I don't own Harry Potter or any of the series that may from time to time show up here. I apologize in advance if I use any OC's created by other fan fiction writers.
This story is my own, though it will be based on the crapilogue. The story begins with Harry being called into Shacklebolt's office and being sent on holiday.
The story takes the air date of Stargate SG-1 Secrets as Bane (21/08) as the day of the mission. I reversed the order of stories of Bane and Secrets for the purpose of my fan fiction.
In searching for an appropriate setting for the HQ of Potter Inc in the USA, I chose a 100 acre site in Cedar County near Stockton near St Louis. I hasten to add that I do not own the property, nor do I know the people who do and I have never been there. I am merely using the location for the purposes of this fan fiction.
Jack awoke the following morning, nursing a massive headache. He was going to see his ex-wife and dead son, though in this dimension she was a widow and Charlie was still alive. His dimension's Harry helped him get awake.
"You won't cure your sorrows in the bottom of a bottle of Jack Daniels," Harry told him.
"Maybe it'll be found in the bottom of two," Jack quipped.
"Visiting people in this reality whom you lost in ours has got to be a scary proposition and it doesn't have a military solution. I could tell you to shut up and soldier, but it really is not the same, is it?" Harry asked.
"No, it really is not. I thought this was what I needed. That it was what I needed." Jack sank back onto the bed. It was not the best thing to do to his full dress uniform.
"You need closure," Harry asserted.
Jack looked at Harry, blankly. Closure was what he'd been striving for these past four years. You did not just recover from having your son blow his brains out with your own gun and your wife leaving shortly thereafter without saying good bye without a part of you dying. That Jack had a chance at happiness with Sam Carter was kind of ironic. He could never really live that new life, without letting his past life go.
"You think you have it bad," Harry said. "Imagine how Sara is going to feel seeing you alive, again. It's going to be a shock to her system and Charlie's as well. I'm taking along a wand, as well, just to test Charlie's wizarding aptitude."
"How far is the journey to see them?" Jack asked. If he was hoping for several hours, he was out of luck.
"We'll be taking a portkey. An empty stomach is probably the best for travelling by portkey. I really don't care for it myself. We are strapped for time. It's for the best." Harry really did not like portkey travel. Jack had never tried it. He experienced the reality a short time later and was pleased he had not had any breakfast.
His ex-wife lived in a nice detached property with a pristine white picket fence. Jack thought that Charlie was the one responsible for that. Sara was still pretty, Jack thought. She paled when she saw Harry and she dropped the book she'd been holding in her hand on seeing Jack.
"May we come in, we have some questions?" Harry declared.
"Again, I thought I was done with all this. Come in."
She lead them into the lounge and they sat down. "There is a simple explanation," Harry said. Yeah, thought Jack, we're interdimensional travellers. "We come from a different dimension. My name is Harry Potter."
"Yes, I know who you are," Sara said. "You interrogated us four years ago. It was not pleasant."
"Is Charlie around," Jack asked.
"Charlie, lounge, now," Sara yelled. Harry thought she was right to be shocked into yelling. Charlie ran into the room and stopped, jaw dropping as he saw Jack.
"Please sit down, Charlie." Charlie sat. Harry drew out the wand and handed it to Charlie.
"Please wave this around for a few minutes." Charlie did as he was told. It gave off sparks.
"What does that mean and why are you here?" Sara was beginning to get herself together, now.
"It means Charlie, here is a wizard. House Potter will pay for his education in controlling his abilities. Jack this strengthens our case in our MACUSA. He's a wizard. They murdered a wizard."
"You mean I died in your reality?" Harry wondered why he found dimension travelling more believable than being a wizard.
"Unlike here, you died and not Jack, here." Harry saw that he was being believed.
"Did I exist in your reality?" Sara asked.
"You did. We were married. Charlie died and you gave me an ultimatum about leaving the military. I did, but got recalled to active duty and when I got back, you weren't. I didn't go after you. You blamed me for Charlie's death. We all thought it suicide until Harry here, poked around in my mind."
"Does it hurt?" Charlie asked.
"No," Jack answered.
"You want answers. Look in my head." Charlie was being brave.
