"So, you're saying that you'll help us?" James asked. The dimension travelers were standing together in Dumbledore's office. Several members of the Order of the Phoenix stood before them, spread about the room. Dorea was talking through the fireplace, to the Ministry of Magic, informing them of the situation and asking to speak with some of the Unspeakables.
"No," the older, more tired Lily said, not meeting his eyes. "I said we'll do our best to get you out of here and away from us. We're fighting a war, and you are a distraction that we don't need." She still refused to look at the people she had known. Remus was struck once again by her unhappiness, and he wished that he could help her. Unfortunately, it seemed that her history with the dead Remus of this world was too dense for him to actually help. Not to mention that he seemed to be the last person at which she wanted to look.
"Thank you," the younger Lily said. "I know this must be hard for you all, and I understand what it is like to fight a war like this. Thank you for doing anything to help us." The Order of the Phoenix was silent, and the other Lily had already turned away. Remus thought that it was funny, in a horrible way, that despite living to be much older in this world, the Lily here had never achieved anything close to the Lily that he knew.
"Perhaps I can speak with you more," Bill said. "I am no expert on dimension traveling, but the books I read said that the dimensions should be somewhat close together, so there should be only one or two actions that caused the split between our world and yours."
"Of course, Bill," Remus answered. "I've been considering the same thing myself. The most obvious differences between here and my home seem to be when James died, Sirius went dark and that Regulus never became a death eater."
"It must have been James then," Regulus said. The man had been standing behind the travelers, silent and leaning against the door. Remus was surprised that the mad man seemed so coherent, especially considering that Wilkes had left the room earlier. "That's what caused Sirius to switch sides, and I didn't become a death eater because my brother did."
"How did I die?" James asked. "What happened to me here that I could have changed the world like this?" James turned and looked at Regulus. The thin man stepped away from the door, looking at James closely.
"Your world – how did they treat Sirius? Your people, I mean. The good guys. The Ministry."
"No one trusted me, really. Not until I was disowned, at least," Sirius said. Regulus flinched as if someone had hit him, and he didn't look away from James.
"Why did things change when he was disowned?" Regulus asked. "It never did here. My brother, despite no longer legally being my brother, still was mistrusted."
"I don't know," James said. "I guess that he just proved himself to be good."
"But he never managed that, did he?" Harry asked. "Otherwise they wouldn't have condemned him so easily after Voldemort killed you."
"A lot of the Ministry didn't trust me, not completely. No matter how much I tried to show them that I wasn't a Black, people often looked at me and saw Bellatrix," Sirius said.
"Then I suppose," Regulus said. "The entire difference between our worlds is that in one, you weren't stupid enough to get caught somewhere that made you look bad." Regulus laughed bitterly. Remus could only imagine how this felt for them; their entire war came down to this small difference.
"The Aurors tried to kill him, didn't they?" Remus asked. "That's the difference. There was an attack on Hogsmeade and Sirius and James were there when it happened."
"By the Aurors?" James said. "No way. Aurors don't kill people, no matter who they think it is."
"Under Barty Crouch they did," Regulus said. "The Aurors took one look at Sirius and saw Black, so he tried to kill him." Behind Regulus, the door opened, and Wilkes reentered the room, silent. Remus saw Regulus glance back and see him before returning to the conversation before him.
"And James couldn't let that happen," the young Lily said. "So he jumped in front of the curse." The older Lily stood and calmly walked towards the door. Regulus, who had resumed leaning against the doorway, moved so that she could leave. Wilkes watched her leave, and Remus was surprised by the depth of understand that Wilkes showed towards her. Remus would have expected the man to scorn the woman over her lost love. But then again, Remus knew very little about Wilkes at all.
"How do you fit into this, Regulus?" Harry asked suddenly. "How did you defeat Voldemort? How did you destroy his Horcruxes?" Wilkes stepped up closer to Regulus, standing next to him. Regulus straightened up, losing some of the calm air around him. It was clear the question hit a little close to home.
"In your world, it's all on you, isn't it?" Regulus asked him. "There's something special about you that makes people think that you can take him down?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "That's what people think."
"It's bullshit," Regulus said. "People like to think that others will take care of their problems for them. You're not special; you're just the lucky one that the people want to take care of their shit."
"But still, how did you defeat him?" Remus could see that Harry was desperate for some advice from the man who had killed Voldemort. Unfortunately, it seemed that that would get him nowhere.
"Be careful with that title, Potter. They love their hero, until he is finished with his task. After that, the world condemns him." Regulus looked straight at Harry, and Harry seemed to realize that the man would say no more.
"It's time to go," Dorea said. "The Unspeakables are expecting us soon."
