Child of Ra -- Ch. 4
Summary: Harry accidentally falls through a portal in Voldemort's lair. On the other side of his one way trip he meets a very strange group of muggles, almost as strange as himself. And where ever Harry goes, trouble is soon to follow...
Chapter 4
"What do you mean it's gone?”
Daniel sat Harry down. He understood Carter's confusion, but his first priority was making sure Harry didn't pass out. An unconscious Harry could not give them answers.
Harry still seemed a little shocked. Daniel lifted his head so he was looking into his eyes.
"Harry, can you hear me? What do you mean it's gone?"
Harry shook his head, as if to clear it. It seemed to work a little because he finally seemed to see him instead of look through him.
"It's... it's not here. It should be here, this is where it's supposed to be... but it isn't. It just... doesn't exist. I don't understand, it should be here!"
Suddenly, Daniel heard Carter take in a gasp of breath. He spun around and could almost see an idea cross over her face.
"Samantha, what is it?"
"I just thought of something... What if Harry isn't from our world?"
"But we know he’s from Earth..."
"No, I mean our world. Our Earth. What if-"
"A parallel universe," Daniel finished. Of course! That would explain a lot...
"What are you talking about?" asked Harry vaguely.
"We've encountered... other versions of our reality before,” said Carter. “A universe where events are changed, but it is essentially similar to ours. You may be from one of these alternate universes. That would explain why there is no trace of your wizarding world here.”
"I think this may be correct. However, I do not look forward to telling O'Neill," said Teal'c.
"Hmm... true. Nothing for it though..." said Daniel.
"So, what do I do now?" asked Harry quietly. He looked up at Daniel, and he felt more lost and alone than he ever had up till then. He knew there was a chance, perhaps a big chance, of these people leaving him SOL in this alternate version of his reality.
Daniel could see these sad thoughts run through Harry's mind, and for the first time he could truly sympathize with him. Too often the boy had been abandoned, forgotten, or otherwise left to fend on his own. Daniel understood this.
He knelt down and pulled Harry into a hug that he was too tired and overwhelmed to resist.
"You're coming back with us, Harry. We won't leave you, not now or ever. I promise we will try to find a way back to your world. But for now, let's go home."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
It was a short, sad trip to England and Harry felt a pang of homesickness as the plane lifted off British ground. But he felt something else, something his heart had only hinted at till then-relief. He hadn't realized just how much stress he had built up when he had thought he was going back. But now he knew the answer to Daniel’s question. He didn't want to go back; at least, not yet. Perhaps he could learn something from these muggles that would give him an advantage over Voldemort.
Besides, it was the first place outside of Hogwarts where he actually felt... at home. He doubted it was the military atmosphere, though that was definitely at home with him. It was the people- SG-1- including the General. They made him feel important without putting all the expectations on him that the wizarding world had. They just knew him for who he was, not for something that had happened beyond his memory, and it was him that they made feel important, not his powers.
Soon enough they were pulling back up to the Cheyenne Mountain base, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief as they re-entered his new haven.
"You realize, we're going to have to explain everything to Jack. And by everything I mean everything," said Daniel, giving him a meaningful look. Carter and Teal'c looked slightly confused while Harry considered that aspect of his situation. It wasn't that he didn't like the General, but he wasn't sure he trusted him that much yet. What if he was like Dumbledore- essentially good, but more than willing to use him-Harry- as a pawn in his war games. Harry hated being so cynical, but experience had led him to have an innate distrust of authority figures.
So what should he tell him? Obviously he would have to tell him everything he told Daniel, but he could request that the General not divulge the information to anyone else, and hope he kept his word. But what of other things like his magic? They had no idea the extent of his abilities. If they did, he would probably be considered a security risk, which by all means he was. No, he would only inform them of his basic skills as a wizard, not his special skills he was forced to acquire over the past couple years.
That decided, he nodded his conformation before turning towards the window at this left side, completely missing the look of suspicion that flitted across Teal'c’s face.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
They had just walked into the building when a young private stepped forward to notify them of the General’s request that they come directly to him for a debriefing.
As they were filing into the briefing room, O'Neill began to ask, "So how did it-" until he caught sight of Harry, still with them. "Okaaay... obviously not as planned. What went wrong?"
"We hit a kink but we have a possible explanation for it."
"And…?"
"You aren't going to like it."
O'Neill rolled his eyes. "Oh, and I just love guessing games..."
"We followed Harry's directions to the pub. But when we arrived, it wasn't there."
"What do you mean 'wasn't there'. You mean you couldn't see it?"
"No, sir," said Harry quietly. "We mean it wasn't there at all, it didn't exist."
"So you lied?"
"No, I swear I didn't lie! It's complicated... I'll let SG-1 explain their theory..."
"We think Harry is from an alternate universe."
"..."
"Jack?"
"…you're joking right?" asked Jack.
"No, actually," Daniel sighed. "It makes sense Jack. Harry is from an alternative Earth where magic is possible-"
"But he manages it very nicely here as well," pointed out O'Neill.
"Yes, but magic isn't something that just manifests through surroundings. It's bred into me. It flows through my veins, not in the air," said Harry. "So I very well could do magic elsewhere. It just so happens that magic doesn't run in the blood of those here."
O'Neill rubbed his temples. "So, how does this affect us?"
"Basically, it just means that Harry is stuck here a little longer than expected."
"And how am I supposed to explain this to the President?"
"Off-world guest?" suggested Daniel.
"That would work, except for all the clearance and red tape that would go up around him."
"What if you just told him the truth?" asked Harry.
There was a pause as the others considered it.
“All or nothing tactics-pass or fail. I like it," said O'Neil, smiling at Harry. "Now, if you would excuse me, I have a call to make."
While the others left the room quickly, Daniel and Harry lingered behind. O'Neill, seeing this, stayed put and took a deep, resigning breath.
'Damn! I knew there was going to be more to it than that. It was too easy. But why did they wait till the others left?’
"Umm... Jack, there's something more we have to discuss with you," said Daniel.
"I was guessing that," said Jack sarcastically.
"It's about me, and the reasons why I was where I was before I cam here," said Harry taking one of the seats by the General.
For the next half hour Harry explained everything to the general. From the attack on him when he was a babe to the months of torture in Voldemort's lair. He never gave too many details on just what happened to him down in those dungeons, but what he alluded to set both Jack and Daniel's blood to boiling. This was all new to Jack, and so the anger built up was fresh and un-tempered. For Daniel, though it came as no surprise to him, it re-affirmed his hatred for the monster responsible.
When Harry was done with his story there was a moment of silence as Jack considered all this. If he had been unsure before on whether to keep Harry around or not, he was not now. He resolved to help the boy as much as possible. He had wondered why the boy hadn't been more upset to find himself farther from home than expected; now it made sense. And if he interpreted the look in the boy's eyes correctly, it wasn't pity he wanted. No, however young he was he was a warrior. Fate had chosen wisely. And so if he guessed right, Harry would use all his time and energy here looking for something that would give him an edge against this Voldemort.
'I'll see what I can do about that,' thought Jack, setting a mental note to discuss possibilities with Harry later.
But for now, Jack merely nodded. "Thank you for telling me this. Obviously, since you waited for the others to leave, you wish this to remain hush-hush..."
"That would be preferable, sir," said Harry.
"But, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to inform the President of the general idea of the story, because one, it would lend some support and sympathies for you staying here, and two, I feel I should inform him of the possible threat of this Voldemort idiot. If he managed to open a portal once, he'll probably figure it out again, if you catch my drift," said O'Neill.
Harry nodded. Of course, it made sense. They would have to prepare for the possibility of the maniac walking through their back door, so to speak.
General O'Neill clapped his hands together, obviously content with what had been discussed and settled. "Well, that's done. If there's nothing more to discuss, I have a mountain of paper work to make this all official as well as a very interesting call to the President to make."
Daniel and Harry stood together, moving to the door.
"Daniel! Hang back a second. I have something to ask you about. Can you find your way back to your room on your own yet, Harry?"
"Sure. It's no worse than my school," said Harry as he left. He had a good feeling who the general topic of that discussion was going to be, and was going to leave them to it.
Once Harry had left, Jack turned to Daniel. Now that he didn't have to worry about offending Harry, Jack showed the worry and anger he had been feeling as the story unfolded.
Jack turned and poured himself and Daniel something more substantial than a beer from his hidden stash. 'Wow, Jack must be really pissed. I wonder from which part?'
"So Daniel, how long have you know about this?" Jack asked without turning around, in a deceptively calm voice.
