"Fate Twice Defied" - Chapter 21 - Turned Upside Down
I had hoped to get this out yesterday, as the sixth movie has now arrived in Theatres. No, yours truly has not seen it just yet, that will have to wait until the end of the month, with my limited budget. Buying food vs. seeing a movie... hmmm, no contest there, now is there?
Title: Fate Twice Defied
Chapter Title: 21 - Turned Upside Down
Fandoms: Harry Potter/T: Sarah Connor Chronicles
Pairing: Harry Potter/John Connor
Story Rating: PG-13
Chapter Word count: ~4,747
Warning(s): Mild violence, coarse language.
Summary: The summer following 5th year, Harry Potter decides to start looking out for No. 1, and that included a change of scenery. Meeting another boy with similar problems, was NOT the idea. xover with Sarah Connor Chronicles. SLASH!
Disclaimer: See first chapter
Chapter Summary: The school deals with the consequences of the machine's actions; Harry and his friends investigate the downed machine; John makes a suggestion that might actually 'fly'; Harry and John get rather hot under the covers; Harry has yet another conversation with Voldemort; and Voldemort gets some pleasing news…
21: TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
"This morning we will be making Skele-Gro for Madam Pomfrey," said Severus, gesturing to the board with his wand. "As usual, find instructions on the board, and appropriate ingredients in the cupboard."
"Professor," Hermione began, "Isn't Skele-Gro patented?"
"Yes, Miss Granger, but the school happens to have brewing rights with the company," answered Severus, coldly, "Now if there are no further interruptions, you may begin."
"Does that mean we're not allowed to make it outside of school?" questioned Travis. Severus gave him a cold look, and answered, "That would be correct, Mr. Fisher, now get started before I decide-"
Severus did not have a chance to finish, as the entire room seemed to heave suddenly, literally tossing everyone into the air. The shelves around the room were turned over, dumping their contents on the floor, smashing a great number of jars. Students and teacher alike were being tossed around like rag dolls, as the shaking continued for a terrifying sixty-eight seconds.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron blurted, as the floor finally stopped shaking.
"Let's get out of here," Travis decided, as the noxious smells threatened to overwhelm everyone.
"Apparate?"
"Where to?" questioned Hermione, "This was… I think it was an earthquake."
"A what?"
"Look, let's just get out of this classroom."
"Indeed, before you all choke on the fumes," Severus muttered. His leg felt wrong, and as he tried to stand, he knew it was busted.
"Professor? Are you okay?" questioned Harry, seeing Severus wince in pain.
"NO, I am NOT, Potter," Severus hissed.
"Library," Harry decided, and grabbing Severus' sleeve, he popped away.
Unfortunately, the library was in no better shape, with everything seemingly overturned. John and his mother, along with Cameron, Marcus, and Derek, were busily helping rescue several students from under collapsed shelves.
"Hermione was right," said Harry, "Bloody hell."
"That had to be an eight or a nine, I think," said Sarah, "You all right, Harry?"
"Fine," answered Harry, kneeling down beside Severus.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Leg, it's broken," Severus hissed, pulling out a calming draught, "Do not worry about me." Just then, there were a number of other POPs, as Travis, Hermione, and Ron appeared, along with the rest of the class from the potions classroom.
"Blimey, this room's turned upside down, too," said Ron, surprised.
"Oh my god, don't tell me you don't know what an earthquake is," Travis groaned.
"No, not really," answered Ron with a shrug.
"Long and the short of it is that the earth's crust is not one piece. Okay?" Ron nodded, and Travis continued, "So you got a series of plates-" The floor once again heaved, and the room shook for another thirty one seconds, with Harry having to banish several objects from striking the group.
"Maybe this won't be the best room either," Harry decided.
"The entire school won't be safe right now," Travis snapped, "Look, an earthquake's like… it effects hundreds of miles all at once. The only place we could go to hide from it… would be back to the cottage in Ontario."
"Which would be completely impossible to evacuate that many people, at least quickly," John added. Just then, Dobby appeared with a slight POP. "Harry Potter is okay! Mr. Dumbleydore was worried, he was!"
"Yes, I'm okay, Dobby. Is the professor all right?"
"Yes, he's fine, he is, the medi-witch is taking good care of him, she is-"
"Wait, medi-witch? Why did he need Madam Pomfrey?"
"Dumbleydore says not to worry, but asked me to bring you to hospital wing right away."
"It's fine, I can get there myself, but… Professor Snape needs assistance, can you take him?"
"Right away, Harry Potter, sir!" And before Severus could protest to the contrary, the little elf grabbed his sleeve and popped away.
"All right. I'm going to the hospital wing. Everyone else try and sort out the furniture so you don't get crushed if we get another… err…"
"Earthquake," Marcus finished.
"I'm coming with you," John declared.
"Not surprised." Harry grabbed John by the sleeve of his shirt and the two of them popped away.
It was no surprise the hospital ward was equally turned upside-down. A number of house elves were busily setting things to rights, while Madam Pomfrey was hurrying between a number of patients. Albus was already resting in one of the beds, a bottle of Skele-Gro sat on a bedside stand.
"Professor, what happened?"
"I daresay, a book case and I had a disagreement," answered the elder wizard, gesturing to his left foot.
"Your office was turned upside down too, I take it."
"Indeed it was. I managed to avoid the desk, but as I said, one of my numerous book cases fell on my foot. It was luck your friend Dobby was bringing me up a mid-morning snack." Harry nodded, then remembered he wasn't the only injured professor. He only needed to turn around, to find Severus was also propped up in a bed, awaiting treatment.
Just then, Bill popped into the ward, along with Tonks.
"Professor…" Bill sputtered, "Big wave… heading right for us!"
"What?!" John choked.
"How… how big?" questioned Harry, equally concerned.
"Gods, I don't know, a hundred feet maybe," Bill guessed, "It's big and it'll swamp the island in a minute or so."
"There's no need to panic," said Albus, holding up a hand, "You know how to seal up the main gate." Bill nodded in understanding, and popped away.
"Can… can magic protect us, though?" questioned John, uneasily, "I mean, that much water?"
