"Temporal Boundary Invasions": Chapter VI: Taboo

[austin316hockey]

Title: Harry Potter and the Temporal Boundary Invasions
Chapter Title: VI: Taboo
Fandoms: Harry Potter/multiple
Story Rating: PG-13
Chapter Word count: ~8,204
Warning(s): Coarse language, graphic violence(!).
Summary: Harry defeats Tom Riddle once and for all, but with nothing to live for, he leaps through the veil. Being thrown back in time was NOT the plan… Did the universe actually HATE him that much? The recovery of an ancient magical artefact may have the answers, and he just may gain a few powerful allies along the way... Part I: Encounters with an up-and-coming Muggle rock band.
Disclaimer: See first chapter






VI: TABOO
OR, TRUCK STOPS AND DEATH EATERS DO NOT MIX

The next time Harry woke, the light was streaming through the window into his room through the fake window-his room was a western exposure, and magic ensured it would always align that way, no matter HOW the trunk was oriented. He slowly sat up, and stuck out an index finger. "Tempus." '1:30 p' appeared in faint text just above it. 'At least I didn't sleep the whole day,' he thought. He stood up, gesturing at himself, and became instantly dressed. Dudley's cast-offs… they really HAD to go.

Stepping into the corridor, he stopped at the guest room and looked in. Matt was still asleep. 'Not surprised there,' he thought, they had all been up almost twenty-four hours, from what he could gather from Matt's memory. Harry left the guy for now. There were bigger fish to fry, after all.

Stepping into the common room, he could hear voices wafting down through the trunk hatch. The other members of the band were obviously awake.
"Did you sleep well, dear?" questioned Lily, from her portrait.
"Yeah, fine, mum."
"You should look at the map."
"Why?" questioned Harry, stepping up to the drawing table. Of course, Harry had managed to complete the map, wanting to be able to keep an eye on not just his relatives' place, but the neighbourhood in general.

The map was still active… and moving? He tapped the map once to zoom it out to its maximum distance, which could show a twenty-five mile area. He touched the map with an index finger, and commanded, "velocitatem!"(1) He'd never expected to need a speed reading from the map, but nonetheless, the indicator charm had been built into it. '70 mph' appeared at the top of it. 'Right, of course… bus… mobile,' Harry realized. The band was probably expected somewhere, and the bus was one of the ways of getting there. Harry climbed the ladder and stuck his head out.

Sure enough, the scenery was flying by the windows. The rest of the band were seated around the small table, but fell silent seeing Harry appear half-way out of the trunk.
"We didn't know where you were going or whatever," said Padge, "But we needed to get going. We have to be in Toronto tonight to give an interview at MuchMusic."
"Doesn't bother me," answered Harry, "You guys had anything for lunch yet?" Blank stares gave him the answer he needed. He took a look up front, and gestured with his hand. "Confundo." He turned back to the group. "Come into the trunk and join me for lunch." He climbed back down, disappearing into the trunk. Padge only shrugged, and made to follow.