"Charlie had been at the window. He saw those who would murder his father. The 9 special military force, the three wizards and Kinsey and Kawalsky."
"Jack write this down. Harry gave him the names of the men who arrived. The NID, wizard trio, Kinsey and Kawalsky." Jack looked horrified.
Harry watched as the murder unfolded. He saw Sara hide behind the sofa. Jack demanded to know why they were in his house. Harry saw the Imperius being issued and Jack get his gun and after checking there was a bullet in the chamber, blew his own brains out. They told Charlie not to say anything to anyone and left. Kinsey gloated over Jack's death. Jack wrote everything down as Harry spoke it.
"You were made to forget it, Jack, in our world. Your wife probably thought you couldn't handle the truth and she'd been confounded to leave you. She wasn't touched, physically. She must have tried to save Charlie. She knew nothing about wizards. Nothing about magic. It's not surprising she left you. Sorry, Jack. That must have hurt. We'll make sure the authorities here get a copy of what I learned from Charlie. There may be some people they did not get four years ago."
"Do I need to do anything?" Charlie asked.
"If you and your mother could sign this statement as true and accurate," Harry said. Jack let Sara and Charlie check what he'd written and then they signed it.
Sara sighed and said, "I could have married a President."
"You did marry the great grandson of one. She was a witch."
Harry and Jack took the portkey back. A copy was presented to Lord Charlus Potter. Jack went off to have breakfast.
Lord Charlus Potter indicated that Harry should sit. Harry did so.
"You were blood adopted by Sirius Orion Black?" Lord Charlus asked.
"Yes, I was as a baby."
"I can see the advantages. What's your Sirius like?" Lord Charlus asked.
"He's been dead for two years. I didn't spend all that much time with him and that which I did, there were always Weasleys hovering nearby."
"You didn't know we have a blood feud with them?"
"No, I didn't. One was my best friend. I killed him shortly before coming here. I learnt he betrayed me."
"His family betrayed us. The Wizengamot had passed an Act in 1919 forbidding our service in muggle wars. My son decided that was crap. He almost lost his life. The Weasleys betrayed us, expecting a large reward. We destroyed them financially and the Wizengamot rescinded that Law."
"He died in my reality. Dumbledore used your grief to remove the Potters from the Wizengamot. You must, in my reality, have still possessed enough strength to strip the Weasleys of their wealth and name them blood traitors. I returned the Potters to the Wizengamot and got it to repeal that Act. I never did learn of the reason the Weasleys are blood traitors. I did narrowly avoid marrying a Weasley girl."
"You had a lucky escape. How did I die?"
"You and your bother and wives died of Dragon Pox. I suspect foul play."
"As the family which invented the cure for Dragon Pox, I think foul play is the correct call. Who killed us?"
"Severus Tobias Snape on the orders of Albus Dumbledore. He claimed it was for the greater good. I nearly removed him from his headmaster's portrait."
"You may be wondering why we are living in the US. It has to do with Albus Dumbledore. He's Chief Warlock and his power is such that we found it politick to leave magical Britain and live in the US. The current Minister is his stooge, Arthur Weasley. We were fortunate to stop him being Supreme Mugwump. We shall use your information about Snape."
"He's a Death Eater. He wanted my mother as his trophy wife."
"Did he now?" Charlus said, icily. "Any ideas on why Dumbledore is so powerful?"
"Phoenix, Philosopher's Stone and the Elder Wand." Harry thought that covered everything.
Lord Charlus Potter looked grim. "Are you making use of the Potter gifts in our Vault?"
"I only just got access to Fleamont's Vault. I don't get access to yours until I'm 21."
"I see that would be a no then." Charlus chuckled. "It's a pity you can't stay and help us deal with Dumbledore."
"I wouldn't bother with him," Harry said. "He's tied up with plenty of murders including that of Millicent Bagnold."
"The young Minister that vanished. The same duo?"
"Yes."
"That's something we can use. You've given us a few loose ends to tie up here."
"You have more than a chance to establish the Potters here in the US. Imelda Potter does not have to be the only Potter to be President of MACUSA."
"The Supreme Mugwump has a nice ring to it," Lord Charlus laughed. "We'll transport you and O'Neill back to the Dimension Mirror in an hour. It's been an experience."