"Of course," Remus said, stepping forward. "Should we all go? I imagine taking Sirius there would cause a disturbance."
"We are travelling directly into the Department of Mysteries," Dorea said. "They know who and what to expect."
"Right," James said, stepping forward. "Through the Floo then?"
"Let me go first," Bill said. "I need to let the Unspeakables know a few things about this." Dorea stepped aside, and Bill stepped into the fireplace, shouting his destination as the green flames rose up around him. The dimension travelers followed, stumbling out into the Department of Mysteries, followed by Regulus and Wilkes. When they arrived, they saw Bill walking away with one of the Unspeakables, through a long hallway and finally through a large door. Around them, the travelers saw stone walls that made a large cavern. There were doors lining the walls, but none of them were labelled. It was very easy to imagine someone getting very lost in this place.
"Welcome, travelers," one of the Unspeakables said. He wore a mask and long black robes, making him look all the more mysterious. Remus had known to expect that; the Unspeakables looked much the same the last time he had seen them. They concealed their identities from strangers to prevent capture and being tortured for information.
"Are you positive that these are not spies, Leon," The man asked. "I fear allowing these people through the Department may be a mistake. We shall have to travel through the Hall of Prophecies." Remus again noted that these people spoke past Regulus to Wilkes, despite Regulus's status as leader of the Order. Looking at the man's uncaring face, Remus wondered if he even cared. Regulus had seemed so out there, and yet now he also appeared rather normal. It was strange that he should not care about how the others treated him.
"I am not," Wilkes said. "But we have to do this."
"What are you going to do?" James asked. "You want to prove we're from another dimension, right?"
"That is our goal, Potter, but it isn't that simple."
"There is one way that I can think of," the Unspeakable said. "But I cannot tell you for sure whether or not it will work. The Hall of Prophecies contains many that will not and have never been used. There is a prophecy that has never applied to our world because the one it was written about was never born here."
"The prophecy still exists here?" Harry said. "I would have thought that the prophecies for each dimension are different."
"Perhaps they are, but I imagine that if you really are Harry Potter, then there is a chance that you can hear that prophecy, despite not being the correct Harry Potter, so to say."
"I'll do it," Harry said. "This may be our only chance."
"Come with me then," the Unspeakable said, turning. "I would prefer if the others did not come. I don't want many people to hear the prophecy, should this kid be able to pick it up."
"I will come with you," Regulus said. "I need to see this for myself." Remus felt some relief that the Unspeakable wouldn't be alone with Harry. He didn't trust Ministry workers that easily, and Remus feared that the man could be a spy. The three men left, and Remus waited until they were out of sight to turn to Wilkes.
"How do you know that he isn't a spy?" Remus asked.
"I don't," Wilkes said. "In fact, I imagine that word of us being here and why has already traveled to Black."
"You wanted him to know why we are here," Lily said. "You're using us to try and get Sirius to prove whether we're his men or not." Wilkes turned to her and nodded, smiling.
"Of course," Wilkes said. "There's absolutely no way that Sirius would let this go. There's a little too much history here, so to say."
"How do you know that that Unspeakable isn't leading Harry into a trap?" Remus demanded. "They could be in danger; Regulus could be in danger!"
"Easy," Wilkes said. "Sirius is afraid of Reg, and therefore his followers are terrified of him. You really shouldn't underestimate him like you do, Remus. He's a brilliant wizard."
"You certainly think so," James said. "Why do you think he's your hero when there's clearly so much wrong with him?" Remus winced at how James asked that. While Remus himself was rather curious, he couldn't help but feel that James had just made Wilkes a little more distant from them.
"As I told Lupin earlier," Wilkes said stiffly. "You don't know the first thing about Regulus. And if I were you, then I would stop worrying yourself over him so much and instead worry about getting back to your dimension." They fell silent at his words. It was true that trying to figure the man out was unnecessary, but Remus couldn't help but want to know his story.
"Is he happy?" Sirius asked suddenly. "Regulus, I mean. Just, I know I never cared for him much in my own world, but when I'd heard he died, I couldn't help but wish things were different, you know? And here they are! Regulus wasn't a death eater. So, just, is he happy?" Wilkes looked at Sirius coldly.
"You really don't understand, do you? You were the first person to abandon him – And don't say that I don't know because it wasn't my world. You abandoned him long before our worlds split. His life was miserable after you left. You have no right to care about him now, and no right to ask me things like that."
Sirius stared at the taller man, mouth slightly open and eyes frozen. Remus could tell that that had been the last thing he expected to hear.
"But he – when I ran away he told me to go. He told me! Had he wanted me at home then he would have told me not to go."
"You abandoned him long before then, and you know nothing about him if you think Regulus would ever be selfish and tell you to stay when you clearly didn't want to."