Stepping back into the trunk, Harry found Matt standing in the archway to the corridor again. "I just asked the rest of your friends to come down and have lunch."
"About to ask what time it was."
"About 1:30. By the smell, Kreacher's already got something ready for us. Right smart elf he is." The others had by this point made their way down the ladder one at a time and now stood in the common room, staring wide-eyed at their surroundings. Padge, of course, had already saw it, and was excluded from said reaction.
"This way guys," said Harry, gesturing toward the dining room.
"But… how is this possible?" questioned Jay, "You've got a whole flat down here by the looks of it."
"That's exactly it," answered Harry, "Some pretty advanced charms involved, I can tell you that. Stuff none of you should actually be seeing, but it's a bit late now. If the ministry ever found out… it would be a one-way-ticket to Azkaban… wouldn't even bother with a trial this time."
"Ministry?" questioned Matt, as he took a seat at the table.
"What's Azkaban?" questioned Padge.
"We have our own government, and our own prison," answered Harry, "Just as corrupt as a Muggle government, if not worse."
"But… what's wrong with telling us about… well… all this?" Matt gestured to the room.
"Magical people are actually quite rare. You outnumber us about a hundred to one. If a Muggle government ever decided we were a threat…"
"Right, gotcha," Matt understood. Just then, a large platter appeared at the centre of the table with a light POP. It contained a tureen of tomato soup, crackers, and a plate of sandwiches. A pitcher of pumpkin juice and a pitcher of apple juice also appeared.
"What did you to Adam, by the way?" questioned Padge, as he took a serving of soup and a sandwich from the platter.
"Confundus charm," answered Harry, "It doesn't hurt… it just prevents me from answering some uncomfortable questions."
"A little late," said Jay, "We sort of already showed him."
"Shit."
"Sorry, but-"
"No, it's okay. Guess I should have expected that in a way. But I guess now's as good a time as any. I have to cast memory charms on all of you so you can't violate the statute of secrecy… such as you did with your driver," said Harry.
"You promised-" Matt began, but Harry held up a hand. "I promised not to hurt you… but I also have to follow the law. I'll place a secrecy charm on you guys. So if someone doesn't know about my world, you can't tell them about it. Does that make sense?"
"So… like, that's what would happen to your friend's parents?" Matt guessed, as he too served himself from the platter in front of him.
"Yeah, exactly. I'm not breaking my promise to you guys. But at the same time, I have to respect the law too."
"Guess that makes sense," said Padge, "It's just… this stuff is… MAN… holy fuck, there's a whole world we didn't know of!" Harry grinned at that. "Exactly how I felt when I was eleven years old."
"Why then?"
"That's when a magical child gets their letter inviting them to a magic school. Of course, my useless aunt and uncle tried to keep that from me. They didn't have a clue, and still don't, I think."
"So you go to a school that teaches magic? Sounds awesome," said Matt.
"I thought so too. Until I found out the Wizarding world is as twisted and fucked as the Muggle world, if not more so. I've got a few really good friends, and loads of enemies because of who I am. Being a wizard isn't as great as you guys may think." He thought for a moment. "Once we get to Toronto, I won't stick around. Trust me, you guys don't want to be involved with me or the shit that's going on in my world. Better if you just forget you ever met me."

The remainder of the meal passed in silence, as each fell into their own thoughts. Harry could see each of them were captivated by the environment, but equally torn. Question was, would they honour his request?

The biggest question, was how to get home. His floo obviously didn't work. Using an international floo was out of the question, and creating an international port key was dicey at best. Last time he tried that, he'd ended up nearly a hundred miles off the mark, landing rather painfully in a tree. Most likely, he would have to apparate a bunch of times to get back to Little Whinging.

He was drawn out of his thoughts as the dishes all suddenly vanished.
"Harry… we're going back out-um, back up to the bus. Come if you like," said Matt. Harry only nodded, and followed the group. Climbing out of the trunk, he took the offered seat across from the table. From there, he was finally able to get a good look at their mobile home. It was well equipped, to say the least. Of course, from the glimpse into Matt's mind, these guys were doing quite well for themselves at this point, and could no doubt afford it.

Toward the back, he could see a couple of bunk beds built into the wall of the vehicle. No doubt there were a pair mirrored on the opposite side. The area they sat in currently looked like it was set up as a sort of office, while further up front, where the trunk rested, was more of a lounge area. Harry smirked to himself, thinking what he would do with a bus like this. After all, the ministry DID have those cars that were bigger inside than out, right?

Padge had at this point retrieved an acoustic guitar from one of the storage closets, and returned to his seat. "You play anything?" he questioned, as he began to pluck out a soft melody on the instrument.
"No. never had the chance," answered Harry, "Between my WONDERFUL relatives, and the dragon shit I've had to deal with in the magical world… no time for hobbies."
"That sucks."
"You have no idea."
"So what do you do, just study magic?"
"I have to. It's either that… or well… I'm not gonna get into my life, I'm sure the last thing you all need to hear is my 'woe is me' tale." He watched as Padge continued to strum his guitar, the music filling the bus. "So what sort of music do you guys play anyway?"
"Metalcore, the best description," answered Matt, "You heard Metallica before?"
"Okay," Harry nodded. "My cousin sometimes listens to their stuff."
"We opened for them a while back," said Padge. The bus was leaving the highway. "Need to refuel," came the driver's voice-Adam, as Harry remembered. Sure enough, they were pulling into a massive truck stop, as dozens of rigs were parked, their owners likely inside getting refreshments themselves. His travelling abroad for several years gave him some insight into Muggle methods of travel, after all. It also meant Harry would have to be extra careful casting magic. The petrol fumes could be ignited by a simple spark-he'd witnessed such an incident.
"Good chance to get out and stretch our legs anyway," said Moose, while Padge was already setting the guitar aside.
"I'll be right back. Good chance to get a few things Kreacher didn't get when he went shopping for me." Harry had noticed the place had a fairly large convenience store. "You guys have any money on you?"
"What-"
"I just need to see it for a minute."
"Oh." Matt pulled out his wallet, and lay a twenty dollar bill on the table. Harry picked it up and looked at it-after all, it had been a while since he had dealt with Canadian currency. "Thanks." He passed the note back, then waved an index finger in a series of motions at the table. Instantly, a stack of identical notes appeared.
"Damn."
"Untraceable?"
"As far as I know. I mean, I could have done it quick and dirty, just use a stack of paper with a Confundus charm on it… but this is more professional. Take a few if you want, I can make more."
"Thanks!"

Less than a minute later, Harry was filling a hand basket with a number of items, mostly things which were rather difficult to get back in England. That also included a number of snacks-cookies, crisps (or potato chips, as North Americans called them), and a case of soft-drinks. If he was going to be entertaining, might as well act the part, after all. He quickly paid for his purchases, and once he was sure no one was watching, he miniaturized everything.

Climbing back aboard the bus, he then apparated into the trunk. He placed the items on the table in the dining room and restored them to their original sizes. "Kreacher?"
"Yes master Harry?"
"Could you put this stuff away for me?"
"Right away, master Harry," said the elf, giving a low bow.
"Great. Thanks." He popped back out of the trunk.
"MOTHERFUCKER!" Matt shouted, a bag full of chips going flying as he leapt back, very much startled by Harry's sudden appearance. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.
"Err… sorry, forgot about that."
"How… how the fuck did you do that?"
"It's called apparating. I can… well… pop from place to place," Harry explained, gesturing with a hand, cleaning up the mess he'd just caused. "I owe you a bag of crisps. Give me a moment." He popped away, only to return seconds later with a replacement. "Here."
"What's wrong?!" Padge exclaimed, storming onto the bus.
"It's cool… Harry just scared the shit out of me, is all," Matt responded. His heart was still pounding, and he had no doubt in his mind his life had just been shortened by a couple of years. "Harry… show Padge what you just did."
"Err… right." Harry vanished to stand behind him.
"Damn!" Padge looked impressed. Then he smirked and said, "Just don't scare Matt when he's sleeping."
"Why not?" Questioned Harry. Matt simply stepped around the boy, went to his bunk, and dug into a side compartment, pulling out a gun. "Just in case," he said.
"Hm. Good against Muggles. Voldemort… not so much so."
"Who's Voldemort?" questioned Matt, but Harry had no chance to answer, as a series of loud POPs were heard outside. Dark cloaked, hooded figures had appeared outside, and were making a bee line toward the bus.
"Both of you stay here… if anything happens get in the trunk and close the lid, understand?" No answer. "Answer me!" Matt scowled, but nodded, while Padge only muttered something unintelligible.
"I mean it, STAY here." With that, Harry stepped outside to face the threat. Death Eaters, five of them.
"Well well," one of them sneered, apprising the boy, "You look familiar."
"No, it can't be. The Dark Lord dispatched him twelve years ago," spoke a second. He had a wheezy voice, somewhat reminding Harry of Amycus Carrow.
"Harry? You know these people?" Jay had stepped out of the store, carrying a bag of groceries.
"See?! I told you! It's Potter!" spoke the first Death Eater, while another levelled his wand at Jay. Harry had no choice, thrusting his wand at the first speaker, who was lifting his sleeve, most likely to call for backup. "REDUCTO!"