"The front doors into the school are spelled to be unbreakable, and once sealed, would require a truly powerful force to undo. Something as mundane as a tsunami would come up slightly short of that, Mr. Connor," the headmaster reassured. Clearly, though, John had his doubts.
Everyone seemed to hold their breath at the increasing vibration of the floor, accompanied by the faint sound of rushing water, also seeming to increase in volume. Then, as quickly as it had developed, the sound stopped. An uneasy silence hung in the air. Then… several loud POPs sounded in the room, as a number of people apparated into the ward.
"Professor!" exclaimed one, "There's water pouring into the great hall!"
"The end of the charms corridor fell in, and there's water everywhere!" another shouted.
"We've got people trapped in the greenhouses!" came another, "Professor Sprout is working to free them, but we need some help."
The damage proved to be extensive, as Harry retrieved Travis' map of the building, marking off the numerous trouble spots. The Slytherin dormitory suffered damage to the lobby, trapping a number of students inside. The kitchen was currently flooded with four feet of water; elves had managed to get the flooding stopped, and were banishing the water as quickly as they could. The great hall above had suffered structural damage at one end, but remained dry up to this point. Unnerving however, daylight was streaming through the hole. The Dark Arts Defence classroom also suffered a collapsed wall. Remus and Sirius were busily making repairs, assisted by the sixth year class they had been teaching, minus a few that had to be taken to the hospital ward.
The hospital ward itself had to be expanded twice to accommodate the number of injured. In most cases, it was minor scrapes or cuts, a few broken bones, all from being tossed around like rag dolls. A few, however, suffered more grave injuries, requiring a floo call to St. Mungo's. Healers were quickly dispatched, as the situation was explained.
Travis had also floo'ed Upper Canada Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, located in Toronto Ontario. They too, sent a number of healers to assist at the relocated school.
It was a long day for everyone in the end, as the building was repaired, debris removed, and most importantly, anyone trapped by the disaster were freed and looked after. The biggest shock still awaited them, as it came time to inspect the damage to the outside.
"Bloody hell!" Ron swore, as they at last made it outside. It had taken some time to clear the debris from the main gate, which at one time led into the large manor. Now, they found the manor gone. In fact, ALL the buildings above ground were gone, with no hint they ever existed. The island itself had been completely stripped of everything, and had shrunk significantly. The school structure itself was exposed in numerous places.
"Oh my god," said Sarah, quietly.
"Yeah, same," said Travis, "A force more powerful than Voldemort OR the machines." Everyone nodded in agreement, Albus included. The aged headmaster certainly knew about the power of mother nature, having witnessed several events in his long life. Never before had he witnessed the power of a tsunami.
"You know," said Travis, "We think we're all mighty and powerful, but we're NOT. We're just… just a speck of sand on the beach. One day, nature could decide we're done, and-" he snapped his fingers "-we're history. Not a thing we could ever do about it, magical or not." The comment seemed to stun the group for a few moments. The young wizard had spoke the truth, what else was there to say?
"I think the most important question is, what now?" said Marcus, finally, "I don't remember anything like this, at least according to my history."
"What now… is what's that?" Harry gestured toward a partially buried black shape.
"It's… it's a harvester," answered Marcus, recognizing the half-buried machine at once, "It collects humans, transports them to concentration camps… it makes it easier for the machines to dispose of them."
"What's it doing here?" questioned Travis.
"Its brain will likely tell us," guessed John, "Weapons out."
With guns and wands drawn, the group quickly made their way over to the downed machine. Marcus and Cameron were able to locate the entrance, and once it was clear, the group boarded.
Inside, it was a jumble of cables, now dimly lit by Harry and Travis' wands.
"This way," said Cameron, directing the group toward the centre.
"Wait," said Marcus, dragging the group over to a console.
"What is it?" questioned John.
"This is how I got back… or, something identical. Your future selves captured something like this."
"Time displacement equipment," said Cameron.
"This is how you jump through time," said Hermione, looking at the set. Marcus nodded, saying, "That's the destination configuration set." He gestured at one of the screens, pressing several buttons. "Hmmm… looks like it's damaged."
"The wards probably fried the computers," Travis guessed, "Bill said if anything tried attacking the school itself, the wards would lash out violently at the threat."
"Professor, does Hogwarts have something like that?" Harry questioned. Albus nodded, but said, "It's not something we wanted active, considering we sometimes do play host to not-so-savoury characters."
"But that's your problem, sir," Travis pointed out, "A school isn't a place for shitheads that just want to cause trouble, never mind letting Death Eaters in!"
"I assure you, that kind of thing will not be allowed once we return," said Albus, "I am most pleased at the lack of 'incidents', as a result of the number of changes here."
"Back to the issue at hand," said Harry, "What do we do with this?"
"Get it working," Travis decided, "Guys, it's obvious we have to go back to John's universe. To end it for good. The machines may have dropped the solution right in our lap."
"Or laid a very clever trap," Sarah pointed out, "It's too dangerous."
"Mom, I think Travis is right. We just have to figure out what date to go back to."
"Wait. What's stopping us from using it here, in my world?" questioned Harry, "We could stop Voldemort before he ever gets started!"
"Harry! John! Both of you! You can't just… go back and start meddling with the time line!" Hermione stressed, shocked at what her best friend and his partner were suggesting.
"But Hermione, this isn't a time turner. It's not the same thing."
"But it works on the same principle, Harry. If we start changing a bunch of things, we could make things far worse here in the present," Hermione charged on, "You could stop yourself from being born, for all you know!"
"Which is better? A world without Voldemort, but without me also? Or one where we both exist, and the world teeters on the edge of oblivion?"
"Hey!" John swatted Harry's arm.
"Look, I would gladly give my life, if it meant no Voldemort."
"Professor? You're just going to let them do it?" Hermione pressed.
"I have learned not so long ago, if Harry wants to do something, it's best to let him proceed, no matter how outlandish the idea may be. However, I will add, Hermione is right, Harry," said Albus, "As honourable as your idea is, you know not what kind of changes you will bring, removing Tom Riddle-"
"Sir, I don't want to remove him, or kill him," answered Harry, as an idea formed in his head, "Sir, what would happen, if we were to… to re-educate him?"
"That's crazy, mate," Ron blurted, "Even if you went back to when he was eleven… that's still seven years…"
"And, how would you explain his 'aging' over seven years, once you return him?" Albus pointed out.
