Take a Chance. Tell the Truth.
10th of March, 1995.
Neville was watching Harry. "You are going to see my parents now?" he asked.
"Yes," Harry said.
"How is it going?" Neville asked.
"Can I answer that when I get back?" Harry asked.
Neville nodded. "Okay," he said.
Harry headed for the gates and turned into Kato. He headed straight to the Janus Thickey Ward. Alice was sitting in bed and drawing with crayons. "Hey, Alice?" Kato said as he sat down next to her.
"Kato!"
Alice smiled brightly at Kato. She liked Kato. He was much nicer than the other people she met.
"How are you feeling today Alice?" Kato asked.
"Good," Alice said. "Bored, but they gave me colours, look." She held out a fist full of crayons to Kato. Then she turned the picture she was drawing around and showed him. "It is Queen Katla with her dragon," she said.
"That's very nice dear," Kato said.
"Can you tell me another story?" Alice asked.
"As soon as I have checked up on you and the gentleman over there," Kato said as he pointed to Frank.
Alice nodded. "Okay," she said. She went back to drawing.
Kato reached into her mind gently and did his best to find memories that wouldn't confuse her too much. Using the not-great puzzle metaphor again he was looking for pieces that were adjacent to the bigger chunk that she was actually portraying right now. He wanted to build that forward in her life if he could, but he could only do it a little at a time or he would confuse her. Not that it was quite so simple, but he had to explain it to Augusta and Neville somehow.
He rose from his seat next to Alice and walked over to Frank. Frank wasn't a puzzle with pieces. He was more like a puzzle box with his consciousness at the centre. Getting there would require many hours of work and once again Kato couldn't move too quickly or it would all shut on him again.
Kato felt drained as he sat down next to Alice again and told her a story of the Lady of Shadows.
"Here," Alice said as he told her goodbye. "I want you to have it." She was holding out the picture she had been drawing.
"Thank you, Alice," Kato said.
"Thank you, Kato," Alice said.
Kato walked out of the long-term ward and started heading down to the lobby.
"Are you Healer Peverell?"
Kato looked down a corridor where an elderly woman stood with her hands on her hips.
"That is me," he said.
"I have heard that you want OB training. It usually isn't taught to men, but I know a few good lads who do quite a good job. If you are serious about learning I will teach you. My name is Elsa Brand. I've been doing this for the past twenty-five years."
Kato had been walking up to her as she spoke. "Kato Peverell. Licenced Master Healer and Mind Healer," he introduced himself as he shook her hand.
"And now you want to learn about delivery?" Healer Brand said.
"I have been asked to oversee a pregnancy and I won't do that without knowing what I'm doing," Kato said.
"A wise choice," Healer Brand said. "You are here on Fridays?"
"Friday afternoons. I heal the Longbottoms in the Janus ward," Kato said.
"Good, then we will squeeze some training in then," Healer Brand said. "I have a busy schedule. When I feel like you are ready I will speak to some of my patients and see if anyone among them is okay with you assisting me."
"That is very much appreciated," Kato said.
"Walk with me. We have dummies we use to simulate birth. I want to see how you would handle one without any instructions," Healer Brand said. She led him along a long corridor and down a set of stairs to a clean white room. She disappeared for a moment before coming back with an extremely life-like human-size doll. Kato reached out and placed a hand on the swollen stomach.
"She is in labour," Healer Brand said. "I do not expect you to fake bedside manners just do what needs to be done."
Kato nodded. "The baby is laying the wrong way around," he said. He had purchased several books on the subject so he knew at least a little bit about births and you wanted the baby to come out head first. This one wouldn't. He placed his hands on the doll's stomach and started shifting the baby around. He was careful and took his time. Then when the head was laying the right way the water broke all over him and he didn't move a muscle to do anything about that. He was focused on the birth, not the mess. It went fairly quickly after that and he held the little baby doll in his arms without any problems.
Healer Brand nodded slowly. "Good job," she said. "Much better than I have seen from some other Healers for their first time. The question is would you be as calm if there was a screaming woman there that you also had to deal with."
"I won't know that unless I try, ma'am," Kato said.
"Of course not," Healer Brand said. "I will see you next Friday. Be ready."
