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The End Or The Beginning?

The one where the portkey is fast.

They were heading back to the headmaster's office.

The house elf had popped in and informed them that headmaster was back and asking for them.

The way back from the kitchen was peaceful and quiet. Most of the portraits, they were passing, were sleeping peacefully. Hogwarts always seemed so peaceful to Harry, his first home.

By some means they didn't stumbled upon Filch and Mrs. Norris so far. Harry was wondering if they even were here, so many things turned up to be different by then.

It was strange to be there, it was strange to see the Castle intact, to see all the people, he knew should be dead, and so many new to him. The ones he knew, seemed so unlike, some more than he could expected.

He didn't know what was Katie doing during the war, but she never married anyone of the Weasleys.

Alastor Moody, he had the same, gruff voice and surely was good Auror, after all he had managed to spot Harry in the Department of Mysteries. But he was not as scarred as his Moody, with both legs and, as far as Harry saw, he didn't have magical eye.

The Longbottoms were here, alive and sane, he wondered what Neville would be like.

His parents were alive, and, he glanced to his right, he had a sister, a real sister. And she was fun to talk to, she was very bright young witch, reminded him a little of Hermione, but she was much more relaxed. And, she loved Quidditch.

Remus looked somewhat younger and healthier and Sirius… true be told when Harry had seen him in the Death Chamber or the Chamber of Whispers, as here they seemed to call it, he had lost all the concentration. Walking through the veil, he had hoped to see his lost friends and family. It somehow fitted that he would end up just like Sirius did. But what should he think now? He was sure that this Sirius wasn't his Sirius. He didn't gave any indication of recognizing Harry. And he did look different, more… casual, carefree? There was no trace of that haunted look on his face, Harry so clearly remembered.

This Dumbledore seemed different as well. He wasn't as subtle or as guarded as Harry remembered him. And what was Flamel doing here, in Harry's world, as far as Harry knew, he had never played any active role in the Wizarding community.

Harry was afraid to think about Ron, Ginny and Hermione, he was afraid to think about the rest of the Weasley. He had lost them all during the war, and here, they were living their happy lives, never knowing him.

Thoughts about the war brought him back to Voldemort, they had called him Tom Riddle. It seemed he wasn't feared like the Riddle from his world. But he was still a threat. Did he manage to create Horucxes here and what about the prophecy? Harry wondered what had happened, where the differences had started? He had guessed that his other self died in this world. Rose seemed to be the only child.

It was so incredible to see his parents, to hug his mother. Yet, so frightening. He was afraid that they would reject him, but his mum seemed to accept him immediately… and maybe Rose as well. Although he saw James' reaction, not that he should expect anything different, at least from one of them, it was just…. Walking through the veil Harry was resigned, he knew he had the duty to rid the world of Voldemort. He had accepted that he was going to die, and here he was…, still alive.

Will I have to fight Voldemort here as well? Would they want me to kill him again? Could I not fight, if I can help?

They were nearing to the Headmaster's office. Rose seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, but she looked more relaxed, probably because her parents were here, that meant nothing had happened to them. Harry hoped that Sirius and Remus were fine.

He wondered if this Dumbledore had been using sweets as passwords to his tower but the passage was already open.

They stepped on the moving staircase to the headmaster office.

"Mum, dad!" Rose rushed to hug her parents as soon as they had entered the office. The Potters stood up from the chairs they were occupying, looking worn but unharmed. Apart of Dumbledore and Flamel they were the only ones in the room. Dumbledore looked, as Dumbledore should look like. His vibrant robes were clean, as if he had just left very pleasant meeting. Flamel was looking safe and sound as well. His robes were more toned in colors but as spotless as headmaster's.

Flamel and Dumbledore, however, were frowning in apparent worry and confusion?, Harry wondered. He didn't manage to hear much because when he came closer they stopped talking and turned to meet him. But, he had heard them mentioning something about the Headquarter. Harry wondered what could had happened to Grimmauld Place, it was under the Fidelus Charm after all, and depending on a secret keeper, the Charm was impenetrable. Than he remembered that this was not his world, the headquarter of the Order could be somewhere else. Or there could be no Order in this world. This was very confusing, his whole knowledge about people and places could be misguided here. So many facts he was basing his information on weren't adding up in this world. He looked at the people in the office, as far as he knew, all of them should be dead. But they weren't.

"Is everyone alright?" He asked anxiously. He couldn't help to be worried. Even if he didn't knew these people, he knew the people from his world, fought many battles alongside them, and hearing that someone was named Remus Lupin, was enough for him to care.

