Harry Potter: Otherworld
Being the Hero
***No own no sue. ***
*Twitter for updates, Angelslayer135
A/N: This will be the first chapter that has two separate versions, a 'cleaner' posted to Fanfic and 'more taboo' on AooO.
I will keep a running list of male to female names as characters are introduced at the end of each chapter.
***HP:O ***
Chaos ensued.
Screams were heard from all four tables, professors stood and began barking out orders, Prefects acted like they knew what to do, and panic consumed the table where a quarter of the students lived in said dungeon.
All save one
One whose reaction was completely different, one who didn't panic, who didn't begin freaking out or crying. One whose mind focused into a razor-sharp blade, whose body tensed, not in fear but anticipation.
Harry Potter's eyes flickered around the room, ensuring Hermione and his other friends were safe, then to the front table, noting several members of the staff missing, including one very specific Head of Slytherin House. It was then that he made eye contact with a certain Potion's professor, one whose gaze focused in on him, then widened as she looked across at the rest of the staff.
Snape knew, he could see it in her posture, in the way her eyes widened, in her sneer. She knew and she knew that he knew. Before she could say anything, whether to Dumbledore or even him, the Headmistress fired off a loud blast from her Wand, earning silence.
"Minerva, Filius, Pomona, take attendance then escort your students back to the common rooms. Serena, please take Slytherin's attendance, they will be staying in the Great Hall for now." The older woman hadn't hesitated, hadn't even acknowledged that only one Head of House was missing. Augustina immediately stood and made her way out the door, assumedly to handle the creature herself.
The boy knew he couldn't sneak away, not with Snape being aware of his movements. Luckily, fate decided to intervene.
"Why do they get to stay here where its safe!?" It was a loud cry of protest, probably from a Gryffindor, that sparked another round of arguments, which led to raised voices, which led to panic. With a more limited staff the situation escalated, and it was during this new wave of chaos that Harry slipped away.
Thank goodness for house rivalries.
***HP:O ***
There was no three-headed dog guarding a trap door. There was, however, a mess of burned vines that he was forced to climb through, covering him in ash and dirt. They had been guarding a second door. In the next room hundreds of flying keys floated motionlessly, and another was wedged into a door.
The room past had a life-sized Chess set, or at least the remains of one. The pieces were shattered and once more the opposing exit was propped open.
It made sense really, the boy noted as he quickly crossed the area, Wand drawn. If the thief wanted a quick escape, they would want the path clear and unobstructed. Past that was the logic puzzle, thankfully already answered, and then one final room which he hadn't recognized from his own voyage. A test set by Riddle perhaps? Regardless, it was the remains of some sort of construct, with dirt and debris covering the area along with a fine cloud of dust. Coughing, he continued and proceeded into the final chamber.
This one he remembered, this one he saw in his nightmares at times. The mirror against the wall, a single individual standing before it, touching it almost longingly.
Yes, it was the same, all the same, which was why he had only one thing to say when he took everything in.
"Who the hell are you?"
***HP:O ***
It was a woman, obviously, but not the one he had been expecting. Polyjuice maybe? That would certainly fit into the realm of 'normal' for his life. Still, upon closer inspection she did look familiar, one of the staff probably.
Instead of answering him she merely shook her head before returning attention to the mirror. "This has to be it…" she muttered, tracing the surface with her fingertips. "But what does it mean…"
She was ignoring him, and while it was probably a good thing it was also annoying. He had gotten this far after all, even if the way had been mostly cleared. She could have the decency to look bothered by his presence at least.
Fine, if she wanted to be that way he would oblige. His Wand raised, earning a snort of mockery from the adult who had caught the movement in her peripheral vision, "Oh please, what are you going to do, turn my robes a different color? I doubt you can even manage that. Children are always so pathetic, especially at your age."
Idly, Harry considered tossing her arse across the room to see if that changed her opinions a bit but decided that probably wasn't the best idea. Instead, he muttered out a Spell and the woman's arms immediately snapped to her sides, body rigid as she swayed before falling over.
He felt that a certain bookworm would have approved of his choice, probably Harriet as well. Amy… well she likely would have gone for the 'toss her arse' idea.
Regardless, his actions had the desired effect of shifting her focus onto him, and her expression into one of concern. "Gee, adults sure are pathetic at your age." It only felt fair to respond with his own insult.
A moment later and she had freed herself, not that he was terribly surprised, and had her Wand in hand. "So, the rumors were true. Riddle and Dumbledore have been taking an unusual interest in you."
Harry didn't know what was being implied, but he sure as hell didn't appreciate it. Rather than merely saying so he went with the more Gryffindor alternative.
