The Rise and Fall of Harry Potter and the Wizards From Mars
Chapter One: Five Years
A lump formed in Moody's throat.
"F-f-five years?"
Harry nodded grimly.
"Ok, boy, let's let Madam Pomfrey take a look at you, then I'll take you to Dumbledore."
Moody put walked as quickly as he could to Harry, put his arm around and helped him to the Hospital wing.
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"Merlin's beard! What happened to you, Potter?"
"Picked a fight with a dark lord. You should see what he looks like now," Harry replied, laughing insanely at his own joke. "How bad is it?"
"I'm afraid the curse that hit you was extremely powerful. Every bone in your left arm is broken. Maybe even your shoulder blade and a few of your ribs. Those I can mend, but I'll have to amputate your arm. I can make you a magical arm, and I'm sure you'll live almost-"
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do I have to lose it? You regrew all the bones in my arm once?"
"This time, I'm afraid the broken bones cut your veins and muscles to pieces. It's barley even an arm anymore. Just a lump of flesh."
"Just get on with. I'm in a hurry."
Silently, Madam Pomfrey retrieved a potion from her cabinet and gave it to Harry.
"Drink this; it will dull the pain. Now look away."
"No, I want to see it happen."
"But, Potter, the sight-"
"It's my arm. I've had it a long time and I'm rather attached to it. I want to it removed."
"But...oh, very well."
Hands shaking, drew her wand. She steadied herself and cast a spell that relieved Harry of his arm. The dead limb fell to the ground and lay forgotten as Pomfrey rushed to stop the bleeding at Harry's shoulder. Then she conjured a solid silver arm and attached it to Harry. He tested it out. It moved exactly like his old one.
"Thank you. Now, take me to Dumbledore."
"I have to examine you for other injuries."
"Later!"
"Listen to her, Potter," interjected Moody, joining the argument.
"Focus, Moody! Five years!"
"Then you have plenty of time."
Seeing it was futile to argue, Harry sat silently as the healer mended his other broken bones.
"Well, Potter, there's no more I can do for you. You can go now."
"Poppy, do have a Calming Draught you can give the boy. I think he could use one before talking Dumbledore."
Harry choked down the potion. How can something so relaxing taste so vile, he thought?
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The headmaster's office had changed a lot since Harry's last visit. Gone were the whirring machines and many of the books. They had been replaced by Moody's dark detectors: a foe glass, a sneakoscope and many objects that he didn't recognize at all, but he was certain of what they were used for.
"Hello, Harry."
The voice came from a painting of a wizened, long-bearded wizard named Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore, during his life, was regarded by many as the greatest wizard of the age. Most famous for defeating the Dark Lord Grindlewald, his death on orders of Lord Voldemort was a major blow to the wizarding world, who considered him the leader of the Light. Despite his death, however, he continued to make himself useful in the form of a portrait, which allowed to communicate with and advise Harry during the war.
"To what do I owe this visit?"
"Professor, I've killed him, sir. I've killed Voldemort."
Another portrait, Phineas Nigellus, snort in disbelief.
"It's true! I dueled with. Well, it wasn't much of a duel. He got angry and distracted."
"But why do you look so grim in the light of such good news," the former headmaster asked.
"Because of what he told me before he died. He told me...he said, that after he left Hogwarts, and started studying magic, he found a way to bind himself to the...the life force of the earth. By, killing him, we've killed the earth. That, in five years, we'll all be dead. Sir, is it true? It is possible that he could have..."
Dumbledore, who was usually stoic with such matters, was visibly shaken.
"I don't know, Harry. I just don't know. Certainly Tom was the most accomplished wizard of the day. If anyone could have done it, it would have been him. I think, for the time being, we must assume that he could and did. And we must act accordingly. We both have work to do."
"But what can we do?"
"I will be with Ms. Granger, researching exactly that. For now, what you can do is make peace with your relatives."
"You can't be ser-" Harry started to protest.
"Harry, it is vital that you do this. As you know, because I've told you many times, Love is the most powerful force in existence. So powerful that it can sometime overcome the darkest of magic. It is possible that, with enough people generating enough love, Voldemort's curse will be overruled. The first step for you is to make peace with your aunt and uncle."
It was the last thing he wanted to do, but Dumbledore had never lead wrong, so he agreed.
"All right, I'll do it."
"Thank you, Harry. In time, you'll be grateful you did."
Yeah, right, Harry thought but said, "Well, no time like the present. I'll immediately."
"There's no need for that. In fact I think it would be better for you if wait until tomorrow. Don't put it off later than that, though. I'll have to inform the minister and I'm sure he'll see to it that the muggles get at least the essentials of the story. It would be better if your family heard from you."
"Now, get some rest."
Harry nodded and left, deciding to get a potion of Dreamless Sleep from Madam Pomfrey.
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Life for the Dursleys had been fairly peaceful since their freak of a nephew had left last summer, despite the possibility of a psychotic killer coming to get them. They no longer had to worry about owls dropping dead animals or guests getting attacked with pudding.
So it was understandable that they were less than pleased when their nephew, Harry Potter, literally appeared out of nowhere in their living room. Petunia Dursley shrieked with fright when she saw him and Vernon Dursley turned beat red.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, BOY?!"
