A/N: Here we go with chapter seven. The story is finally starting to get into the "true plot". A couple people said they were concerned I had abandoned this story, and don't worry – I didn't. I was just very involved with a lot of other real life stuff. I also wanted to make it clear that there won't be any Ron bashing in the story. Eventually, he will come around to being a part of the group. It will just take a little while.

Diagon Alley looked pretty much the same in both worlds, a fact that didn't really surprise Harry much, yet left him feeling comforted. He had only nodded curtly to the barkeep before heading out back, where he waited for Lily to tap the bricks in the familiar order. Harry watched the magical street come into view before him and felt like it was the first time all over again. It was impossible to get tired of the sight. He glanced fondly at the Quidditch shop, recalling his Firebolt, and wondered if there was a chance that he'd be able to visit.

"I know you're meeting your friends at one, so we'll go and get your wand," said Lily, rummaging through her purse. She laid a hand on Harry's shoulder and guided him off to the side. "I'll let you retrieve your school things with them, but I want to be with you for this."

Harry turned slightly, surprised by the catch in her voice. "Mum?"

Lily smiled warmly, her emerald eyes misting with tears. "I just never thought I'd see the day when you got your wand," she murmured, her hand pressing warmly against his shoulder. If they hadn't been walking up a rather busy street, he was certain that she would have embraced him. "I'd dreamed of this day, but... What was your wand like in your dream world, Harry? Who took you to get it?"

"Hagrid did," Harry answered, gently resting his hand over hers. "The Dursleys weren't exactly the type to want to enter Diagon Alley." Lily merely nodded, her lips compressing into a thin line as he continued. "I was very excited, though I suppose everyone is. My wand was holly, with a phoenix feather core. The feather came from Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore's familiar." He fell silent for a moment, recalling Ollivander's rather prophetic words on that day. "It was one of the two feathers that Fawkes ever gave to him."

"Really? How fascinating," Lily breathed. "Holly and a phoenix feather... That denotes a pretty powerful wand, Harry. Perhaps you'll get something similar this time around."

He didn't say as much to his mother, but by Merlin, he hoped not, not if it meant that Tom Riddle had the yew and phoenix feather wand that made him so powerful. It was for that reason that he couldn't help feeling apprehensive as Lily stopped in front of Ollivander's' wand shop and opened the door. Everyone knew that the wand chose the wizard. What kind of wand would he be receiving? Taking a deep breath, Harry stepped inside and jumped as two silvery eyes appeared in the darkness, scanning his form.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter," the man greeted, sliding out of the shadows. "It's rare for me to see a wizard of your age coming for his first real wand, Mr. Potter. Which is your wand arm?"

His right hand rose automatically, and Ollivander gave a sharp nod and snapped his fingers. A tape measure leapt into action and raced over to Harry, where it began crawling all over his body and taking a variety of measurements. Harry watched it in bemusement, wondering if it actually helped in picking out a wand, or if Ollivander did it more for show. As if the man sensed his thoughts, Ollivander gave a harsh cough and the tape measure immediately collapsed to the ground.

"Try this one," Ollivander said, offering him a box. "It's a 10¾ inch yew with a core of unicorn hair."

Harry's fingers had barely closed around the wand before Ollivander snatched it away, shaking his head and muttering around his breath. This went on for about ten minutes and thirty wands of every different type of wood and core before Harry heaved a sigh of frustration. How would he ever get a wand if Ollivander barely allowed him to touch each one? He was fairly certain that he hadn't actually touched a wand yet. Lily must have sensed his annoyance because she stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder again. He spared her a smile and reminded himself of how long it had taken to find a wand the first time around.

"Yes..." Ollivander murmured. "Yes, I see it now. Mr. Potter, I do not have a wand that will suit you. Instead, I have decided that I will make you one."

Harry's eyes widened slightly. He'd never heard of Ollivander making a wand especially for someone. "You don't have a wand for me? Not even one?" he asked sceptically, glancing at the rows upon rows of wands behind the counter. There had to be well over a thousand wands that he could see, and not one would work for him?

"A wand chooses the wizard, as you well know, but it is imperative to have the best pairing possible," Ollivander said, seemingly affronted that Harry had dared to question him. "I have a few special pieces of wood that have been waiting for me to find the perfect wizard. Now that I have found one, I will make you a wand. Please return in one month's time and I will have your wand ready." He turned away without further comment and disappeared into the back of the shop.

