Nothing is as Simple as We Hope it Will Be
Summary: HPxStargate Atlantis crossover. After the replicators have damaged Atlantis, and the crew is continuing out into deep space John must do everything in his powers to stay alive, even if does mean using magic again. not season 4 compliant.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter characters or original world ideas Nor do I own Stargate characters or original world ideas. The plot for this story however is mine.
Chapter Five: Strangeness for Rodney and Family
The inside of his home was dark, the window drapes all closed, but John could still tell that it was encrusted with dust. He took a small step into the entryway and closed the door behind him. Finding his way into the drawing room John threw open the drapes and let the morning sun stream into the room. The sun illuminated the covered furniture and bounced off the dust particles that floated through the room. John was peering out the window when he heard the muffled whispers from behind him.
"Lily! Lily, wake up!" came an excited whisper. "There's someone here!"
John laughed quietly to himself as he turned around. He had years ago found the portrait of his parents in his family vault and had promptly hung it where he knew he would be able to see it often.
"What?" Came the muffled groan from him mother. Their poor portrait was covered in a thick layer of dust, making it hard for John to hear exactly what they were saying. He walked over and plucked the small frame off the wall and gave it an extra hard blow, sending dust out into the air and off of the frame.
"Well, I'l say. That's a might bit better!" the man in the portrait said as he readjusted his glasses. "Is that you, Harry?" James asked as he stared up out of his frame.
"Yeah, it's me." John replied as he readjusted the picture frame on the wall.
"You look so much older!" Lily cried out as she looked at John. "How long have you been gone?"
"Over seven years now." John replied, looking a little bit ashamed in front of the replication of his parents.
"That's so long, I hope you and Ginny are doing well." Lily said happily. "I imagine your child is getting big now, you never told us about him...or was it her. It was quite a long time ago I can't quite remember."
John stared at portrait, a wave of sadness flowing over him. He shouldn't have left the portrait here with no one but other portraits to talk to. "Mum..." He started but he couldn't seem to find the words to tell her that he and Ginny were no longer together, let alone the fact that he didn't even know if his child had ever been born, girl or boy.
"You'll have to forgive Lily, the dust has made her head a little foggy." James said before quickly changing the subject. "what brings you back here after seven years?" James asked.
"Well, I sort of got deported from America." John said with a grin, knowing it would bring a smile to James' face.
"Really?! Marauder til the end, eh? So what did you do?" James asked excitedly. This was quite literally the most entertaining news the portrait had heard in years.
"Harry James Potter, what did you do?" Lily asked, her scowl firmly in place.
John laughed. "Apparently they don't like people pretending that they are American and working in American jobs."
And then John's phone began to ring. He held up a hand to quite the portrait and flipped open his cell phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, Sheppard, it's McKay. I got the go ahead to have a week off, I got a ticket so I should be there in...let see, early tomorrow morning. Seven, your time. You still good with meeting me at the airport?"
"Yeah. That should be fine." John replied as he glanced over at the portrait. "I'll see you there."
"Great, I got to hurry up and pack. See you later."
"Bye." John said, but the phone had already been hung up at the other end. Staring at his phone a moment before he closed it and tucked it away John turned back to his parents.
"Who was that, Harry dear?" Lily asked.
"Oh, a friend from work. He's coming to visit and make sure that I settled in all right."
"Ah! So he's from America then? Why doesn't he just take an international floo, it's so much faster." Lily asked a bit confused as to why anyone would bother with airplanes.
"He's muggle." John said simply as walked around the room and lifted one of the cover sheets from one of the armchairs that was in the room.
"Oh. You were working in the muggle world?" Lily asked, sounding even more confused.
"Yeah. Air-force."
"Air-force?!" Lily asked looking shocked.
"What's an Air-force?" James asked looking far too concerned for being just a portrait.
"A muggle type of army." Lily said distastefully, the disdain for the job that John had chosen for himself clearly displayed in her voice and facial features.
"Oh." James replied.
John looked at the portrait, wondering why he was trying to think up some way to defend himself against a portrait, and then decided it wasn't worth it. "You honestly didn't expect me to sit around quietly at home for the rest of me life after Voldemort, did you?" He asked as he got up and walked out of the room not waiting for an answer.
"Now look what you've gone and done." He heard James say to his mother.
John woke up the next morning sneezing. He had tried to at least rid his bedroom of dust, but it apparently had not worked. With itchy skin, and a running nose, John retreated from the bedroom to the bathroom, only to find that it was worse than the bedroom had been. Sneezing John started the shower and began to bathe himself while thinking about what he had accomplished yesterday, or rather, did not accomplish.
He had spent most of the day, after his brief discussion trying to clean his home and make it habitable again. Unfortunately, he had only been able to find some cleaning cloths that had been left over from his previous time here. At the end of the day, John had decided he had only managed to move the dust around more, and he had accomplished no cleaning.