Harry went back to the room he'd been using to pack. He was not going back empty handed. He had a book that Hermione would have appreciated – a nice thick rules of procedure for MACUSA's Star Chamber. That was the Court Harry would have to present his case in. He had the gift of a full set of said Court's regalia. Harry would have check both the regalia and the book in his own dimension. There could be differences, Harry knew.
Harry knew there was something he had to do. He had his trusted three spells, his mother had left him. The ones to end a Fidelius, make the location unplottable and untraceable. What Harry was about to do would hurt Dumbledore beyond words. He would kill Gellert Grindelwald, take Nurmengard away from Dumbledore and give it and all its resources to the Potters. It was a win win for his family. Since Grindelwald had been sentenced to death in absentia, it was not even murder. Well, not technically.
Harry apparated to Nurmengard. Grindelwald seemed to know he was coming.
"Latest Dumbledore conquest, are you boy?"
"Reducto. Reducto. Reducto. Reducto." That was enough to kill the man. An Evanesco later and there was nothing left of the man who terrorised the magical world for so many years.
Three spells later and Dumbledore forgot all about the place. Harry returned to what passed for Potter Village and said Nurmengard to Lord Charlus, authorising him to tell his heir. He then sat reading the tome on the MACUSA Star Chamber.
Jack was also packing. Unlike Harry, Jack could stay in this dimension. He had a measure of closure that he had not thought possible. He seethed with the knowledge that Kawalsky had betrayed him. In his own dimension the man was already dead and beyond Jack's reach for vengeance. The Senator was not. He had been chosen as Henry Hayes' running mate. Hayes' father and Jack's father had been army buddies. Hayes and O'Neill had been buddies going through West Point. Their careers in the military had diverged. Hayes had done his four year service, final rank of Captain and then he'd left to pursue a legal career. He'd had a period of service with a prestigious law firm on Wall Street. He'd stood for and won a term as US Senator for the State of New York as a Republican in 1994. He was currently embroiled in a rather vicious fight with the Republican Governor of Texas, George W Bush. His need for a respected Republican running mate in the South lead him to Senator Kinsey.
Senator Robert Kinsey had been a Senator for Florida for many years and currently held the position of Appropriations Committee Chairman. The man was the bane of the Clinton Administration and well known for fighting the bloated budgets of bureaucracy. Jack now knew that the man regarded him as an enemy to be erased. Was that why Kinsey was so set against the SGC? The presence of Jack O'Neill, with 2 Ls? Jack could not for the life of him work out how the Senator had formed such a negative opinion of him. To Jack's knowledge, their paths had never crossed before the SGC. Talking with this dimension's Charlie had shown him where his knowledge was lacking. Kinsey had got Jack dead. That still did not provide the answer, however. Jack could not ask this dimension's Kinsey. He'd been executed for his part in the murder of Brigadier General Jack O'Neill. He'd been brevetted from Colonel posthumously.
The journey back through the dimension mirror went without incident. That alone had Harry wondering when the infamous Potter luck would intrude. He didn't have long to wait. He made sure to get himself, Jack, Daphne and Neville proper clothes for the Star Chamber. He bought this dimension's book and made sure they started learning it. Harry had to meet with the Librarian to the MACUSA Congress, the intern who dealt with his request and the Secretary to the Star Chamber.
Jack met up with Sam Carter. The morning after was a bit embarrassing. Hermione turned up to tell Harry that going through the dimension mirror had an unfortunate side effect for wizards. Harry was surprised to find out that Jack had suffered the same fate. It did prove that he was a wizard, albeit not a very powerful one.
The embarrassment was caused by sex. Jack had sex with Carter. Harry had sex with Daphne, the Librarian, Intern and Secretary to the Star Chamber. Hermione got caught by it as well. She then told Harry why he'd acted the way he had. And that such action always resulted in pregnancy.
"Hermione, if you already knew this, why didn't you send me an owl?" Harry growled as he finished dressing. "How long does this state last?"
A couple of weeks," Hermione smiled. "As to why, I want your child."
"I thought you and Ron," Harry said lamely.