A red flash left the end of his Wand, forcing her to raise a shield and return several spells of her own. He dodged, easily enough, and sent an overpowered blast that put cracks in her magical defense and earned wide-eyed shock.
The woman wasn't a duelist, that much was clear, but she was still an adult with many years of experience in Magic. She was also talented enough to get through all the tasks, although to be fair a group of preteens had done so last time, meaning it didn't count for much.
He wasn't fighting to win, not that he wasn't trying to but rather than he wasn't expected to. All he wanted was to force a delay, buy enough time for Dumbledore to get off her arse and show up with the cavalry. During his first encounter with the Stone, Harry had gotten lucky. His own magical protections had been enough to end the conflict in his favor.
This time that wasn't an option, there were no Love Protections or anything else to save him. Meaning there was a good chance he couldn't win. But he didn't need to, he just needed to make sure she couldn't either.
"Why are you doing this!?" she exclaimed in frustration as he avoided another beam of light while forcing her to duck under one of his own.
"Me!?" He cried back, "You're the one trying to steal it!"
"Don't you know how much it's worth?" Her declaration almost made him trip as the words sunk in. Seeing the change, she pressed forward with what she imagined was a flaw in his armor. "I heard about your parents, about what they did to you. Help me and we can split the money. Imagine what you can do with a couple hundred-thousand Galleons. Buy whatever you want, buy respect."
The truth hit him harder than any Spell she had thrown. The woman wasn't trying to use the Stone for immortality, she was just going to sell it.
"Do you," he began with a snarl, "have any idea what you are doing!? Who knows what some crazy arsehole would do with something like a Philosopher's Stone!"
Her response, a casual shrug, lighting a fire of rage in his veins. "Not my problem so long as I get paid. Now why don't you just be a good little boy and..."
Her next words were cut short with a yelp as she was forced to leap out of the path of a blast that cratered the ground she had been standing on. The next spell came even faster, and once more she barely avoided it.
She wasn't as lucky with the third, and a hastily constructed shield cracked and groaned under the pressure of the unrelenting assault.
Any attempts to retaliate were interrupted by more aggression, and it took less than a minute for exhaustion to get the better of her. A spell had been aimed low, cutting into her ankle, and causing her to drop, followed by another that tossed her across the room.
The impact of her body against the wall echoed, and even before the Wand was ripped from her fingers, they both knew it was over.
Harry Potter, panting and face red from exertion and anger, stood victorious.
***HP:O ***
Grace Riddle frowned as the massive creature swayed about in the hallway, its arm reaching out to steady itself. Normally, such a beast would have dropped by now, the numerous injuries and spells weighing it down and draining its endurance.
A troll making its way into Hogwarts was concerning enough, but this one was different. Had it been given a potion or enhancement of some sort and if so, why? Why would someone…
Her mind ground to a halt, and a flick of her wrist dropped the creature to the ground, life leaving its eyes due to the smoking hole in its forehead. Without another moment's hesitation she rushed down the corridor, only to be halted along the corner as she almost ran into Dumbledore.
"The troll?"
"Taken care of. The Stone?"
Realization was obvious in the Headmistress' eyes and the professor secretly wondered how they had both missed such an obvious diversion. At least hers was justified, she had only heard about it from a passing student before sending them on to the Great Hall.
They turned, heading the opposite way but even in their haste it felt as if an hour had passed until they reached their destination. It was evident that their guess had been correct, without even looking Grace could smell the burning flora from the next room.
A glance between her and Dumbledore confirmed their plans.
Drawing her Wand, and giving a nod to Riddle, she waited as the younger woman moved to push the door open only for it to be pulled from the opposite side. Out trudged Harry Potter, an unconscious, and very bruised, Professor of Magical Creatures floating behind him.
The adults stared as the boy walked straight up to Dumbledore, grabbed her empty hand, and placed something in it. He then tossed the thief's Wand onto the ground, then stormed off, muttering something about needing a shower.
From the corner of her eye, Riddle noted a warm smile on the Headmistress' face as she looked down at the shining red stone now in her hand, the message being obvious.
***HP:O ***
Harry dragged himself back to his own room, exhausted and needing to take what he imagined would be an hour-long steaming hot shower. That and sleep for at least a few days.
He was tired in the worst way, from his fingertips down to his very soul. It wasn't just Magical exhaustion, although he hadn't exerted himself in such a way for such a long time he was still feeling just fine in that category, it was simply being tired of constantly fixing the problem.
Why was it always him? Why couldn't he just let someone else take care of the issues for once rather than charging in to save the day?
He knew why, naturally, but chose to ignore the voice deep down that whispered about what would have happened if the professors had been late, if the Stone had been successfully stolen. Someone had known about it, had wanted it enough to hire an imposter professor skilled enough to not just fool Dumbledore but get through all the defenses in a short amount of time.
But who? Who would have that much information? Deep down he was still suspicious of Riddle, because no amount of Dumbledore's unending trust in the woman would ever erase what he knew Voldemort was capable of. Still, the Headmistress did have a good point. Why would his Head of House need to steal something that had been handed to her?
Was it to keep herself from suspicion? Did she still need other ingredients for her madness, things she still needed Dumbledore to inform her of?
Dozens of other reasons entered and left his mind before he could grasp and hold onto them. Finally, he found himself standing at the door to his shared room. Continue to the shower or sleep? He wanted both at the same time. Maybe he could just take a nap in the shower?
Instead, his feet decided for him, and he found himself curled up under blankets a moment later, eyelids heavy and mind pushing aside all the concerns and questions until he next awoke.
"Yes," he murmured, "Just a quick nap and deal with it later."
***HP:O ***
"I don't like this Dumbledore." Lily Potter repeated for the fourth time, and for the fourth time the older woman agreed. It was bad enough that the Minister of Magic had demanded a photo op on Hogwarts grounds only a day after the event, as compensation for not being informed about the Philosopher Stone, but she had also insisted that the one responsible for her capture be present.
Someone had talked, whether it was the thief or a member of the staff no one was sure but what they did know was Harry had been mentioned by name.
The former professor was bound, having been transported back with an Auror escort, other than them it was James and Lily along with the various Heads of House. Originally there had been conversations about having the entire faculty and students present but the Minister had relented due to the impracticality.
Speaking of which, the woman was officially late, earning annoyed grumbles from not just the professors, but the Aurors as well.
Finally, she did arrive, with a group of reporters in tow, her expression never shifting from one of triumph. "Ah wonderful everyone is here."
"You're late Minister Cornelia"
Harry wasn't exactly sure why he was surprised that Fudge was a woman in this world, but there was still a moment of shock. "At least the pink menace isn't here" he mumbled. A moment later the politician walked straight up to him and took his hand.
"Ah, and you must be Harry. I've heard so much about you, such a lovely boy you are." She bent, presumably to kiss his hand as Bliss had done earlier in the school year but was interrupted by the Headmistress.
"I believe that is rather inappropriate, Minister."
Dumbledore's words seemed to bring the woman back to the present, as she hastily dropped his palm, allowing Harry to take a step back. It was only then that he noticed the glares the woman was receiving from not only his parents, but also Head of House. "Ah, yes of course. Forgive me, it seems I was rather caught up in the moment."
No one seemed to believe the woman, who immediately began ordering around the reporters and photographers. Various poses were arranged, often with the Aurors having to drag their captive around. One had Fudge standing with her fists on her waist, staring up towards the horizon with the thief in a kneeling position nearby. Another was the older woman looking down menacingly at the criminal.
After getting in her, dozen or so, photos, the woman began making plans to include others. "Now I think this next one should be me and Harry standing over the woman, really show the unity of Hogwarts and the Ministry."
To say Harry was opposed was to call water wet. After their first 'interaction' he didn't want to get within ten feet of the woman. Luckily, he was spared by an official running up the grass, clearly out of breath while followed at a distance by several other Aurors. "M-Minister."
She barely spared the man a glance "Pius, I trust you succeeded in the miniscule task I appointed."
He nodded, albeit it was hard to tell considering he was nearly bent over, gasping for breath. But it wasn't the man's lack of endurance that those in attendance noticed.
No, it was what the newly arrived Aurors had brought with them.
Take me, not Harry!
Kill the spare.
He was frozen in place as the Dementor was brought closer, as time slowed to a crawl. Harry Potter was aware of the shock and outrage of his parents, of the staff making their arguments towards the Minister. He was aware at how Riddle seemed to be moving closer to him though for what reason he didn't know. He was even aware of the nearby thief, eyes wide in panic and terror at the fate that apparently awaited her.
What he wasn't aware of was how his Wand had gotten into his hand, of when he had called out the Charm drilled into his head by a beloved man he had left behind, of how his Magic instinctively moved and flowed without so much as a thought on his part.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A bright light burst into existence, nearly outshining the Sun as a glowing Stag appeared. It charged forth a moment later, slamming into the foul creature which let out a hideous screech and promptly fled. After chasing it for a few meters the spirit seemed content, and promptly circled around before making its way back to its caster, nuzzling into him affectionately.
