1. Been a while
2. Thanks to reallybeth for helping me go over this mad chapter of this mad story.
3. Any error here is mine and not of my reviewer
4. Enjoy
Harry Potter stepped down from his Muggle bus and walked into a suburb neighbourhood, looking for the address he'd been provided. It was surreal to find so much peace after the maddening day he'd been having so far. It wasn't that long ago that he'd been at Slughorn's Christmas party, mingling with blathering vampires and other members of a posh magical society. How was it that he ended up in another dimension, fighting an oversized Fenrir Greyback with giant robots and karate moves?
Did I really just drive a massive blue triceratops? Bonkers!
The right street wasn't hard to find, but Harry wondered how Ron and the others were faring with Muggle transportation. He knew Lavender was more or less on the right path, as he'd shared a bus with her — an awkward trip in which the girl whined nonstop about her Won-Won not escorting her home. The others lived in different neighbourhoods, so Harry wished his indications to Ron had helped him find his home. If Blaise ended up on the wrong side of town though, he wouldn't lose sleep over it.
The suburbs' quietness was a welcome change of pace. Even from the bus, Harry had noticed that Hogs Grove was a noisy city. It was packed with palm trees, flashy shops and apartment complexes of all styles. On the main roads, there was always a car honking, or boldly dressed people playing loud music. It was scorching hot too. Nothing like Hogsmeade for sure.
After brushing off the sweat from his forehead, Harry raised his head to find the address he'd been looking for. It was a sizable house, larger than he remembered Privet Drive being. Hesitantly, he walked towards the entrance, passing by a freshly mowed yard. There were some dead crops in a corner, but also a patch of fragrant freckled flowers by the windows. Once he reached the door, he wondered — not for the first time — about this universe's version of the Dursleys. There was no magic to be found here, but if his aunt and uncle were anything like the ones he knew, they would undoubtedly find some rubbish to grumble about. Probably about teenagers in roller skates, rap music or those good-for-nothing Power Rangers and their brazenly vivid outfits.
Harry sighed, releasing a fleeting smile of disbelief. The Power Rangers... My day can't get any madder now, can it?
After carefully considering it, Harry decided against knocking — if he lived in this house it would be weird to do so. Instead, he pushed open the door while silently hoping the Dursleys wouldn't give him a hard time. Was a little kip too much to ask? It had already been late when he was dragged to this dimension, and that was hours ago. He was completely knackered.
"Aunt Petunia? Uncle Vernon?" he asked tentatively.
The first thing Harry noticed was the music. It was blaring and unapologetic, making the walls beat with the rhythm of drums and an electric guitar. Nothing that his aunt would tolerate.
Harry called again, but when no answer came, he ventured inside. He was tempted to sneak upstairs to find a bed, but decided to look for someone first. If by any chance he got the wrong house, it would be better to find out quickly rather than to fall into some stranger's bed — which was a saying, Harry was sure that even the bed that was supposedly his would feel strange to him.
"Aunt Petunia? I'm… home?"
Following the music, Harry slipped further inside. He didn't look at the pictures on the book cases, which would surely be packed with Dudley's podgy face. The living room as a whole felt off. It wasn't exactly messy, but Aunt Petunia was always finicky and dead rigorous about how things looked. She wouldn't have allowed cushions on the floor by the telly, or a bowl with half-eaten snacks on the coffee table. Tired as he was, those couches looked every bit as inviting to him as the big armchairs in the Gryffindor common room. They were clean but in disarray, giving Harry the impression as if they were made to actually sit and relax on them, not just to display to guests.
Rest could wait a little longer, so Harry abided by his curiosity and entered the kitchen, where the loud music was coming from. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but when he took in the scene before him, his eyes widened, gobsmacked. There was a woman singing at full volume, unbothered by the world around her. Her dark red hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and she was wearing a paint-stained shirt under denim overalls. She hadn't noticed Harry yet, and was singing along the blaring sound of the speakers in the back counter, rhythmically pouring some orange juice for herself.
"And I'm here!... To remind you! Of the mess you left when you went away!... It's not fair!..."
Harry had known the woman wasn't his aunt even before she turned around and gasped at the sight of him. However, he couldn't help but mumble, "Aunt… Petunia?"
"God, Harry, don't scare me like that… What are you—" she stopped, suddenly realising something. "Wait! Did you just say Petunia? Crap!"
Without explaining, the woman stopped the speakers and bolted towards the living room in a frenzy. "No, no, no… She wouldn't come unannounced. And the house is all upside down!" the redhead woman panicked, running to the window to peek outside. "We're not done painting the deck! It still looks like rubbish. I can already hear her saying… Wait, she's not there. Are you sure you saw her?"
Harry, who had desperately followed her around, stared dumbfounded. No word could come out of his mouth. He was almost heaving at the sight of her. Impossible. Madness. It had to be a lie… A trick… A trap from Voldemort… However, Harry remembered that there was no Voldemort in this world. It was an entirely different universe — the Dumbledore in the tube had said as much. Anything could be real. Anything… Even so, this was too much. It couldn't be. It had to be a mistake.
"Harry? Why did you mention your aunt?" the woman asked, bewildered.
"I— Err… My aunt? Yes, I— She doesn't live here. With us," he stuttered.
The woman raised one eyebrow.
"Of course she doesn't," Harry hurried to add. "I was just asking… I wanted to ask— Where is she, because well, it's been a while since we last saw her and… Hasn't it?"
After a sigh, the woman took a step towards him, and he almost jumped in fear. His right foot moved instinctively backwards, but Harry made an effort to keep his body where it was. There was a part of him that was completely terrified of the woman before him, unsure what he was supposed to do, wondering if he'd just smacked his head real hard playing Quidditch and was dreaming in some bed at the Hospital Wing. If that was it, he didn't want to know. He didn't want to wake up just yet.
"Are you feeling alright?" the woman asked casually. Then, her impossibly soft hand touched Harry's forehead with warmth and tenderness, nothing like a dream. It was a hand like any other and the touch lasted only a second, yet for Harry it felt like nothing he'd ever experienced before. "Uh, no fever," she announced, then paused before frowning. "You're not on drugs, are you?"
"What? No! Of course not!"
"You know I had to ask," the woman pulled back, still trying to pinpoint what was wrong with him.
I'm not her son, that's what's wrong. At least not the one she remembers.
After a sigh, Harry had a chance to look at her in more detail. Her eyes were deep green, as they were supposed to be, and her smile filled Harry's heart with joy. Despite clearly being older than he remembered, she hadn't changed that much from when Harry had met her, back at the mirror of Erised. "You're her," he concluded, finally daring himself to believe it. "Lily, my mother."
"What gave me away?" she asked jokingly, before heading back to the kitchen. "Poor attempt at convincing me you're fine though. I'll keep an eye on you, young man," she warned.
Harry followed her promptly, and when he caught up with her, he gave her a hug. It surprised even himself. He wasn't very prone to hugging people and, strictly speaking, he didn't even know the woman in front of him. Still, the urge to hug her had invaded him since the moment he set eyes on her, and Harry couldn't hold it a second longer. After a beat, the woman returned the hug, and Harry felt himself enveloped by an indescribable sense of belonging. There was a spot somewhere inside him that had been empty, one that he hadn't realised until now that it didn't have to be. He was overwhelmed, and he had to make a massive effort to not cry on the spot.
"Sure you're feeling alright?" she asked once they separated.
"Positive. Never better… Mum," he muttered, sniffling and barely able to contain the daft smile on his face. "I'm just tired. I was out with some friends and…"
…and what? Fighting giant monsters is taxing?
"Oh, is something wrong with Neville?" she asked, picking up her juice.
"Neville? He's… Oh, no, he's fine… I reckon. He's—"
Harry was cut off by a man coming suddenly into view. He wore glasses, and sported a wide grin as he walked towards the kitchen with long, brisky steps. "Slacking off, I see," James Potter said as he gave a casual kiss to Lily, then he headed for the refrigerator without giving so much as a second glance at Harry. "Any refreshments left for the hard-working lot?"
"Help yourself," Harry's mother answered.
If he hadn't already seen his mother, Harry would've stared at his father with a stupid grin — a stupider grin.
"You know, the neighbour just now told me something curious," the man said after serving himself a glass of juice. "Apparently, we have superheroes in town, some multicoloured blokes."
Harry listened even more attentively.
"Is that so?"
"Seems like it, Lils. They just defeated this ten-story-high monster that was attacking downtown. They also own some sweet robots, from what I've heard," the man explained before downing the rest of his juice in one sip. "Anyway, it's time to get back to work. Coming?"
The news of the Power Rangers didn't seem to interest Harry's mother, who reacted as if she'd just been told the weather report. Before she made to follow her husband outside, she turned back. "Ehm, Harry, why don't you have a little kip? Let me know if you're still feeling off after, okay?"
With stupefied attention, Harry nodded. But as soon as they reached the door he shook his head and yelled, "Wait!"
James and Lily Potter stopped at once. At first, Harry wasn't sure what he wanted to say. He only knew that he was living in some fantasy, and was terribly afraid that if he lost sight of them now, he wouldn't be able to find them ever again.
"Can I help?" he asked.
"With the deck?" his father asked.
Harry nodded.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather get some rest?" his mother asked.
"Or work on your chemist set? It's physical work," his father warned.
"No. I want to help," Harry insisted. He wasn't nearly tired enough to prefer the bed over this.
There was a bit of bemusement in the way his mother stared at his father, but eventually James Potter shrugged. "Fine. We can use the extra hand, and God knows there's no way of getting your sister to help."
"My… what?"
o0o0o
The ringing bell echoed through the school corridors, signalling the end of English class — a simple lesson taught by a different version of Professor Babbling. It was their first break of the day, so Harry didn't waste time in pulling Ron aside to share all of what had happened.
"You're barking," Ron said incredulously.
"Don't have to tell me how mad it sounds. I could hardly believe it myself when I first saw them."
Ron leaned heavily against the wall, next to a board covered in flyers for rehearsals and after-school clubs. A group of pesky students walked by, and Harry couldn't help but wonder if anyone at this school actually wore their jumpers, or if they all just tied them around their waists like fashion accessories. Although, the sole fact that no one wore uniforms or robes was more noteworthy.
