione sat the tea down on her table.
Harry held up the book.
"Oh…that…" Mione sat down opposite him.
"Am I in it, might start some questions…"
"I'm not an idiot Harry. You're changed to Harry Evandale, and my fair self Jane Cole."
"Cole?"
"My mum's maiden name…you don't approve?"
Harry smiled, it ended in their first year.
"Are you going to write the whole story?"
"I'd like to…if you have no objections…" Mione said…Harry had told her everything whilst they were off researching to fight Voldemort…she knew everything.
"No…none…were you going to turn it into a performance?"
"No, real old fashioned books…or data crystal…or something…I've tried my hand at painting…"
Harry looked surprised at her.
"Unlike you getting into near death situations on unnamed planets."
"Not all the time…" Mione passed him a bunch of paper all with differently painted pictures.
Harry smiled seeing Hogwarts again even in watercolour, Mione had flair…
A chill ran down his spine as he looked at the next picture…it was a hooded person with skeletal fingers and glowing red eyes, holding it up to Mione.
"This one's megga creepy…"
"Yeah…trying out different styles…"
Harry continued to look over the pictures, the was Diagon Alley, it looked even more busier than it had been…the Hogwarts Express, an electric vibrant red that seemed to burn outwards.
"Odd mix of paint that one, I think it's too bright." Harry mmmed in agreement.
Harry pulled out a page twice the size of the others and looked at it, in all it's green glory the Quidditch pitch, it looked as it was Gryffindor vs Slytherin.
"Is this first year?" Harry said nodding down at the painting.
"Yep, all of those are for first year…except Voldemort…and a few others…I was testing my creative skill one day…I got some tips from some others around…we've been setting up a group…"
Harry flipped through. There was one of the teacher's box, with Snape and Quirrell, and a spot of red flame at the bottom of Snape's robes. Harry chuckled at this Snape looked like Snape…in fact all the teachers looked like them…even Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes.
"You've done them proud…"
"I wasn't sure about Snape…but."
"Yes…saves me in first…"
"And kills Dumbledore in 6th…but I want to let some things develop…"
"Yes…"
"What about Remus and Sirius…" Mione smiled at him.
"I'm working on it…that's still third year…I've still got a long way to go…I'm thinking of having all four founders on the front…"
"Cool."
"Look at the last of the pile." Mione said setting down her cup.
Harry flipped through various images of hall ways, the great hall, the library, Hagrid's hut until he got to a sketch which had been filled in and looked like a painting, a sketch and a drawing and several things, it was three young wizards standing with their wands out, one young boy with red hair and dirty robes, another with messy brown/black hair with a certain lightning bolt scar and a third witch with frizzy hair, their robes seemed to be billowing a bit.
Harry looked up and smiled at her.
"It's brilliant Mione, absolutely…though I don't think we could billow our robes like that…"
"Creative flair…"
"And the scar won't be a problem…"
"Yes…"
Harry rubbed the spot where he used to have a lightning bolt scar…that had been sluiced off in a fight, now it was just a rough scar, from a sword fight, he preferred that than the lightning bolt…But to look back…
"Haven't we changed…" Harry smiled setting the paintings down and warming his hands.
"That we have…"
Harry bunked down in Mione's apartment for the next 2 days, before being jumped by her 'neighbour' and dragged off to her bedroom. Harry wandered back to Mione's with a dazed look on his face.
"That's Lu, she's a bit…"
"Powerful?"
"Yes…it's good thing the Felsecarians built this out of stone."
Harry and others from IPX spent the next two weeks unpicking problems that the teams had encountered in particular projects, they spent time following their own projects throughout the library planet…and being used by the resident academics…
On the last night Mione treated Harry to dinner.
"You took me to dinner on Mars…" It was a simple but nice meal for them both, sitting and watching the sun dip below the spires and buildings…
The next day Harry hugged her goodbye.
"I'll send you the paintings…if you don't visit before I'm done…that is…"
"It's a long way out…but I'll try Mione. Look after yourself."
"And you Harry." Mione waved as Harry ducked into the shuttle beginning the pre-flight checks.
As they were preparing to take off Harry looked back, everyone else seemed a little…dazed and dreamy.
Calling down the shuttle. "That planet is an example of why academics either need more visits…or maybe a pleasure moon near by…" Harry chuckled as others laughed and pulled the shuttle through the atmosphere.