"Everyone is alright, Mr. Potter, thank you for asking." Dumbledore said with slightly raised eyebrow.

"Did you manage to stop him?"

"Unfortunately, Tom has escaped us again. But we have managed to catch few of his followers."

"Well, let us settle the matter of your staying Mr. Potter." Dumbledore continued in a more cheerful voice. "I thought that I would arrange for you stay here at Hogwarts, but Mrs. Potter insisted that you go with them to their house. Would it be okay with you?"

Harry looked at the Potters "I don't want to impose…"

"We would be happy to have you home, Harry." Lilly Potter said quickly. Rose was nodding as well.

Harry looked at James, the man was looking closely at him, his hand on Lilly's shoulder.

Harry knew that he had a neutral expression, many years of being in the centre of attention, willingly or not, had taught him never to show his thoughts and feelings. When he was younger, he had always hoped that Dumbledore would teach him how to deal with the fame and attention. Sadly that had never happened. But life was his teacher, and he had eventually learned how to hide the feelings that would only do him harm when spotted, but he had never managed to learn how to put on the pleasant expression, Dumbledore always seemed to wear, his was always a blank face. And that blank face meet James' intense gaze.

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James felt that his response would determine his future concerning this Harry. He somehow knew that he was a good person, but he couldn't bring himself to throw the caution to the bin and hug him as he thought a father should.

They had a hard life with Riddle and his band of morons, who had managed to escape them repeatedly. Thoughts about that menace brought him back to that night, just few months after when Riddle had escaped Azkaban, he had killed his little Harry.

When they had captured some of his followers then, they had found out that he wasn't after James, as most thought, but after little Harry. There supposed to be some stupid prophecy, Riddle had heard somewhere, and his poor boy had been mentioned there. There was no sing of the prophecy in the Hall of Prophecies, Dumbledore had said that it was possible that the prophecy wouldn't be recorded.

His son had died that night.

And now, twenty years later, he stood here in front of him. A person who could be his son, a person who in a way was his son. And still a stranger to him.

But he could also see that the stranger had a hard life himself. It was obvious that he was a warrior, trained to fight, and after he saw him fight he was sure that this Harry had to fight many battles in the place where he came back from. He wondered what had happened in his world, to make him the way he was.

James paused. Came back from?

Lily always told him that the mind usually gave more answers, if you would listen to your thoughts. Well, Lily talks a lot.

He knew that he wanted Harry back, as much as Lily did. Sirius seemed to accept him pretty quickly, but Sirius was always quick in his judgment. What surprised him was Remus' reaction. He usually kept to himself, wary of others, always astonished that anyone would like to be his friend. And he had just approved this Harry faster than Sirius.

He also noticed that Rose seemed to like him and she, like Lily, was a good judge of people.

"Of course we would like you to come and stay with us." He said after a moment. "After all, you are family."

He didn't manage to see Harry's expression before his wife throw herself at him with a teary albeit smiling face, but he thought that Harry's mask had slipped for a second.

"I will provide a portkey to your manor James, Lily." Dumbledore said smiling and turned to his desk to find the right object.

"Ah," he took the small plate where the tea had been standing, and silently performed a portus spell.

"I would like to meet with you tomorrow to discuss the satisfactory explanation for your presence here," he finished. Handing them the plate.

James didn't have time to think about that, but Dumbledore made sense, they couldn't say that Harry just crossed the barrier between the worlds.

"As much as I am sure that confirming one of the theories about the Veil would answer many questions," Nicholas continued after Dumbledore, "but the implications could be dangerous as well. As far as we know, you are the only dimension traveler, and that it could be something concerning you, and only you, that allowed you to come here," he finished.

"Would you come here for lunch? All of you of course. We would discuss the matter then," Dumbledore asked, when what Nicholas had said had sunk in.

James and Lily nodded. He saw that Harry nodded as well.

After the goodbyes, they activated the plate.

James felt the tug behind his navel and felt himself swirling and speeding through the space. He groaned mentally, he never liked portkeys, from as long as he remembered he had never managed to land gracefully, that of course, was a subject of jokes between his friends. Thankfully after many, many tries he had discovered the way that allowed him to stay alert as an Auror and don't land on his ass.

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Lily was extremely anxious. She wanted to talk with Harry. She needed to know everything about him. This was a dream came true.