It'd been quite a shock to arrive in the morning at the large rectangular building that hosted Gryffindor High. Compared to Hogwarts, the place looked almost brand-new, and Harry found no markings or ancient bricks on its cream-coloured walls. Red metallic lockers lined most corridors, and it had taken him the whole morning to find out which one was his. There were no ghosts calling for attention at every corner either, but the wild red and gold banners appeared to scream louder for their support of the sports teams than any undead Harry had ever met — with the exception perhaps of Moaning Myrtle.
Ron scratched his head, "Blimey! And I thought you were in for a surprise once I told you Dad works in a car shop and the twins in some telly comedy show."
"They do? Well, that's… not entirely unexpected, to be honest," Harry replied, "Guess Charlie's not working with dragons?"
Ron shook his head, "He has a gig in some big city zoo; watches after bears, tigers and the sort," he said, pausing briefly before returning to the real topic. "Your parents are alive, then? You're not taking the mickey on me? It's—"
"Brilliant, I know," Harry cut him off, unable to keep the stupid grin off his face.
After cleaning and painting the deck, Harry had spent most of the day talking to them. It was something they found suspicious, but they appeared more than happy to comply. He learned so much about them, or at least this version of them. He wanted to believe they weren't much different from what his real parents would have been like.
All in all, he thought of this opportunity as a gift. So much that he hadn't thought about Voldemort or his visits to Dumbledore's pensieve the day before. The only thing that made him nervous was knowing that once they defeated Bellatrix, he would have to return to a dimension without his parents. How would he find the strength to do that?
"There's something else," Harry said, awkwardly. "I have a sister."
Ron stared at him, gobsmacked, "No bloody way…"
Harry still remembered seeing the girl for the first time and being completely mesmerised by her casualness as she came down for dinner. Her hair was almost as dark as Harry's, though nowhere near as messy. Even without glasses or green eyes, the family resemblance was undeniable.
"She's in middle school. I imagine she might've been born in our world as well, had they not… you know," Harry trailed off with a bitter tone. A new reason to despise Voldemort crept into his heart — one that cut deeper than most.
Ron paused, looking lost for a moment. "Sorry, mate. It's so fucking unfair," he finally said, patting Harry's shoulder. Then he smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "At least you got to meet her now. Bet she's a good sister, not a short pesky brat like Ginny."
A small laugh escaped Harry, though he avoided Ron's eyes. He'd been too focused on his family since arriving in this parallel universe, but deep down he was also anxious about meeting this world's Ginny. How different would she be from the one Harry knew?
"She's not like Ginny," Harry made sure to clear out. "We didn't talk much though. Every time I tried to say something, she rolled her eyes and cut me off. She spent most of the afternoon in her bedroom, listening to music or talking on the phone with her friends — speaking of which, I don't have your number. Neville's yes, but not yours. We should exchange."
Ron promised to do so, once he memorised his own number.
As they talked, they were drawing more curious glances from nearby students, who were thankfully out of earshot. Many of them were different versions of their old classmates. It was a tad unsettling to be honest.
"Don't fret over it, mate. That's the way of younger sisters. Barmy, I tell you," Ron said. "Anyway, what's her name?"
Harry shrugged. "It could be Elle, or Elena. I'm not sure."
"How can you not know? She's your sister!"
"I just met her! And besides, that's the thing, isn't it? She's supposed to be my sister. The chances of asking for her name without sounding like a nutter are limited," Harry admitted. Maybe he could find out later from some old family photo album. "Mum called her El at dinner, so that's mostly what I'm going by."
It felt odd to talk about his mother so casually. That morning it had taken a lot from Harry to actually say goodbye, which only fueled his mother's suspicion that something was wrong.
Ron let out a huff. "This is all bonkers. Lavender's family is different too, though the change is nowhere near as wild as yours. Her brother has a car, or her aunt has a different haircut? Something like that. I wasn't really paying attention when she mentioned it. Oh, and guess what? She somehow found out that we're not dating anyone in this universe — dunno how she managed so quickly. Anyway, was it obvious she was passing me notes in class?"
"Only to me, Professor Babbling, and the rest of the class."
Ron grunted.
After clearing his throat, Harry tried to sound casual. "So, how's Ginny then?"
"Oh, she's around here, somewhere," Ron told him, and Harry had to suppress the urge to turn and look for her. "She's really into football, you know, the muggle sport Dean likes?" Ron's expression became fearful then. "Hell! I'm on the team, apparently, but I don't have a bloody idea how to play. What if I'm pants at it? Could I be good without knowing it? Like some sort of dimensional swapping rubbish? Seems like the equivalent of Quidditch..."
Harry wasn't surprised that Ron was on the team, after all, he was wearing the same red 'Lions' jumpers as a few other boys in school. Even so, he shrugged at his friend's question. He wasn't sure if playing would be as easy as his friend thought. Sport skills being transferable across dimensions felt unlikely. Instead, Harry wanted to ask Ron more about Ginny, but before he could manage, they were interrupted by a couple of approaching people.
"H-Hermione?" Ron stammered in disbelief.
To their surprise, Hermione Granger stood in front of them, hugging a book to her chest. Her hair was still untamed, but now it was shorter and tied back; aside from the few loose strands that fell over her forehead, most of its wilderness seemed to burst from the back of her head. She wore denim trousers and a neatly tucked-in short-sleeved shirt. Neville, standing slightly behind her, sported a diamond-patterned vest and seemed hesitant compared to Hermione. They were the only ones Harry had seen at school so far who actually used both straps on their backpacks.
Ron's stuttering appeared to surprise Hermione, causing her to turn to him. She studied him cautiously, causing Ron to cross and uncross his arms uneasily. Harry knew his friend was still self-conscious about his brand-new muscles but this time a shy blush came to his ears. "Hi, Ronald," she addressed him, politely. "I hope we're not intruding. We saw you two talking and wanted to make sure everything was alright. Isn't that true, Neville?"
With a subtle wavering, Neville nodded. His hair was parted down the side in such a tidy way that Harry wondered if he measured it somehow.
"Of course. Why wouldn't it be alright?" Ron asked with an overly enthusiastic grin.
Hermione's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she turned to Harry with a questioning look. "Um, we were just talking. Is... is that a problem?" he asked.
It seemed stupid to ask, but they were in a different dimension and Harry had no effing idea of all the things he could do that may seem strange to others.
"No, of course not. It was just… unusual," the girl said, sparing another wary look at Ron.
Unusual. Apparently Harry wasn't Ron's friend in this dimension, and from what he could tell, neither was Hermione. It didn't seem like she was particularly mad at him — as the other Hermione certainly was — but it was clear Ron and Hermione were practically strangers here.
That fact apparently went over Ron's head at the moment, "So, what are we doing today?" he asked.
Bewilderment was reflected on Hermione and Neville's faces, both of whom exchanged a look. "We… Uhm, Harry was joining us to work on our Chemistry essay, and—"
Her words were suddenly cut off by a boasting voice nearby. "Hey, Weasley! What are you wasting your time over there? Come, we have to talk about this weekend's game."
The group of boys who were calling over to Ron all wore red jumpers, and looked weirdly at Harry and the others. McLaggen was among them, looking as obnoxious as ever. Confused, Ron turned towards Hermione. Despite his obvious eagerness to stay, it became clear to Harry that the best thing to do was avoid any unneeded attention for now.
"Go with your friends," Harry told Ron, trying to convey his meaning with the look. "We'll talk later."
Ron did understand, but it took him a moment of indecision before nodding. He spared a wistful look at Hermione, then said goodbye and followed the group of loud boys. Harry was left feeling oddly out of place under the scrutinising looks of Hermione and Neville, and tried to sound casual when they asked him what he was talking about with Ronald Weasley. It was obvious he didn't convince anyone by saying they were going over Professor Babbling's lesson, but at least they didn't press him about it.
o0o0o
Meanwhile, on the surface of the Moon, Bellatrix Lestrange was looking down at Earth through a magic telescope. At one point, she pulled away so briskly that her minions flinched.
"Amycus! Is the space thingie ready?" she asked, her high-pitched voice crackling through the air.
"It is, my Lady," a pasty man answered, fawning over her as he presented a small rocket ship that resembled a broom. "It'll fly down to Earth and open a hole in space wherever it lands."
"Good. Alecto's creation will trap those meddling power rangers, and they will finally leave this world for good!"
"Are you sure, my evil queen?" Fenrir asked.
"Of course! Just because you've failed me, doesn't mean that everyone else will do so as well," she hissed. Fenrir bowed and stepped back. "Besides, those whiny teenagers want to go home. They may be keen on taking that space hole back to where they belong."
"But Mistress, that hole doesn't work that way!" Amycus whispered, nervously. "It's actually called space warp. And, if you get lost, there is no telling which universe they will land in."
"They don't know that, do they?" Bellatrix croaked.
Amycus agreed, reverently.
As predicted, Alecto crafted an eerie monster out of clay for Bellatrix — a skeleton wearing a wizard's hat. Satisfied with her new minion, Bellatrix took out her twisted wand and cast a Dark Magic spell to enlarge and animate the creature.
The monster grew to full size, coming to life before them.
"At your service," he said, tipping his hat in respect.
Bellatrix and her minions stood on the balcony, where she aimed her wand at the broom-shaped rocket ship. A violent spark came out of the back of the rocket, and it propelled at great speed towards Earth, while Bellatrix chuckled evilly from her palace.
o0o0o
Elsie. That was his sister's name. It had taken Harry almost the whole week to find that out, but on Friday morning his mother scolded the girl about not cleaning her room and used her full name to do so.
Contrary to what a little voice inside Harry had been whispering, his family was nothing like the Dursleys. In just one week, Harry had found more happiness in their company than he'd ever known at Privet Drive. He soaked up every minute he could spend with them, not sure how much longer the dream would last. His parents were everything he could have hoped for and more — loving, attentive, and with a great sense of humour. Even his sister was kind of fun when she felt like coming out of her bedroom. Harry's mother doted on him constantly, still determined to find out why he had been acting so strange lately. She made sure he was eating enough, and resting enough. His father often told bad jokes that Harry couldn't help but laugh at. He liked to tell embarrassing stories about Harry's childhood too, and Harry pretended to be annoyed at him.