"Simple. We put him in our year," suggested Travis, "Or better, send him to Nipigon, away from Hogwarts all together. I can send myself a note to befriend him and so on. He doesn't attend Hogwarts at all in his time."
"Harry, if you are going to attempt anything like what you're suggesting, do make sure you have a concrete plan before you go ahead with it," Albus warned, "Your friend has some valid points, all of which I must agree with."
"At the same time, what do we do about the machines?" questioned Travis, looking at the numerous other consoles.
"I must give the same warning, as you are likely to create a similar conflict in your own world, Mr. Connor. It's quite possible you could create a future more terrifying than the one that already awaits. I'm certain that-" Albus was interrupted, as Harry burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"What?"
"Just…" Harry took a few deep breaths to get a hold of himself. "Just an evil thought… think about it… Voldemort facing a bunch of these things!"
"Dude, you're cracked," said John, shaking his head.
Retreating back to the school, and more specifically, the library, the group continued their discussion. The library had been put back to rights, with the furniture bound to the floor with strong sticking charms. The day had already seen no less than twelve aftershocks, jarring the already frayed nerves of the school's inhabitants.
"A more urgent question, is the fact this location may no longer be safe," said Sirius, "Never in all my years, have I seen an earthquake that powerful."
"It might have something to do with the machine crashed on the beach," Marcus pointed out, "Cameron and I are still downloading its memory, once we have something we'll let you know."
"A machine deliberately causing an earthquake? What for?" questioned Travis.
"Think about it," said Derek, "They most likely determined it would be an efficient way to cause massive destruction, possibly kill everyone in here."
"And had many parts of the building not been magically strengthened, that would have indeed been the case," said Albus.
"What about places that are magically expanded," questioned Harry.
"You mean like the room of requirement," said Hermione.
"Something like that. No, I'm thinking, like the Weasleys' tent during the Quidditch World Cup a couple of years ago."
"That's an enlargement charm, Harry," answered Albus, "Although there are certainly limits to how far something can be enlarged on the inside."
"Or such as my book bag," Hermione pointed out, "There are always limits."
"The Room of Requirement, however, is different magic all together," Albus continued, "Therein, you are dealing with wizard space."
"Like a different dimension," John guessed. Albus nodded, continuing, "Creating such a space requires some very advanced magic, magic I have not had the time to thoroughly study."
"Would an earthquake effect a place like that?"
"I honestly don't know, Harry," answered Albus, "That's not something I've experienced."
"It still comes back to what are we gonna do here?" questioned Travis, "Jesus Christ, the place could have come down on top of us." He took a drag off his smoke, the fifth in the past hour.
"We could go back to Hogsmeade," suggested Ron, "But that's just as dangerous as being here."
"Agreed," said Travis.
"We deal with issues as they come," answered Albus, "We cannot just uproot ourselves in the middle of the school year and travel half way around the world."
"I think the first thing we should have done, is put unbreakable charms on the outside walls."
"And have someone inadvertently cast a 'finite' at them. Then what?" Hermione pointed out.
"Hermione, it's better than nothing," Harry challenged, "Let's do that for now. Maybe put some sticking charms on the heavier stuff, as we already did in here."
"In the meantime, there will be no classes tomorrow, as we sort the school out," said Albus, "Although we will certainly need help."
"I doubt Professor Snape will want to meet for Occlumency tonight," said Harry, mostly to himself.
"He's being decent toward you?" questioned Sirius.
"Tolerable-" Harry let out a gasp as his scar seemed to explode with white-hot pain.
Harry was pleased. The small village around him was a blaze of fire and destruction, while his Death Eaters cursed its inhabitants into oblivion. The occasional bolt of bright green magic flashed about, each ending a life. His Death Eaters tended not to miss with that one.
"We've found one, master!" Harry turned to face a masked Death Eater. He was carrying an infant in his arms.
"Excellent work, Dolohov," said Harry, gazing with crimson eyes at the bundle. The baby stared back at the snake-like face with bright green eyes.
"Put it down." Dolohov nodded, and placed the baby at Harry's feet. Harry pointed his wand directly at the baby's face, saying, "This is for you, Harry… AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Harry woke up screaming, his scar still throbbing angrily.
"Harry?" said John, sounding very concerned. Harry reached for his glasses, and found them placed in his hand. "Thanks." He slid them on, and the room came into focus. He groaned, finding himself once again in the hospital ward.
"Voldemort… he… he burned a Muggle village… broad daylight…" Harry answered, his heart still pounding. "A baby… green eyes… killing curse and he said it was for me!"
"Drink this," said Madam Pomfrey, thrusting a potion in front of him. Harry didn't bother asking what it was, but downed it quickly, wincing at the horrid taste.
"Well, there's our answer. What you said to him obviously had no effect," said Travis.
"Course not, it's You-Know-Who we're talking about," Ron snorted, "He won't be swayed by anything Harry says." There were reluctant nods of agreement all around.
Although Madam Pomfrey had wanted to keep Harry in the hospital ward overnight, he had convinced her he would be fine returning to his own dormitory. Now, the teens had retreated to the sixth-year boys' dormitory, Harry stretched out on his bed, with John right beside him.
"Will we get more of those… err… earth quake things?" questioned Ron. He was sitting on his own bed, along with Hermione.
"Likely," answered Travis, "An earthquake fault line, when it, um, goes off… like today… and it was a bad one… well, we'll probably get after shocks for the next few days. Some pretty bad ones, too."
"Maybe coming here wasn't such a great idea," said Harry, "We exchanged one threat for something else."
"You couldn't have known, Harry," Neville pointed out.
"Besides, mom's pretty sure the machines were responsible," John added, "Marcus and Cameron are still trying to download the contents of the machine's brain, but once they do so, they'll have a sure answer."
"What sort of machine?" questioned Colin, "How can something like Cameron cause… well-"
"They can't," supplied John, "There's another machine… crashed on the island… my mom thinks it caused the earthquake, but…"
"They're not sure," Harry finished. He thought of something. "Guys. That message from the future… We have to stay here."
"Says who?" challenged John, "All your future self said was 'The New Hogwarts', he didn't say where."
"That could have meant any number of things, come to think of it," Hermione pointed out, "I mean, the number of changes we've made… and I don't mean about the building itself."
"Hermione's right," said Travis, "Like really, we're no better protected now than back in Ontario…"
"Or back at the castle," Ron added.
"It's not my decision," said Harry, flatly, the wheels already turning in his head. 'Bloody hell, not even a third into September we're thinking of moving-again.' He blew out a breath.
"We're gonna have our hands full again tomorrow," said Travis, "The water carried away about a third of the island, by the looks of it."
"Can you guys actually put it back with magic?" questioned John.
"Some of it, yeah," answered Travis, "There are some very powerful witches and wizards in the school, never mind some very talented students."
"You know what would be great," said John, "Too bad we couldn't, like, just move the whole building in one shot… like how some of you can, um, Apparate?"
"John, what you're suggesting… it would take a tremendous amount of magical energy, something no witch or wizard could ever HOPE to do," Hermione pointed out.
"But it's not necessarily a dead idea, Hermione," said Travis, "But the idea… holy shit! Imagine, not being locked to one location or another!"
"Travis, you're barking," said Harry, shaking his head.
"But think about it… if the fucking machines can do it, why can't we?" John pointed out.
"Un-cancellable featherweight charms, flying charms… it's just the energy needed to do it," said Travis.
"Maybe we might find something in the library," offered Neville, "The idea's a bit of a stretch, but we won't know until we actually look, right?" There were nods of agreement all around.
"Better than being stuck underground with a hundred or so foot wave crashing over top of us," said John, with a shrug.
"You know, I have to wonder what Voldemort would think, if he knew he were being outsmarted by a sixteen-year-old Muggle," Harry grinned. He and John were laying on their sides, facing each other, the dormitory dimly lit by the stove in the centre of the room.
"Hopefully have a coronary or something, save you the trouble of killing him," answered John, with a smirk.
"Oh that's rich… most feared Dark Lord in recent memory drops dead of a heart attack… if only we could be that lucky." Harry sucked in a breath, then said, "We can only dream, right?" They shifted so they were tight against each other. "I'm glad today's over… such dragon shit…"
"At least no one got hurt too badly… Madam Pomfrey's amazing."
"She's patched me up enough times."
"Tell him about your accident in second year… when Lockhart banished all the bones from your arm," Ron piped up.
"Banished all the bones?" John made a grotesque face.
"Yup. Our Dark Arts Defence professor… Lockhart, I've mentioned him before…" John nodded. "Well, I'd just caught the snitch in our game against Slytherin…"
"Jesus," said John, "Have you had even ONE quiet year at school?"
"Nope. Between Voldemort and incompetent teachers, never mind Malfoy and his cronies. And this year's turned out no different. Here we are not even a WEEK into the school year, and something crazy's happened."
"So now you can add killer machines to your list, Harry."
"And you can add Voldemort to yours." There was no amusement in Harry's eyes, as he leaned forward, and planted a kiss on John's forehead. John, however, only smiled, and reciprocated, kissing Harry's neck, while sliding a hand down his thigh, causing Harry to let out a yelp.
"If you're gonna do that put up a bloody silencing charm!" Ron groaned.
"S-sorry," Harry grinned, producing his wand. Being even more considerate for the rest of the dormitory, he also closed the curtains. John wasted no time returning to what they had just been doing, having then pinned Harry to the bed, planting rough kisses on his neck. Harry could feel his heart racing, as another part of his anatomy was rapidly rising with anticipation. He knew that John was in the same condition, and there was only one solution…
"Love you," Harry whispered, his chest still heaving, his groin still very sticky. A gesture from his wand, and both he and John were clean.
"Love you too," answered John, laying several more kisses on Harry's chest, then working back up to his neck, and cheek. Harry only let out a contented sigh. What a way to fall asleep!
oOo
"Did you like my present?" Harry stifled a groan, finding himself again in a high-back chair in front of a roaring fire. Voldemort occupied an identical chair on the opposite side of the fireplace.
"Oh, sure, it was lovely," Harry answered, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Such a WONDERFUL memory."
"I'm glad you liked it. Don't mind if I do it more often, then." A thin smile appeared on the Dark Lord's face, the image of which made Harry shiver. It was most disturbing, seeing Voldemort smile.
"So in other words, everything I told you last time we spoke went in one ear and out the other."
"Oh, no, I dare say it didn't, Harry."
"Then why are you-never mind. What's the point in me arguing with you?!"
"I have a number of my faithful carefully investigating what you've revealed to me. I do take what you say seriously, Harry."
"But you still doubt me," said Harry. "Look, the machines are getting more resistant to magic… they… they almost destroyed the school today. I know that you… you saw Hogwarts as your home at one point." Voldemort nodded. "Would you care… if Muggle machines destroyed it?"
"I don't believe it."
"We think a machine may have triggered an earthquake this morning. It almost brought the building down on top of us." A flash of rage crossed the Dark Lord's face. "You lie."
"I swear on my magic, it's true." Just like their discussion before, a yellow hue enveloped Harry, to vanish within him. "Each time we encounter them, they seem to get stronger. What happens when they come for you?"
"I will NEVER fear a contraption created by Muggle filth!" the Dark Lord erupted.
Harry woke up with a gasp, his heart racing madly. Two 'visits' in just over a week… that had to be a new record for Tom. Perhaps, the seed of doubt had been planted.
oOo
Voldemort shook off the fresh memories of his 'visit' with Potter, as there was a knock at his chamber door. He rose from his fireside chair, and gestured at the door with his hand. It opened with a click, and a masked Death Eater stepped into the room.
"Master… the brat may be telling the truth," he announced.
"Go on…"
"After our attack in Muggle London, it appears they are installing some sort of eklectrical eyes… com-putters? We've been questioning a number of Muggles, and the phrase 'information technology' keeps coming up. The com-putters and information technology are connected, as I understand it."
"And?"
"The Muggle government is hiring a company that specializes in… how did they put it? Artificial intelligence, yes," said the Death Eater, "Cyberdyne Systems. We've been able to locate their offices; we'll capture some of their workers for questioning. I believe they will provide the answers you want, my Lord."