"How odd," Lily said thoughtfully as the two of them exited the dour shop. "You must really be something, Harry, for Ollivander to want to go out of his way for you. I can't wait to see you in action."

A weak smile touched Harry's lips. If Tom Riddle really was Lord Voldemort, then his mother might get more of a chance than she realized. Godric, why did things always have to be so hard? "I wish I'd been able to get a wand, though," he said, "I miss having one. I feel strange without it."

Lily's face softened. "I bet. It won't be too much longer, though. At least we'll be able to get you one before you begin school." As she spoke, she reached into her purse and drew out a pouch. "It's almost one, so I'll give this to you now. Here. This will provide you with all of the money you need to go shopping."

As Harry took the bag, it crumpled in his fingers. With two fingers, he parted the top and peered inside in confusion. The soft velvet was empty, yielding no coins. "I don't understand."

"It's a special kind of Gringotts bag," Lily explained. "It's connected directly to the Potter vault. Lia has one, too. When you approach the cash, no matter what you're buying or where – even if it's in a muggle store – the bag will provide you with exactly enough money. Extremely useful, since you don't have to keep making trips to Gringotts. Your father and I expect you to be reasonable in what you spend, of course, but feel free to indulge at least a little – " She broke off and frowned suddenly. "What's wrong?"

Harry shook his head quickly, knowing that there was no way to express the peculiar feelings that were going through him. Never in his dreams had he imagined he'd be having a talk with his mother about the concept of money. He didn't know if this world was the real world, or what, but there was no question that it was certainly better than the last one had been. "Nothing. It's just... I've never gotten an allowance before."

Something unidentifiable flashed through Lily's eyes, and she let out a slow sigh. "Well, you have one now," she said carefully, wrapping him in a brief embrace. She brushed her lips over his forehead. "Go and have fun with your friends, Harry. I'll meet you back here at five and we can finish up your shopping."

"Yes, Mum." Harry stepped back from her and then turned, walking quickly towards Fortescue's before he could stop himself. He almost wanted to go back and explain to her that what he really wanted was for Lily and James to take him shopping, the way he'd seen countless other Hogwarts students doing with their families, but then he caught sight of Malfoy and Hermione and Ginny sitting at a table waiting for him, and the desire lessened.

"Hey Harry," Ginny said cheerfully. "Did you get a wand?"

"Hi Gin." He sat down at the table and scooted his chair closer, casting a quick glance at the others as he did. Hermione and Malfoy were sharing a butterscotch sundae, and Ginny was finishing off a brownie delight. "Malfoy, Mione. And no, I didn't. Ollivander said that he wanted to make one for me."

"Really?" Malfoy's silver eyes widened with interest, and he set down his spoon in order to give Harry a closer look. "I've never heard of Ollivander doing that."

"Me either," Hermione said, a slight frowning touching her lips. "I've always been under the impression that you couldn't create a personalized wand, because it's the unique reaction between the wood, the core, and the wizard that makes the magic strong, and it's impossible to know what sort of reaction there will be until the wand has been created. Do you know what kind of wand he's planning to make, Harry?"

"No clue," Harry said with a shrug, snitching a spoonful of Ginny's brownie. She gave him a mock frown but obligingly inched the dessert closer to him. "I kind of wish he'd had one for me. I don't like not having a wand on me."

"Hmm." A thoughtful look came over Hermione's face, and she tapped her foot on the ground before turning to Malfoy. "Maybe you could help with that. Why don't you take Harry into Knockturn Alley and get him a temporary wand, while Ginny and I visit Madam Malkin's?"

"Hermione," said Harry, eyes wide. Never in his life would he have imagined Hermione, of all people, suggesting he go into Knockturn Alley. He couldn't decide which was more shocking, that, or the fact that Hermione actually wanted to visit Madam Malkin's instead of the bookstore. "I don't think – "

"What are you, scared?" Malfoy asked, raising his eyebrows.

Harry flushed. Ginny smiled. "No, I'm not scared," he snapped, elbowing Ginny, who just giggled. "Where I come from, Knockturn Alley isn't the safest place."

"You'll be fine," said Hermione, licking her spoon slowly. Her keen eyes assessed Harry, who suddenly got the feeling that this was some sort of test. "You wanted a wand, don't you? Draco can take you to Lysander's. They specialize in wands that don't have tracing charms from the Ministry. It's a complicated process to take the charms off, so you might as well just use one of those ones until Ollivander has yours ready. Rather a waste of time to buy a legitimate wand and take the charms off if you're just going to be using it for a month."