'Shit! Shit! Diffuse! Diffuse!'
"Umm... not very long, actually. I mean, I knew some about what had happened to his parents, and he mentioned the war, and said he had been tortured and all before we left for Britain, but it was all in the evening after the first meeting. After that I never got a chance to catch you to the side so Harry didn't see me telling you. But he never gave me as many details as he gave you today, just the general facts."
Jack nodded. Though still angry, it was obvious that Daniel had managed to divert what little bit of his temper had been aimed at him.
Jack gave a forceful sigh as he handed Daniel his drink. Daniel, who knew only too well how Jack could get in one of his moods, was glad to see that he didn't look to be after much alcohol, at least not yet. It was only enough to relax his nerves.
After downing the contents of the small glass, Jack ran his hands over his face.
"Is there anything else you think I should know concerning him? Anything at all?"
"He's... older than he looks. Not physically, I mean, he is 16... But his mental age is much, much older than that. To make it worse, he has nightmares about it all. He had them when we were staying in the hotel. And by his automatic instinct to keep quiet I'd say he's been punished for making a ruckus with them before, which means a) he probably has had them often in the past, and b) his family life is probably zip. And his emotional stage... I hesitate to say it, but he seems to go back and forth between a childlike naiveté and an old man's cynicism. He kind of reminds me a lot of you, actually."
"Hey! You calling me old?" said Jack in a weak attempt to lighten the mood, though his heart was obviously not in it.
"Listen Jack, the boy's not had a father figure, or at least not much of one I'd gather. Be careful."
"What do you mean?"
"It's the way he is when he's around you. It's the way all kids seem to get. I think he might come to see you in that light. He already puts weight on what you think of him. And even though he really doesn’t have any need for worries like that, he does."
"Sure, but why be careful?"
"His parents died when he was young, and from what we can tell he isn’t too close to his family. Can you imagine what it would be like for him if he got attached to you and then he had to leave? Or what if there was a fight and an estrangement between the two of you? I'm not saying you shouldn't take the boy under your wing, just... be careful."
Daniel was right. This was a touchy situation, one he would have to approach carefully. Jack nodded.
"I see what you mean, and I agree. But there's something else I would like to discuss with you. Something that I think may make his stay here a little nicer, or at least more comfortable."
"What did you have in mind?"
Chapter 4
"What do you mean it's gone?”
Daniel sat Harry down. He understood Carter's confusion, but his first priority was making sure Harry didn't pass out. An unconscious Harry could not give them answers.
Harry still seemed a little shocked. Daniel lifted his head so he was looking into his eyes.
"Harry, can you hear me? What do you mean it's gone?"
Harry shook his head, as if to clear it. It seemed to work a little because he finally seemed to see him instead of look through him.
"It's... it's not here. It should be here, this is where it's supposed to be... but it isn't. It just... doesn't exist. I don't understand, it should be here!"
Suddenly, Daniel heard Carter take in a gasp of breath. He spun around and could almost see an idea cross over her face.
"Samantha, what is it?"
"I just thought of something... What if Harry isn't from our world?"
"But we know he’s from Earth..."
"No, I mean our world. Our Earth. What if-"
"A parallel universe," Daniel finished. Of course! That would explain a lot...
"What are you talking about?" asked Harry vaguely.
"We've encountered... other versions of our reality before,” said Carter. “A universe where events are changed, but it is essentially similar to ours. You may be from one of these alternate universes. That would explain why there is no trace of your wizarding world here.”
"I think this may be correct. However, I do not look forward to telling O'Neill," said Teal'c.
"Hmm... true. Nothing for it though..." said Daniel.
"So, what do I do now?" asked Harry quietly. He looked up at Daniel, and he felt more lost and alone than he ever had up till then. He knew there was a chance, perhaps a big chance, of these people leaving him SOL in this alternate version of his reality.
Daniel could see these sad thoughts run through Harry's mind, and for the first time he could truly sympathize with him. Too often the boy had been abandoned, forgotten, or otherwise left to fend on his own. Daniel understood this.
He knelt down and pulled Harry into a hug that he was too tired and overwhelmed to resist.
