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SIYE Time:15:59 on 28th March 2024
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The World As We Knew It
By ginnyp0tter

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Category: Alternate Universe
Characters:Harry/Ginny, James Potter, Lily Potter, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, Sirius Black
Genres: Action/Adventure
Warnings: Death
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 309
Summary: Destroy the Horcruxes—that’s Harry’s goal, until an Aperio throws him and two other unknown people into a world where the prophecy never existed, his parents and Sirius are alive, and Ginny went to Azkaban for opening the Chamber. Canon pairings, pre DH.
Hitcount: Story Total: 150041; Chapter Total: 4654





Author's Notes:
Hang on for the ride...
And if you like this story, please review! I appreciated all the feedback I got from last chapter.




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Harry stared contemptuously into the cold, black eyes of Severus Snape. “What do you want?” he spat.

“Really, Potter, you’re even thicker than I gave you credit for,” the man said coldly. “I would have thought it to be obvious.”

“How would I know what you want?” Harry shot back.

Snape ignored this. “The only reason I did not use this marvelous opportunity to finish off both you and your pathetic godfather is a simple comment you made that intrigued me.”

Harry waited.

“I seem to remember in your foolish attempt to take out Bellatrix, you shouted, ‘You won’t kill him, not again.’”

Harry could feel his cheeks paling. The last thing he needed was the Voldemort finding out about the Aperio…

“As Black is lying on the ground before me, granted, not in perfect health, but also definitely not dead, I am, of course…shall we say, mystified by your assertion that Bellatrix has killed Black before. I want an explanation.”

“I won’t tell you anything!” Harry snarled. “Never!”

“Tut, tut, Potter. I’ll remind you, I have the wands. You’ll tell me what I want to know, or die.”

“Go ahead,” Harry said bitterly. “Kill me now. In cold blood, and defenseless. Like the coward you are. Just like you killed Dum…” Harry cut himself off, suddenly realizing what he’d done.

Snape smirked at him. “Yes?” But Harry shook his head, his lips pressed together.

“You must tell me!” Snape continued. “Why did you say that? How did you know? I’m warning you, Potter, if you refuse to tell me, I will squish your stubbornness; I will use any means…” He began to pace back and forth, wand twitching. His eyes were glazed–Harry had seen that same desperate, crazed look once before, on the night Sirius had almost been kissed by the Dementors, and Snape had been sure he’d receive the Order of Merlin.

Snape’s rant continued, but Harry wasn’t listening. He was watching for a window of opportunity. Maybe if he attacked Snape Muggle-style, he’d have the element of surprise behind him. Maybe he could get his wand back, stun Snape, and apparate Sirius out of here. Harry waited…watched…then when Snape’s back was turned as the former Potions teacher reached the pinnacle of his raging speech, Harry dove at him.

Snape whirled around and a second later, Harry was frozen with a nonverbal Petrificus Totalis spell. He tumbled silently to the ground, face first. Snape rolled him over with a kick and stared maliciously down. “That Gryffindor tendency to think before you act. Typical…your stupid father was the same way. You’re idiotic enough to think that you have the power to overcome me? I, the master of the Dark Arts?”

Don’t insult my dad, Harry wanted to shout. Instead, all he could do was lay there, frozen on the ground, seething up at his former teacher.

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’ll be compassionate, Potter… I was far to easy on you in school, but no longer. Answer my questions, or…”

Snape left the threat unfinished, but Harry knew what was implied. He wasn’t worrying about that, however, for his mind had latched onto Snape’s words… I was far to easy on you in school… The pieces began to fall into place in his mind.

“No sudden moves, Potter, or you’ll feel the pain of the Cruciatius Curse and I promise you, no mercy will be shown,” Snape warned, and then Harry was released from the spell. He scrambled backwards a few feet, feeling the blood draining from his face.

“No,” he gasped. “No, it can’t be… It can’t be you…”

Snape frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“The Aperio,” Harry blurted out before he could stop himself. “The alternate reality… My parents were alive again, and Sirius… It happened at the beginning of last summer, the day after…”

“The day after Dumbledore’s funeral,” Snape finished, his face pale in the moonlight.