"I'm glad you're still the same." Harry whispered hands trailing over luminescent skin before the stag faded away. It was only then that he became aware of the all-encompassing silence. Glancing around he noticed the stares, not at his forehead but rather at his entire being.
"Well, Augustina, I don't think you need to worry about convincing anyone he's a prodigy in defense anymore…" Filius muttered under his breath.
***HP:O ***
"Am I in trouble?"
His question had brought silence to the room for a few seconds before the Headmistress let out a small laugh, "Goodness no Harry, if anyone should be in trouble it is the Minister for bringing that thing so close, to not just Hogwarts, but you as well."
"Why would you think you were in trouble?" McGonagall inquired gently, earning a shrug from the boy.
"People were staring at me, I'm… not a big fan of that."
Before the woman could respond, Riddle interrupted, "We did not mean anything by it Harry, but the fact remains that you cast the Patronus Charm. I knew you were talented but…"
She trailed off and Dumbledore immediately picked up the conversation. "The Patronus is one of the most difficult and complex defensive spells there are Harry. The fact you are able to cast it as a First year is beyond astounding."
"I mean… technically I was a fifth year before."
James immediately snorted from nearby, allowing Lily to chime in, "Even if you were a seventh year it would be remarkable. Most adults aren't even able to cast the Charm successfully, and those who can require around a year of training after they begin their apprenticeship in the Aurors."
"Who taught it to you during your fifth year?" Filius inquired.
"Remus, although technically it was my third year that he taught me."
"Third year!?" Flitwick's eyes widened in shock, "You learned one of the most powerful spells in your third year?"
"Harry," Dumbledore interrupted, giving the Head of House time to collect himself. "Not only did you cast the spell correctly, in the presence of a Dementor no less, but it was also Corporeal. There are Aurors who train for years and are unable to accomplish such a feat. Why on earth did this 'Remus' person ever teach it to you?"
The boy was about to explain when a certain phrase caught his attention. "Wait… is Remus not here anymore? Did something happen to him?"
Several eyes glanced towards his parents, who frowned. "I wasn't close to anyone by that name. Not sure who…"
It was the redhead, however, whose eyes lit up in realization. "I wonder if he means Remi Lupin."
"Remi!?" Harry exclaimed, "Remus is a woman in this world? Oh man Sirius would never let him live this down." The thought immediately dampened his mood, grin falling as he remembered how he would never speak with his Godfather again.
In the silence Snape, who had been standing in a corner opposite of the Potters decided to make her presence known, "It would seem that whatever catalyst for his training occurs in the future and would best be left unspoken for now."
Other than the death glares given by a certain woman, the others in the room seemed to agree and the story was left untold.
***HP:O ***
The incident had made the front-page news, because of course it did, but he wasn't quite sure what to make of the article. Yes, it had mentioned that Fudge had brought a Dementor onto school grounds, but it was also written in such a way that it made the woman out to be a seeker of justice rather than an attention craving moron.
It had also mentioned his own involvement, as coming across the thief unawares and binding her before she could retaliate. Whether it was because this Fudge was in denial as his own, and thus unbelieving that a child would be able to use the Patronus Charm or had received some sort of pressure to either minimize his abilities or exclude his name the boy wasn't sure, but the rest of his abilities had been absent from the published story.
Still, he had made the papers, which meant the stares were back once more along with the whispers behind his back. At least they weren't calling him crazy, so that was a small plus at the least. On the other hand, there were more speculations than ever as to his upbringing and future.
The staff had managed, for the most part, to return the school year to semi-normalcy. At first Dumbledore, along with most of the Heads of House and even Snape, had proposed to reward Harry for his actions. Everything from House Points to medals had been discussed and it was only when asked directly that the boy made his choice.
"Nothing" he had answered when asked, "If you give me a reward then you will need to explain it and I don't want that kind of attention."
His answer had been far from satisfactory for most, but Dumbledore had ended up seeing the wisdom in his request and had agreed. His personal life was already being put on a stage for the Magical populace, no reason to add any fuel to the fire as it were.
After that the school year had continued much as it had before the incident, although Harry did overhear more than a few students who were upset at the sudden replacement of a professor, especially one that had apparently been very light on homework and testing.
McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout had gone back to treating him as before, normal coursework in class and a few extra things to read over and study in private.
Riddle seemed more demanding, and intended on shoving him into the spotlight, than ever before. Even outside of class she would 'run into him' during various times. This would usually result in casual offers of after-hour assistance or training. It was beginning to test his patience, and creativity in coming up with excuses.