In the headmaster office, when Harry was talking with the professors, Rose had said that he seemed like nice person, he was very nice to the house elves and loved Quidditch. He had mentioned Hermione. The name was very unusual and Lily had known about only one person named Hermione. She was sure that he was talking about Hermione Granger. A very bright which, Lily had been teaching her few years ago, the best student in the school. Flitwick was always so proud with her.

What if she was Harry's girlfriend, Lily thought saddened, Hermione, as far as she knew, was engaged. It must be very hard on him, she realized, he had left family there. He could even be married. He surely had parents and friends. Then she remembered that he had said that some of them should be dead, who did he lose, it was awful to think about losing Rose or James, about losing anyone. She wondered how hard his life had been. But he was there, he was home.

The portkey transported them into the living room . Lily landed gratefully, her daughter did as well.

When she looked at her husband and son, she was astonished to see that they had landed in the same fashion.

James had always had problems with portkeys. He had never managed to land without tumbling, but in time he had somehow created his unique way of arriving via portkeys. He always finished the trip kneeling on one knee, hunched a little with his hands on the ground. She thought that even if the position was strange, it gave him the predator look. It also gave him the possibility to jump aside if someone attacked and that was the most important in his profession.

But now she looked between her husband and son. They had landed in the same position, looking at each other surprised.

After a second they straightened and in a way of explanation said simultaneously.

"I've never managed to land gracefully."

"I'm rubbish with portkeys."

They cracked a small smile.

The silence stretched for a minute till Lily shook her awe off and said.

"Well, this is the living room, as I am sure you know…" she noticed that he had put on his emotionless mask again. But just before his face became blank again, it showed extreme sadness.

She saw him looking around slowly, like if he had never been here before. She, Rose and James exchanged worried glances, but before anyone could ask him anything, Harry asked in a quiet voice.

"Are we in Godric Hollow?"

"Weren't you living in…" Lily wasn't sure how to ask, "here?" She finished hesitantly. It was here, even if it was in a different world.

"No," he whispered still looking around.

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They had put him in a pleasantly decorated room. The walls were olive, a few landscape paintings on them. There was a small fireplace on one side, and in front of it two armchairs with a small coffee table in between. On the other wall there was a door to the walkthrough closet and from there to the shared bathroom. By the window, there was a big double bed with two nightstands on the sides. In the corner, there stood a desk with a chair.

It was late at night or early in the morning, but Harry was lying in bed, in one of James' pajama bottoms, awake. He had slept for an hour or so, but usual nightmares had woken him up.

In his world, the house had been destroyed. But not by Voldemort, it was destroyed by his death eaters, few months after his parents died. Harry had never had a chance to be in there, sure Remus had put some of his memories in the pensive once and had shown Harry his parents, few of them was from this house. And he was here now, with his family sleeping under the same roof.

Harry thought about his world, about his struggle to defeat Voldemort. He realized he didn't felt Voldemort neither through his scar nor any part of him in Harry. It should be a relief, but somehow, it made him feel uncomfortable. A part of him, even if the foreign part, was lost. And there was a void needing to be refilled. For hole his life, Harry had had part of Riddle's soul inside of him. Since he managed to find and feel it, he was in a constant battle to surpass it and maintain full control. And now it was gone.

He rolled of the bed and walked to the bathroom grabbing his dragonhide pants and one of Jamse's shirts, his mum, had put in the closet.

After the shower he decided to go downstairs and make himself coffee and maybe prepare breakfast for the others. In a twisted, sick way, he was grateful to the Dursleys for using him as their cook. Over the years, he had discovered that cooking calmed him, especially doing it the muggle way.

He entered the kitchen and was pleasantly surprised that it was furnished with muggle equipment. Harry noticed his mum sitting at the table, apparently lost in her own thoughts, and sipping coffee.

"Hi," he said hesitantly, "you mind if I join you?"

"Oh," Lily was startled "of course sit down Harry. Would you like something to drink?"

"Coffee, please." Harry said.

Lily stood up to prepare some for Harry.

He watched her for a moment, not sure what to say.

"Couldn't sleep." He started when she took her position at the table again.

"Yeah, me neither. A lot to take in." Lily said with a small smile.

You are talking to your mother! You are talking to your mother! The sentence kept repeating in Harry's head over and over again. He had so many questions but didn't know how to ask.

"Tell me about it." He sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand. Than looked at her with a sad smile. "I've always wanted to meet you. But I never thought that it would be in a place where you wouldn't know me."

Lily's eyes winded, a shocked expression on her face.

"What do you mean, you've always wanted to meet me? Did I, did I left you?" She covered her open mouth with her hand. "I died, didn't I?"