"What? Go with a guy who always belittles me, steals from you and sells items from a basilisk you slew without his help and almost got me killed, first year. No thank you. I learnt more about him than I ever wanted to know."
Well, screw you Ron, Harry thought. He'd been shocked when Ron had come up with some good ideas to reform the Auror Corps. He'd explained his thoughts to Hermione, who had just returned from Australia.
Hermione had told him that she'd gone to Australia and found her parents. She'd restored their memories and they had not wanted her. She'd ended up putting them back into the state she had put them in before they'd left England. Her mother had another daughter born to them in Australia. Her mother did not want her to know about Hermione. Harry had given Hermione a hug.
Harry remembered Hermione from the DA, when she had been so diffident, timid even in asking him to lead the sessions. Now, she was all business. She had had a right kicking and had to grow up. She approached the Ron problem in the same way. She'd brewed veritaserum and got Ron to drink it. She'd confounded him at the end. Harry knew first hand how effective she was with that spell. He still couldn't read the version of the History of Magic or Hogwarts A History he'd taken with him, first year. He'd bought other copies since and had picked up a version from Bagshot's home as they'd been chased out of it by Nagini.
Ron was a spy. Dumbledore's spy on Harry. He'd done it for money. He was a coward. Hermione had learnt all of these things. She'd learnt that the twins had bought him a book he'd used to 'win' Hermione, counting on Harry's honour not to pinch 'his girl'. The meeting had been a set up on the train. Ron had deliberately got himself knocked out in the chess game so he would not have to go to face Quirrell and yes, he'd already known. Second year, Ron had used his broken wand to cast a silent bombarda to bring the ceiling down. Third year, a sleeping draught had made sure he wouldn't be going back in time. He had told Dumbledore that there was no way he was going back to help a Black. Fourth year he'd turned on Harry and had not even properly apologised. Hermione knew about that side of Ron, too. Fifth year, Ron had made sure he got taken out of the fight in the Department of Mysteries by attracting a brain. Sixth year, he'd fanned the flames of arguments between Harry and Hermione as well as potioning them both with amorentia cued to Ginny and Ron, respectively. Seventh year, he'd abandoned them and then returned to destroy the locket and Harry and Hermione's growing closeness. He'd set them up with the snatchers. He'd tried to persuade Harry not to rescue Draco, something that had later proved so valuable in persuading Narcissa not to betray his living condition to Voldie. He'd not drawn his wand during the battle of Hogwarts.
Ron was just as powerful as the rest of his family. Harry had thought Molly to be just above a squib and no doubt Bellatrix had thought the same, until Molly one shot her. Ron was part of the Golden Trio. He was milking that for all it was worth. He had never done anything to help them. Harry was glad that he'd destroyed that de-illuminator that Ron had got from Dumbledore. The plans Ron had to use it had made both Harry's and Hermione's blood boil, not quite literally.
Harry had not been able to get rid of the Resurrection Stone. He'd used it on Fred Weasley. He wished he had not. Fred told Harry that they'd seen Pettigrew on the map in their second year and had blackmailed Dumbledore into allowing them free rein in pranking people in return for keeping quiet and not giving him his map. Fred and George had known about the plot to link Ron up with Hermione and were tickled pink that Hermione would be snared by a book. They had thought it a hoot that Harry was friends with a family his had declared Blood Traitors and broken financially. Everyone thought Harry had forgiven the Weasleys. They had no idea that Harry had not known. Another black mark to lay at Albus Dumbledore's feet.
Harry noticed the ashen look on Daphne's face. He got the story out of her that women of her family had a 50:50 chance of death during childbirth. Harry had confidence that Hermione could brew the necessary potions needed to end the curses. Hermione had enough to be going on with as Head Girl and NEWTs, but was not going to say no to Harry. Harry made sure Kreacher knew that Hermione was to receive anything she needed for this. Kreacher was all for lifting a curse on a pureblood member of the Sacred 28.
The other three bed partners of Harry reacted poorly to the news they were going to be mothers. They were sworn to secrecy and told why. The intern wept and said her family would disown her. Harry said his would not.