"I am pleased with your efforts, Jugson. Continue."
"Then I will take my leave, my lord." Jugson knelt, kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes, then quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.
Previous Chapter: 20 - Student/Teacher
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Table Of Contents
Title: Fate Twice Defied
Chapter Title: 21 - Turned Upside Down
Fandoms: Harry Potter/T: Sarah Connor Chronicles
Pairing: Harry Potter/John Connor
Story Rating: PG-13
Chapter Word count: ~4,747
Warning(s): Mild violence, coarse language.
Summary: The summer following 5th year, Harry Potter decides to start looking out for No. 1, and that included a change of scenery. Meeting another boy with similar problems, was NOT the idea. xover with Sarah Connor Chronicles. SLASH!
Disclaimer: See first chapter
Chapter Summary: The school deals with the consequences of the machine's actions; Harry and his friends investigate the downed machine; John makes a suggestion that might actually 'fly'; Harry and John get rather hot under the covers; Harry has yet another conversation with Voldemort; and Voldemort gets some pleasing news…
21: TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
"This morning we will be making Skele-Gro for Madam Pomfrey," said Severus, gesturing to the board with his wand. "As usual, find instructions on the board, and appropriate ingredients in the cupboard."
"Professor," Hermione began, "Isn't Skele-Gro patented?"
"Yes, Miss Granger, but the school happens to have brewing rights with the company," answered Severus, coldly, "Now if there are no further interruptions, you may begin."
"Does that mean we're not allowed to make it outside of school?" questioned Travis. Severus gave him a cold look, and answered, "That would be correct, Mr. Fisher, now get started before I decide-"
Severus did not have a chance to finish, as the entire room seemed to heave suddenly, literally tossing everyone into the air. The shelves around the room were turned over, dumping their contents on the floor, smashing a great number of jars. Students and teacher alike were being tossed around like rag dolls, as the shaking continued for a terrifying sixty-eight seconds.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron blurted, as the floor finally stopped shaking.
"Let's get out of here," Travis decided, as the noxious smells threatened to overwhelm everyone.
"Apparate?"
"Where to?" questioned Hermione, "This was… I think it was an earthquake."
"A what?"
"Look, let's just get out of this classroom."
"Indeed, before you all choke on the fumes," Severus muttered. His leg felt wrong, and as he tried to stand, he knew it was busted.
"Professor? Are you okay?" questioned Harry, seeing Severus wince in pain.
"NO, I am NOT, Potter," Severus hissed.
"Library," Harry decided, and grabbing Severus' sleeve, he popped away.
Unfortunately, the library was in no better shape, with everything seemingly overturned. John and his mother, along with Cameron, Marcus, and Derek, were busily helping rescue several students from under collapsed shelves.
"Hermione was right," said Harry, "Bloody hell."
"That had to be an eight or a nine, I think," said Sarah, "You all right, Harry?"
"Fine," answered Harry, kneeling down beside Severus.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Leg, it's broken," Severus hissed, pulling out a calming draught, "Do not worry about me." Just then, there were a number of other POPs, as Travis, Hermione, and Ron appeared, along with the rest of the class from the potions classroom.
"Blimey, this room's turned upside down, too," said Ron, surprised.
"Oh my god, don't tell me you don't know what an earthquake is," Travis groaned.
"No, not really," answered Ron with a shrug.
"Long and the short of it is that the earth's crust is not one piece. Okay?" Ron nodded, and Travis continued, "So you got a series of plates-" The floor once again heaved, and the room shook for another thirty one seconds, with Harry having to banish several objects from striking the group.
"Maybe this won't be the best room either," Harry decided.
"The entire school won't be safe right now," Travis snapped, "Look, an earthquake's like… it effects hundreds of miles all at once. The only place we could go to hide from it… would be back to the cottage in Ontario."
"Which would be completely impossible to evacuate that many people, at least quickly," John added. Just then, Dobby appeared with a slight POP. "Harry Potter is okay! Mr. Dumbleydore was worried, he was!"
"Yes, I'm okay, Dobby. Is the professor all right?"
"Yes, he's fine, he is, the medi-witch is taking good care of him, she is-"
"Wait, medi-witch? Why did he need Madam Pomfrey?"
"Dumbleydore says not to worry, but asked me to bring you to hospital wing right away."
"It's fine, I can get there myself, but… Professor Snape needs assistance, can you take him?"
"Right away, Harry Potter, sir!" And before Severus could protest to the contrary, the little elf grabbed his sleeve and popped away.
"All right. I'm going to the hospital wing. Everyone else try and sort out the furniture so you don't get crushed if we get another… err…"
"Earthquake," Marcus finished.
"I'm coming with you," John declared.
"Not surprised." Harry grabbed John by the sleeve of his shirt and the two of them popped away.
It was no surprise the hospital ward was equally turned upside-down. A number of house elves were busily setting things to rights, while Madam Pomfrey was hurrying between a number of patients. Albus was already resting in one of the beds, a bottle of Skele-Gro sat on a bedside stand.
"Professor, what happened?"
"I daresay, a book case and I had a disagreement," answered the elder wizard, gesturing to his left foot.
"Your office was turned upside down too, I take it."
"Indeed it was. I managed to avoid the desk, but as I said, one of my numerous book cases fell on my foot. It was luck your friend Dobby was bringing me up a mid-morning snack." Harry nodded, then remembered he wasn't the only injured professor. He only needed to turn around, to find Severus was also propped up in a bed, awaiting treatment.
Just then, Bill popped into the ward, along with Tonks.
"Professor…" Bill sputtered, "Big wave… heading right for us!"
"What?!" John choked.
"How… how big?" questioned Harry, equally concerned.
"Gods, I don't know, a hundred feet maybe," Bill guessed, "It's big and it'll swamp the island in a minute or so."
"There's no need to panic," said Albus, holding up a hand, "You know how to seal up the main gate." Bill nodded in understanding, and popped away.
"Can… can magic protect us, though?" questioned John, uneasily, "I mean, that much water?"
"The front doors into the school are spelled to be unbreakable, and once sealed, would require a truly powerful force to undo. Something as mundane as a tsunami would come up slightly short of that, Mr. Connor," the headmaster reassured. Clearly, though, John had his doubts.
