Chapter 2
Albus Dumbledore was well and truly shocked. In front of him was not just proof that the Veil of Death was not one sided, but that some alternate form of their world might indeed exist. He needed to get control of this situation quickly before anything more serious escalated from here.
"Saul, I will take the boy to Poppy at Hogwarts, and see to his obvious need of medical attention. I will reconvene with you once I know more about how this could have happened."
"Of course Albus. What do you think should be done on this end of things?" Saul asked knowingly.
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "You and I both know that the Ministry is compromised, and whether we want to admit it or not, the Department of Mysteries is likely as well. I am afraid that as little as I like it, we will need to keep as little information as possible to be available to the enemy."
The two eyed each other, and had the briefest of conversations at a glance. "Of course. I will ensure that as few know of this situation as is necessary. You can count on me for my discretion, but do keep me in the loop."
Albus's wand waved gracefully over the boy, putting him into a deep sleep, and he levitated him towards the closest exit. As he stepped through the door, he heard his close friend's quietly muttered Obliviate. There was much to do.
====X====
The Hogwarts staff sat at table for dinner, the clattering of utensils and quiet murmur of conversation settled over them as they wound down from the end of their school year. The students had not quite left yet for the summer, so they could not let their guard down. but none seemed too enthused with keeping the student populace in line with so little time left in the year.
They were interrupted from their meals and quiet conversations by the flash of a silver phoenix above the table.
"Poppy. Please bring Minerva and Severus to the Hospital Wing immediately."
The three looked to one another in confusion. It was not normal for the Headmaster to ask for them all so suddenly without giving any sort of information as the reason for their summoning. As Minerva looked across the Great Hall, she could not identify any missing students that could be injured. With a shrug for her Slytherin counterpart, they rose as one, and began their trek to find answers.
====X====
As the trio entered the Hospital Wing, they found their eccentric Headmaster standing at the foot of the furthest bed from the entryway. Severus Snape was already not looking forward to whatever this was about since he knew personally that all of his snakes were accounted for. The rest of the school's populace was entirely unimportant to him at the moment, and he could not find it within himself to care.
As he pulled up to the screened in patient, his control over his thoughts shattered. A young James Potter look alike lay in the bed before him, giving him flashes to a cottage over a dozen years ago as he'd stepped over a cold unseeing face to find the inhabitants within. As Albus began casting to wake the young teen, he felt like nothing could break him further until the brilliant green eyes that haunted him from his childhood opened from a face he hated as much as he hated himself. Lily's eyes. In James' face. He clamped down on his Occlumency so hard he felt his own mind shudder in response.
====X====
Four adults Harry knew well stood at the foot of his bed as he began opening his eyes. He felt as though he had gotten a bit of rest, which he was thankful for, but still he felt as though he had missed the answers he needed.
"Not that I'm not glad to be back in your care Madam Pomphrey but how did I get here? I don't think you answered me before Headmaster. Is everyone okay? The last thing I remember is leaping after Sirius through that doorway and then a blinding headache."
The aged Headmaster seemed to think for a moment before responding. The other three adults all had looks of extreme confusion on their faces, and even Snape looked as though he was in pain.
"My boy, I think that you have been on a bit of a journey. For our benefit, could you please explain who you are and how you found yourself in that room?" Dumbledore asked slowly.
Harry didn't know why he was asking as if they didn't know him, but conversations with the Headmaster had been stranger before so who knew what he was getting at.
"As I said before, I'm Harry Potter. I hadn't been working on my Occlumency since Snape had stopped our lessons, and I got a bad vision that Voldemort had Sirius trapped in the Department of Mysteries. He was trying to get the prophecy. It turned out to be a false plant from him, because when I got there with my friends, the Death Eaters were waiting for us."
Harry missed the confusion on Snape's face, but had to suppress a snort at the three flinches saying Voldemort's name had gotten him.
"We all ended up in that dome room with the weird archway, and the Death Eaters had everyone else captured. Malfoy tried to get me to give up the prophecy, but I knew it had to be a trap. That's when the Order showed up and we got into a fight."
At the mention of prophecy, Dumbledore seemed to perk up. "Do you still have the prophecy on you?"
Harry took it out and noticed immediately that it wasn't glowing brightly anymore. He handed it over to Dumbledore who seemed disturbed by the dim globe.
"Anyway, I took out Malfoy with a Reducto, but Sirius got distracted. Bellatrix hit him with a spell from behind, and he stepped back through the archway and disappeared. I couldn't help myself. I went in after him. Cue massive headache and here I am. Now what about everyone else? Are they all ok?"