"I've come to make peace with you. I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that Lord Voldemort is dead. I killed him early yesterday morning. So you don't have to worry about him coming after you anymore."
"And the bad news," asked angrily, though visibly relieved.
"By killing him, I unknowingly sentenced the earth to death. We all have five years to live."
"You're-you're lying," Vernon sputtered.
"He's not, dad."
Harry's cousin, Dudley, came into the room. Once the size of a young killer whale, Dudley, though still big, was more muscular than fat. Harry was inwardly surprised by his cousin's appearance.
Dudley turned on TV and put in the news. The anchor was crying as he read the report.
"Scientists all over the world have confirmed the initial findings. Human pollution has caused the earth to produce fewer natural resources. They predict that the earth will be effectively dead in five years."
Dudley turned of the news, and three sets of horrified eyes were on Harry.
"I-is there anything that can be done, Harry," Petunia asked.
"We're working on it. Right now, Dumbledore's theory is to try and created enough love to overcome the curse. That's why I'm here. What good is trying to get the world to try and love each other if I can't love my own family."
No one said anything, so he continued.
"Well, I imagine you'll want some time to get past the shock, so I'll come back in a few days..."
"No," Petunia said. "You'll stay for dinner. And the night. As long as you want."
"Petunia," Vernon started to protest, "I am not having a fr-"
"Didn't you hear what he just said? Love may be the only thing can save us. Are you so pig-headed that you'll let your prejudices get in the way of your salvation? Besides," she said standing up and turning to Harry, "he's my last connection to Lily."
And with that, she did something she had never done before: she hugged her nephew. And Vernon stopped arguing.
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Harry had never known a happier time with the Dursleys. He spent most of the day helping his Aunt make dinner, which promised to be a small feast. Dudley even helped a bit, and the two were soon laughing and joke like old friends.
The only person who wasn't getting along with the rest of the family, was Vernon. All the fear of wizards he harbored, coupled with the fact he wasn't actually related to Harry, meant that he would probably never be entirely comfortable around him. Still, he had never seen his wife look so happy in years, so he decided to be civil to the boy and make an effort.
"What's your plan," he asked Harry over dinner, "to get world peace?"
"Honestly, I don't know Uncle Vernon. Obviously I need to be able to speak to the world. I was thinking of going into politics."
"I don't think that will work, Harry. Politicians really only have power in their own countries. Besides, I don't think people will be turning to politicians during this crisis. They're more likely to blame them."
"Maybe a religious leader," Petunia suggested. "Look what the pope has done in his life time."
"But it takes years to do that," Dudley countered. "Harry, if you're really gonna do this, your best bet is to become a celebrity. Like a movie star."
"I don't think they movies in the wizarding in world. But, I'm sure I'll think of something."
The phone rang, and Dudley got up to answer it, leaving the rest to eat in silence. When he came back, he was grinning from ear to ear.
"Potter, Piers bailed on us, so you're to the concert with us tonight."
"Is there even going to be a concert?"
"Why wouldn't there be? Those guys don't cancel for anything?"
"The end of the world, Dudley. Remember?"
"Well, I suppose if the world was really during the concert, they might cancel, but remember we've got five years."
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Two hours later, Harry and Dudley found themselves walking the streets of London. They had gotten to the capital by way of a bus they got on in Surrey. Then they got of to walk the flat of Dudley's friend, Jackie.
"Look at them," Dudley said sadly.
"Who?"
"Everyone."
Harry looked around, and knew what Dudley was thinking. The streets were crowded with people, even for a city as big as London. But it was completely silent No one was talking; they sat on their stoops or walked around aimlessly. It was if they didn't care that they were with total strangers, as long as they weren't alone.
Their spirits brightened when they saw a group of small children laughing and playing. The moment was short-lived. A girl who looked about the age of Harry and Dudley seemed to snap at the sound and attacked them. They were relieved to see a black man pull her of in time, so the children didn't suffer any major damage.
Then they and man in a sling, wearing an army uniform, jump in front of a passing Cadillac. People rushed to help, but it was too late.
The police officer who came to scene, kissed the feet of priest, who had just exited his church. Another man saw this, looked appalled and actually threw up.
"You've got to help them, Harry. Promise me. Promise me that you'll do everything you can."
Harry nodded.
"I promise."
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They were relieved when the reach Jackie's flat. The temperature outside had gone into a free fall and it started to.
The person who answered the door was a girl, that Harry guessed who Chinese. She smiled when she saw Dudley, but gave puzzled expression when she saw Harry.
"'Allo, Dud. Who's this?"
"Hello, Jackie. This is my cousin, Harry. He's Piers' spot. The Polkisses want to be together right now."
"I thought he was committed or something."
"That's just a lie I had to tell, because my parents didn't like before today. Are you gonna let us in or what?"
"Come in, come in."
Once inside, Dudley introduced Harry to all his friends. As hopeless as things seemed to the people outside, inside everyone was cheerful. They told jokes and sang songs until they left for the concert. They didn't dare speak on the streets.
Five years, Harry thought. That's all we got.
But it will be enough.
TO BE CONTINUED...