((Very quick, I'm loving this part of my story so much that I'm just rolling through it… Snaps for me!))

Chapter 21: The World Unknown

Dumbledore gave a grave sigh. "What we are experiencing right now is a problem with the timeline." Harry sent him a confused look. "The master timeline Harry, it binds everyone and everything that has ever existed and will exist in the future. When James, Remus, and Sirius came to our time something changed in the timeline, a new branch, so to speak. What is happening right now it what would have happened if you had never been born, if James had never married Lily, and Voldemort was never destroyed."

"But how can we make it go back? Ron, Hermione, my dad, no one knows who I am." Harry said in a strained voice. He had never liked being famous, and he had wandered what it would have been like if this had been different, but it wasn't like this. If his friends remembered him, maybe he would be able to survive; it would be an advantage with Voldemort, after all, but not without them.

His eyes suddenly narrowed. "How is it, Professor, that you know who I am?"

"I expected you to ask me that Harry, and do not fear, I am the same as you have always known me, only I have to sets of memories. The first is the world you know as your own, the second is the one we live in now. The reason I know both worlds is because I have shielded myself against such happenings. Complex magic, but I am quite glad I did it." Dumbledore game a small smile.

Harry didn't smile. "Will it ever go back, the timeline?"

The old wizard nodded. "It should, but I can't tell you how long it will take. An hour, day, week, or month; it will change back just as it has done with this world. When it does, both you and I will be the only people that know about this world. But Harry, if this happens again I fear that it will not go back, it will stay, and you will never know." Harry raised his eyebrow. "You cannot exist in this world, Harry, if your father and friends stay here much longer this is what will happen, and there is a change even I will not know about the other world."

"I don't want that to happen!" Harry said, his eyes were wide with fright, a look that didn't fit the young wizard at all. "If Voldemort is still alive, how many people as he killed? So many people that my mum saved by protecting me? And what about the prophecy? It's still here, isn't it? What about Neville, is he ok? Shouldn't-"

"Harry" Dumbledore interrupted. "If you like, I will explain about your friends in this world and the world in general." He nodded. Harry wanted to know as much as he could.

"I'll start with your mother, Lily." Harry gave a hitched breath. He hadn't even thought that his mother was still alive in this world. "In her sixth year she started to develop feeling for James, but in this world it never happened. Everyone was sure that they were dead, and that is when the changes that separate this world and yours started. She was upset about his death, but she carried on. She was still Head Girl in her seventh year, but without James there someone else had to be it. It just so happened that it was none other Severus Snape." Harry frowned. "At first they fought a lot, top students or no, but after a while they learned to cope and by the end of the year enjoyed civil conversation with the other.

"She never married, and is still single to this day. She has a child; which she adopted him twelve years ago. He's now in Gryffindor with no last name, just Draco."

"My mum adopted Malfoy?"

"Yes Harry, but before you jump to conclusions I want you to the rest of the story." He nodded again. "Now Lucius Malfoy was a known Death Eater, and after a long fight with Death Eaters, the Ministry, and the Order he and his wife were taken away. Draco was only four, and he needed someone to take care of that wouldn't raise him to be the next Dark Lord. Lily said she had always wanted a child, and offered to take him in.

"Draco is good friends with Ron and Hermione and most of the children his age and younger do now the story of his past. The Death Eater children know, and they hate young Draco with a passion, he gets into fights a lot and knows Poppy better then any other student."

"It's like he took my place." Harry muttered. "My mum, my friends, my house."

"But he is still every bit different from you Harry, do not forget that. Who would you like to hear about next?"

"The Weasleys" They had always been like family to him, and Mrs. Weasley treated him like a son.

"The most important difference about their family is that Ginevra was never born. Molly and Arthur never thought about having another child after Ronald, so she was never born. Over the past two years Voldemort has struck the family hard; they have lost Arthur, Bill, Charlie, and George."

Harry's eyes grew wide. He could feel his eyes start to water, but it held it back. He couldn't cry, not now. "What about Fred?"