Harry made a phone call to Jack, which was when he got the story of what had happened between Jack and Sam. Harry had said 'that's great' to Jack and explained it meant Jack was a wizard. Harry had looked into pensieves and how to ensure the true memory was always displayed. It was an area of interest that had first surfaced after Dumbledore had said that Slughorn had altered his memory.
Neville and Daphne concentrated on the facts of the case. Hermione started researching the Greengrass curse. McGonagall understood why Hermione was staying with Harry for a fortnight. Hermione's dealings with her headmistress went better than Jack's did with Hammond.
General Hammond was very disappointed with Jack and Sam. Even with the explanation, he was not mollified. The Presidential Finding that Jack and Sam could have any relationship they wanted had him considering his position. How would this relationship affect unit cohesion and other teams in the program? George took some of the blame. He had allowed Jack to form his own unit, rather than insisting on four military personnel and having Carter on another team. He had twice put Carter forward for promotion to Major and given her own team to command. He'd been twice denied. He'd been prohibited from telling her. George felt that Teal'c and Daniel Jackson's expertise should be considered an SGC resource and not one to be deployed just on SG-1. Jack, though, had never refused his requests to have the two join other teams for some missions.
On Major Kawalsky's death, Major Ferretti was moved to SG-2 from SG-3, Hammond had put forward Carter for promotion and command of the team. A Marine Major Makepeace had been promoted to full Colonel and appointed leader of SG-3. His double promotion had raised eyebrows, even amongst the Marine Corps. He was the most senior Marine appointment. SG-3 was getting high profile missions, as a direct consequence. It was currently taking all of Hammond's political capital to prevent the NID having teams on the SGC. This had tabled consideration of expanding the SGC by adding 4 more combat teams of Airforce and Marine personnel. His only victory consisted of getting Feretti promoted to Lt Colonel. The Army was raising merry hell that its personnel were not being considered for positions within the SGC.
George did not resign. He knew he had to be the commander of SGC for when SG-1 went back in time. The Army did have the division that had been stationed at Cheyenne Mountain to contain any Foothold situation. Hammond had been a little taken aback at how gleeful the Army had been at the prospect of shooting dead Air Force and Marine personnel.
Sam Carter had not been asked how she felt about becoming a mother. Jack had kind of neglected to tell her about that part. Jack had told her that he was a wizard. Not a very powerful one, but a wizard none the less. Sam listened to a conversation Jack was having with Harry. She should not have been told. Harry had told Jack that It was okay to tell a family member who was not magical. Sam smiled at that. Harry had gone on to say that she and Jack weren't married and could not, if Harry had understood what Jack had told him about regulations, correctly. Sam would like Jack to ask her, regulations be damned. She could always take up another post. Area 51 had been after her for the past year. The breakthroughs in new technology were all down to her research. It had been strongly hinted to her that a promotion would also be waiting for her.
That evening she and Jack sat down to a meal she had cooked.
"Jack, I know we have to be married. I've decided that we should. I've emailed my acceptance of a post at Area 51 working with the technology our teams bring back. Admittedly, it's not much right now, but it will grow, I'm sure."
"We can marry in Vegas. That's where couples elope to, is it not?"
"Yes, it is. When is the trial?"
"Harry says it'll be in two weeks or thereabouts. I need my wizards stuff and a wand."
"I've enough leave accumulated and General Hammond won't refuse me," Sam said. "We should tell the General, before he hears about my transfer from somebody else."
"As your commanding officer that duty falls to me." Jack then phoned Hammond. The General was naturally still at the Mountain.
"General, Colonel O'Neill here."
"What can I do for you, son?" the general asked.
"Captain Carter has accepted an offer transferring her to Area 51. We plan on getting married."
"I thought you might be calling. I will not allow Captain Carter to transfer to Area 51. She is far too valuable and capable an officer to send her into the rear echelon. Her request for leave is approved, though. I will talk with the President about your plans. I have to tell you that I am opposed. Had you been discrete, I could have covered for you both."
"I wasn't expecting you to support a 'Don't ask, Don't tell' position, General. In a few months, discretion will be impossible."