"Certainly," Kato said. He headed back to Hogwarts and snuck into Fleur's room so he could clean off and change. Then he headed over to the great hall just in time for dinner.
"Where have you been?" Hermione asked. "I have been looking all over for you."
"Can we talk about it tomorrow? It is not something I will be able to tell you in just a few hours," Harry said.
Hermione was taken aback. "Sure," she said.
They sat down and ate dinner before returning to the common room. Harry pulled Neville aside and they sat down together. "Alice is talking to me,'' Harry said.
Neville's eyes widened. "She is," he said.
"Yes, but… but she thinks she is about five years old," Harry said. "I'm working on it and I will slowly be able to move her to accept the rest of her memories, but I can't move too quickly." He brought out the picture that Alice had given to him. "She gave me this," he said. "It is a picture of Queen Katla. I converted the adventures that Katla has been on into a children's story and told it to her. She really liked it."
Neville was crying and Harry wrapped an arm around him. "I think I can bring you there as long as we say you are a friend of mine for now," Harry said. "I think you should bring one of those little yellow flowers that you gave me. She would like one."
Neville nodded slowly. He clutched the picture. "Can…can I keep it?" he asked.
"We'll put together a scrapbook with the pictures she makes," Harry said. "And yes. Of course, you can keep it."
"Will you explain things to her?" Neville asked.
"When she is old enough mentally to understand," Harry said.
Neville nodded. "Thank you so much, Harry," he said.
"I'm happy to help," Harry said.
From across the room, Hermione was watching the boys. She didn't know what was being said, but she could read their faces. Harry had told Neville something that made him both happy and sad. She just wished she knew what so she could help. Sometimes it felt like Neville knew what was going on while she was left in the dark and it hurt. She hoped that tomorrow Harry would explain it all.
11th of March, 1995.
It started in the morning. When Hermione woke up there was a letter lying on her nightstand. She sat up in bed. It was Harry's handwriting. She opened the letter and started to read.
To Hermione Jean Granger
1st of Last Seed. 4E 202 or
1st of August. Year unknown.
Hi Hermione.
It has been almost eleven months since I
last saw you. In those eleven months so
much has changed. I somehow left
Earth and ended up in Skyrim on Nirn.
I miss you and decided to write these
letters to you. I don't know if you will ever
read them, but a guy can dream, right?
So. Skyrim.
It isn't that different from let's say Scotland.
Unless you count the dragons flying around
or the fact that the time period mostly
resembles the middle ages.
I've been taught how to wield a sword because
bandits roam the roads and hide in the countless
caves, abandoned guard towers and any other
ruins they can inhabit.
Oh, one more thing. Everyone knows about
magic, and everyone can learn it if they really
wanted to. Most don't, but it is still kind of
amassing.
I live with Katla, she is a blacksmith
and Dragonborn and just recently
she became Queen of Skyrim,
Rashall, who is a thief and a murderer but
also a master in Alchemy or Potions,
and Naya who knows healing magic as well as
illusion magic apart from the fact that I think she
is an assassin too. They are all pretty amazing
and are teaching me a lot of different things.
(Though I'm staying far away from the thieving
and assassin stuff so don't worry)
Oh, I'm sure you are wondering what a
Dragonborn is.
Dragonborn is someone who either has
dragon blood running through their veins or
a dragon soul instead of a human soul or maybe
both. The information on the subject isn't the best.
That's why I am here.
I'm also Dragonborn. I was sent here so
Katla could teach me things. I'm learning to speak
the language of dragons. It's really cool.
They have their own magic that I'm also learning
how to use. That is really interesting especially
since most people would never be able to
learn it but as Dragonborn,
I have some advantages.
I've celebrated my first Birthday in Skyrim now.
It is really amazing to be here but I miss you.
I wish you could be here with me.
You would love learning about all the different
magic that they have here.
There is a College with a huge library in Skyrim
and an even bigger library in Cyrodill where
the Arcane University lies.
Yours Sincerely,
Harry James Potter
Dragonborn.
Was this some kind of joke? She looked at the way that Harry had expressed himself. If it was a joke it was not funny. She headed down towards the Great Hall as she reread the letter. The first thing that came to mind was that Harry didn't write like that. His penmanship was better. She tapped the letter. It hadn't been though, had it? Back before the first task. She bit her lip and looked at the letter again. She had known something was off. Could he really have travelled to another world and returned?