Harry nodded. His mind was a storm of conflicting thoughts and emotions. Snape? The third person? It couldn’t be true.. But here Snape was. Harry couldn’t understand it–Snape had hated his parents! He’d called Lily a Mudblood. But he must have regretted his role in their deaths, or else the Aperio would have never happened. If Snape really had regretted the Potters’ deaths, maybe he was still on the side of the Order. Maybe he wasn’t working for Voldemort. But no, that couldn’t be right–he’d killed Dumbledore!

“You hated my parents,” Harry muttered, trying to figure out what was going on, hoping it was only a dream and that soon he’d wake up in his bed and find that this whole miserable day had never happened…

“What makes you think that?” Snape’s voice cut into Harry’s thoughts.

Harry struggled to organize the memories and questions that were spinning through his head. “My dad–you always hated him for being so awful to you when you went to Hogwarts. And you called my mum ‘Mudblood.’”

Was he imagining it? or had Snape actually winced when Harry had said, ‘Mudblood’? “Your father was a pompous oaf. He was vain and conceited, and he was convinced that the world revolved around him,” Snape said coldly. But then his voice lost a little of its sharpness. “But I never wanted him dead.”

“And my mum?” Harry pressed. He had to know… He had to know the truth…

“Evans?” Snape said carelessly, but he turned his back so Harry couldn’t see his face. “She and I…might have been friends…before she started dating Potter…”

Suddenly a memory sparked at the back of Harry’s mind… “The letter,” he exclaimed. Everything was making sense now. “The letter I found in the attic… You used to write her! The letter was from you!”

Snape spun around. “What if it was?” he challenged coldly.

“You…you liked her,” Harry stated. He couldn’t bring himself to say “loved”… it was just too disturbing to think about.

The Potions master stared straight at him. Harry wondered if Snape was trying to read his mind. “So I did.”

“Then why? Why did you tell Voldemort the prophecy? You’re the reason they’re dead!” Harry yelled, feeling rage pouring into him–the same rage he’d felt on the night Trelawny had accidentally told him who had betrayed his parents to Voldemort… “You didn’t even try to save them!”

“Don’t accuse me of not trying, Potter!” Snape cried, his eyes flashing furiously, black robes billowing in the wind. “I didn’t know the prophecy referred to their son... to you… When Voldemort came to the conclusion that it was either you or Longbottom, I tried to same both your parents! I went to Dumbledore…he put your parents under the Fidelius Charm. When Pettigrew sold your parents over to Voldemort, I begged him not to kill her… He said he’d spare her life if he could…” Snape whirled on Harry. “Didn’t you ever wonder why Voldemort gave your mother the chance to live? Didn’t you, Potter?”

It all made sense now. Harry had wondered…every time he encountered a Dementor, he wondered at Voldemort’s words: “Stand aside…stand aside, you silly girl!” His mother could have chosen life…all because of Snape. But instead she had chosen death to save Harry.

Harry suddenly realized he was shaking with cold. He pulled his jumper closer and tried to stop his chattering teeth. “But what about Dumbledore? You killed him…I saw you!”

Snape gave Harry a long look. “You should get back to Hogwarts; it’s cold out here…”

“NO! I have to know!” Harry tried to stand, to prove he was alright, but he seemed to be having a hard time getting his frozen extremities to cooperate.

“Here,” the man said. He tossed something at Harry, who caught it reflexively. It was his wand. For a moment, he just stared at it, then up at Snape in disbelief.

Snape snorted. “Stop gawking, Potter. Cast a warming charm or conjure up a cloak or something. If you die of hypothermia, it would completely defeat the purpose of our conversation tonight.”

Harry quickly obeyed. A moment later, a delicious warmth was seeping into his bones. He stretched his legs, then remembering his godfather, sent the same spell in Sirius’s direction. Sirius groaned, but remained unconscious. Snape was watching him carefully.

“You’re avoiding my question,” Harry said bluntly. He slowly raised himself off the ground, wand grasped tightly in his hand.

Snape’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. You probably won’t believe the truth, if you’re any bit as narrow-minded as your father.”

It took effort, but Harry ignored the jab. “Try me,” he challenged, staring straight back at Snape.

“Dumbledore planned his death,” Snape said simply.

There were five long seconds of silence as Harry’s head reeled. “No…he wouldn’t… Why? What reason would he have?”

Snape turned away from Harry and stared down the alleyway. “Last summer, when I discovered how the Dark Lord had given the younger Malfoy the task of killing Dumbledore, I told the headmaster immediately. It was not two days later that he attempted to destroy that ring–a Horcrux, if I’m not mistaken. He called me immediately to assist him. The ring was cursed; I managed to stop the poison from infiltrating his entire body, but his hand was incurable, and the damage was done. I couldn’t entirely remove the poison; we both knew that his death was inevitable.”