"You're coming back with us, Harry. We won't leave you, not now or ever. I promise we will try to find a way back to your world. But for now, let's go home."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
It was a short, sad trip to England and Harry felt a pang of homesickness as the plane lifted off British ground. But he felt something else, something his heart had only hinted at till then-relief. He hadn't realized just how much stress he had built up when he had thought he was going back. But now he knew the answer to Daniel’s question. He didn't want to go back; at least, not yet. Perhaps he could learn something from these muggles that would give him an advantage over Voldemort.
Besides, it was the first place outside of Hogwarts where he actually felt... at home. He doubted it was the military atmosphere, though that was definitely at home with him. It was the people- SG-1- including the General. They made him feel important without putting all the expectations on him that the wizarding world had. They just knew him for who he was, not for something that had happened beyond his memory, and it was him that they made feel important, not his powers.
Soon enough they were pulling back up to the Cheyenne Mountain base, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief as they re-entered his new haven.
"You realize, we're going to have to explain everything to Jack. And by everything I mean everything," said Daniel, giving him a meaningful look. Carter and Teal'c looked slightly confused while Harry considered that aspect of his situation. It wasn't that he didn't like the General, but he wasn't sure he trusted him that much yet. What if he was like Dumbledore- essentially good, but more than willing to use him-Harry- as a pawn in his war games. Harry hated being so cynical, but experience had led him to have an innate distrust of authority figures.
So what should he tell him? Obviously he would have to tell him everything he told Daniel, but he could request that the General not divulge the information to anyone else, and hope he kept his word. But what of other things like his magic? They had no idea the extent of his abilities. If they did, he would probably be considered a security risk, which by all means he was. No, he would only inform them of his basic skills as a wizard, not his special skills he was forced to acquire over the past couple years.
That decided, he nodded his conformation before turning towards the window at this left side, completely missing the look of suspicion that flitted across Teal'c’s face.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
They had just walked into the building when a young private stepped forward to notify them of the General’s request that they come directly to him for a debriefing.
As they were filing into the briefing room, O'Neill began to ask, "So how did it-" until he caught sight of Harry, still with them. "Okaaay... obviously not as planned. What went wrong?"
"We hit a kink but we have a possible explanation for it."
"And…?"
"You aren't going to like it."
O'Neill rolled his eyes. "Oh, and I just love guessing games..."
"We followed Harry's directions to the pub. But when we arrived, it wasn't there."
"What do you mean 'wasn't there'. You mean you couldn't see it?"
"No, sir," said Harry quietly. "We mean it wasn't there at all, it didn't exist."
"So you lied?"
"No, I swear I didn't lie! It's complicated... I'll let SG-1 explain their theory..."
"We think Harry is from an alternate universe."
"..."
"Jack?"
"…you're joking right?" asked Jack.
"No, actually," Daniel sighed. "It makes sense Jack. Harry is from an alternative Earth where magic is possible-"
"But he manages it very nicely here as well," pointed out O'Neill.
"Yes, but magic isn't something that just manifests through surroundings. It's bred into me. It flows through my veins, not in the air," said Harry. "So I very well could do magic elsewhere. It just so happens that magic doesn't run in the blood of those here."
O'Neill rubbed his temples. "So, how does this affect us?"
"Basically, it just means that Harry is stuck here a little longer than expected."
"And how am I supposed to explain this to the President?"
"Off-world guest?" suggested Daniel.
"That would work, except for all the clearance and red tape that would go up around him."
"What if you just told him the truth?" asked Harry.
There was a pause as the others considered it.
“All or nothing tactics-pass or fail. I like it," said O'Neil, smiling at Harry. "Now, if you would excuse me, I have a call to make."
While the others left the room quickly, Daniel and Harry lingered behind. O'Neill, seeing this, stayed put and took a deep, resigning breath.
'Damn! I knew there was going to be more to it than that. It was too easy. But why did they wait till the others left?’
"Umm... Jack, there's something more we have to discuss with you," said Daniel.
"I was guessing that," said Jack sarcastically.
"It's about me, and the reasons why I was where I was before I cam here," said Harry taking one of the seats by the General.
For the next half hour Harry explained everything to the general. From the attack on him when he was a babe to the months of torture in Voldemort's lair. He never gave too many details on just what happened to him down in those dungeons, but what he alluded to set both Jack and Daniel's blood to boiling. This was all new to Jack, and so the anger built up was fresh and un-tempered. For Daniel, though it came as no surprise to him, it re-affirmed his hatred for the monster responsible.