The dark wizard was blasted nearly fifty feet backwards into the side of a parked tractor trailer, and landed in a heap. He did not get up.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" screamed the wheezy-voiced wizard, and Harry was forced to duck a green bolt of magic that slammed into a nearby car, causing it to explode in a fiery blast. Harry slashed with his wand at the wizard's upper torso, shouting, "SECTUMSEMPRA!" The wizard's head seemed to roll about, before sliding off the stump, and falling to the ground with a sickening 'plop'. The headless body followed, as if in slow-motion. The third wizard sent a bolt of purple magic at Jay, who had the sense to duck to the side. The curse sailed through the door of the store to impact with a shelf inside, scattering merchandise in all directions.

"Padge… get in the trunk," Matt snapped, cocking the hammer on the gun still trembling in his hand. Whatever these people were, they were not only attacking Harry, but one of his band mates. That was personal. Padge huffed, but did as Matt asked, climbing into the trunk, closing the lid. Matt, meanwhile, crouched beside the door, taking careful aim at the head of one of the dark wizards who continued casting dangerous magic. Several cars were completely destroyed at this point, and most people had scattered to the wind, understanding the danger. He pulled the trigger.

BANG! The dark wizard faltered in the middle of casting another curse, and clutched his chest. He stumbled forward for a few steps, then collapsed to the ground, knowing something had pierced his chest, and most likely it was fatal. With the strength draining from him, he made one last move before expiring, pressing his wand to the dark mark tattooed on his arm. The Dark Lord must know of this!

The two remaining wizards had saw the muzzle fire from the bus, and while one occupied Harry, the other seized the opportunity. Matt was nailed with a strong stunning curse, and dragged magically from the bus.
"Well, well. Potter's made some friends!" the Death Eater sneered, his voice low and bullfrog-like. Harry wheeled around and sent the attacking wizard flying against the side of the bus. He too, did not get up. 'Why didn't he just do as he was told?!' Harry fumed in his head, as he was once again forced to duck a bolt of red magic that instead slammed into one of the gas pumps. It had to happen eventually.

BOOOOOM! A geyser of fire erupted from the destroyed pump, casting a blinding light over the area.
"ACCIO MATT!!" Harry shouted, hand outstretched, breaking into a dead run. The entire place would go up in a fiery explosion, he was working with borrowed time. More flashes of red and green magic whizzed overhead and around him. Another loud explosion rang out, threatening to throw the boy to the ground, but he held on. And, as the stunned body of his new friend bumped into his hand, he disapparated.

They reappeared on the opposite side of the busy freeway. Harry thrust a hand at Matt, snarling, "Rennervate!" He opened his eyes at once, and found himself looking into green eyes that burned like fire.
"Bloody hell why didn't you do as you were told!?" Harry hissed, casting a silent healing spell at a nasty gash on his forearm.
"HEY! MY FRIENDS WERE IN FUCKING DANGER, TOO, ASSHOLE!" Matt roared back, "Or do you not care?"
"Of course I do! I had it well in hand, thank you-"

BOOOOM! A tremendous blast shook the ground, and the sky seemed to light up brighter than the afternoon sun. Being a major truck stop, the place held large tanks of petroleum products on site. It was followed by several more smaller explosions, while flames roared hundreds of feet in the air. Both of them could feel the heat from the inferno even though they were easily five hundred feet away.
"You've killed them. My friends. You've killed my friends," said Matt. He looked destroyed, simple as that. Of course, Harry knew he would feel the same way, were the tables reversed.