“He…he was dying? All that time he was dying?” Harry said incredulously.

“Once we both knew the truth, he came out with the plan,” Snape said, ignoring Harry. “It was ingenious, really. I would kill him when the time was right, safe Draco from becoming a murderer, and give Voldemort the ultimate proof of my loyalties.”

“And you agreed?”

Snape gave Harry a long look. “Not at first. It took quite a bit of persuasion on his part. In all his planning, he never considered the fact that I might refuse to kill him…that I might not feel right about brutally ending the life of the man who had given me a second chance,” Snape said bitterly. “He eventually convinced me. A week later, Narcissa and Bellatrix visited me, and I swore the Unbreakable Vow. Dumbledore was pleased, but I regretted it the moment the binding was complete. I argued with him all year long. Near the end, though, I could see him growing weaker. And then…”

“The Astronomy tower,” Harry finished, feeling his stomach balling up again. “How…”

“No!” Snape said sharply, drawing himself up. “We cannot linger here any longer! The Dark Lord will wonder what is taking us so long… He might send more Death Eaters to check.”

“But..”

“Meet me at the Hog’s Head tomorrow! We can sort things out there. Two o’clock sharp. Don’t be seen.”

Harry hesitated.

“Still not sure if you can trust me?” Snape sneered, his eyes glittering.

Harry nodded.

“Well, you’re going to have to. Believe me, I’m not going to go ratting on you to Voldemort. I daresay Pettigrew’s done enough of that already…”

“But…”

Snape cut him off. “Here,” he said, thrusting Sirius’s wand at Harry, who took it. “When more Death Eaters show up, we’ll need a plausible story… You two took three of us out, you could have taken out four… They weren’t expecting you to know your stuff so well, Potter.”

Harry blinked. Had Snape just given him a compliment?

“I suppose if they found all of us unconscious, it would look less suspicious,” Snape continued, mostly to himself.

“I could stun you,” Harry suggested. Immediately he knew it was the wrong thing to say.

“I’m sure it would give you great pleasure,” Snape said sarcastically, “but I’ll stun myself, thank you.” He took back Sirius’s wand. “Just in case they check our stories with the Priori Incantatem,” he told Harry. “You do know how to Side-Along Apparate, don’t you?”

Harry nodded again. “Yeah.”

“Apparate him back to the gates, then,” Snape ordered. “It’s not safe for you to be seen in Hogsmeade in your human or Animagus forms.”

Harry stared at him. “How did you…”

“Tomorrow, Potter! Not tonight! Here, destroy this,” Snape instructed, tossing Bellatrix’s wand to Harry. He pointed Sirius’s wand at himself, then paused. “Remember, Potter, two sharp. Don’t be late, don’t bring anyone else with you, and don’t tell anyone where you’re going.”

“Until tomorrow, then,” Harry said, then watched as Snape stunned himself. He picked up Sirius’s wand and took one last look at the four unconscious Death Eaters before hurrying to his godfather’s side.

“Sirius?”

There was no reply. With effort, Harry managed to haul his godfather up. With Sirius draped over his shoulder, he concentrated, and a moment later they had appeared in front of the gates. He dragged Sirius through, then pulled out his wand. “Ennervate.”

Sirius jerked instantly into consciousness. “Harry! Good lord, what happened? Where are the Death Eaters?”

“I stunned the last two and apparated you back here,” Harry said, holding out a hand to Sirius, who accepted the help up.

“Merlin, Harry, you took out two by yourself? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Here’s your wand.” Harry handed Sirius a wand, then realised it was Lestrange’s. “Sorry, here’s yours…”

“Then whose wand is this?” Sirius asked, examining the other wand.

“Bellatrix Lestrange’s,” Harry told him.

Immediately Sirius’s face hardened. “She was there? I’m going back; I’m going to finish her off once and for all!” He started towards the gates, but Harry grabbed his sleeve.

“No! Sirius, you can’t! There will be other Death Eaters there by now, you’ll be out numbered. She’s not worth it.”

Sirius turned, an incredulous look on his face. “Don’t you know? Minerva didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

Sirius closed his eyes as a painful expression crossed his face. “Bellatrix Lestrange killed Lily.”

