Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way shape or form. I've gotten tired of people writing AU fics without finishing them, so for bette ror worse I've started my own. Thanks for reviewing.

Harry flew to the arch way, and immediately felt the oppressive feeling of a ward trying to block his entry.

What's going on... there are no wards around Hogwarts blocking archways.

Finally he was allowed through, having come out near the forbidden forest.

Hogwarts stood tall in the distance, looking fiercer than he remembered. More like a fortress than a school, it appeared.

It was dark, but he knew he wouldn't have much time before the aurors and the Order of the Pheonix of this world was trying to hunt him down.

"STUPEFY!" scremed a voice as Harry ducked. Looks like I have no time at all.

"Who are you?" Harry asked, trying to discern where his attacker was.

"Mr. Potter, you've caused a lot of concern for your family. Give up now and I'm sure we can sort this out, it's dangerous to be out in the open like this." Darn it, it was McGonagall.

"There's been a misunderstanding, please just let me go." No sooner had he opened his mouth then regretted giving away his position.

Suddenly the tree he was hiding behind turned into a huge snake and wrapped around him.

"Don't move Mr. Potter, or I will have him bite you with temporarily paralyzing venom until we can get this sorted out."

Seems in this world I'm not a parselmouth, thought Harry. Time to turn the tables.

Do not listen to her hissed Harry.

You speak our tounge

Yesss, I am your master now. When she gets closer, attack her with your paralyzing venom

Yes master...

McGonnagall heard the hissing coming from where Harry lay trapped, but assumed it was just the snake trying to sound threatening.

Closer... thought Harry. Just a little closer...

NOW

Acknowledging its new masters order, the snake sprang from Harry's body and bit into McGonnagall's leg.

"What's going on?" she yelled.

Reacting as quickly as she could, she banished the snake back to nothingness, but not before its venom began working through her.

Harry stood up and walked over to her as she fell to her knees. "You'll be alright, but you shouldn't have gotten in my..." She blacked out as Harry tried to ease her fears.

Looking around, he knew that no matter how different this world may be, the forbidden forest would always be a place of danger. He couldn't leave her here. She mentioned other dangers as well. Although she attacked him, leaving her defenseless was not an option.

"Mobilcorpus," pointing at her body, as he began to walk towards the castle.

The walk seemed to take forever, however the sight that greeted him when he got over the last hill before the gates was completely unexpected.

Albus Dumbledore had an ashen look on his face, as he saw his beloved friend's body being towed behind the intruder. In the darkness Harry's face was barely visible, but McGonagall's cloak was unmistakable to the old man's eyes.

"What have you done?!" cried Albus.

Harry gently laid her down with his spell, and turned towards Albus.

"I have done nothing, she is unharmed." he responded.

Albus recognized the voice, though his tone grew in suspicion as he replied.

"Harry, do you know what you've done tonight? How much danger you've put yourself in, your family, and now your teacher?"

When Albus said the word family, Harry's heart ached, and he knew there would be no way to explain this with words. His loss, his life, what happened to him and what has brought him here.

"How can I..." Harry wondered aloud, trying to come up with a way to communicate with Albus what had happened. A conversation with his own Dumbledore came to mind...

Harry, there may come a time when you can no longer reason with someone. We try as hard as we can to use words to come together as human beings, whether it be through conversation, or a spell like legilmens, when the direct thoughts are transmited beteween two people. At times like these, in the past great Wizards would duel to express their true emotions, when no other method of communication proved viable. Many saw this as arrogant men throwing their lives away for their pride, in truth, it was the only way left for them to try to make the other see reason. Some day, you may be put in a situation where no one understands, where you are faced with a divide so great no words can seem to cross it. In the struggle of a duel however, may be the only way for you and your true self to be understood.

Albus looked on at Harry, seeing the confusion on his face, wondering what was going on. Suddenly Harry looked up, and locked eyes with him. The feeling coming through was of rigid determination and... sadness.

Harry walked three steps forward, holding his wand to his chest, and bowed. Albus found himself doing the same, realizing that the boy truly intended to duel. He realized something, looking at the boy. This was not the Harry Potter that attended his school. Therefore, he was likely a death eater in disguise, and needed to be dealt with.

Eyes still locked, Harry seemed to respond to his inner monologue and told Dumbledore, "Don't hold back."

Jumping forward, Harry began the duel.

"Petrificus Totalus!" cried Harry, only to be blocked by a silent shield from Dumbledore. Harry continued running towards him, focusing his feelings into his fight as his former headmaster had taught him.

Pop. Albus' eyes widened as Harry disappeared in front of him, to appear behind him. He yelled protego, covering his backside with the shield. As the curse his, he felt the communicative connection the duel had created between them.

Pain. An unforgiveable curse, cast repeatedly on a child. Memories of revelries of death eaters, of unconscionable acts commited in front of the darkest of dark lords. Sadness. The loss of parents, of trust, of love. Friendships gained and betrayed.

The duel continued, and Harry began to see Albus' intentions and thoughts as well.

A meeting between two men in a tavern. The man on the left with the twinkle in his eye, passing something to the strikingly similar man next to him. Suddenly their appearances shifted, and the regular looking seemed to become an exact copy of the other, down to the twinkle that appeared in his eye.

At first this image from Albus' mind made no sense to Harry, but the visions continued as their duel grew in intensity.

Reports, news papers, meetings all coated with feelings of despair passed in front of Harry's vision. Death eaters, the dark mark burning into the sky.

Albus could only get feelings and gain a vague understanding of what the boy had been through and was trying to communicate, and then suddenly he felt a push in his mind of a legilmens and heard "think a happy thought."

Harry knew that for Albus to believe him, to help him return, he would have to understand fully, and believe Harry to be a good person. There was but one spell left that he felt he could focus himself into. Please let this work he thought... let him understand!

"EXPECTO PATRONUM" the two voices cried out in unison. Harry felt himself relax in the glow of the lion patronus, coming out of his opponent's wand. It was then when he realized who he had been dueling.

The man dressed as Albus felt the positive energy of the stag patronus go through him, as well as the knowledge of this boy being torn from his world and brought to this one. He fell to one knee, as the gravity of today's events hit him, as well as exhaustion from the duel.

Harry looked up at him and bowed. Walking over, he offered the other man a hand.

"Thank you Harry, I understand now. We should get inside."

"I agree," responded Harry, "Alberforth"

With his true identity being spoken, Alberforth Dumbledore's true visage became visible to Harry.

"I suppose you would have found out, wouldn't you have." said Alberforth, shaking his head.

"I need to contact this world's Albus. He's still alive, correct?"

"Yes he is, but it might be hard to reach him. We need to go to his office. But first we should bring Minerva to the hospital wing."

Harry looked back at her still unconscious form and nodded, repeating his earlier spell, as the two begin to walk towards the hospital wing.

Harry felt a slight trepidation at entering the school again. This world was different. His parents were alive, and he was unmarked by Voldemort. If only...

Albus' wise words rang again in his mind, and he knew he could not allow his own world to suffer without his trying to return.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that."

However real this place may be, it is truly his most heartfelt dream. Steeling himself, knowing he'll be leaving it all behind, he continues his walk with Alberforth, his boots clanking on the stone as if sounding off a march.