"He always seemed so cold though. Cold and distant, like I never mattered to him. It drove me insane; he acted just like father did."
"Regulus has many faces. He always has, for as long as I've known him."
"Why though? Why pretend like that? Surely out of everyone I was the one who he knew he didn't have to pretend around!" Sirius stepped closer to Wilkes, and the taller man seemed to loom over him. They stared at each other, both angry from what they felt but both unable to call what they felt anger.
"You think you were all-accepting? Regulus was dead to you the moment he became a Slytherin. You didn't notice how the others treated him, how they punished him for your wrong-doings! I know that. I know that because I was the one who put him back together on most nights." Wilkes was nearly yelling at Sirius, and Remus could tell that neither man was really talking to the one who their feelings were directed at. While Wilkes got to yell at a Sirius, it wasn't the right one, and Sirius's emotions were, of course, directed towards his brother and not Wilkes at all.
"He should have told me," Sirius exclaimed. "How could I have known! I lived on the other side of the castle."
"He tried! He tried to come to you because you were his brother. You insulted him!" Sirius froze suddenly.
"No – there's no way I would have done that."
Remus felt suddenly sick as he realized what Wilkes was so angry about. The young Sirius of this dimension had fully abandoned his brother, and it was likely that their own Sirius had done the same, without even remembering it now.
Sirius stepped back from Wilkes, stumbling as he diverted his eyes from the angry man. Almost as soon as Sirius turned from Wilkes, the man deflated, losing the anger in his eyes. Wilkes stepped back as well, and he casted an almost apologetic glance at Dorea. The older woman tactfully didn't comment on the argument, but her eyes found Sirius and softened.
"It's been a long time," Lily said. "I'm concerned about Harry."
"The Hall of Prophecies isn't too far from here," Dorea said. "Whether or not he could have lifted the prophecy, they should be back soon."
"Perhaps we should check on them?" Remus said. "I know that you took us here to see if Sirius responds, and I really don't like that Harry and Regulus are alone out there."
"We'd know if Regulus was fighting," Wilkes said drily. "He trashes whole buildings when he fights. We'd hear the explosions."
"Not if there are silencing charms," Dorea said. "Leon, I think they're right." Wilkes paused for a second but finally relented, motioning the others to follow him. He went through the same door that the Unspeakable had gone through, and as soon as they passed the threshold, they began to hear loud crashes and bangs that shook the entire room.
"Damnit," Wilkes swore, pulling out his wand and running towards to noise. Wandless, the other travelers followed, knowing that they couldn't help but needing to protect Harry. Racing through the Hall of Prophecies, Remus realized with a sinking feeling where the fighting was.
The room with the veil awaited them.
Throwing the door to it open, Wilkes raced into it, and the others followed. Dorea and Wilkes immediately joined the fight as Remus tried to analyze the situation. Regulus was fighting, causing the loud bangs as he threw explosive curses and even large objects at another man. The man he fought was shockingly and undeniably Sirius. He even had the same haircut as Remus was used to on his friend. Of course, this Sirius wasn't his friend. This Sirius was a mad man and a murderer. Sirius only had three other wizards fighting with him, all masked. Before, the Unspeakable had been holding them at bay, and with Wilkes and Dorea now also fighting, the men were quickly overcome.
Remus watched Regulus and Sirius battle. It was clear that both were expert wizards, and Remus was amazed at their skill levels. Even Dumbledore would have had trouble beating either of the two wizards. Sirius, trained by Voldemort, and Regulus, trained by whom? Remus didn't know. Watching Regulus fight, however, Remus couldn't help but wonder if he was self-taught. The man hardly used any unique spells, mostly using ones taught at Hogwarts. His spells were immensely powerful and deadly accurate, but he didn't have the precision of a truly well-trained wizard. His spells were a little all over the place, but despite that, Remus had no doubt that he would be hard-pressed to find another wizard as good as Regulus. Sirius, on the other hand, fought more like Voldemort had. Precise and accurate with strong, dark spells. Sirius clearly had the larger arsenal of spells, Remus realized, as Regulus used Wingardium Leviosa to throw a large piece of rubble at Sirius. That being said, Sirius's spells had less straight power behind them. Despite their differences, however, neither wizard looked finished. Dumbledore had always appeared measured and put-together during his battles. Sirius and Regulus both were sweating, with dirt coating their faces and small wounds on them. They were both fighting with everything inside of them.
"Where is Harry?" James asked urgently. "I can't see Harry." Remus started, surprised by the sudden voice and realized with a sharp stab of fear that James was right. Harry was gone.
Hey everyone! Thanks for reading and please review. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter