Alternate Universes

Oh, wow. Wow, wow, wow. So, how many of you really, really want to kill me now? I apologize for the wait, I really do, but I’m in the middle of my junior year at college, I have a job, I have homework, I have only the tiniest bit of social life, and if I want to sleep, too, then I don’t get to write much. Hopefully, I’ll have more time for it next semester. But here’s a chapter in the meantime!

Just to let you know, I still have no plot for this story. Nope, some vague ideas, but other than that, no clue where the story is going. I’ve gotten some good ideas from my reviewers—and you know who you are!—so I’m going to go from there. To all of my wonderful reviewers, thank you so much! I love you all! Unfortunately, there have been so many (at least on ff.net, where this is not a new story!), that a list would take the rest of the night, but I might do a thank you to everyone in the last chapter, whenever that comes around. But thank you for reviewing, and I hope you keep it up!

Okay ::deep breath:: On with the show!


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James and Lily stood in Harry’s room for what seemed like hours, but must have only been minutes. Slowly, slowly, they disentangled their arms, and turned back towards their own room, which attached to their son’s. As they did all their nightly chores such as teeth brushing and face washing, each were lost in their own thoughts. It wasn’t until they curled up together in bed that Lily spoke.

“James, I saw that look on your face in the kitchen. What are you going to do?” she asked. James was quiet for several seconds, and Lily felt his chest rise and fall with a deep breath under her cheek.

“I don’t know, love. Part of me just wants to rush off to the office, and get help tracking down every single Death Eater left, but I know that’s not practical. The other part of me wants to go vigilante and run off and obliterate every Death Eater I find, and that’s just plain stupid. I just don’t know what will happen.” Lily nodded her head, before asking another question.

“Does Harry seem. . .different to you since last night?”

“Different? Different how?” James replied, curious.

“Well. . .smarter? More inclined to thoughtfulness than other one year olds?”

James thought back over the day. Harry really hadn’t been talking until the night before. James had just put it down to the fact that he had nothing to say, when he got ready he would talk. But last night, he had spoken for the first time more words than a novice talker should use. The ‘No!’ was understandable, but the rest? And that before he had even thrown his magical shield into place. And then the sudden appearance of Grandmamma, Grandaddy, Grandma and Grandpa in Harry’s vocabulary from nowhere? And James did have to admit noticing the thoughtful looks on his son’s face. So he nodded.

“Yes, I had noticed. You think it had something to do with last night?”

“It had to have,” Lily replied. “I just don’t know what. Poppy went over him, there seems to be nothing wrong with him—leastways, not health-wise.” Lily shook her head. “I just don’t know.”

James kissed Lily’s head. “We can’t worry about it tonight, we’ll never get any sleep. Tomorrow, you and Harry can go back and see Poppy again, and I’ll go into the office and start working on things there. Everything’ll be alright in the end, you’ll see.” James promised, begging any deity that would listen to prove him right. Lily raised her head and looked James square in the eye.

“Promise me one thing—that you won’t do anything rash. I came close enough to losing you once already, I don’t want to ever feel that way again.” A slight twinkle came into Lily’s eyes in spite of the seriousness of the situation. “If you die, I swear I’ll hunt down your ghost and kill you again, hear?” James smiled sadly.

“I hear. Don’t worry.” James reached his head up and gently kissed Lily on the lips. “You won’t lose me.” With that, they both lay back down, and drifted off to sleep.

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DREAM SEQUENCE

“You won’t hurt Lily or Harry. I won’t let you.”

James heard the words coming out of his mouth, but they were accompanied by a strong sense of déjà vu. He had said this before. And he knew the reply. The cold voice, the surge of power ripping his wand from his hand, the beginning of a deadly curse. He knew this was a dream, but he had to follow the course of what had happened. James readied himself for death. . .but it did not come. Instead, he saw a part of the proceedings that had been ripped from his memory in the action, one huge fact that he had overlooked.

His son. Harry, barely one year old, crying out—no, /demanding/ the Dark Lord to cease the attack on James. Looking towards Harry and Lily, James saw something frightening, yet wonderful. He saw his wife and infant son, but in front of them a vision appeared. A tall, lithe young man, about 18 yeald. ld. Much like James he was, but with Lily’s green eyes. James felt his breath catch in his throat. He heard his son shout in his infant attempt at English “Not hurt daddy!”, and saw a small hand raise. At the same time, the apparition extended it’s own hand, and it’s eyes blazed. White light emanated from the child, through the ghost of what Harry was to grow into, and hurtled towards James, creating a wall that the Killing Curse bounced off of. Into Voldemort. James, in his dream state, could watch the course of the magic through the room. He watched as some of Voldemort’s power drained into the shield Harry had created. He watched as this power was pulled into Harry as the shield of elemental magic was drawn back into the small boy. As his dream body completed the actions which had taken place that night, James realized what this meant.

Harry had Voldemort’s power.

They had wondered over the scar that Harry now carried on his forehead. They had wondered about his seemingly growing intelligence. And now, James knew where it had come from.

END DREAM SEQUENCE

At this revelation, James woke up with a shout. Lily sat straight up in bed beside him, crying out her alarm.

“WHAT! What is it, James, what’s wrong?” She looked into the white face of her husband, softly lit with the barely rising sun through the window, and saw fear in his eyes.

“Harry. Harry got his power.” Lily looked confused, but realization slowly dawned on her.

“How do you know?” She asked.

“I told you and Dumbledore, there was a small part of what happened I couldn’t remember? I was standing there waiting for the curse to hit me and then I was shielded?” Lily nodded. “I had a dream. I remember what I saw now.” And he related the dream to Lily in it’s entirety. She sat, stunned, for a moment, before with a small sob, Lily’s head drooped to James’ shoulder.

“My.” .” She choked out. “What did he do to our baby?”

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Yes, I know. TOO SHORT! But it’s a chapter, that’s all I can say. This really was the best place to end it, and frankly, it’s good to have it out. So, let me know what you think of this chapter while you wait for the next ones. Thanks for reading!!!