"AAAAAAAH!" Harry cried out, as his scar seemed to explode in pain. If things were bad, they were about to get a LOT worse. But… THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! Harry shouted in his head, still wincing from the white-hot pain radiating from his cursed scar. It was confirmed, as a high, cold, voice said, "Hello, Harry."

Matt looked up at the new speaker, and knew at once he was looking into the face of pure evil. The figure had pale, grey skin, where in some places, thin blue veins passed. His finger nails better resembled claws, and the face… it better resembled a snake, with a nose that were better called slits, and red, reptilian eyes.
"What… who… who are you?" questioned Matt, trying to be brave. That was met with icy cold laughter. "The Muggle demands to know my name? You are not fit to know my name. But Harry knows how I am, don't you?" Matt suddenly felt like his head was about to explode, as a torrent of memories suddenly flashed before his eyes. It was like what Harry had done, but it HURT! The wizard here was by no means subtle, charging through his thoughts and memories like a bull in a china shop. It suddenly stopped… Harry was speaking.
"What do you want, Tom?" Even though Harry was completely in the dark about what was going on at the moment, he would not show fear. He had defeated the bastard once already.
"You dare call me that foul name?!"
"Yes, I dare. It's what you were called, was it not? Tom Marvolo Riddle?" questioned Harry. Voldemort hissed at the use of his real name, the wand twitching in his hand-wait. How did he get the Elder Wand?
"How is it you've come to be here, Harry?"
"I don't know, but I've gone to hell." He felt the Dark Lord press against his defences, and so he obliged, sharing a quick memory of his 'arrival'.
"Ah. A parallel universe? I see it, the confusion is there in your eyes. Perhaps then I shall help my counterpart, no?"
"Parallel universe?" Matt parroted. But Voldemort was already thrusting his wand at Harry. "Good bye, Harry."

This would be an ugly duel, no doubt. Harry thrust his hand at Matt, shoving him out of the way, and sprang to his feet as a blast of green magic barely missed. He answered with a bolt of purple magic, which Voldemort only brushed off as if batting away a mosquito. He answered with a jet of black energy. Harry side-stepped it, and was lucky he had, as it nailed a clump of reeds, causing them to crumble into dust. He felt the Dark Lord again attempting to break into his mind, but pushed him out, while sending a bolt of red magic at him. Again he only swatted it away as though it were a minor nuisance.
"Come on, Harry, you can do better than that," said Voldemort, with a cold laugh, once again unleashing a killing curse. It smashed into the ground where Harry had been a fraction of a second earlier. 'Where the hell are the Aurors?' he shouted in his head, unleashing another blast of purple magic.

Matt looked on while they duelled. It was incredible, and terrifying, all at the same time. The truck stop was a smoking ruin at this point, and it had taken less than five minutes. Five minutes had turned Matt Tuck's world upside down. More colourful blasts of magic erupted between the two wizards-obviously very powerful wizards, no mistaking it. By the sounds of it, the two of them had a history.

The dark wizard had his back to Matt at this point, and he did not waste the opportunity, fishing into the pocket of his shorts, and pulling out a five-inch jackknife. It might buy Harry some time in this clearly even match. He opened it up, and let fly.

Harry was too busy protecting himself in this life-or-death duel to notice what Matt was doing, but if he had, he would have put a stop to it. Suddenly, Voldemort let out an angry hiss, jarring slightly as though something had hit him in the side. Harry knew at once what had happened, and the result would not be pretty. A Muggle did NOT attack the most feared Dark wizard in history without repercussions. It all happened in slow-motion, the bolt of angry red magic crossing the distance between the Dark Lord and Harry's new friend, slamming into his chest.