That first week, Harry found himself falling quickly into a comfortable routine, even when not at home. School was strange but manageable, especially with Hermione and Neville's help. They seemed quite suspicious of Harry struggling in most school subjects; however, they attributed the odd behaviour to a passing illness. Ron also seemed to be adapting well, though Harry's interactions with him were purposely limited for the time being. It was better for appearances' sake, but he did miss having his best mate around.
There was no news from the Power Rangers, and frankly, Harry didn't mind. He rejoiced in his new life, and wouldn't mind taking a while before having to return to the burdens of saving the world — any world. In their rare moments together, Ron seemed torn between fresh curiosity and concern about returning home. Harry saw little of Lavender Brown, but he figured she felt the same. He hadn't heard any updates from the rest of the group, however, that all changed that afternoon.
As Hermione and Neville discussed the Biology project assigned by Professor Grubbly-Plank, Harry's wrist transmitter started buzzing.
"What is that? A beeper?" Neville asked.
"No. It's just my watch's alarm, which reminds me… I have something to do with my Dad. Sorry, forgot to tell you…Can we do this project thing tomorrow?" he mumbled, while Hermione narrowed her eyes.
Harry said goodbye without giving her a chance to speak, and bolted away. He found an empty corner, where he spent a minute or so figuring out how to answer the transmitter.
Eventually, Dumbledore's voice came out of it. "Harry, we're waiting."
"I'm trying! How does this work?"
"Just press the teleportation button," Dumbledore instructed. "No, not that one, the other one."
"How do you know which one I pressed?!"
"Well, you're not here yet, are you?"
A frustrated huff escaped him. He tried another combination of buttons, without success.
"Goodness sake! Have you ever used a calculator-watch? They're all the rage these days," Dumbledore complained irritably. "Fine, just let me handle it. It's against protocol but oh well..."
He'd just finished speaking when a blue cloud with sparks swirled around Harry, and he teleported away.
o0o0o
Harry fell hard on the Command Centre's floor, the commotion causing the other four rangers to shift their attention towards him. They were all wearing clothes in the same colours as the previous time, and Harry wondered if they also had found scarce options in their respective wardrobes. Dobby 5 wiggled by the controls, pressing the console in a way that appeared almost random. Behind them, Dumbledore's floating head peered at him.
"Splendid. Harry had some trouble with his transmitter, but now that he's here, we can proceed."
With a groan, Harry got to his feet. "You didn't even give us instructions for the watch," he pointed out.
"I didn't think it was necessary. It's quite a simple device, especially for someone with technological acumen and a geekish spirit, such as yourself."
"I don't know anything about technology. I already told you," Harry sighed, frustrated. He raised his wrist to show the watch. "I pressed all the buttons on this thing and none of them worked."
Cho gave him a sympathetic smile and leaned closer. "Oh, I see the problem. You have it in timer mode," she explained as she pressed a combination of buttons on his watch that changed the screen. "There. While in standby, you only need to press this button on top to teleport."
It was awkward to be around Cho like that. It had been some time since they last talked in a friendly manner, and a whole year since they'd first kissed. "How did you figure that out?"
"I tested all the functions days ago. I teleported here a few times before I got it right," Cho replied.
The other rangers nodded in agreement and shrugged, indicating they had all tried using the transmitter before. Harry turned to Ron. "You knew this?"
"Yeah. I fool around with the trinket during chores. I swear, I played a game in it once, but haven't found it again," Ron lamented. A moment later his expression brightened, turning hopefully towards Cho.
"Tell you later," she whispered to him.
Harry adjusted his glasses. "Would've appreciated a heads-up."
"You didn't ask," Ron said with a shrug. "'Sides, it's not like we've had much time to talk."
Blaise rolled his eyes. "Did we come here only to listen to these two?"
While Ron argued with Zabini, Harry turned back to the transmitter on his wrist. With the others all figuring it out ahead of him, it felt like he'd failed yet another lesson. Nevertheless, he tried not to think too much about it. He'd had more important things to focus on, like getting to know his new family. It was only natural that he wouldn't be as curious about the device on his wrist with that in mind.
"This button you say?" Harry asked, eager to catch up.
"Yes, but—"
Cho didn't get to finish her sentence because suddenly Harry was surrounded by blue bolts and smoke. Once more, he was teleported away, and slammed against the exact same spot on the floor where he'd been standing just a moment earlier.
Brilliant.
"It only apparates us back here," Lavender finished. Behind her, Blaise snorted and crossed his arms.
The head hologram of Dumbledore chimed in. "Harry is free to tinker with the transmitter, if you're all keen for improvements. Just pass along your proposed changes and he'll surely figure it out."
Pretending not to hear, Harry stood up and smoothed out his trousers while Ron offered him a hand. "Don't fret over it, mate. I landed on my arse the first two times."
Harry turned his attention to Dumbledore, eager to move on from all the watch rubbish. "So, what's the emergency?"
"I'm glad you asked," Dumbledore responded with sudden gravity. "Bellatrix has launched a small rocket onto Earth. This rocket has created a space warp on the very outskirts of Hogs Grove, with which she intends to set a trap for you. Your task is to investigate and neutralise this threat. Preferably without getting killed. Replacing rangers is a tedious process."