At this, Snape finally shook himself free of whatever was freezing him in place and spoke. "You fought the Dark Lord's lieutenants and survived? How?"
"Well I've been fighting Voldemort in one way or another since first year. I don't see why a ponce like Malfoy should give me pause."
The silence in the room was palpable. Why were the adults acting so odd? It was as if none of them knew him at all. Even Snape was acting out of sorts, and if anything that was unnerving him more.
"My boy, the Harry Potter of this world was murdered Halloween of 1981 by Lord Voldemort. You are, I believe, the only wizard or witch to ever survive going through the Veil of Death in the Department of Mysteries, and you seem to have exited into another parallel world entirely. As such is the case, all of your friends on this side never went to the department and should, therefore, all be fine"
At the mention of the Veil of Death the other three adults jumped in surprise. Mcgonagall stepped forward to speak at this.
"Albus, surely this must be some sort of elaborate and poorly done joke. No one has ever come through that Veil. I agree the lad looks an awful lot like James Potter, but this just cannot be."
"There is an easy way to know. Please take out your wand and hold it out with the tip raised. Then state clearly: Everything I have said so far in this conversation is the truth as I know it. So mote it be. Then clearly cast a Lumos for us."
Mcgonagall seemed a bit perturbed by this suggestion, but Harry simply shrugged and took out his wand in order to do as asked. It felt odd to him as he stated the simple message, and nothing occurred, even when he went to cast the lighting charm. The wand felt hollow, like a simple stick with none of the warmth he knew.
"My wand feels empty for some reason Headmaster."
The Headmaster nodded in recognition of some fact. "I believe the journey through the archway may have stripped the magic from it. What is it made of so that we can replace it?"
"We can't just replace it sir! The feather came from Fawkes. It's the only one left."
"My boy, Garrick has never sold that wand here, or at least he has never told me of selling it. I believe it will still be there in this world, waiting for this world's Harry Potter. We can retrieve it later, however. Attempt the same with my wand for now." At this Dumbledore handed him his wand.
Harry took the gnarled, bone white wand and attempted again, feeling much better as a cold bright energy seemed to infuse the wand from his hand. There was a bright light from the tip as he finished speaking, and then a strong lighting charm was cast. He handed back the wand and felt a strange feeling from it, almost like disapproval that he was handing it back.
Dumbledore turned to Mcgonagall and spoke, "Minerva please see that Harry is quietly added to the rolls for next year, set up private OWL tests with Madam Marchbanks for later in the week, and meet us later tonight with the rest of the Order. I fear there will be much to speak on as a group."
He then turned to Snape, "Severus please check in with the other side, and ascertain quietly if anyone is aware of his presence yet. If we need to misdirect their attention elsewhere, please do so. Be at the meeting later if you can."
Both professors nodded their ascent and swept off, speaking in low whispers to one another.
The Headmaster spoke with the Mediwitch next, "While I go and obtain his wand and supplies for the summer and coming year, please go over his wounds from the previous fight he was in. I would pay special attention to his magical core as it has been fluctuating since he arrived. While he would, I'm sure, like to see his friends again, I believe it would be for the best that he be quarantined from them for now until we can ascertain the exact differences between his world and ours."
The matron nodded, and blew out her cheeks in annoyance, "I'll thank you not to tell me how to care for my own patients Albus, but you may be right in this case."
Dumbledore turned and gave Harry an understanding look. "You must remember that anyone you knew in your previous world is but a stranger in this one. You will have to endure many first meetings, and you may need to understand that one who was a close friend may be vastly different here. Another who was nothing but a great enemy could be your closest ally. Until we can determine the difference, cautiousness is what I would suggest for you. When I return, we can speak on this more, but until then please be helpful in any way you can with Madam Pomphrey. Is there any supply you wish for beyond the norm while I am in Diagon Alley?"
"I doubt she would still be there, as it has been a few years but there was a beautiful snowy owl at Eyelops that I was close to. She likes to nip at fingers but having her with me wou ld do wonders to help with all this."
"I will check in there to see if she is, perhaps still unsold. Some friends we make in life are destined to be there for us after all." With that, Dumbledore turned and strode from the room, leaving Harry in the care of the elderly matron.
"I'm surprised you don't have me in my assigned cot here Madam Pomphrey, but I guess I haven't earned that spot yet have I?" Harry asked with a chuckle.
Madam Pomphrey eyed him with a slight smirk and said, "I will rely upon you to not earn that privilege in this world Mr. Potter."