Chapter 118: Getting to know another
Lily was hugging Harry with everything she had. He and Remus had just finished retelling the whole history of their world since the first wizarding war. Harry had been orphaned when he was fifteen months old, his Lily sacrificing herself for him. Said sacrifice protected him from Voldemort’s killing curse which had rebounded on Harry’s forehead and ‘killed’ him instead.
Things didn’t get better for Harry after that. He had been dropped at his aunt’s doorstep the same night and had been treated like a dark family would treat a house-elf. He didn’t even know he was a wizard until Hagrid bursted down the door to their habitation and told Harry who and what he was. Petunia and Vernon Dursley had lied to Harry his whole life about his parents and magic, calling him a ‘freak’ or ‘boy’ instead of by his name.
Then there were his ‘adventures’ at Hogwarts. Quirrelmort in his first year, the chamber of secrets and the basilisk in his second, Sirius, Peter and the Dementors in his third, the Triwizard tournament in his fourth, Umbridge in his fifth and Sirius’ death and finally his sixth-year when Albus told him about the Horcruxes and his death at Severus hands. His whole life had been nothing but misery or near death experiences and Lily’s heart broke for him.
“We’re going to fix this,” she said after breaking the hug. “We’re going to take care of Voldemort and you won’t have a thing to do. Once that’s done. I’m paying a visit to Petunia. I have a few things to say to her.”
“N-no. You don’t need to,” he stuttered a bit because of how emotional he was.
“Exactly, Harry. I don’t need to. I’ll do it because I want to. No one mistreats a child of mine. No matter if he’s from my reality or not.”
“Lily, could you leave a bit of her for me? I’d like my pound of flesh too,” asked an irate James and she just shrugged her shoulders.
To the side, Sirius was terribly angry and saddened by his Alternate self’s action. Alt-Sirius had chosen revenge against Peter instead of his duty towards Harry who was his godson. He wondered if he would have done the same. He did fucked up regarding Marlene and Duncan at first but he quickly maned up to the task. In the end he hoped he would have made a different choice than his Alternate self.
“I was going to ask you why you didn’t check on Harry but one look at you and I know.” Remus said to his Alt. “You still need to come to terms with what we are.”
“A monster you mean?” Alt-Remus replied.
“We’re anything but.”
“See! He gets it!” Nymphadora interjected.
Remus was calmer with his words. “It hasn’t been easy, I admit. I had my friends, the wolf-eazy and my wife to support me but I came over our lycanthropy.”
Alt-Remus was surprised by a detail. “You married?”
Nymphadora was very interested in Remus’ answer. “Rhianon Dee. She was a year above us in Gryffindor. She played beater. We started dating after Lily’s and Rick's wedding. After the world cup of 90 she retired and we took two years to get our lives in order. We married and had a son. Gareth.” Remus pulled from his back pocket his wallet and showed a few pictures of his small family.
“She’s pretty and he’s cute.” Nymphadora commented.
“They are, aren’t they?” Remus smiled. “Accepting to be a werewolf and that we’re not a monster is difficult but so, so worth it. I never regretted going through this. Not even once. Not when I’m that happy today.”
“Your son, he’s not…” There was fear and worries in Alt-Remus voice.
“Ostracized or anything? No. I’m not hiding that I’m a werewolf but I’m also not screaming it on the roofs. When people come to the shop to buy something or make an order, they just don’t care as long as they get what they want. If anything they all love Gareth who’s with Rhia and I most of the time during the day.”
“What shop is it?” Nymphadora was curious.
“A broom shop. Rick gave me some plans and tips on runes from brooms he made and opened a shop he entrusted to me. I’ve been making my own brooms for a few years now. Quidditch players come from all over the world to buy one of the models. Honestly it’s a peaceful life. I get to work on runes, do some research, meet new people and bring them joy by selling them brooms. I’m doing quite a good amount of money. You could too once Voldemort is dealt with.”
Alt-Remus said nothing, his eyes fixed on the picture of Remus' family. Nymphadora looked expectant and hopeful. Remus for his part noticed but didn’t say anything. It wasn’t his place to talk about the relationship he witnessed before his eyes.
On another side of the Room, Draco, surrounded by Weasleys, Rose and Susan, were looking at Hermione talking animatedly with Alt-Hermione.
“Blimey. That must be the scariest sight I’ve ever seen. One Hermione being bossy towards another Hermione.”
Draco turned to Ginny. “Let me guess, your Hermione whipped him into shape?”
“Oh you have no idea.” the girl laughed.
“Let’s hope our Hermione whipped yours good because god, she was insufferable in first year. She was running straight into a brick wall and would have had a very very bad experience in the wizarding world once she was out of Hogwarts.” Rose commented.
“Ours is still the same. I hope she can learn because she's not bad. Quite nice in fact.” Ginny said.
