Chapter 1 A Card Game

Harry found himself in a bit of an unusual place. It was Hogwarts to be exact. But it wasn't Hogwarts. It had the same dimensions of the castle and the paintings and the suits of armor and such, it was jut different.

The lay out of the school was almost a merging of Hogwarts throughout the years. He saw things that were present in his time as well as what had been put into place after he left the school for the final time. There were things in place that he remembered from the time he was inside Riddle's diary.

He just circled around in place at first. This was not how he expected to begin this journey. He then wondered about the guide that was described by Jeanette in her instructions. Harry wished he had actually made more of an effort to read that thing.

As though his prayers had been answered there was a noise in the distance. He walked in that particular direction. Sitting there was a massive boarhound.

"Fang?" Harry asked towards the dog.

The dog made a whimpering sound at Harry then started walking away.

Harry immediately began following it. He figured the dog would be leading him to Hagrid who would be his guide. Harry thought about having Hagrid has his guide. That would give him somebody friendly to talk to.

They reached an area that Harry recognized as the way to the Gryffindor common room. He looked around for the picture of the fat lady, but she was not in sight.

Instead where he thought it would be was a table. Sitting at the table was a cloaked figure. He was pretty sure that it was human.

"Come sit." He said to Harry.

Harry obeyed unsure of what this individual could possibly represent.

The figure picked up a deck of cards and began shuffling the cards and placing them on the table.

Harry looked down at the cards. They were a bit larger than usual cards and he could not make out any of the symbols on them.

The figure than arranged the cards so they were in a line dividing him and Harry. He turned the first and last ones over.

The first was a symbol that looked like an uppercase A, expect that the bar in between was bent at the middle and hung down. The last card was an upside down u with the ends squeezed in and a line going out from the ends.

"Are you familiar at all with these symbols?" He asked.

"No," Harry answered. He was sure that he had seen them before, but did not know what they meant.

"You should have spent more time paying attention to Hermione." The figure said.

"This is Alpha and this is Omega. These are the beginning and the end."

Harry looked at the cards that stood there in a row and the ones at the end.

"These cards represent the first part and the last part of your life. Can you surmise what the rest of these cards are?"

"My life?" Harry asked.

"Quite right. What do you think about the number of cards that are in between?"

Harry looked over at the cards in between. "There are a few of them yes." Harry answered.

"A few then, do you think this is adequate between the beginning and the end?"

"I suppose for the space of the table." Harry answered.

"So your life is the space of this table." The figure said.

"That depends." Harry said.

"Depends on what?"

"What these cards represent. If they are my life and they are a certain amount of years in each one I would have quite a life."

"I see," said the hooded figure. "Now why don't you pick a card and see what it might offer you.

Harry grabbed one from the middle. On it was a figure of himself from one of his times in Dumbledore's office. He could not be too sure of when it was. He recognized the office and Dumbledore standing there. But the picture was not moving the way he had grown accustomed to them moving in the wizarding world.

"I'm in Dumbledore's office." Harry answered.

"Professor Dumbledore, mind you." The figure said. "When was it?"

"I'm not to sure I see me, but I can't tell when it was." Harry said.

"I think you might need a closer look." The cloak figured touched Harry on the head.

The next thing he knew he was inside of Dumbledore's office. "I'm going to tell you everything." Dumbledore said looking at Harry.

Harry realized that he was about to relive the moment when Dumbledore had told him the truth or what he thought was the whole truth about his life.

Harry did not hear the speech again. He felt himself pulled back like he had just touched a portkey.

At the end of the sensation, Harry was once again with the hooded figure.

"Now you see what the cards represent." The figure said. "You returned to a day you learned an important lesson about yourself."

"Dumbledore told me what I needed to know." Harry said. "He did what he thought was best for me and did his best to take care of me."

"You miss him though."

"Yes," Harry answered. "I never thought anything could take him down."

"I see. What do you think he taught you about life?"

"What he taught me was about how to fight Voldemort, why it had to be me." Harry answered. That is what he had spent so much time doing in Dumbledore's office during his last year at Hogwarts.

"I think he taught you more than that, you were not paying attention." The figure said. "I think it is time you selected another card."

"Might I know who you are?" Harry asked.

"When the time comes you will, but for now your next card please."