On a screen, Dobby 5 displayed blurry images from the town. A tiny rocket in the shape of a broom was zooming through the streets. It didn't appear to be going faster than a toy car, but it must have looked threatening, because citizens were running around in panic. Eventually, the rocket left town and opened some kind of small portal in the cliffs just out of town.
"A space… warp?" Cho asked.
"Yes, a terrible thing," Dumbledore's giant head confirmed, lowering his eyes.
"My uncle works in the Space Chamber, and I've never heard of space warps. They sound made-up."
"I can assure you, they are not. If you fall into one of them, you'll find yourself in a limbo. In a place beyond space itself. Not really anywhere," Dumbledore explained.
Cho looked sceptical.
"If we get there, do we lose our bodies?" Harry asked. "Do we die?"
"Oh, none of that. You would still have your body and can technically walk back here; from the nothingness into the somethingness. The warp has a sort of lobby where you can fight and all that rubbish," he said, calmly. "However, if you walk too far away there, then yes. In that situation, one would imagine, you might truly be done for."
The rangers exchanged bewildered looks, all except Cho, who appeared exasperated and unable to decide how to even respond.
Dumbledore went on. "Anyway, beware. I am no stranger to warps of this nature. You already know that a time warp confined me to this form."
"We could get trapped, then? Like you?" asked Blaise.
Lavender's voice cracked into a cry. "Eww, no! That would be awful! I don't want to end up as some head in a tube!" Everyone turned to her, and even inside his tube, it was easy to notice Dumbledore raising an eyebrow. Lavender blushed. "But, you make it look so good, and your tube is so elegant!"
Dumbledore remained impassive for a moment before breaking into a wide grin. "Why, thank you, young girl! Dobby does an excellent job keeping it clean. I'm glad you noticed."
Lavender sighed.
"It's a bit on the plain side, though. I've been meaning to add some decorations," Dumbledore explained, his giant head turning to the walls at his side.
"Well, that would help, definitely. Some pictures perhaps, and more colour…" Lavender answered with new-found excitement, moving her hands as if she were splattering imaginary decorations all around. "About the tube… Can it be changed? Does it come in pink?"
"As a matter of fact, it does."
With an awkward step forward, Ron interrupted his girlfriend's plans. "So, err… The space warp?"
Dumbledore cleared his non-existing throat. "Right. Good luck with that. I'm counting on you to lead them wisely, Ronald."
"Oy! Wait a second. Aren't you going to tell us how to destroy the stupid thing?"
"No," Dumbledore answered.
In an instant, they all began sparkling in their respective colours and were teleported away from the Command Centre.
o0o0o
"That was just rude," Lavender complained the second after they landed. "He could have at least—"
Ron quickly covered her mouth before she could say anything else. She looked shocked but then noticed Ron's gestures and followed his gaze down the cliff they were standing on. Three grey creatures, similar to the ones they'd fought previously, were fiddling about. Dumbledore had called them putty patrollers.
"Sorry," Ron whispered, letting go of Lavender.
"S'okay, Won-Won. I get it."
Harry leaned forward on the cliff for a better look. Between his past life, his new family and the ranger duties; his emotions were tangled. He couldn't bear to be separated from his parents and Elsie now, but he knew the others were counting on him to return them to their home world. And he'd given his word to help Dumbledore defeat Bellatrix.
A tired sigh escaped him as he kept his eyes on the three putty patrollers. "We're close. They must be guarding the thing."
"You think we can take them?" Ron asked, crouching beside him.
"I guess…"
Blaise was leaning against a rock behind him, studying the enemy from afar. Harry exchanged an uneasy look with the girls, silently asking for their opinion too.
"There's five of us," Cho said.
"As we were last time, and that didn't stop us from getting our arses kicked by those pricks," Ron pointed out.
Harry narrowed his eyes at the creatures ahead. He preferred facing things head on, especially if they had the element of surprise on their side. If they waited for too long, those things might ask for reinforcements. "Last time there was a whole load of them. I see only three now," he noted in reluctant optimism.
"Yes, but we morphed. We had so much trouble before that, remember?" Lavender asked, uncertainly. Just a week ago, she'd gone from terrified to thrilled with their ranger experience, but now she seemed to be having doubts again.
Ron scratched his chin. "Let's morph, then."
"Dumbledore said we should only do it when strictly necessary," Harry reminded them.
"Pff! And we should listen because we never break any bloody rule, right?" Ron argued.
He had a point. But Harry still felt the need to prove himself. It was strange not being chosen as the leader after everything he had been through in his world. He didn't want to take that role from Ron, but he also didn't feel comfortable just following along.
"How about we try handling this ourselves first? We can always morph later if we need to," Harry suggested.
The other rangers didn't object, but they seemed hesitant. Lavender clung tightly to Ron's arm as she looked down at the putty patrollers still standing guard. Those things hadn't noticed them yet.
Blaise finally chimed in. "We should ambush them, or maybe create a distraction. Charging in like heedless Gryffindors is the last thing we need. The old man himself said this could be a trap and—"
Harry cut him off before he could finish. "They're moving. Let's go! We might not find that space rubbish if we lose them now!"