“Of course she can learn, Gin. It’s Hermione we’re talking about. There is nothing she can’t learn.” Ron defended his friend.
Rose found Ron’s loyalty very sweet. She was about to compliment him for it when Tipsy popped in with new people.
“Tipsy brought Miss Foxie, Miss Slutty and-”
Fleur protested with a scowl. “I’m not slutty!”
“You totally are, Fleur.” Nymphadora laughed and slapped Fleur’s ass loudly and let her hand there to fondle it.
“Zhat’s in private!”
“SHUT UP! I’m here?!” Alt-Nymphadora, who was with both Remus, rushed to her counterpart when she saw her. “Merlin’s beard! That’s freaky!”
Both began to use their metamorphmagus abilities to check if the other was not just polyjuiced and they turned exactly into the same thing.
““Dang! Girl! You look good!”” they spoke at the same time and marked a pause of shock before laughing.
“A dream come true. Two Dora just for me?” Fleur put a hand on each of the Nymphadoras’ asses.
Alt-Nymphadora quickly reacted however and removed Fleur’s hand “Yeah, no. Sorry, I’m taken, firebird.”
“Aw, dommage.” Fleur sounded so disappointed that Alt-Nymphadora pointed her to Alt-Fleur.
“You can have fun with yourself if you want?”
Fleur turned around and saw her alternate-self observing. After exchanging a look with Nymphadora they both went to her.
“And what am I? The peanut gallery?” Everyone turned to see Lyra next to Tipsy.
“Of course not.” Rose smiled at her little sister and went for a heartfelt hug. “Guys, this is-”
“Mini-Bellatrix.” Alt-Ron blurted out.
Lyra laughed and gave him a retort. “You’re funny Ronald. I’ll murder you last.” Alt-Ron’s face pale comically and Lyra laughed even more. “I’m joking.”
“Haha, you… you got me good.” This time everyone laughed at Alt-Ron’s nervous answer.
“I’m Lyra Druella Virgo Black, nice to meet you.” Lyra introduced herself properly.
From there the kids began talking of everything and nothing although Alt-Ron kept away from Lyra at all times. Tipsy had brought the trunk she had fetched for Lily and gave it to her.
“Thank you, Tipsy, you can rest now.”
“Yes, Mistress Flowie.” and with a pop she went back home, following Lily’s order.
“Rose! I got the supplies!” Lily called out to her daughter who quickly came running. “You’ll have to review and maybe change the design. Harry is not an object.”
The young redhead nodded. “I’ll get to it. Come.” She said and took Harry’s hand.
“Why? I know nothing about-”
“Don’t you want to know what will happen to you? Besides, we’re like… each other's counterparts in a way. There is no me here and there is no you in my reality. So let’s get to know each other?”
Harry’s jaw reached the floor at Rose’s boldness but did nothing to fight her and was dragged away.
“Remus!” Lily shouted.
““Yes?”” both Remus and Alternate answered at the same time.
“Sorry! My Remus! I got the ring.” She raised her hand and held between her fingers a golden ring. “Want to test it now?”
“Sure, why not?” he replied and caught the ring which Lily tossed at him.
“What is that supposed to do?” Alt-Remus joined them.
“Block the effects of the moonlight.” Remus answered. “Lily discovered what triggers the transformation and got the wolf to react while the full moon was two weeks away.”
“Yes. Once I knew that, it was easy to think of a solution.”
“A ring? Not a potion or a pill?” Alt-Remus questioned.
“Enchanted of course. And no. A potion and a pill can’t fight the effect of the moonlight. They affect the result of the change, not the start of the change itself. That’s why it’s a dead end. Now, is there a small room where we can experiment?” She explained to Alt-Remus.
“I… Well, yes. Please follow me”.
Alt-Remus brought them to an adjacent room. A bedroom to be more exact.
“Okay, Remus, are you ready?” Lily had her wand in hand.
The man didn’t waste time answering her. “I am, but he isn’t. Won’t he react without the Ring?”
“Ah, yes. That would be problematic if you turn.” the redhead realized.
“I’ll wait outside but are you sure it’s wise to do it like this? That doesn’t seem very safe.”
“Don’t worry, the wolf knows better than to act on her.” Remus joked and Lily nodded in agreement.
Skeptical, Alt-Remus left them alone. Lily sealed the room and put some distance with her friends.
“Ready?”
“Whenever you want, Lily.”
She nodded and began to emit red light with her wand. A second passed and another and another. She increased the intensity of the light and varied, the frequencies, the radiation emitted and the amplitude and nothing happened.
“I feel absolutely nothing. He’s not stirring at all.” Remus reported.
“Well, this is great news. Now we just have to test it during the full moon.”
“Can he try? He really needs some hope, Lily.”