It looked like his trip into magical London was going to be pushed forward. Feeling pathetic that he was unable to clean his own home without falling back on magic now that he was semi-re-embracing his magical side, John finished up in the bathroom and made his way down to his fireplace.
Taking a look at a clock he had reset yesterday it was almost six thirty. Now John was just stuck with the dilemma of starting a fire in his fireplace so that he could get into London. Placing a log into the large open fireplace, John stared at it hard willing his magic to light it on fire. Nothing happened. Growling in frustration, Harry pointed his wand arm at the log, trying again. Again, nothing happened.
"Having troubles dear?" His mother's sing song voice floated through the air.
"Be quiet, mother, I am trying to concentrate!" John growled back as he shook his hand at the log again. Finally! One of the dry edges caught and the flame slowly grew. "Thank god." John muttered to himself as he opened the floo powder box and took out the last of the powder. "Will need to get more of that." John threw the last of the powder onto the fire. "Leaky Cauldron."
A familiar spinning sensation caught John and he whirled away to his first real steps into the wizarding world.
John exited the floo more gracefully than he ever had before, maybe it was all those trips through the stargate that had helped him with instant forms of transportation. John smiled triumphantly to himself before looking around the Leaky Cauldron. John's smile slipped off his face as soon as he did. The blond hair was unmistakably Draco Malfoy's and he was standing at the counter chatting with an aged Tom.
"Damn it all to hell!" John muttered to himself as he made his way as quickly out of the establishment as possible, not wanting to in any way be noticed, especially by his boyhood enemy. Only when he was safely outside of the bar and inn did John let out a breath that he had not realized that he had been holding. If he couldn't stand seeing the back of Draco Malfoy's head how did he expect to get to Gringotts? John decided that he would worry about it later. Right now he had to catch another cab to Heathrow.
Rodney dragged his rather large suitcase out to the curb where John had said he had a cab waiting. Unfortunately, Rodney and John were not the only ones at this particular curb and it took Rodney a good ten minutes before he finally spotted John waving him over to a black taxi cab that he had saved for them.
"What happened to you, your eyes are all red." Rodney said, as soon as he got close enough to get a good look at John.
"My house was a little dusty." John replied, not carrying to say exactly how dusty. "How was your flight?"
"Claustrophobic. But, I survived." Rodney complained as he handed his bag over to the taxi driver to load into the trunk.
John just snorted in response to that. Classic Rodney. "I need to make a few stops while we are here in London. Hope you don't mind." John said as he climbed into the cab, followed by Rodney.
"As long as you aren't going to make me drag around my luggage for hours." Rodney replied as he closed the door.
"Of course not." John said before turning to the front of the car. "Take us back to where you picked me up?"
"Yes, sir." the driver replied and they were off.
"Um, so what is so special about this spot? Used Records?" Rodney asked as he looked at the book shop and record shop on the street, his eyes completely sweeping over the pub that was squeezed in between the two.
"No, this is the entrance to the wizarding area of London." John explained quietly, least they be overheard. "Now, Rodney listen very carefully. Pretend that you are going on a recon mission through the gate and don't over react to anything."
Rodney's eyes seemed to brighten at this news. "The wizards have there own part of London?" He asked in curiosity, everything else the John had said going in one ear and out the other.
"Yes, Rodney. I need to go to the bank, but I want to warn you that it is run by goblins."
"Goblins?!" Rodney exclaimed.
"Yes." John hissed as he glanced around the street to see if anyone had noticed Rodney's explanation.
"So, no over reacting. Now concentrate on the area between the book shop and the record shop. There is a pub there. See it?" John asked as he directed Rodney's gaze to the Leaky Cauldron.
"Yeah...Why didn't I see that before?" Rodney asked confused as he glanced over at John.
"Magic." John said simply as he lead Rodney in. He let out a breath of relief when he saw that Draco Malfoy had vacated his spot at the bar near Tom. John approached the bar, hoping on his lucky stars that without his normal green eyes, glasses and scar, Tom wouldn't recognize him. "I need a room for the day. I can't pay you now, but I am on my way to Gringotts."
"Fine." Tom said looking up briefly from the glass he was cleaning. "Name?"
John paused for a moment, he had almost opened his mouth to say Harry Potter. Clearing his throat John responded, "John Sheppard."
"Very well, Mr. Sheppard, you can leave anything you want put into your room on the box behind you." Tom replied. John looked around to find that there was indeed a box behind him. That seemed to be a new addition. He looked around to his left at Rodney to take the bag and almost smacked his head with his hand.
Rodney was standing behind him opened mouthed as he stared off at the pub. The self cleaning tables, witches and wizards dressed in robes and hats, moving pictures hanging on the walls and an occasional owl swooping in and out.
"Rodney!" John snapped at his friend as he motioned for his bag.
"Oh, right!" Rodney said as he handed over his bag and continued to stare. Sighing, John placed the bag on the box and dragged Rodney out the back of the Leaky Cauldron to the entrance of Diagon Ally.