“Oh.” Harry wasn’t sure how to react, how to feel. Too much had happened that night. First his parents were dead, then Snape wasn’t working for Voldemort, and finally his own mother had become the latest of Bellatrix’s victims. It was too much to comprehend. Suddenly Harry felt tired…no, exhausted... All he wanted to do was fly back to his dorm and crawl into his warm four-poster bed…

Sirius noticed too. “You should get to bed, Harry,” he said. He looked back through the gates and kicked the ground. “I don’t think I could sleep tonight if I wanted to.

“What are you going to do?” Harry asked, fighting the waves of dizziness.

“I’m going to drop by Grimmauld Place…see how Regulus and Ginny are doing.”

Suddenly Harry remembered something. “Sirius…you’ve got to get them out of there! Grimmauld Place…my dad…Secret-keeper…”

Sirius’s eyes widened. “Oh damn… They’re not safe! But where could I take them? The Weasley’s place isn’t safe; it’s still being watched by Aurors. I could take them to Godric’s Hollow, but I wouldn’t feel right…”

“Take them to Lupin’s place,” Harry said, cutting him off. “It’s safe.”

Sirius frowned. “Remus?” he said doubtfully. “Are you sure?”

“I’m the Secret-keeper,” Harry told him quietly.

Fortunately Sirius didn’t ask any questions. He simply nodded and said, “I’ll need to know where he lives.”

“Twenty-three Townsend Road in Liverpool.”

“Right.” Sirius took two steps toward the gate, then paused. “Promise me you’ll go straight to the castle?”

“I promise.”

His godfather nodded, gave Harry a small smile, then stepped out of the gates and vanished with a pop.




The following day felt like the longest day of Harry’s life. He slept very little, despite being so tired. He skipped his classes and meals and refused to talk to anyone, including Leila. He was afraid that if she started asking questions about the night before, he’d tell her about Snape. He wasn’t sure how she’d react to the discovery of the third person in the Aperio.

Around noon, he received an owl from Sirius.

Grimmauld Place evacuated. They are safe, as well as the objects. S.B.

Harry sighed in relief. Too many people had already died. He shuddered to think of what the Death Eaters would have done had they captured Regulus and Ginny.

He spent the remaining time in his room pacing. Jeremy and Seamus didn’t bother him, and Ron and Neville had already gone home to be with their families. As two approached, Harry left the tower and made for the secret passageway hidden by the statue of the humpbacked witch, armed with the Invisibility Cloak and Marauders’ Map.

As Harry neared the Hog’s Head under his cloak, he whished the Map covered Hogsmeade. It’d be much easier to determine whether Snape had set a trap for him if he could see who was inside the pub.

Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak tighter around him–the November wind was threatening to rip it off. When the next customer entered the Hog’s Head, Harry slipped in behind him and pressed himself into a corner. The pub was filled with shady characters as always, but at first inspection, Harry didn’t recognize any Death Eaters. Well, except for one. A sallow-faced man with a long, hooked nose sat at the very furthest table. His eyes were covered with a dark hood, but Harry recognized him instantly.

After one more cautionary glance around the pub, Harry slipped through the tables towards the back and slid into the adjacent seat. He pulled his cloak off.

“You’re late,” Snape said coldly. “And you should have done something about your appearance, Potter. Someone might recognize you.”

In reply, Harry concentrated. A moment later, his hair was brown and longer, and his eyes had turned blue.

Snape nodded in approval. “Much better. Now, which spell would you use to insure that we won’t be overheard?”

Harry pulled out his wand. “Muffliato,” he said, and was halfway through the process of resheathing his wand when he realized which spell he’d used, and where he’d gotten it from. He looked up, feeling like he’d just got caught stealing something.

Snape pulled his hood off, and his expression was unreadable. Now Harry could see the bruises and welts the hood had been concealing. “I knew there had to be a reason you were doing so well in Potions last year. You certainly didn’t inherit talent your mother had in that particular subject.”

Harry grinned sheepishly. “Sorry… I honestly didn’t know the Potions book was yours, not until you told me. Well, Hermione had it figured out, I think.”

One eyebrow rose. “Ms. Granger figured out that your Potions book used to belong to me? Might I inquire how?”