Dumbledore looked sadder then Harry had seen in a while. "Fred nearly killed himself after his brother's death. The relationship between twins is one not many can understand, and you cannot truly understand it unless you have a twin. He is still alive, but he is always depressed and never jokes like he used too. It is a horrible sight to those who knew him before George's death.

"Now would you like to know about Miss Granger?" Another nod. "She has changed the least of them all, because she is muggle-born. Still top of the class, she isn't fond of James and Sirius, but she does like Remus, much like Lily in her younger years."

"Does… does Lily know about James? Does she know what really happened?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, and I believe it is best is her never knows. Just like your world they have fake last names, and the only other person besides myself to know their truth is Minerva."

"Sakura and Haruka, did anything happen to them?" His old friends resurfaced in his mind.

"I have no memories of them, so I cannot say." He didn't know if that was good or bad. "Now for the world as it is known. You will not like this Harry, I am warning you.

"It is the first war that never ended. Like you said before many people have been killed, and the Dark side is winning. All the creatures that have been labeled evil by the wizarding world have joined Voldemort, and most others are staying out. Hogsmeade is now huge and has become a city for our world sense the take-over of Diagon Ally. There are many attacks there, but people still live there. It seems they see safety in numbers.

"That is all I will say Harry, because now we must live in the present, not in the past. Until things are right again you will have to live here, a fake home just like your father. You can pick your last name and sense on one here could recognize you, you can keep your past, your parents are dead, you live with your aunt and uncle. You'll have to think of a good reason why you can speak Voldemort's name, though, because in fewer then who those in your world speak it here."

Harry nodded. He needed to think of a last name, but he was blank. Like Dumbledore said, it could be anything. No one knew him, so how hard could it be? Very Hard. As he pondered, one name popped up through the darkness of his mind. Hedwig. It would be simple to remember because he would turn his head instantly at the sound of it. He hung his head. "I'll have my last name after Hedwig."

Dumbledore smiled. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Harry Hedwig."

…

"I want to apologize for before; I thought you were this prat that recently came to Hogwarts, James Prongsten. He was really rude to you, but with that giant head of his I don't think he'll say he's sorry any time soon." Harry gave a small smile at the bushy-haired brunette.

Hermione had seen him in the library only a few hours after Dumbledore had announced Harry's stay at Hogwarts and sat down at his table. Harry wanted to talk to Hermione, tell her everything that had happened, but he had given his word to Dumbledore. The old man had been right like he so usually was; Hermione had hardly changed at all. He almost wished she had, it might not have been so hard.

"I'm Hermione Granger, by the way." He nodded again. He hoped she didn't think he was rude because he wasn't saying anything. "What are you reading?"

She was going to force him to talk if it was the last thing she'd do. Fortunately for Harry, he had learned the best ways to speak without saying a word. He flipped the book up, showing her the title.

"Time is a Mystery?" She titled her head as she read it. "I haven't heard of that one before." She really wanted him to talk. He shrugged. "Listen Harry –I hope I can call you Harry- I really want to talk to you about this morning, but I can see you don't. It was embarrassing, but you can come talk to me any time you want."

Harry stood and closed the book, it was already checked out, so it didn't matter. "You are to trusting to people, Miss Granger." He said shortly as he put the book under his arm and left the library. He knew Hermione was confused, but he couldn't bare it. His eyes had been watering up, and if he had said one word everything would come out. He couldn't risk it. It would be better if he isolated himself from his friends completely. If only he could manage it.

…

"That was rude, what he did to Hermione-" Harry walked by quickly at the sound of Ron's voice.

He had survived his first few hours in this world, only talking to Madam Prince, the strict librarian, when he checked out a book. He was starving because he had skipped both lunch and breakfast, although he had gotten a small snack in the kitchens after he had left the library from his chat with Hermione. That had been a few hours ago, and –despite the house elves' wishes- he had only had an apple to eat. The rest of the time between then and now had been spent out on the grounds, were very few students were.