A fiery rage erupted from deep inside.
"CRUCIO!" Harry hissed, causing his wand to actually vibrate with the power being forced through it. It had been a while since he had cast an unforgivable, but he was certainly capable of it. Of course, Voldemort only side-stepped the curse, and a smile formed on his lips. "Well, well. The golden boy DOES know how to cast unforgivables. This is a surprise, I must say." Harry only glared at the Dark Lord, casting a glance over at Matt, who lay in a pool of his own blood, trying to breathe through his shattered lungs. He would be lucky if he lived.
"Oh, Harry, you can do much better than that," Voldemort mocked, "Stooping to the level of Muggles?"

A bolt of purple magic came out of nowhere, followed not a second later by several loud bangs, sounding exactly like Matt's gun.
"Pick on someone your own size, snake-face!" came a taunting voice. The Dark Lord spun and trained his wand on the new speaker. The guy was short, five foot four if he pushed it, brandishing a short wand. His black hair stuck up in numerous places, not unlike Harry's, and his face had a hint of Asian ancestry. Chocolate brown eyes held a fire of hatred, as he let fly another curse that bordered on unforgivable.
"More friends of yours, Harry?" Voldemort laughed, as he flicked the dangerous curse aside. Several more bangs, of which he also dodged. "Resulting to Muggle tactics against me? Rather low for a wizard, is it not?" Another had joined the fray, brandishing a large revolver. He was much taller than the first newcomer, with sandy brown hair, and a face full of piercings. Harry took the opportunity while Voldemort was distracted, thrusting his wand at Matt, "Petrificus Totalus!"

More gunshots rang out, and Harry was confused as to how the gun could keep firing. It looked like a revolver, and it only had room for so many bullets, right? He sent another bolt of red magic toward the Dark Lord, his mind focusing back on the issue at hand. The others had now joined Harry. "Dude… let's get your friend, we can apparate." As good a plan as any, Harry had to agree, as they backed up slowly, keeping spell fire and gunfire trained on the dark wizard.

It would require split-second timing. He had to grab Matt somehow, while the others grabbed onto him. Another twenty feet… "Sectumsempra…" Fifteen feet… "Reducto!!"
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort again sent an angry green blast of magic toward the combatants, causing them all to duck, almost stumbling backward. No good to lose their footing at this point… it would be game over. Harry hissed out a spell, sending off a bolt of black magic identical to one Voldemort had used only a minute earlier. It stopped Voldemort for a second, as he realized what had happened.
"You are truly my equal, Harry," said the Dark Lord, "If only you would see truly how powerful we could be." That caused both newcomers to pause. After all, there had only been one 'Harry' to go toe to toe with the Dark Lord. But he was dead! How was this possible?!
"I will join you when hell freezes over," answered Harry, his voice cold and even. Five feet. Four. Three. Two. "NOW!" Harry dropped to the ground, grabbing Matt by the pant-leg, while the newcomers grabbed onto Harry's shirt. They vanished with a loud CRACK.

Harry was relieved as they landed in a heap in the middle of the common room. Padge was on top of Matt in an instant, terrified at the state of his friend. "What… where are the Moose and Jay?!"
"Idonnknow, dead, injuried, I don't know," Harry breathed, trying to steady his nerves.
"You're really Harry Potter?" questioned the black-haired newcomer.
"Yes."
"But, how? It was all over the National Wizards' Standard twelve years ago, he killed you!"
"I don't know! I just… bloody hell what the fuck was that?!" Harry shouted, exasperated. He crawled over to where Matt lay. "Let me see him."
"Is he gonna die?" questioned Padge.
"No. Not if I can help it. Kreacher?" The elf in question popped into the room. "I need a few calming draughts, please."
"Right away, master Harry!" The elf popped away, only to return a moment later with five vials.
"Great, thank you." He accepted them, and slid one into a pocket, while passing three to his new guests. He consumed one himself.
"Dude… he's gonna need a blood transfusion," said the dark-haired wizard. "I'm Jiro, by the way, and this is Zachariah, or Zack for short."
"Wish we were meeting on better terms," said Harry, "You guys have any skill healing?"
"No."
"Not me… I'm just a Muggle," said Zack. Harry only nodded.
"Just a Muggle?" Jiro snorted, "We've had that discussion before!"
"But how did this all happen?" Padge demanded, still gravely concerned for his friend, "Harry said something about Vol-"
"NO! DON'T say his name!" Jiro hissed, "So THAT'S what happened. Harry, don't you know?"