Hermione scanned the Gryffindor table as she entered the Great Hall. She couldn't see Harry anywhere. Neville sat by himself though so Harry might have been there. She sat down with Neville and grabbed some porridge and fruit. "Have you seen Harry this morning?" she asked.
"He left a little while ago," Neville said. He had wished Harry could have just sat down and talked to Hermione, but at least she was finally allowed to know what was going on. As Hermione finished eating, he handed her a letter from Harry.
To Hermione Jean Granger
20th of Last Seed. 4E 203 or
20th of August. Year unknown.
Dear Hermione.
It has been almost two years since I last talked
to you. I miss you. This world is fantastic and
there is so much to learn. A few days ago I
arrived at the top of the Throat of the World
where the great dragon Parthurnax lives.
I have come here to learn more about dragons
and their history. You would love it.
Parthurnax is thousands of years old.
He knows so much.
Did you know that dragons once had
a planet of their own? They all left it to go find
a new home after a war that destroyed
everything. So the Dragons in Skyrim and the
ones on Earth are related. At least that's what
I think he means.
War is coming to Skyrim. Katla is at the front
lines keeping her people safe. She is probably
the bravest person I know. Sometimes I wonder
what Hogwarts house my companions would be
in if they tried the Sorting Hat on. We are fighting
the Thalmor. They are elves who want to enslave
all men and eventually erase us all from
existence. No wonder Katla is fighting them.
Most have given up. The Thalmor are too
powerful, but they are scared of Skyrim.
They tried to weaken us through civil war
but Katla stopped that. So now their only option
is war. Either way, I'm staying out of that.
At least for now. I hope you are doing alright.
I keep checking the Marauders Map but nothing
is moving. I'm guessing that could be because
it doesn't function at this distance.
I mean I have no idea where Nirn is in relation to
Earth in the Universe.
My other theory is that time is somehow moving
completely differently between the two solar
systems and that maybe I will one day return to
the same time that I left. Either way,
I hope you will have a good life.
I hope we will someday meet again.
Yours Sincerely,
Harry James Potter
Dragonborn
Hermione wasn't sure what to think. It wasn't like Harry to try to trick people. She couldn't see herself believing that he would make all this up. Somehow it made sense. If he had been gone for several years that would explain the changes to him. He was more serious now. He didn't care about little things that didn't matter. She looked up at Neville. "He does realise how insane this sounds right?" she said.
Neville shrugged. "I don't know what he wrote to you," he said. "I just know the short version."
Hermione nodded slowly. So, she had been right when she assumed that Neville knew. That hurt. They were supposed to be really good friends. She rose from the table and started walking. When she reached the doors Fred and George appeared.
"For you, my lady," Fred said with a flourish as he handed her another letter.
"Thank you," Hermione said as she took the letter. Did the twins also know what was going on or… maybe Harry just asked them to give her the letter. She knew he had been spending time with them. That didn't mean they knew. She opened the letter and read it.
To Hermione Jean Granger
3rd of Last Seed, 4E 204 or
3rd of August, Year unknown.
Dear Hermione,
Three years. Time is passing quickly.
I spent most of the past year with Paarthurnax.
He was amazing. He taught me so much
about dragons and their past. He told me a
lot about what his hopes are for the future
too and I think he will be a good leader for them.
War still reigns but Katla and Ulfric keep our
borders safe with the help of many good
men and women.
I miss you, Hermione. This world could
really benefit from someone like you.
The past few days I have spent in the
Bard's College in Solitude. It is…
interesting to say the least. Most people
seem to like having me around, but then there are
those who I don't really know about.
I don't look like myself while I'm here.
I created an illusion to hide some of my more
distinct features so people wouldn't know I am the
Queen's brother. I was thinking of you. I hope you
don't mind. My name is Kato right now.
I kind of like it. It is similar to Katla.
I hope you are doing well and that you are
not too worried. Just a few weeks ago we dealt
with Potema the Wolf Queen and let me tell you
I never want to meet someone like her again
if I can help it. She tricked my mind into doing
her bidding.
Thankfully my family took care of her.
She can never return again. They made sure of it.
I hope I'll make some friends here at the College,
but really I'm just here to pass the time and do
something different.