"I think that sounds like a great idea," said Ginny, smirking. Harry glared at her and, in revenge, stole the rest of her brownie. Ginny ignored him and set her spoon down on the table like it was what she had planned all along. "Let's go, Hermione. Mum gave me some money to get a new set of dress robes, and I could use your advice."

"Hang on. Ginny, can I talk to you for a second?" Without waiting for an answer, Harry jumped up and grabbed her arm, pulling her off to the side. He noticed Hermione leaning over to speak to Malfoy as he turned to Ginny and hissed, "Have you lost your mind?"

"No, but thanks for asking," she replied, mouth twitching. "Harry, relax, would you? Draco isn't going to jump you in some dark alley. Hermione really likes him and I think that, even if you can't find it in yourself to trust him, you can trust her judgement. You need a wand and it will give you a chance to get to know him a little better. I think he could help us. Even if Lucius Malfoy isn't a Death Eater in this world, you can be assured he's not entirely on the side of Light. If anyone would know what Tom Riddle is up to, it's him."

Harry stared. "You called him Draco."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'm so glad that you focused on that out of everything I said," she said.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "But it's... Malfoy."

"Harry, I know. But you have to let it go," she said gently, so gently that he shivered a little. "It's not the same person who we knew. If you hold onto those kinds of grudges..."

"So are you saying that I should let Tom Riddle go, too?" he asked, scowling at the thought of becoming friendly towards Malfoy. He'd only just gotten Ron back; what would his friend do if he found out Harry had sided with Malfoy? "Because if you apply the same principle to him... Well, he hasn't technically done anything."

"Would you listen to yourself?" Ginny snapped, clearly frustrated. "You sound ridiculous. You know that Tom Riddle can't be trusted in any way, shape, or form. He's a dangerous psychopath no matter what world we're in. He's always been that way, and he always will be. But you know that Draco Malfoy wasn't like that, and don't try to tell me otherwise, Harry Potter. Even in our world, when he was a child, he was just a kid like you and me, and if it weren't for Lucius Malfoy, he probably would've grown up that way, too. We don't have very much here, Harry. Don't try to push aside someone who could be a valuable ally just because you don't like who he once was."

Harry wasn't sure what to say in response to that. Ginny was right, and he knew it, but that didn't mean he had to like it. The thought of being friends with Draco Malfoy was still unsettling, no matter what this world was like. But he wasn't willing to lose Hermione over it, and that was exactly what would happen if he refused to try and get on with Malfoy. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Alright. I'll try to be nice."

"Ready to go, Ginny?" Hermione asked, approaching them. Harry glanced at her. It was still a shock to see his friend dressed so stylishly.

"Yup." Ginny retrieved her purse from the table and hooked it over her shoulder. "Be nice," she hissed at him before taking Hermione's arm and walking away, leaving him alone with Malfoy.

Be nice. It was pretty easy for her to say when she was going shopping with Hermione, who was still the same person even underneath the pretty green dress and the glossy hair. Harry stepped back over to the table and looked at Malfoy, who rose and inclined his head towards the door. Without saying a word, Harry fell into step beside him as they made their way down the street towards Knockturn Alley. If anyone had ever told him that he'd be willingly going into the dark street with only a Malfoy for protection...

"Lysander's isn't that far in," said Malfoy after a moment. "You'll have your wand soon enough."

"But it won't be my wand," Harry pointed out, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. In all honesty, any wand would do. "I had a... special... wand in my world, one that was very important to me. I wish that I'd be able to get it back, even if I didn't use it all the time, but it was probably sold to someone else ages ago..."

Malfoy shrugged. "Even if you had the exact same wand that you did in your dream world, you don't have any guarantee that it would the same for you."

"I never thought of that," he admitted, a bit downtrodden at the thought. That wand had been one of the best defences against Voldemort that he'd possessed, but there was a chance that it wouldn't even work for him in this world. An awkward silence between the two of them, and it wasn't until they had reached Lysander's that Malfoy drew in a deep breath and spoke again.

"Harry," he said, "In your dream world, were you and Hermione... dating?"

"Me and Hermione? Dating?" The idea was so absurd that Harry wasn't sure what to say at first. He stared at Malfoy, who looked distinctly uncomfortable, and realized that the other boy was actually jealous and worried. Over him and whether or not he might try to steal Hermione away. The knowledge nearly made him laugh out loud, though he swallowed it at the last minute. "No, we weren't anything of the sort. She was like a sister to me."