"I'll give you a call back later tonight, Colonel." Hammond hung up. He picked up his red phone and a few seconds later, he was speaking with the President. The President said he'd issue the necessary Presidential Finding. George tried his best to talk the President out of it. George eventually recognized the futile nature of his protest. George definitely thought the move would be prejudicial to his command. He called Jack back and told him that the President had approved their marriage and a note to that effect would be added to their permanent records.
Sam and Jack went to Las Vegas and got married. Their witnesses were Daniel Jackson and Janet Frasier. Jack was a traditionalist and did not go in for wearing a wedding ring. He wanted to spend money on Sam. He spent a thousand dollars on the wedding, itself with dresses and suits thrown in. Another thousand dollars on the wedding ring and eighteen thousand dollars on a single diamond set on a gold band for the engagement ring. Sam told him that she was going to be keeping Carter as her surname. For her father. Sam thought, privately, that if Jack thought this would deprive her of a marriage in a magnificent Cathedral, he had another thing coming.
Sam was happy. Disappointed that Hammond had been against the marriage, but that was hardly surprising. He had a command of troops to consider. She was starting to have dreams about the Tok'Ra and where they were from Jolinar's memories. She would have to talk to Jack and Hammond about them. The Tok'Ra could make a good ally against the Goa'uld. Jack still hadn't got the security upgrades he had wanted after the Goa'uld assassin had been able to just walk into to the Mountain. They'd only just found the Tel'tak the assassin had used, in orbit. The SGC had no way to get into it. There was a shuttle mission slated for later in the year, next month , in fact, but the intended orbits did not exactly align. NASA had promised to do some number crunching.
Jack O'Neill reflected on his career. He'd fought in Vietnam, he'd been part of an army unit that had run into a downed airman, Jacob Carter and brought everybody back alive. He'd then been the wrong O'Neil at the right place, joining an air force special forces mission. He'd finished the Academy as official US involvement in the Vietnam War was done. He'd finished the war as a Captain. That had been rapid promotion – Second Lieutenant to Captain in mere months. He'd spent the next decade as a Captain. He'd been rather frustrated. An excellent performance on a second mission to East Germany and he made it to Major. He'd been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel before Panama and to full Colonel, before the Iraqi war. He'd been left behind by Colonel Cromwell. It had been an operation in support of the operation to liberate Kuwait City. He made sure his captors realised his outrage and that had been part of the reason for his eventual release.
The air force academy always maintained he'd graduated from there. In fact, he'd graduated West Point – 3rd in his class. The other O'Neil had graduated from the Air Force Academy. He had qualified on jets, fairly quickly. The years after Vietnam had been tough for the US armed forces. It was a fight just to keep the current establishment. A battle they usually lost. O'Neill remembered he'd been earmarked for the rescue mission of the American citizens held by the Iranians. The mission had been scrubbed by the coward of a President, at the time.
Jack thought Kinsey must have something stuck in his throat, by now. The man had got him to retire and then be brought back, but suicide wasn't for an O'Neill. Kinsey had not been able to force Jack out, again. It certainly was not for lack of trying. Sam was a far better person than Sara and he had another kid on the way. He'd known of Sam Carter, of course, for years thanks to his friendship with her father. He'd gotten to know Mark, really well. Sam had been sent away to school. Jack had never understood that, at the time. Now he'd gotten to know just how scary smart she was; he understood the reasons. He'd be a better father, he promised, this time around. Life was good. Really good.
A/N
A note to remind myself of the central plot of this story
The memory changes whilst he'd been in the hands of the NID had been performed by a wizard named Howard N Bumfree who'd had a partner, who had not been identified. Bumfree had cast the Imperius on Charlie to cause him to blow his brains out. Harry knew that the NID Operations leader had been a Gerald D Maguire, a Captain who'd had a personal beef with O'Neill. There had been 9 members of the NID team, with two outside in the van and three wizards. Out of the twelve people present, Harry could only identify two. Obviously Jack and Charlie had been there as victims, but Harry did not know from what he'd seen whether Jack's wife Sara had been present. Her memory had been modified, but she'd clearly had an imperative to leave Jack. It was as though the NID had wanted Jack to be suicidal and alone for that mission he'd done with a nuclear warhead. That meant they already knew things about the 'Gate'; information that had not been shared with those unlocking its secrets before the mission.