Harry didn't have classes; he was a 'guest' of the Headmaster. The truth was that when time went back to normal it would be at the exact same time it was when it changed, therefore Harry felt no need to take classes that he would take in his time; although he had been invited to sit in a class or two if he felt like it.

Making his way down the long Gryffindor table he cursed himself for picking the typical time that people ate dinner. He finally found a seat after a few minutes of searching and went over and sat down, glad it wasn't near Ron and Hermione.

As he started to pile food on his plate someone sat down next to him, and some more people across from him. "Look Sirius, it's that kid from before."

Harry froze. It was his dad, he couldn't face him again. It had been hard when he first came to the future, but he had had Ron and Hermione then, he couldn't do it a second time. He went to move, figuring he'd just visit the kitchens later when a hand grabbed his wrist firmly.

"Please, sit." It had been Remus again. His tone of voice was so soft and kind, Harry didn't even need to look in the werewolf's amber eyes to see what emotions they held. He sat down, tense in every limb. "You should relax; we're not going to hurt you." Remus advised.

Harry stayed silent.

"Come on mate, we're just here to talk."

Is that all these people did? Talk? Why oh why couldn't these people just want a silent dinner.

"Your like my twin, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions this morning." Harry would have done the same thing his dad did.

"Are you bloody deaf? Normal people respond when they're being talked too." Sirius said loudly.

Harry had never been normal, why start now?

"Calm down Sirius, I wouldn't want to talk to you either."

"But Remy-" Sirius whined, give a sad look at Remus.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" The werewolf replied, irritated. "Listen Harry, I want to talk to you." He said turning back to Harry. He still wished people would just leave him alone! "Come on." As much as Harry didn't want to talk to Remus, he was more then happy to get away from his dad and Sirius.

With a small nod, Harry got up and followed Remus out of the Hall.

"Sit, these couches are very comfortable." They were in the Gryffindor Common Room, Remus had been silent the whole way up, and Harry had been glad for it. He sat down, Remus taking a seat next to him.

"I heard what you said before, to James." Remus said softly, not many people where in the common room anyway, but even so this was more then likely a conversation that wasn't mean for outside ears. "I've been thinking about it all day, and it doesn't make sense. You are one big mystery, Harry Potter, and I really hope that if you are James' son then you already know me and trust me."

Remus looked like he had been waiting all day for a chance to talk to Harry, and most likely he had been. Harry still didn't want to say anything, but what could he do? Remus had backed him up to a wall; he had no place to run to.

Finally, Harry spoke. "I-I don't know what your talking about." He said in a slightly choked voice.

Remus gave him a 'you-aren't-fooling-me' look. "Harry, you can tell me."

No, Harry couldn't. "I hit my head the other day when I got hit by a nasty spell, that's was why I was all strange this morning, it was nothing." He lied.

Remus gave him a pointed look. "And then you avoided us the rest of the day because…" Damn Remus! Why couldn't he be stupid?

"Would you want to talk to people you didn't know and who you just make a fool of yourself in front of?" Harry shot back, more convincing this time.

"Well, no." Remus said, looking away from Harry for the first time. He looked back at Harry, a determined look on his face. "But you've been avoiding everyone. Whenever I've seen you today you were alone, you won't talk to anyone."

"I'm not that good a talking to people, that's just the way I am." Harry retorted. "Not everyone can have a bunch of friends."

"What did you survive?" Remus asked suddenly. The question threw Harry off, Remus must have noticed the look on his face because he explained. "You called yourself the Boy-Who-Lived, what was that all about?"

"A nickname I used to have…" Harry replied.

"Sounds like a Ministry name to me."

"It's not!" Harry said stubbornly. His tempter was rising, and a pissed off Harry Potter was never a good thing. Before he lost himself completely and started yelling he stood up and stormed up the into the boys' dorms, where an extra bed was for him. Remus called after him, but Harry ignored him and slammed the sixth years' door closed behind him.

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