But strangest of all was Snape's attitude. There was still a cold disposition between them, though not as frigid as the male version had been. During class she seemed to ignore his presence, something he was fine with, at least until the other students were preoccupied. It was at that point that he swore he could feel her staring at him. Every time he tried to catch her though, her attention would be elsewhere.
Regardless, with his grades improving, and his understanding of the various subjects better than it ever was before, Harry felt good, relaxed even.
If he didn't know better, he would have thought this had always been his home.
***HP:O ***
End of year exams had been delightfully easy for the boy-who-lived. It was also after these that many of the professors, at least those who knew about his unique situation, gave him extra material to look over during the summer. It hadn't been anything like his previous summers, which usually involved essays and other busy work, but rather supplementary materials that might fill in anything he had missed and began expanding his knowledge at what his level should be considering his experience rather than age.
Hermione and his sisters had done well in their own tests, and he overheard Ron bragging about receiving 'high marks in flying'. Even Neville appeared to have been pleased with his own scores.
As for his own house, he couldn't help but roll his eyes at the bragging and exaggerations. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn that most of the Slytherins, especially in his own year, should have been sorted into Gryffindor instead based on how they waved about exam results.
Slytherin had won the House Cup, with Gryffindor edging out a win in Quidditch.
Everything was as it should have been, and thus Harry was feeling more comfortable than ever before, even looking forward to taking the Hogwarts Express back with his sisters to the Potter residence.
He had never been to the house he had likely been born in, at least that he could remember. What would it look like? How many rooms would there be? Would it have trees in the back yard? Did they have neighbors?
It was on the platform, preparing to board the Express home, that he had been pondering these things, so focused on his own thoughts and questions that he hadn't even noticed one of the professors approaching, "Mr. Potter" he turned and found himself tensing at the sight of his defense professor. "If you would wait a moment, I have something to speak with you about."
Giving a nod to his sisters, he stepped a few feet away with the woman, not noticing she had used the movement to close the gap between them ever further.
"I know we have had a bit of a rough start this year, you and I, but I want you to understand that I would never hurt you." She continued forward, and it was at that point Harry realized just how close she was and shuffled backwards, hoping to put some distance between them without drawing further attention. His efforts failed, and she was within his personal space seconds later, hands clasped on his shoulders and leaning down next to his ear. "I am looking forward to proving this during the summer, Harry."
Grace Riddle's breath ghosted over his ear as she lingered for a moment before pulling back with a smile and walking away, leaving a thoroughly bewildered, and trembling, boy behind.
***HP:O ***
A/N:
"The Patronus Charm was the most famous and one of the most powerful defensive charms known to wizardkind. It was an immensely complicated and an extremely difficult spell."
"The Patronus Charm is widely regarded as advanced magic, far beyond N.E.W.T-level; in 1994 Remus Lupin stated that the charm was, in fact 'ridiculously advanced'."
Both of those are quotes from the official Harry Potter wiki concerning the Patronus Charm, which I therefore take as canon. If this is true, then how in the world did Harry teach a bunch of school children who had barely any legit training to use it in less than a school year?
Either Harry is a literal genius teacher, or the Patronus is not that difficult of a spell to learn. I am disregarding both explanations and changing canon: In his original world Harry did not teach Dumbledore's Army how to use the spell, maybe he tried but none of them could use it, especially corporeally. Harry himself using it is an indication that he is a natural prodigy when it comes to defensive magic, another example is how he was able to fight alongside Sirius Black against trained Death Eaters with a pathetic amount of education in the defensive arts.
The Patronus, and later the Unforgivables, are going to be changed to have their difficulty and power increased to what Rowling hinted that they should have been. The Killing Curse isn't feared because it kills, it is feared because of how incredibly powerful and skilled one must be to use it correctly, which was why Voldemort used it so often, it was more akin to him showing off than anything else.
Previous Name**************New Name
Tom Riddle*****************Grace Riddle
Albus Dumbledore***********Augustina Dumbledore
Draco Malfoy***************Cleopatra (Cleo) Malfoy
-*************************Harriet Potter
-*************************Amaryllis (Amy) Potter
-*************************Pandora Malfoy
Blaise Zabini****************Bliss Zabini
Theodore Nott**************Theresa Nott
Severus Snape**************Serena Snape
-*************************Marie Rosier
Percy Weasley**********Paisley Weasley
Bill Weasley***********Billie Weasley
Charlie Weasley********Charlene Weasley
Fred Weasley**********Frankie Weasley
George Weasley********Georgie Weasley
Remus Lupin*************Remi Lupin