Without waiting for the others, Harry climbed down the side of the cliff, as carefully and silently as he could without slowing down. Blaise whined behind him, but Ron shrugged at him and Harry saw all of them follow.
The group realised too late that it was indeed a trap. As they approached the three putty patrollers, more emerged from behind the cliffs, outnumbering them fourfold. Harry quickly prepared himself for the fight and looked around to see that they were completely surrounded.
"Brilliant thinking, Potter," Blaise exclaimed, his fists raised in defence.
"Maybe we should save it for them?" Cho asked nervously, shifting her weight from foot to foot.
The putty patrollers formed a circle around them, moving in strange and almost dance-like motions. The rangers huddled closer together, their backs pressed against each other.
Lavender was looking around frantically, "Maybe we should— Aah!"
One of the patrollers charged at Lavender, but Ron was able to leap forward and kick it directly in the chest. He quickly turned to face the next one. "Come on! We've done this fight already! Just don't forget how hard their ruddy faces are!"
A patroller lunged at Blaise, but he dodged and pushed it away before delivering a swift kick to its rear end. A few others tried to grab onto Harry, one landing a hard blow to his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Luckily, Ron came to his rescue and they fought back-to-back.
Lavender let out a shriek as she struggled with another patroller, but Cho came to her aid and kicked it away determinedly. She seemed much more enthusiastic about fighting this time around, almost as if she were enjoying the excitement. Suddenly, another patroller snuck up behind Cho and threw her to the ground. Lavender took a deep breath and clumsily rushed over to help her.
Overall, they were doing much better than their previous attempt at fighting without their ranger suits. However, they were still no match for the overwhelming number of patrollers surrounding them. Soon enough, they were all on the ground, covered in dust and sweat.
"Fuck this, I say we do the morphing thing," Ron proposed, pushing himself up from the ground.
Exhausted and beaten, Harry had no objections this time.
"Pterodactyl!" Lavender was the first to yell.
In front of Harry's eyes, he could see the girl surrounded by a glowing pink aura and her suit began to materialise out of thin air. He hadn't paid attention to the morphing last time, but had no time to waste. He frantically searched for his own morpher, struggling to remember in which pocket he'd left it.
"Mastodon!" Blaise shouted.
Harry kept rummaging through his pockets.
"Tyrannosaurus!" Ron joined.
It was strange how the putty patrollers stood there calmly, waiting for them to transform. And their transformation was far from quick; it was a slow and deliberate process.
Cho added her voice to the mix, yelling "Saber-Tooth Tiger!"
Finally, Harry managed to find his morpher, but in his haste, he dropped it and it bounced down to the rocks below. Cursing under his breath, Harry quickly climbed down the small cliff in his morpher's pursuit.
The other rangers sprang into action, easily dispatching the putty patrollers. Blaise took one down with a powerful elbow strike against a nearby rock, while Lavender gracefully leapt into the air to deliver a double-footed hit to another — as if she'd never doubted herself. Ron was also in the thick of it, throwing punches left and right.
Blimey! It can't be that far away!
Harry felt a twinge of anxiety as he searched for his morpher. He couldn't let the others fight without him; it would only make it feel as if he was trailing them from farther back.
After some searching, he spotted his shining morpher wedged in a crack between rocks. As he reached for it with his right hand, a swift kick sent him sprawling to the ground. Two putties were closing in on him. He was determined to defend himself, but without his powers, his attempts at karate proved to be sluggish and uninspired.
Up on the cliff, there were no more putties to be seen. The others were now battling a monster — a bulky skeleton wearing a wizard's hat. It looked almost like a cheap costume, but Ron and Blaise appeared to be struggling to land hits on it. Then, suddenly, there was a flash of light and they all disappeared.
What the blazes!?
Harry's mind raced as he tried to figure out what was happening. He needed to get back up there and help them. With determination, he faced off against the patrollers who were closing in on him. Despite being pushed back and slammed into rocks multiple times, Harry refused to give up.
Unfortunately, he could hardly hold his ground without morphing. He dodged a punch only to get a swift kick to the chest. Then, another on the back. Dusty and wretched, Harry fell to his knees by the rocks. The putties jumped, preparing a hit that he wouldn't be able to avoid, and Harry had no alternative but to close his eyes and wait for it. Grumbling echoed along with a thud, but he never felt the punch.
Puzzled, Harry opened his eyes, only to find Cho standing in front of him, the putties on the ground. Their enemies stood up, but Cho expertly dispatched them both with ease. She tossed one over the cliff and did an impressive summersault to land both feet on the other creature's chest.
After that, they scurried away.
Cho gave Harry a hand and helped him to his feet before retrieving his morpher from where it had fallen and offering it to him. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Thanks," Harry muttered, embarrassed.
The yellow ranger nodded. "No problem. Now hurry. They need us."
Harry focused on the problem at hand instead of on being alone with Cho again. "Where did they go?"
With a swift hand signal, Cho indicated for him to follow her. "I think the bone monster sent them into the space warp."
Harry raised his morpher. "Triceratops!"
In a flash, he was transformed into the blue ranger, ready to join Cho and save their friends.
The hill loomed before them as they raced towards the top, their hearts pounding with determination. At the summit, they were met with a terrifying sight: the skeleton monster Harry had seen from afar was guarding the entrance to the space warp. He sneered at them, taunting, "What do we have here? The mighty rangers. Looking for some friends?"