A relieved look flashed across Malfoy's face. "I was just curious. Not that I thought a scrawny little Gryffindor like you could ever take Hermione away from me."

Harry snorted, relieved that there was no genuine malice in the comment. "Careful, Malfoy. I'm not interested in Hermione like that, but I know someone else who is. Besides, you don't know that I'll be a Gryffindor. I might surprise you, yet."

"What else would you be?"

"I'll have you know the Sorting Hat wanted to put me into Slytherin," Harry said, delighting in the resulting shocked expression. He pushed open the door to the shop and entered without waiting for Malfoy.

There was no one in the shop waiting for them, and indeed, if Harry hadn't known it was a shop, he never would have guessed. The way to the back of the store was covered by two deep velvet curtains that prevented anyone from seeing past. The only things he could see was a low counter upon which rested a single slender wand box, and a small white card with the price of fifteen galleons written on it. It was an outrageous price for a wand, but he supposed that when it came to the black market, one probably couldn't be terribly picky. There was nothing else – no other wands, no cash register, and no shopkeeper.

"What are you waiting for?" Malfoy asked, leaning around the door. "Put your money on the counter, take the box, and come on."

Harry frowned, but did as the Slytherin had commanded. He took out the small pouch Lily had given him and placed the fifteen golden coins inside on the counter. The coins glittered and sank into the counter until all Harry could see was fifteen holes where they had been. Assuming that meant his payment had been accepted, he cautiously reached for the wand box. Nothing happened when he touched it, so he felt relatively safe in tucking it under his arm and making a hasty retreat towards Malfoy. Being in the shop felt a little creepy, like there were several people watching him all at once, and for all he knew, that was true.

"What did you get?"

"I don't understand," Harry began, even as he moved to take the top off of the box. "Why don't you try out different wands, like you do at Ollivander's?"

Malfoy shrugged. "That's the way Lysander's always is," he said after a pause. "It's said that the owner knows if you are coming, and will leave the right wand out. She's reportedly a Seer of some kind, if you believe in that kind of thing." There was a kind of drawl in his voice that indicated maybe he didn't quite believe in it himself, but when Harry glanced at him, his face was smooth. "I've never heard tell of anyone who got a wand from there that wouldn't work for them."

The wand inside the box was long, warm, and smooth to the touch. A small slip of paper hidden at the bottom indicated that it was twelve inches in length, and made from golden oak wood with a core of Basilisk tooth and venom. A chill touched the back of Harry's spine as his fingers curled around the wand, and a strange sensation raced up his fingers and into his arm and chest. He shivered and pulled the wand out. Although nothing came out of the end of it, he felt curiously connected to the wand in a way that was similar and yet altogether different from his holly wand.

"Basilisk venom? That's unusual," said Malfoy. A look that Harry would have called respect had it been on anyone else passed across his face. "But then, Lysander wands come from all over the place. Some of them are hundreds of years old. Yours must be quite old, if it's got Basilisk in it. There hasn't been one of those around for hundreds of years."

Harry turned and looked at him. "You'd think so," he said. Malfoy's words had reminded him of his second year, and he knew that one of the first things he would be doing upon returning to Hogwarts would be a visit to the Chamber of Secrets to see whether Slytherin's pet was still there. He sighed and held the wand up. "You're there's no Ministry tracing charms on it?" he asked just to be on the safe side, though he doubted that this world had a malicious toad out of his blood. "Lumos."

As he spoke the word, the tip of the wand began to shine with a brilliant, soft light. Harry felt an immense amount of satisfaction and cancelled the spell. His magic hadn't been affected by the world change – good. He would need every drop of whatever he could summon if Tom Riddle was really up to something. Feeling much better now that he had a wand, he shrunk the box and tucked both it and the wand into his pocket. Then he turned to Malfoy, who had begun heading towards the entrance back to Diagon Alley. It seemed that the blond didn't want to linger.

"Malfoy, can I ask you a question?" he asked, catching up.

"If you like."

"How did you and Hermione end up together?"

Malfoy blinked and seemed surprised. "Why?"

"Because in my world, that never would have happened," Harry said flatly. "Things like... like blood purity were much too important to your family."