Harry cringed inside, he didn't want to say that. He was just thinking how much he wanted to talk to her and never had a chance.

He nodded sadly looking down at his half-empty mug.

"I, I'm sorry. I hope James took good care of you." She said hesitantly.

Harry cringed again. This was hard. He really didn't want to talk about his past but he knew that as much as he wanted to know about them, they would probably like to know about him.

"I, He…" He looked at her with a pained expression, forgetting about his mask.

"Oh…, I am sorry Harry."

They fell silent for a uncomfortable minute.

"Where did you grow up?" Lily asked.

"The Dursleys." This time he saw her cringed. Her expression hardened.

"Who was responsible for that? What was Sirius thinking!" He was surprised at her reaction. He knew that aunt Petunia didn't like his mum, but he never thought that the feeling could be returned. Apparently Lily Potter had similar opinion about the Dursleys that Harry had.

"It wasn't that bad." He tried to lessen her apparent worry. And he didn't want to tell her about Sirius as well. To many deaths in one conversation for his liking. She just raised her eyebrow at him.

"Well, it could be worse."

"As far as I know my sister, it was worse."

"Don't worry, I survived." He smiled a little.

"I'll try not to think about that." Lily paused for a moment. "Rose told me that you were in Gryffindor." He nodded. "James and I were in Gryffindor, Rose is as well."

"I know, she mentioned." He said, and then continued. "Dumbledore said that you teach at Hogwarts. What subject?"

"Ancient Runes and I sometimes fill the Charms for Filius."

"I've heard that you were great, err, are great in Charms."

"Thank you. From what I have seen you are very talented in transfiguration, it is James' field of expertise." She smiled.

"I can manage Charms as well." Harry smiled back.

"Really? That's nice to know that you inherited some other parts of me, apart from eyes."

"I have been told once, that I am more like you than dad." Harry said enjoying the conversation.

"He will be disappointed." Lily laughed.

"Disappointed in what." The sleepy voice asked from the entrance.

"And what are you doing at this hour. It is a crime to be up and happy so early." James bent down to kiss his wife and smiled at Harry.

"Harry was just telling me that he is more like me than you." Lily said happily.

He narrowed his eyes at Lily for a moment, than looked at Harry and shrugged. "It's only fair since Rose is exactly like me." He flashed his wife a brilliant smile. Lily smacked him playfully on the arm.

"She is not as stuck up as you," she said "and she is way smarter."

"I can happily agree." James said.

"But I think, I have to thank you for my Quidditch skills." Harry said looking at James. "Rose said that she plays chaser for the Gryffindors."

"You play?" James looked up at Harry hopefully. "What position?"

"Seeker." Harry said proudly. It was one of his biggest dreams, to tell his parents about him playing Quidditch, where he earned the position thanks to himself and only to himself. "I was the youngest player in the hundred years."

"Really, I know that…, YOU PLAYED IN YOUR FIRST YEAR!" James jumped to the air in joy. "I knew you were a Potter as soon as I saw you!"

Soon they were joined by Rose and had very pleasant, family breakfast, full of laughter and jokes. They sensed that Harry wasn't ready to talk about his life and entertained him with funny stories from Rose youth and James adventures.

All thoughts, about Riddle and the fact that Harry had just came from alternate universe, forgotten. The Potters were the happiest family in the world at that moment. They were whole again.

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AN:

Thank you for all your reviews. They make my mind work faster and the words just can't stop coming out. It is great.

Next one to REVIEW. Hope you like it.

Sorry for the break, but I was out of town.

I didn't have the time to write the responses but I will answer some questions.

- Harry is 21 – this chapter cleared it, I think.

- The timeline is the same – so 2001.

- Riddle vs. Voldemort - different world, different events, some changes required. This chapter gave some answers and more questions, I hope. Tom Riddle was in Azkaban – What do you think of that? And why?

- Rose being sixteen – I don't think she is a little kid. Remember that in the Wizarding World people become of age at the age of seventeen. I think that they mature faster. Percy started working at the Ministry just out of school. Fred and George didn't even finish school and they have their own shop.

If you have any more questions, please ask.

Oh and nancy thanks for your offer. But I don't think I have a time for a beta. Maybe in the future. I just post when a finish writing and I don't think I would manage to send it to beta then correct it then send it back then post it then…. No, no, no beta for now. Hope you will bear with my English. I will try to improve.

I will post the list of you, my wonderful Reviewers, in the next chapter. Hope it will be a long list.

Review this chapter.