Harry immediately shifted into an attacking stance.
"Let them go!" Cho shouted bravely.
The skeleton only laughed in response. "Why would I? They're having so much fun! And they're about to embark on a little journey," he jeered.
Without hesitation, Cho and Harry exchanged a determined nod. She charged from the right while he followed closely behind on her left. But the bulky monster was too quick for them; he effortlessly dodged Cho's attack and sent her flying through the air in a shower of sparks. Meanwhile, Harry found himself face to face with the skeleton, who delivered a powerful blow that sent him tumbling ten feet backwards before he hit solid ground.
The two rangers recovered quickly, with a knee still in the ground and a hand on their chests.
"He's faster than I thought," Harry remarked.
But before they could make another move, the skeleton extended his hands and Harry realised he was casting a Incarcerous Spell.
"Watch out!" Cho yelled as she pushed Harry out of the way just in time. However, she couldn't avoid being caught in the net of ropes that appeared out of thin air, and fell helplessly to the ground.
"Cho!"
The monster didn't let him reach her, levitating her out of Harry's reach and into the warp. Harry was left alone on the hilltop, watching helplessly as Cho disappeared from sight.
"Noooo!"
Harry's options were limited. He needed to find a way to rescue Cho and the others, but every attempt so far had resulted in the monster gaining the upper hand. Despite this, Harry prepared to charge forward.
"You're not supposed to be fighting," the monster taunted, catching Harry off guard. "Lady Bellatrix believed you all wanted to be sent back to your own world through the warp."
Could it really be possible? Could they truly go back home to Hogwarts and the people they knew? Harry wasn't sure if that was what he wanted at this point; he hadn't spent enough time with his family yet. However, he knew the others might feel differently.
"You liar!" Harry yelled. "That rubbish is a trap."
"It's not! The warp is about to activate, and once it does, everyone inside will return to your world. But you don't truly want that, do you?"
How does he know?
A sinister laugh escaped the monster's mouth. "The Lady has been watching all of you closely. She said you would choose to stay, blue ranger. Let your friends go back, and you can stay in this world without them."
It was more than likely that the monster was lying, but what if that wasn't the case? What if Harry leaped into the warp to save his friends, only to find that they didn't want to be rescued? That they wanted to risk using the warp to return home? What if he entered and ended up getting sent back too, by mistake?
Harry thought about his parents and Elsie, and how much he didn't want to leave them. But he couldn't abandon his friends, especially when it meant trusting this skeleton monster who'd been trying to kill them all.
Then, a solution came to him. Without knowing how or why, Harry swiftly moved his arms and shouted "Blade Blaster!" Suddenly, a small, red weapon appeared in his hand and he knew exactly how to use it. With fluid movements, he transformed it into a gun and pointed it at the space warp.
I can't close it. They would get trapped there.
As the monster charged towards him, Harry made a split-second decision and charged as well. He aimed his blaster at the monster and fired three shots in quick succession. The monster staggered backwards in a shower of sparks and Harry dove into the space warp.
Before he knew it, Harry found himself in a chaotic limbo. The scenery was dark and cloudy with roughly-shaped trees, resembling the set of Gryffindor High's drama class. He saw his fellow rangers fighting against putties or trying to escape from ropes. With a rush of adrenaline, Harry joined in the fray and used his Blade Blaster to defeat the putties and free Cho and the others.
"What took you so long?" asked Ron, a bright tone in his voice.
"Reckon I took a wrong turn," Harry replied.
Cho stepped to his side, putting away the remaining pieces of rope from her hands. "Thank you,"
"Don't mention it," he added, awkwardly turning back to the front.
The monster made of bones soon appeared before them, causing them all to strike exaggerated battle poses.
"This is where it ends!" the monster roared angrily. "You'll all be trapped in this warp forever!"
Without hesitation, the monster charged towards them.
"Listen, we can use these," Harry said as he showed his friends his Blade Blaster.
"What the hell is that?" Ron asked.
"Where did you get it?" added Lavender.
Harry chuckled. "I'm pretty sure you all have one too, just… think about it."
As the monster continued its advance as if in slow motion, the rangers pulled out their own Blade Blasters and transformed them into guns. They aimed at the monster and shouted in unison, "Hiyaa!"
Blinding blasts from five different guns struck the monster in an elaborate jump, creating sparks and unexpected explosions before finally vanishing it.
The rangers calmly walked away from the scene and closed off the warp for good.
o0o0o
At the Command Centre, Dumbledore gave them an update that the warp had been neutralised and Earth was safe, at least for now.
"Another successful mission, rangers!"
As Lavender discussed decoration plans with Dumbledore, Harry couldn't help but smile. He was grateful to still have his new family by his side, even if it was just for a little while longer. He needed to get to know more about Hermione and Neville, but was happy to have his fellow rangers with him. Fighting against monsters every now and then seemed like a small price to pay for this sense of belonging.
Looking back at his initial frustration of being pulled out from his world, Harry realised that it didn't matter that much anymore. Honestly, this world was completely nuts, but he didn't feel any rush to leave just yet.
Next chap is totally Lavender's POV