Next year I'm going to the College of Winterhold
to finish off my magical training. That will be fun,
but I'm sure I will have time to write to you
again before then.
Forever your brother in spirit
Harry James Potter
Dragonborn
Prince of Skyrim
That explained why he could play an instrument. This other world also explained that strange language she had sometimes heard him sing in. At first, she had just thought it was gibberish, but it was too consistent to not be an actual language. She looked down at the letter again. Hadn't Neville said that a Kato something had shown up with a cure for lycanthrope? Was that Harry? "Master Harry is on the Seventh Floor in the Come and Go room," Winky said as she appeared in front of Hermione with another letter in her hands. "Master hopes you will join him there."
Hermione nodded. "Thank you, Winky," she said as she took the letter. She stared at the letter as she tried to process what it said. She could almost feel the loneliness he had felt as he wrote it. She hadn't lost him, but he had lost her. It was also starting to dawn on her that if all this was true he had lost every single person he had written to her about in the letters so far. She picked up her pace and headed up several sets of stairs and around a corner when another letter appeared.
To Hermione Jean Granger
31st of Sun's Height, 4E 206 or 31st of July, Year unknown.
Dear Hermione,
Nineteen. A year has passed so fast.
I have once again aided in saving the world.
This time from a magical artefact. We travelled
through so many dungeons it is insane and we
fought liches and undead. I'm so glad I had
Rhavaniel with me through that. I mentioned
her in my last letter. We may or may not
be a couple now. It depends on how you
look at it. It comes with its own problems since
she is now the leader of the College. I have taken
three Masteries. You would have hated it.
No proper testing. No real guidance.
They just send you off and hope for the best.
I did alright though. The other students are
pissed off, but I care as little as possible
about that. I hope Rhavaniel will fix things
so people can actually come to the College
to learn instead of doing all these strange
things they have you doing now.
She kind of likes the idea of something
more Hogwarts-like. Safer and starting younger.
One of the problems with mages
is that they have a tendency to get really arrogant.
She thinks that if they were to start younger
then maybe she could train that out of them
especially since she will do it with the Queen's
blessing. Kato has been serving me well.
The glamour is great for keeping people
off my back. Only Rhavaniel knows who I am,
and she was an Eye of the Queen already.
You have no idea how much I miss you.
I hope that you are doing well.
I hope you are happy and I hope that by the
time you are reading this, I'm not that far away.
I know that I'll return to Earth soon.
I hope I will see you then. I want to tell you so
much more, but we will have to do that in person.
I know you will have questions and
I will answer them.
Love.
Your brother in spirit
Harry 'Kato' James Potter
Dragonborn
Prince of Skyrim
Master of the Mind
Master Enchanter
Master Healer
Harry had been through so much and to think that she had barely noticed. As she read the letters it was clear to her that at least he had always planned on telling her. She wondered why it had taken so long though. As she understood it, he had disappeared in November. Well, maybe it wasn't that long all things considered. It was only March after all.
The last letter to appear was right outside the door to the Come and Go room. It was short just a few sentences. Harry was joining the battle. He was entering the war. Hermione threw the door open and rushed inside. The room was a forest meadow. She could see a figure standing beyond a few trees. She walked forward. "Harry?" she called out.
The man turned around and looked at Hermione. It was like he had stepped straight out of a fantasy book like Lord of the Rings or The Belgaraid. This wasn't Harry Potter the Gryffindor student. This was Prince Harry, Lord of the Dragons and a fully trained battle-mage.
Hermione swallowed thickly. He was wearing full armour and carried a sword by his side. If she hadn't just read all those letters then maybe this would have been funny. He looked like a warrior. He looked like the kind of man other people would follow into battle. Was this really her Harry? The insecure boy who didn't care about his studies all that much and threw himself into dangerous situations to save others.
"Hermione," Harry said as he reached out towards her.
Hermione wiped her eyes. "A little over dramatic aren't you," she said. A small laugh left her lips.
"A little yes," Harry said. "But I wanted the seriousness of the situation to come across." He dropped the illusion of the armour since he hadn't felt like actually putting it on and sat down. "You have questions. I have the answers," he said. "Please ask me anything."
"Why does a Reibo rune react badly with a Perth rune unless balanced with another rune?" Hermione asked.