"What part of don't overreact don't you get?" John asked Rodney as he frowned at his friend.
"That was amazing." Rodney said as he looked back towards the door that they had just come through. "I had no idea there were things like that here on Earth. It really was like we had gone through a stargate."
"Yeah, try to not look like a fish next time though. Okay?" John asked, concerned that Rodney would get themselves in trouble.
"Right. But what are we doing back here?" Rodney asked as he looked back at John.
A smile spread over his lips as he remembered when he was eleven years old and Hagrid had opened the door to Diagon Alley for him. "We are going to the bank." John said as he counted bricks. Three up and two over. The archway began to form and Rodney was left speechless. "Welcome, to Diagon Alley."
Getting Rodney McKay to walk far enough into Diagon Alley so that John could get them into Gringotts had been tedious, mostly because Rodney got to distracted every few stores or two and wanted to go in and look around. John had to keep a hand read to steer Rodney back in the right direction, and promise to allow Rodney to come back once he had gotten some money from Gringotts so they could actually buy things. John had been particularly hard pressed to get Rodney to stop trying to see what was so impressive about the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, laughing since 1996.
Eventually, however, John was able to steer Rodney's attention towards the tall white marble Gringotts Bank. "This is it." John said as he climbed the familiar steps into Gringotts and lead Rodney in. Once John had managed to drag Rodney into the main hall John had trouble moving him much further.
"What are they?" Rodney whispered to John as he watched a goblin scuttle by with a rather tall stack of parchment in its short and stocky arms.
"Goblins. I told you about them earlier. Now keep moving before you offend them by staring too hard." John warned as he lead the way into one of the shorter lines. John had to smirk a bit as Rodney was doing his best to stare at the floor and not stare at the goblins that continued to scurry around the main floor, leading robed wizards and witches around as if it were as normal as the sun coming up every morning.
"Relax, Rodney." John said with a small smile as it came to be their turn at the counter. "Good Morning," John told the goblin, trying his best to be as cheery as possible. It only received him a glower from the goblin. "Right, I need to take money out of my account, but sent my key here for safe keeping." John explained as the goblin eyed him with growing distaste.
"Name?" It asked, venom practically dripping from his voice.
"Um." John glanced around quickly to make sure that no one was paying them undue attention, not seeing anything suspicious John leaned in towards the goblin and in a lower whisper said. "Harry Potter."
"I see." The goblin said maliciously, "You wont mind then if I ask for a drop of your blood to prove it."
"Of course not." John replied, looking a little nervous, as he continued to glance over his shoulder to make sure that his whispered name had not been overheard.The goblin held out a pin and a piece of parchment. "Just a drop or two will suffice." The goblin said as he thrust the objects at John.
"Right." John said as he held the parchment out to Rodney.
"What do you want me to do with this?" Rodney asked in confusion.
"Hold it for me!" John replied as he held his finger against the pin and pricked it. Holding his bleeding finger over the parchment he patiently waited for the blood to drop down onto the parchment. As soon as the blood hit the parchment it began to spread itself over to form 'Harry James Potter'
"What in the world?" Rodney asked as he examined the parchment. John snatched it out of his hands before Rodney was able to make that big of a fuss out of it and handed it back to the goblin.
"Everything seems to be in order, Mr. Potter." The goblin said evenly as he examined the parchment and then pulled open a drawer in it's desk and pulled out John's key. "Griphook!" the goblin yelled, and John took the key and glanced over at Rodney.
"Like roller coasters?" John asked innocently.
"Not particularly. Why?" Rodney asked.
John just smirked in reply.
By the time they had reached John's vault Rodney looked positively ill and John was surprised the his poor friend had not lost his breakfast yet. "Key please." Griphook said as he looked expectantly at John.
"Right, here you go." John said as he handed over his key and looked over at Rodney. "Feeling all right?" John asked in concern.
"I'll be fine." Rodney said in a rather unconvincing manner.
The doors to John's family vault slowly opened to reveal the total fortune of the ancient house of Potter. Galleons piled in the center of the room and family heirlooms pushed against the walls or hung on the walls or ceiling. Rodney's motion sickness was forgotten as he looked at the room that was literally brimming with gold.
"You never told me you were loaded." Rodney said in awe.
"You never asked." John replied as he walked to a space in the wall right next to the door and pulled out a long scroll of parchment to check whether the years had been kind to his family vault, only to find that there had been a 25,000 galleon withdrawal from his vault made by Gringotts. He turned to the Griphook in confusion. "Do you know what this withdrawal was for?" John asked as he pointed to the transaction that had happened apparently just after he had left.
"Old families make a tradition of having Gringotts create a trust fund of 25,000 for each child born to the family. I assume, that this vault would be for you daughter, Mr. Potter."
"My daughter." John said weakly as he let go of the scroll letting Griphook take it from him.
Rodney looked over at John in surprise. "I knew you used to have a wife. I didn't know you had a daughter."
"Neither did I."