Everyone seemed to hold their breath at the increasing vibration of the floor, accompanied by the faint sound of rushing water, also seeming to increase in volume. Then, as quickly as it had developed, the sound stopped. An uneasy silence hung in the air. Then… several loud POPs sounded in the room, as a number of people apparated into the ward.
"Professor!" exclaimed one, "There's water pouring into the great hall!"
"The end of the charms corridor fell in, and there's water everywhere!" another shouted.
"We've got people trapped in the greenhouses!" came another, "Professor Sprout is working to free them, but we need some help."
The damage proved to be extensive, as Harry retrieved Travis' map of the building, marking off the numerous trouble spots. The Slytherin dormitory suffered damage to the lobby, trapping a number of students inside. The kitchen was currently flooded with four feet of water; elves had managed to get the flooding stopped, and were banishing the water as quickly as they could. The great hall above had suffered structural damage at one end, but remained dry up to this point. Unnerving however, daylight was streaming through the hole. The Dark Arts Defence classroom also suffered a collapsed wall. Remus and Sirius were busily making repairs, assisted by the sixth year class they had been teaching, minus a few that had to be taken to the hospital ward.
The hospital ward itself had to be expanded twice to accommodate the number of injured. In most cases, it was minor scrapes or cuts, a few broken bones, all from being tossed around like rag dolls. A few, however, suffered more grave injuries, requiring a floo call to St. Mungo's. Healers were quickly dispatched, as the situation was explained.
Travis had also floo'ed Upper Canada Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, located in Toronto Ontario. They too, sent a number of healers to assist at the relocated school.
It was a long day for everyone in the end, as the building was repaired, debris removed, and most importantly, anyone trapped by the disaster were freed and looked after. The biggest shock still awaited them, as it came time to inspect the damage to the outside.
"Bloody hell!" Ron swore, as they at last made it outside. It had taken some time to clear the debris from the main gate, which at one time led into the large manor. Now, they found the manor gone. In fact, ALL the buildings above ground were gone, with no hint they ever existed. The island itself had been completely stripped of everything, and had shrunk significantly. The school structure itself was exposed in numerous places.
"Oh my god," said Sarah, quietly.
"Yeah, same," said Travis, "A force more powerful than Voldemort OR the machines." Everyone nodded in agreement, Albus included. The aged headmaster certainly knew about the power of mother nature, having witnessed several events in his long life. Never before had he witnessed the power of a tsunami.
"You know," said Travis, "We think we're all mighty and powerful, but we're NOT. We're just… just a speck of sand on the beach. One day, nature could decide we're done, and-" he snapped his fingers "-we're history. Not a thing we could ever do about it, magical or not." The comment seemed to stun the group for a few moments. The young wizard had spoke the truth, what else was there to say?
"I think the most important question is, what now?" said Marcus, finally, "I don't remember anything like this, at least according to my history."
"What now… is what's that?" Harry gestured toward a partially buried black shape.
"It's… it's a harvester," answered Marcus, recognizing the half-buried machine at once, "It collects humans, transports them to concentration camps… it makes it easier for the machines to dispose of them."
"What's it doing here?" questioned Travis.
"Its brain will likely tell us," guessed John, "Weapons out."
With guns and wands drawn, the group quickly made their way over to the downed machine. Marcus and Cameron were able to locate the entrance, and once it was clear, the group boarded.
Inside, it was a jumble of cables, now dimly lit by Harry and Travis' wands.
"This way," said Cameron, directing the group toward the centre.
"Wait," said Marcus, dragging the group over to a console.
"What is it?" questioned John.
"This is how I got back… or, something identical. Your future selves captured something like this."
"Time displacement equipment," said Cameron.
"This is how you jump through time," said Hermione, looking at the set. Marcus nodded, saying, "That's the destination configuration set." He gestured at one of the screens, pressing several buttons. "Hmmm… looks like it's damaged."
"The wards probably fried the computers," Travis guessed, "Bill said if anything tried attacking the school itself, the wards would lash out violently at the threat."
"Professor, does Hogwarts have something like that?" Harry questioned. Albus nodded, but said, "It's not something we wanted active, considering we sometimes do play host to not-so-savoury characters."
"But that's your problem, sir," Travis pointed out, "A school isn't a place for shitheads that just want to cause trouble, never mind letting Death Eaters in!"
"I assure you, that kind of thing will not be allowed once we return," said Albus, "I am most pleased at the lack of 'incidents', as a result of the number of changes here."
"Back to the issue at hand," said Harry, "What do we do with this?"
"Get it working," Travis decided, "Guys, it's obvious we have to go back to John's universe. To end it for good. The machines may have dropped the solution right in our lap."
"Or laid a very clever trap," Sarah pointed out, "It's too dangerous."
"Mom, I think Travis is right. We just have to figure out what date to go back to."
"Wait. What's stopping us from using it here, in my world?" questioned Harry, "We could stop Voldemort before he ever gets started!"
"Harry! John! Both of you! You can't just… go back and start meddling with the time line!" Hermione stressed, shocked at what her best friend and his partner were suggesting.
"But Hermione, this isn't a time turner. It's not the same thing."
"But it works on the same principle, Harry. If we start changing a bunch of things, we could make things far worse here in the present," Hermione charged on, "You could stop yourself from being born, for all you know!"
"Which is better? A world without Voldemort, but without me also? Or one where we both exist, and the world teeters on the edge of oblivion?"
"Hey!" John swatted Harry's arm.
"Look, I would gladly give my life, if it meant no Voldemort."
"Professor? You're just going to let them do it?" Hermione pressed.
"I have learned not so long ago, if Harry wants to do something, it's best to let him proceed, no matter how outlandish the idea may be. However, I will add, Hermione is right, Harry," said Albus, "As honourable as your idea is, you know not what kind of changes you will bring, removing Tom Riddle-"
"Sir, I don't want to remove him, or kill him," answered Harry, as an idea formed in his head, "Sir, what would happen, if we were to… to re-educate him?"
"That's crazy, mate," Ron blurted, "Even if you went back to when he was eleven… that's still seven years…"
"And, how would you explain his 'aging' over seven years, once you return him?" Albus pointed out.