"Well, they're of matter to my father," said Malfoy slowly. "And to me as well. When I first met Hermione, I didn't like her very much. She was a little know-it-all." Harry bristled at hearing the familiar insult, but Malfoy didn't seem to notice. He was lost in his own world. "We competed constantly in class, attempting to be at the top. I hated her for knowing anything that I didn't know and I began spending a lot of time in the library trying to get ahead of her. But of course, she was doing the same thing." A small smile formed on his lips and he chuckled softly. "Eventually, we began studying together, and she got up the courage to slap me after I called her a mudblood and told me never to call her that again. No one had ever stood up to me quite like that before." He shrugged. "Hermione is my equal in everything. What else could we end up as?"

Harry blinked and looked away, disturbed at the softness that shone in those silver eyes. Why did the idea of Malfoy and Hermione have to make so much sense? "In my world, Hermione was with Ron."

"Weasley?" Malfoy looked incredulous. "But Hermione is so beautiful and intelligent. What could she have possibly seen in someone like Weasley?"

"They were friends and it grew from there," Harry said, mostly because he didn't know what else to say. It wasn't as though he had ever sat his version of Hermione down and asked her what she liked about Ron, especially when he took into consideration the kind of arguments the two of them used to have. He frowned and looked down at the ground, deliberately increasing his pace. "They were... happy together."

"Your world sounds very odd," Malfoy commented.

"It was dangerous, and I wanted to talk to you and Hermione about that," he answered, relieved for a change of topic. Anything was better than discussing Hermione and Malfoy's relationship, even if he had been the one who'd inquired. "Well, Ginny and I did."

"You've got your chance," said Malfoy, indicating the two approaching girls.

"My world wasn't a very nice place," he began as Hermione and Ginny joined them. He impulsively removed his new wand and cast a spell to make sure that their conversation wouldn't be overheard. "There was a Dark Lord who was threatening the world, and his name was Voldemort." It was weird to speak the name and have Hermione and Malfoy look at him impassively. Only Ginny flinched a bit. "He was very powerful, and it was said that the only person he was afraid of was Albus Dumbledore. And towards the end, I'm not even sure that was true." Harry took a deep breath. "I think... that Voldemort did something. I don't think that my world was a dream; I think that he... somehow altered reality. I don't know if he went back fifty years and changed time or what, but..." His voice trailed off.

"That's impossible," Hermione said finally after a couple minutes of silence. She exchanged a look with Malfoy and went on, "No one could be that strong, and I've never heard of a time piece that would allow someone to travel that far back. Harry, I know it's difficult to just let everything in your dream world go, but that's common in people who have been under Imago Universitas spell. After all – "

"You don't understand, Hermione," said Ginny firmly, interrupting the other girl before she could go off on a tangent. "I remember it, too. I remember everything from that world."

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ginny glanced at Harry. "Just what I said. There's definitely something that's... not right. A couple of days before Harry woke up, I woke up to find out that the whole world had changed overnight. I don't remember anything about this world beyond what's happened since then. That's why I didn't know that we weren't friends, or that you didn't like Ron, or that you and Malfoy were dating. The only things I remember are..."

"The philosopher's stone," Harry muttered.

"The Chamber of Secrets."

"Peter Pettigrew and Sirius and Remus."

"The Triwizard Tournament."

"The Department of Mysteries," they chorused together, and Ginny smiled.

"See?" she said, looking at Hermione. "If Harry really was just under the Imago Universitas spell, then why would I know all of this?"

"Your memories are exactly the same?" Malfoy asked, looking fascinated as he glanced back and forth between the two of them. "There're no discrepancies?"

"Not that I know of," Harry said, "Nothing has come up so far. We haven't exactly had the time to sit down and discuss every single little thing. But I was told that the Imago Universitas has to be especially cast on someone, which means it's impossible that Ginny just fell asleep and dreamed whatever I was dreaming. So there has to be another explanation for why Ginny and I both remember everything that happened. This is what we've come up with: the fact that Voldemort somehow changed reality. It's the only thing that makes sense, and it sounds like something that he would do. And add onto that that we've both seen Voldemort around and – "

"You have?" Now it was Hermione who interrupted. She looked rather confused. "There are no Dark Lords around here, and certainly no one with the amount of power you described."

"Sure there is," Harry said slowly, exchanging a glance with Ginny. "Before Voldemort came into power, his name was Tom Marvolo Riddle."

A/N: Sorry if that was a bad place to stop, but this chapter just kept going. Please review!