When Harry was done with his story there was a moment of silence as Jack considered all this. If he had been unsure before on whether to keep Harry around or not, he was not now. He resolved to help the boy as much as possible. He had wondered why the boy hadn't been more upset to find himself farther from home than expected; now it made sense. And if he interpreted the look in the boy's eyes correctly, it wasn't pity he wanted. No, however young he was he was a warrior. Fate had chosen wisely. And so if he guessed right, Harry would use all his time and energy here looking for something that would give him an edge against this Voldemort.
'I'll see what I can do about that,' thought Jack, setting a mental note to discuss possibilities with Harry later.
But for now, Jack merely nodded. "Thank you for telling me this. Obviously, since you waited for the others to leave, you wish this to remain hush-hush..."
"That would be preferable, sir," said Harry.
"But, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to inform the President of the general idea of the story, because one, it would lend some support and sympathies for you staying here, and two, I feel I should inform him of the possible threat of this Voldemort idiot. If he managed to open a portal once, he'll probably figure it out again, if you catch my drift," said O'Neill.
Harry nodded. Of course, it made sense. They would have to prepare for the possibility of the maniac walking through their back door, so to speak.
General O'Neill clapped his hands together, obviously content with what had been discussed and settled. "Well, that's done. If there's nothing more to discuss, I have a mountain of paper work to make this all official as well as a very interesting call to the President to make."
Daniel and Harry stood together, moving to the door.
"Daniel! Hang back a second. I have something to ask you about. Can you find your way back to your room on your own yet, Harry?"
"Sure. It's no worse than my school," said Harry as he left. He had a good feeling who the general topic of that discussion was going to be, and was going to leave them to it.
Once Harry had left, Jack turned to Daniel. Now that he didn't have to worry about offending Harry, Jack showed the worry and anger he had been feeling as the story unfolded.
Jack turned and poured himself and Daniel something more substantial than a beer from his hidden stash. 'Wow, Jack must be really pissed. I wonder from which part?'
"So Daniel, how long have you know about this?" Jack asked without turning around, in a deceptively calm voice.
'Shit! Shit! Diffuse! Diffuse!'
"Umm... not very long, actually. I mean, I knew some about what had happened to his parents, and he mentioned the war, and said he had been tortured and all before we left for Britain, but it was all in the evening after the first meeting. After that I never got a chance to catch you to the side so Harry didn't see me telling you. But he never gave me as many details as he gave you today, just the general facts."
Jack nodded. Though still angry, it was obvious that Daniel had managed to divert what little bit of his temper had been aimed at him.
Jack gave a forceful sigh as he handed Daniel his drink. Daniel, who knew only too well how Jack could get in one of his moods, was glad to see that he didn't look to be after much alcohol, at least not yet. It was only enough to relax his nerves.
After downing the contents of the small glass, Jack ran his hands over his face.
"Is there anything else you think I should know concerning him? Anything at all?"
"He's... older than he looks. Not physically, I mean, he is 16... But his mental age is much, much older than that. To make it worse, he has nightmares about it all. He had them when we were staying in the hotel. And by his automatic instinct to keep quiet I'd say he's been punished for making a ruckus with them before, which means a) he probably has had them often in the past, and b) his family life is probably zip. And his emotional stage... I hesitate to say it, but he seems to go back and forth between a childlike naiveté and an old man's cynicism. He kind of reminds me a lot of you, actually."
"Hey! You calling me old?" said Jack in a weak attempt to lighten the mood, though his heart was obviously not in it.
"Listen Jack, the boy's not had a father figure, or at least not much of one I'd gather. Be careful."
"What do you mean?"
"It's the way he is when he's around you. It's the way all kids seem to get. I think he might come to see you in that light. He already puts weight on what you think of him. And even though he really doesn’t have any need for worries like that, he does."
"Sure, but why be careful?"
"His parents died when he was young, and from what we can tell he isn’t too close to his family. Can you imagine what it would be like for him if he got attached to you and then he had to leave? Or what if there was a fight and an estrangement between the two of you? I'm not saying you shouldn't take the boy under your wing, just... be careful."
Daniel was right. This was a touchy situation, one he would have to approach carefully. Jack nodded.
"I see what you mean, and I agree. But there's something else I would like to discuss with you. Something that I think may make his stay here a little nicer, or at least more comfortable."
"What did you have in mind?"