"Simple. We put him in our year," suggested Travis, "Or better, send him to Nipigon, away from Hogwarts all together. I can send myself a note to befriend him and so on. He doesn't attend Hogwarts at all in his time."
"Harry, if you are going to attempt anything like what you're suggesting, do make sure you have a concrete plan before you go ahead with it," Albus warned, "Your friend has some valid points, all of which I must agree with."
"At the same time, what do we do about the machines?" questioned Travis, looking at the numerous other consoles.
"I must give the same warning, as you are likely to create a similar conflict in your own world, Mr. Connor. It's quite possible you could create a future more terrifying than the one that already awaits. I'm certain that-" Albus was interrupted, as Harry burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"What?"
"Just…" Harry took a few deep breaths to get a hold of himself. "Just an evil thought… think about it… Voldemort facing a bunch of these things!"
"Dude, you're cracked," said John, shaking his head.
Retreating back to the school, and more specifically, the library, the group continued their discussion. The library had been put back to rights, with the furniture bound to the floor with strong sticking charms. The day had already seen no less than twelve aftershocks, jarring the already frayed nerves of the school's inhabitants.
"A more urgent question, is the fact this location may no longer be safe," said Sirius, "Never in all my years, have I seen an earthquake that powerful."
"It might have something to do with the machine crashed on the beach," Marcus pointed out, "Cameron and I are still downloading its memory, once we have something we'll let you know."
"A machine deliberately causing an earthquake? What for?" questioned Travis.
"Think about it," said Derek, "They most likely determined it would be an efficient way to cause massive destruction, possibly kill everyone in here."
"And had many parts of the building not been magically strengthened, that would have indeed been the case," said Albus.
"What about places that are magically expanded," questioned Harry.
"You mean like the room of requirement," said Hermione.
"Something like that. No, I'm thinking, like the Weasleys' tent during the Quidditch World Cup a couple of years ago."
"That's an enlargement charm, Harry," answered Albus, "Although there are certainly limits to how far something can be enlarged on the inside."
"Or such as my book bag," Hermione pointed out, "There are always limits."
"The Room of Requirement, however, is different magic all together," Albus continued, "Therein, you are dealing with wizard space."
"Like a different dimension," John guessed. Albus nodded, continuing, "Creating such a space requires some very advanced magic, magic I have not had the time to thoroughly study."
"Would an earthquake effect a place like that?"
"I honestly don't know, Harry," answered Albus, "That's not something I've experienced."
"It still comes back to what are we gonna do here?" questioned Travis, "Jesus Christ, the place could have come down on top of us." He took a drag off his smoke, the fifth in the past hour.
"We could go back to Hogsmeade," suggested Ron, "But that's just as dangerous as being here."
"Agreed," said Travis.
"We deal with issues as they come," answered Albus, "We cannot just uproot ourselves in the middle of the school year and travel half way around the world."
"I think the first thing we should have done, is put unbreakable charms on the outside walls."
"And have someone inadvertently cast a 'finite' at them. Then what?" Hermione pointed out.
"Hermione, it's better than nothing," Harry challenged, "Let's do that for now. Maybe put some sticking charms on the heavier stuff, as we already did in here."
"In the meantime, there will be no classes tomorrow, as we sort the school out," said Albus, "Although we will certainly need help."
"I doubt Professor Snape will want to meet for Occlumency tonight," said Harry, mostly to himself.
"He's being decent toward you?" questioned Sirius.
"Tolerable-" Harry let out a gasp as his scar seemed to explode with white-hot pain.
Harry was pleased. The small village around him was a blaze of fire and destruction, while his Death Eaters cursed its inhabitants into oblivion. The occasional bolt of bright green magic flashed about, each ending a life. His Death Eaters tended not to miss with that one.
"We've found one, master!" Harry turned to face a masked Death Eater. He was carrying an infant in his arms.
"Excellent work, Dolohov," said Harry, gazing with crimson eyes at the bundle. The baby stared back at the snake-like face with bright green eyes.
"Put it down." Dolohov nodded, and placed the baby at Harry's feet. Harry pointed his wand directly at the baby's face, saying, "This is for you, Harry… AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Harry woke up screaming, his scar still throbbing angrily.
"Harry?" said John, sounding very concerned. Harry reached for his glasses, and found them placed in his hand. "Thanks." He slid them on, and the room came into focus. He groaned, finding himself once again in the hospital ward.
"Voldemort… he… he burned a Muggle village… broad daylight…" Harry answered, his heart still pounding. "A baby… green eyes… killing curse and he said it was for me!"
"Drink this," said Madam Pomfrey, thrusting a potion in front of him. Harry didn't bother asking what it was, but downed it quickly, wincing at the horrid taste.
"Well, there's our answer. What you said to him obviously had no effect," said Travis.
"Course not, it's You-Know-Who we're talking about," Ron snorted, "He won't be swayed by anything Harry says." There were reluctant nods of agreement all around.
Although Madam Pomfrey had wanted to keep Harry in the hospital ward overnight, he had convinced her he would be fine returning to his own dormitory. Now, the teens had retreated to the sixth-year boys' dormitory, Harry stretched out on his bed, with John right beside him.
"Will we get more of those… err… earth quake things?" questioned Ron. He was sitting on his own bed, along with Hermione.
"Likely," answered Travis, "An earthquake fault line, when it, um, goes off… like today… and it was a bad one… well, we'll probably get after shocks for the next few days. Some pretty bad ones, too."
"Maybe coming here wasn't such a great idea," said Harry, "We exchanged one threat for something else."
"You couldn't have known, Harry," Neville pointed out.
"Besides, mom's pretty sure the machines were responsible," John added, "Marcus and Cameron are still trying to download the contents of the machine's brain, but once they do so, they'll have a sure answer."
"What sort of machine?" questioned Colin, "How can something like Cameron cause… well-"
"They can't," supplied John, "There's another machine… crashed on the island… my mom thinks it caused the earthquake, but…"
"They're not sure," Harry finished. He thought of something. "Guys. That message from the future… We have to stay here."
"Says who?" challenged John, "All your future self said was 'The New Hogwarts', he didn't say where."
"That could have meant any number of things, come to think of it," Hermione pointed out, "I mean, the number of changes we've made… and I don't mean about the building itself."