“Half-Blood Prince,” Harry said. “I think she was reading old Daily Prophets and saw an article about Eileeen Prince winning some award. She then looked up the marriage announcements and found that Eileen Prince married Tobias Snape.”

“Ah.”

The world was coming to an end, Harry thought. Here he was, having a civilized conversation with Snape. He decided to take a risk. “Um, sir? Can I ask how you got all those cuts?”

Snape’s face darkened. “The Dark Lord was not pleased when we failed last night. I would have made a potion for it, but I was too busy.”

“Too busy?”

“Well, if you really can’t restrain your curiosity, I was reading about Aperios.”

Harry leaned back in his chair. “You didn’t previously know about them?”

Snape scowled. “Potter, don’t you think that if I’d had the slightest inkling of what kind of dimension travel I was involved in, I’d have been knocking on Order members’ doors to discover who the other two people were?”

Harry stared down at the table. “I thought I was going crazy,” he said quietly.

“‘Crazy’ doesn’t even describe it,” Snape said, snorting. “I thought I had gone insane. I went to bed at Malfoy Manor, and I woke up at Spinner’s End. Lucius Malfoy was out of Azkaban, as well as the whole lot Dumbledore caught at the Ministry two summers ago; Carlotta Wilkes and Matthias Gibbonwere still alive; and no one had ever heard of a prophecy. I finally forced one of the younger Death Eaters to tell me what they knew about me, the Dark Lord, the Order, Hogwarts, Dumbledore, everything. Of course, I obliviated him afterwards. It seemed that the prophecy was non-existent in this reality. Since I’d never changed sides, though, I couldn’t exactly go running back to the Order and expect them to accept me with open arms. Especially since…” Snape paused, and Harry waited for him to continue. “It seems that I was involved with the deaths of Nymphadora Tonks and Charlie Weasley last year.”

Harry winced. He’d thought he had it bad–but he’d never thought of the possibility that he might’ve been stuck with a reputation that he didn’t deserve.

“So I convinced the Dark Lord that one of my potions had exploded and I was dealing with a slight case of amnesia, but that it would pass with time.”

“And Voldemort believed you?”

Snape cringed. “Don’t speak his name!”

“I’ll say his name whenever I want,” Harry said defiantly. “I’ve faced him, and I’m not scared.

“You should be,” Snape said, eying Harry. “He’s even more powerful than in the other world.”

“And you’re saying he believed you when you told him you had amnesia.”

“The Dark Lord may be the connoisseur of Legilimency of the century,” Snape snapped, “but I am the best at Occlumency. Believe me, Potter, for years I convinced him that I was his loyal spy; I am very capable of lying to him.”

“Oh.” Harry swallowed hard as a new thought entered his mind. “Did…did you have anything to do with…you know…yesterday’s…”

“Yesterday’s carnage?” Snape finished, giving Harry a long look. “No. My job was to lay low in Hogsmeade with Bellatrix and the others and wait for you and your godfather to arrive whether in your Animagus forms or in human forms. We were to kill him and capture you.”

“Why…” Harry began, but Snape cut him off.

“I think it is high time you answered some of my questions, Potter.”

“I guess it’s only fair,” Harry admitted, privately thinking that there were still some things Snape wasn’t telling him. “What do you want to know?”

“Who’s the other person in the Aperio?”

“Lupin.”

Snape frowned. “I should have guessed that. Did you immediately know that you were in an Aperio?”

“No; Lupin told me a few days later. I think he guessed I’d be one of the three.”

“How did he figure it out?”

“I’m not sure,” Harry said, shrugging. “I guess he’d read about Aperios before.”

“How many people have you told?”

“Only McGonagall and Mad-Eye Moody. Oh, and Leila too.”

Snape’s eyebrows shot up. “You’ve kept the secret well. Leila is your sister?”

“Yeah.”

“Why not tell your parents or Sirius?”

Harry took a breath. “I didn’t think they’d believe me. And I wasn’t sure of what they’d say when they found that they were dead in the other reality.”

“I see. So why did you choose to tell McGonagall and Moody?”

“You know we’ve been destroying Horcruxes, right?”

“Yes.”

“The first one we destroyed was the diary...you know, the one Ginny Weasley wrote in all year long? It was at Hogwarts, in the Chamber of Secrets. Lupin and I went to get it one night and McGonagall overheard me telling Lupin about the Basilisk the last time I was down in the Chamber. Moody, on the other hand…” Harry blushed. He really didn’t want to tell Snape that Moody had noticed his advanced Defence skills…

“Showing off in class, were you?” Snape guessed.