Harry chuckled. "I can't tell you that, but I can tell you that neither matters if you use draconic runes instead," he said.
Hermione sat down. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" she asked.
"Because I'm deathly afraid of losing you Hermione," Harry said. "Through all my time in Skyrim and coming to terms with the fact that I would have to leave all that I loved behind, you were the one shining star leading me back."
Hermione shook her head. "I can tell that you attended a bard's college," she said.
Harry smiled.
"Did you love Rhavaniel?" Hermione asked.
"With all my heart," Harry said.
Hermione nodded slowly. "It is kind of sad that you had to come back," she said. "But I'm really glad you did."
"It goes back and forth for me," Harry said. "Sometimes I'm really glad to be here and sometimes I wake up with what feels like a black hole inside my chest. I miss them all so much. Yet I love the friendships I have here as well. You, Neville, Fleur. I wouldn't want to live without you either."
"But it isn't quite the same. You lost your family. People who truly cared about you, and you lost the woman you loved. What did you get in return?" Hermione said as she looked down at her own hands.
"Don't sell yourself short Hermione," Harry said. "You are my sister too." He reached out and pointed at the way he ended his letters. "The difference is that I have known Katla and Rashall and Naya longer than I have known you. We can fix that though. We have our whole lives in front of us and we can live them however we want."
Hermione smiled. She was about to ask Harry who else knew, but she decided not to. It didn't matter who knew before her. He hadn't been writing them letters.
"So what are you doing when you are running off?" Hermione asked.
"Well, I have been curing werewolves," Harry said. "Rhavaniel made a cure in Skyrim and it works here too."
Hermione nodded. "And on Fridays?" she asked. "Like yesterday. You came back exhausted and it isn't the first time."
"What has Neville told you about his parents?" Harry asked.
"That they are in the Janus long-term ward because Death Eaters cursed them insane when he was a baby," Hermione said.
"Well, at least that makes things easier for me," Harry said. "Every Friday I go, as Kato, to St. Mungo's and I heal Neville's parents."
Hermione's eyes widened in realisation. "That's why he was crying yesterday," she said.
"His mother is speaking," Harry said. "Alice can't remember anything beyond the age of five though so I have a long way to go."
"That must be so tough," Hermione said.
Harry nodded. "I can help so I want to help," he said.
"I can understand that," Hermione said.
"Do you want to know more about what happened to me?" Harry asked.
"Only if you feel alright telling me," Hermione said. She didn't want to push, but she certainly had questions.
Harry smiled as he started his story. It was a long one and it took most of the weekend to tell Hermione almost everything he had been through. He wanted her to know. He wanted her to understand.
12th of March, 1995.
It was late in the evening and Harry was sitting with Neville and Hermione in front of the fire in the common room. "I think you should tell Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said.
"No thank you," Harry said.
"But why?" Hermione asked. "Don't you think this is information that would be good for him to know?"
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Because… because he cares about you," Hermione said but it sounded weak even to her. If Dumbledore cared so much then why was Harry in this competition in the first place?
"Would he still care about me if he found out that I'm a murderer?" Harry asked. "That I have killed and that I'm willing to kill again should it be necessary. Besides, Moody knows and you have to remember that I'm twenty years old. I'm an adult Hermione. I don't answer to Dumbledore. He is my headmaster, nothing more."
Hermione opened and closed her mouth. She still thought it would be good if Dumbledore knew, but she wasn't about to tell him. Her friendship with Harry was more important than that. "What if something happens?" she asked,
"I will defend this school to the best of my abilities. I will heal anyone that needs it should it come to that. I will not put anyone's life in danger just to keep this a secret. If it comes down to it, I will act and explain myself afterwards," Harry said.
Hermione nodded slowly. She didn't quite understand his reasoning, but he was her friend. "Can I tell my parents?" she asked.
Harry shrugged. "If you really want to," he said. "Though you might want to draw a lot of parallels."
"I'll use Lord of the Rings," Hermione said.
"Except the Orcs aren't evil," Harry said.
Hermione smiled. "Except the orcs aren't evil and there are lizard people and cat people," she said.
"And Katla or I could probably have simply destroyed the One Ring from the start since we are capable of breathing dragon fire," Harry said.
Neville chuckled and Hermione laughed.
Things were looking up.
There were no more secrets between them.