“I know and sure.”
She unsealed the room and went to fetch Alt-Remus to bring him back.
“It worked. Now we just need to test it during the full moon just to be sure. Want to give it a try?”
“Why not? Although I’d like to know what you’re going to do.” he answered her.
She began to explain. “The transformation is triggered by red light. Not just red in color, that does nothing but red from the light spectrum.”
“I… don’t get it?”
“Ever saw a rainbow? That’s a white light divided into its basic colors. When the moon is full, it reflects the white light we get from the sun a lot, however the level of red light inside of it is greatly superior and that’s what triggers the transformation. What I’m going to do is emit that red light with my wand just a bit. You should feel the wolf stir. It’s to give you an idea. Then I do it again but while you’re wearing the ring. That’s it. That’s the experiment. There is no danger.”
Alt-Remus blinked, digesting the information, then shrugged his shoulders. He had nothing to lose.
On the other side of Kingsley’s home, Rose was sitting at a table, working on a new alchemic ritual. Harry was next to her and looking attentively. He didn’t know anything about runes. He had taken divination and care of magical creatures as electives, yet he was intrigued.
“You can talk, you know. That won’t break my focus.” Rose said while biting the end of her pen.
“I don’t really know what to say.”
“What you think about having a piece of Voldemort’s soul in you? What you want to do after he’s dealt with? That perhaps you’re jealous because I have my parents and you unfortunately don’t?” He glared at her when she said the last part. “I’m not judging, or bragging or mocking, Harry. I just want to get to know you.” She put the pen out of her mouth and began scribing something he couldn’t make sense of.
“Ancient runes seem so easy.” He tried starting a conversation with a safer subject that didn’t hit him home.
“Hm? That’s not ancient runes, that’s alchemical symbols.” She pointed out at another circle. “Those are ancient runes.”
“Alchemical?”
“Yes, the art of transformation, of change and transfer. The whole world is made of five elements. You know how to use them? You can do anything.”
“Like transferring a piece of soul.” Harry made an attempt at humor who worked on Rose.
“Yes. Once you understand how it works it’s really fun. It’s just chemistry with a bit of magic, really.”
“Why the ancient runes, then?”
“They’re like… commands? It tells magic what to do, how to behave, how to flow, how to twist and the alchemical symbols are the ones which obey the commands and actually do the work.”
“Said like that, it sounds really logical but with a touch of creativity.”
“It is! Do you want to learn?”
He quickly refused with his hands waving. “I don’t want to bother you with-”
“Non-sense, Harry! Come on, live a little, enjoy the small moments. You’re a Gryffindor, by heart and by blood so tighten your belt and ‘Gryffindor Forward!” She pushed away the parchment she was working on and took a blank one. Without being given much of a choice he listened.
“Wait, Gryffindor by blood? What do you mean?”
“Mom is a descendant of Grandpa Godric. She’s the first magical from the line in approximately 400 years. Meaning you are a descendant too.”
“So that’s what Dumbledore meant when he said the sword can only be pulled by a Gryffindor.”
“Hm no. The sword can be pulled by anyone displaying great bravery or so Grandpa
Godric said.”
“Grandpa Godric? Are you talking about our actual grandfather or…”
“No. Our Maternal grandfather’s name was Luke. I’m talking about Godric Gryffindor himself, the founder. Before dying he had a special painting made. Not like the one of him at Hogwarts but a very special one who retained all his memories and personality. Mom found the painting in the Gryffindor’s vault at Gringotts and brought him home. He has plenty of stories to tell and he’s really nice. You should get him out too, he gives good advice and stories.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“You can.” She finished writing the last rune on her parchment. “Here. This, here,” she pointed at a rune. “It’s the rune Fehu. It represents Livestock. It symbolizes Wealth, Abundance, Success, Security, Fertility. This one,” she pointed at the second rune. “Is the rune Jera. It represents the Year. It symbolizes Cycles, Completion, Changes, Harvest, Reaping Rewards. Then finally this one,” she pointed at the third and last rune. “Is Berkano. It represents a Birch Tree. It symbolizes Femininity, Fertility, Healing, Regeneration, Birth. Now when you combine them like this with the symbol of earth and water… You- Oh wait I forgot the seed. Accio bottle of seeds.”
Soon enough a small bottle of seeds flew in and across the room. She caught it and picked one seed which she put in the middle of the circle.
“Come on, put your hand here and push a bit of magic into it.”
Accepting the invitation, Harry did as instructed. Under his very eyes, he observed with awe the seed opening with a stem growing and growing until it bloomed into a white Lily.
“Merlin! That’s brilliant!”
Rose knew he was hooked now. She swore to herself to teach him the whole basics of runes and alchemy before leaving. That way, he’d have a hobby that would bring him a bit of joy in his life.