"Hermione's right," said Travis, "Like really, we're no better protected now than back in Ontario…"
"Or back at the castle," Ron added.
"It's not my decision," said Harry, flatly, the wheels already turning in his head. 'Bloody hell, not even a third into September we're thinking of moving-again.' He blew out a breath.
"We're gonna have our hands full again tomorrow," said Travis, "The water carried away about a third of the island, by the looks of it."
"Can you guys actually put it back with magic?" questioned John.
"Some of it, yeah," answered Travis, "There are some very powerful witches and wizards in the school, never mind some very talented students."
"You know what would be great," said John, "Too bad we couldn't, like, just move the whole building in one shot… like how some of you can, um, Apparate?"
"John, what you're suggesting… it would take a tremendous amount of magical energy, something no witch or wizard could ever HOPE to do," Hermione pointed out.
"But it's not necessarily a dead idea, Hermione," said Travis, "But the idea… holy shit! Imagine, not being locked to one location or another!"
"Travis, you're barking," said Harry, shaking his head.
"But think about it… if the fucking machines can do it, why can't we?" John pointed out.
"Un-cancellable featherweight charms, flying charms… it's just the energy needed to do it," said Travis.
"Maybe we might find something in the library," offered Neville, "The idea's a bit of a stretch, but we won't know until we actually look, right?" There were nods of agreement all around.
"Better than being stuck underground with a hundred or so foot wave crashing over top of us," said John, with a shrug.
"You know, I have to wonder what Voldemort would think, if he knew he were being outsmarted by a sixteen-year-old Muggle," Harry grinned. He and John were laying on their sides, facing each other, the dormitory dimly lit by the stove in the centre of the room.
"Hopefully have a coronary or something, save you the trouble of killing him," answered John, with a smirk.
"Oh that's rich… most feared Dark Lord in recent memory drops dead of a heart attack… if only we could be that lucky." Harry sucked in a breath, then said, "We can only dream, right?" They shifted so they were tight against each other. "I'm glad today's over… such dragon shit…"
"At least no one got hurt too badly… Madam Pomfrey's amazing."
"She's patched me up enough times."
"Tell him about your accident in second year… when Lockhart banished all the bones from your arm," Ron piped up.
"Banished all the bones?" John made a grotesque face.
"Yup. Our Dark Arts Defence professor… Lockhart, I've mentioned him before…" John nodded. "Well, I'd just caught the snitch in our game against Slytherin…"
"Jesus," said John, "Have you had even ONE quiet year at school?"
"Nope. Between Voldemort and incompetent teachers, never mind Malfoy and his cronies. And this year's turned out no different. Here we are not even a WEEK into the school year, and something crazy's happened."
"So now you can add killer machines to your list, Harry."
"And you can add Voldemort to yours." There was no amusement in Harry's eyes, as he leaned forward, and planted a kiss on John's forehead. John, however, only smiled, and reciprocated, kissing Harry's neck, while sliding a hand down his thigh, causing Harry to let out a yelp.
"If you're gonna do that put up a bloody silencing charm!" Ron groaned.
"S-sorry," Harry grinned, producing his wand. Being even more considerate for the rest of the dormitory, he also closed the curtains. John wasted no time returning to what they had just been doing, having then pinned Harry to the bed, planting rough kisses on his neck. Harry could feel his heart racing, as another part of his anatomy was rapidly rising with anticipation. He knew that John was in the same condition, and there was only one solution…
"Love you," Harry whispered, his chest still heaving, his groin still very sticky. A gesture from his wand, and both he and John were clean.
"Love you too," answered John, laying several more kisses on Harry's chest, then working back up to his neck, and cheek. Harry only let out a contented sigh. What a way to fall asleep!
oOo
"Did you like my present?" Harry stifled a groan, finding himself again in a high-back chair in front of a roaring fire. Voldemort occupied an identical chair on the opposite side of the fireplace.
"Oh, sure, it was lovely," Harry answered, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Such a WONDERFUL memory."
"I'm glad you liked it. Don't mind if I do it more often, then." A thin smile appeared on the Dark Lord's face, the image of which made Harry shiver. It was most disturbing, seeing Voldemort smile.
"So in other words, everything I told you last time we spoke went in one ear and out the other."
"Oh, no, I dare say it didn't, Harry."
"Then why are you-never mind. What's the point in me arguing with you?!"
"I have a number of my faithful carefully investigating what you've revealed to me. I do take what you say seriously, Harry."
"But you still doubt me," said Harry. "Look, the machines are getting more resistant to magic… they… they almost destroyed the school today. I know that you… you saw Hogwarts as your home at one point." Voldemort nodded. "Would you care… if Muggle machines destroyed it?"
"I don't believe it."
"We think a machine may have triggered an earthquake this morning. It almost brought the building down on top of us." A flash of rage crossed the Dark Lord's face. "You lie."
"I swear on my magic, it's true." Just like their discussion before, a yellow hue enveloped Harry, to vanish within him. "Each time we encounter them, they seem to get stronger. What happens when they come for you?"
"I will NEVER fear a contraption created by Muggle filth!" the Dark Lord erupted.
Harry woke up with a gasp, his heart racing madly. Two 'visits' in just over a week… that had to be a new record for Tom. Perhaps, the seed of doubt had been planted.
oOo
Voldemort shook off the fresh memories of his 'visit' with Potter, as there was a knock at his chamber door. He rose from his fireside chair, and gestured at the door with his hand. It opened with a click, and a masked Death Eater stepped into the room.
"Master… the brat may be telling the truth," he announced.
"Go on…"
"After our attack in Muggle London, it appears they are installing some sort of eklectrical eyes… com-putters? We've been questioning a number of Muggles, and the phrase 'information technology' keeps coming up. The com-putters and information technology are connected, as I understand it."
"And?"
"The Muggle government is hiring a company that specializes in… how did they put it? Artificial intelligence, yes," said the Death Eater, "Cyberdyne Systems. We've been able to locate their offices; we'll capture some of their workers for questioning. I believe they will provide the answers you want, my Lord."
"I am pleased with your efforts, Jugson. Continue."
"Then I will take my leave, my lord." Jugson knelt, kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes, then quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.
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