“Something like that,” Harry said, his face burning. “He knew there was something different about me, especially since…” He paused, unsure of whether he wanted to tell Snape about the Azkaban episode. But Snape beat him to it.

“You got the Weasley girl out of Azkaban.”

“How did you know?”

Snape pursed his lips. “I’m not sure who, but you’ve got a spy in the Order, Potter. Someone spilled everything–of course the Dark Lord doesn’t reveal everything to the lesser Death Eaters like myself, but the rumours have been flying that you and Black are Animagi, you got Weasley out of Azkaban, Lupin’s been consulting with Death Eaters and knows all about the Horcruxes, you’re a Parselmouth, Regulus Black is alive, most of the Horcruxes are destroyed…”

Harry stared at him. “They know everything.”

“Just about,” Snape said coolly.

“But how? Who would have told?” Suddenly Harry knew. “It was Clark… she’s a Death Eater, isn’t she?”

Snape frowned. “Where’d you get that idea? She’s not a Death Eater. From what I know of her and her family, she’d rather die than serve the Dark Lord.”

“Oh,” Harry said, feeling deflated. “Then who?”

“I told you, I don’t know,” Snape said impatiently. “If I knew, I’d tell you! My guess is that one of the younger members of the Order was Imperio’d and forced to tell everything.”

There was a long silence.

“You didn’t tell Lupin that I was the third, did you?”

“No,” Harry replied.

“You should,” Snape said. “I doubt he’d listen if I showed up on his doorstep and tried to convince him that Dumbledore ordered me to kill him. Then maybe we can figure out how to reverse this thing.”

“No!” Harry’s protest came out louder than he’d intended. Snape shushed him and both quickly looked around to make sure that no one had heard. Fortunately, the Muffliato spell was still working.

“No,” Harry said again, lowering his voice. “We can’t go back!”

“Potter, be reasonable!” Snape exclaimed. “Just think… Even as we speak, the Dark Lord is making more Horcruxes. He personally killed your father yesterday…and Frank Longbottom. There’s no stopping him now… We’ve got to go back.”

“I won’t! I won’t leave Sirius…and Leila… And maybe I can still defeat Voldemort here… Lupin said that the prophecy was still valid!”

“Lupin was wrong,” Snape said bluntly. “The prophecy is valid only in the other world. If you think Voldemort was bad in the old reality, you should see him in this one. He was furious when he found out that his Horcruxes had been destroyed. He won’t stop until every member of the Order is dead.”

“That’s why we’ve got to keep fighting!”

“There’s a difference between bravery and pure stupidity, and you’re showing the latter right now. He’s pretty much undefeatable.”

“And he isn’t in the other world?”

“You just don’t get it, do you, Potter? He can be defeated in the other world. By you. In the other world, the Dark Lord doesn’t know about the Horcruxes yet.”

“I’m not leaving…now while I’ve got Sirius and Leila…”

Snape looked completely exasperated. “Do you know what an Aperio does?”

Harry shook his head.

“An Aperio technically creates a new reality, based on the key change that fulfills the wishes of the three people. In our case, it’s the prophecy that doesn’t exist in this world. But do you know what happened to the other world we were in?”

“No.”

“According to the material I read last night, there has been only one documented case of a reversed Aperio. When the three people returned tot heir reality, they found that for the entire period of time they’d been gone, the world had gone on, but from the perspective of their friends and families, they’d simply disappeared.”

It took a few moments for this to sink in. “You mean…”

“Everyone in the other reality woke up on the first day of summer to find that Lupin, you and I had vanished.”

“Do they know it was an Aperio?”

Snape thought for a moment. “I doubt it… I don’t think the Death Eaters will spread around the fact that I’m missing, and since Lupin isn’t well known, his disappearance won’t be widely published either. But you… well, I’ll bet the Death Eaters, the Ministry officials, and the Order are all looking for you.”

Harry groaned. “What a mess.”

“Do you see where I’m going now? No one knows you here. You have no responsibilities in this world, aside from personal ones. You owe them nothing. But think, Potter, for a minute about the people you left behind. They’re still counting on you to defeat the Dark Lord. If you leave this world, only the people you’re closest to will feel the loss. But if you remain here, the people you’ve left behind will suffer for your decision forever.”

Harry stared at his hands. He finally realised the magnitude of the decision before him. It felt as if a heavy weight had just come crashing down on his shoulders once again. To think that life in the other world was continuing without him. He couldn’t imagine what his friends must be going through… Ron and Hermione would feel guilty for not coming with him to the Dursleys, but Mrs. Weasley would be the worst–she’d be frantic. Harry bet that she’d think his disappearance was her fault for not insisting that he come home with her at the beginning of the sumer.

As he took time to think–really think–about his friends and the people he’d left behind, he realized how much he missed them. He’d allowed the excitement of having a family for once in his life carry him away. Charlie, Tonks, Hagrid, Ron and Hermione’s friendship–it had seemed a small sacrifice compared to having his parents and Sirius alive. But if he went back, what would happen to this world?

“If…if we were to reverse the Aperio, what would happen to this reality?” Harry asked numbly.

Snape shrugged. “It will continue on.”

Harry’s heart sank. “So in reality, by creating this new world, we’ve doomed these people to an undefeatable Voldemort.”

Snape said nothing, but Harry knew the answer to the question. “If we did reverse the Aperio, couldn’t we first do something for the people here?”

Snape looked him straight in the eye. “Perhaps. But you must understand that the other reality is your first priority, your first responsibility. You’ll have to come to terms with the possibility that you’ve already done everything you possibly can here.”

Silence fell once again over the table. The ancient clock over the bar read 3:15. Harry knew he should go soon… If Leila discovered him missing, she’d worry. He definitely didn’t want her to put herself in danger by looking for him beyond the boundaries of Hogwarts. She knew as much as he did. If the Death Eaters captured her…

Snape was looking at the clock too. He shifted restlessly in his seat. Harry gathered his courage together for one final question.

“Why were you supposed to kill Sirius but capture me last night? Why not just kill us both?”

Snape stiffened and Harry knew he’d hit the mark. “It seems…that the Dark Lord has taken a special interest in you,” he said haltingly.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “What’s new?”

“An attitude like that will get you killed,” Snape warned. “I’m telling you, he’s more powerful in this world…”

Harry really wasn’t too concerned. Just curious. “Why target me, though?”

“He’s noticed that you’re different. You’re at the top of your Defence class, you become an Animagus in one summer, you’re suddenly a Parselmouth, you became the first person in this world’s history to escape from Azkaban, you’re in the Order even though you’re still in school… He’s fearful.”

Fearful?”

Snape looked him straight in the eye. “My suspicion is that he’s afraid you’re the next heir of Slytherin.”

Me?! Why?”

“Mainly the fact that you speak Parselmouth.”

Harry shook his head in disbelief. “No one but Lupin, Moody, McGonagall and Leila knows that I’m a Parselmouth How on earth could he have found out?”

Snape shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. His spies are everywhere. All I ask is that you be careful. I will do my best to inform you of what I can, but in this world I am one of the lesser Death Eaters, and I suspect that the Dark Lord is still suspicious of me, especially since I’ve continued to display ‘signs’ of Amnesia for months after the initial incident. He doesn’t inform me of everything as he did in the other world. You do know that if I could have, I would have prevented your parents’ deaths, don’t you?”

Harry looked back at the man he once hated. He knew Snape could be lying to him…about everything…but he couldn’t get over the sincerity in Snape’s voice. “I know.”

“You will think about what I’ve said?”

“Sure,” Harry said noncommittally. He didn’t want to think about reversing the Aperio and loosing Sirius and Leila…

“And you will tell Lupin that I am the third?” Snape’s eyes were burning holes in Harry.

Finally Harry sighed. “I will.”



When Harry slipped out of the Hog’s Head, the streets were empty. He quickly made his way back through the town, but when he reached the main street, he realized that something was very wrong.

People were all crowding out of their shops and into the street–and they were all looking in the direction of the castle and talking excitedly. Harry could only catch bits and pieces of their conversation:

“Good Merlin…”

“…stay here, or go?”

“I never thought I’d see the day…”

“They must have gone through the other entrance…”

“I didn’t see them, did you?”

“Do you know if anyone’s died?”

“Someone must have died….just look it!”

With difficulty, Harry threaded his way through the crowd and pushed his way to the front. What he saw made his blood run cold in fear.

Surrounded by blue sky and white puffy clouds, the Dark Mark was hanging ominously over Hogwarts.




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