It clicked. Of COURSE he knew about the Taboo curse Voldemort had placed on his own name, after he took control of the ministry in 1997. But this was Canada! What was Voldemort doing over here? Unless… "Is… is you-know-who in control here? In Canada?"
"Yeah, pretty much," answered Jiro, "He stormed the ministry on New Years' Eve 1999."
"It's true, then. I'm in a parallel universe. V-you-know-who said something like that a minute ago. But I should have figured it out sooner… it was getting dark were I came from," said Harry, as he began casting healing charms at Matt's chest. There was a lot of blood, but the boy ignored it. "Bloody hell I can't believe he did that."
"Matt's always been a little adventurous," said Padge.
"No, he was bloody stupid!" Harry hissed, "Lucky the Dark Lord didn't just outright kill him."
"What did he do?" questioned Zack.
"I think he threw a knife at him."
"Brave AND stupid," Jiro agreed.
"Nothing we can do at this point, the damage has already been done," said Harry, continuing to cast healing charms. "He won't be doing a whole lot for the next little while. I'm not too bad at healing-had to learn fast."
"Thanks," said Padge.
"For?"
"For saving his life."
"It's the right thing to do. And we're not in the clear yet." Harry looked to Kreacher, who stood off to the side. "A pain-numbing potion, please." The elf bowed, and popped away to return seconds later with the required potion.
"Thanks."
"Don't wake him yet… he needs blood," Jiro pointed out. Harry agreed, seeing how pale Matt looked. He had indeed lost a lot of blood. The 'Reducto' curse was truly destructive, after all.
"Do you know how to do it?"
"Yeah, I've seen it done. Padge… hold his hand out for me, palm up." Padge nodded, and picked up Matt's right hand, holding it palm up. "Now…" Harry drew his wand across the palm, speaking, "Diffindo." The palm seemed to split, a line of blood squirting from it. Harry did the same to his own hand, and mashed them together, causing blood to ooze out through the gaps. He spoke, while weaving his wand in an intricate pattern around the clasped hands, "My blood, freely given, so that you may live." A red swirl of magic enveloped the joined hands, and Harry could feel his own magic at work, pushing his blood through the cut into Matt's body.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"
"Stand aside, you silly girl… stand aside, now…"
"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-"
"This is my last warning-"
"Not Harry! Please… have mercy… have mercy… Not Harry! Not Harry Please-I'll do anything-"
"Stand aside-stand aside, girl-"(2)
A brilliant green flash filled the scene, accompanied by a piercing scream.

Matt's eyes snapped open, but he quickly realized that was the ONLY thing he could move. It was as if he were a statue. 'Was that a dream? Am I still dreaming now?' He could feel a warm substance on his hand, and a glance confirmed it was blood. Harry had his hand clasped in his own, a trickle of blood was flowing down both their forearms. Harry was gazing down on him and their eyes locked. "My blood, freely given, so you will live." He paused, as fiery rage burned behind his eyes. "Merlin's pants what were you thinking?! You could have been killed, I could have been killed!" His body was trembling, Matt could feel it through their clasped hands. 'I was just trying to help, asshole!' he wanted to shout, but he could form no words. His chest still burned as if it were on fire. Harry at last released his hand, and Matt felt a moment of white-hot pain drag across his palm.
"I had to give you blood or you would have died," said Harry, "Now I'm gonna let you out of the petrifying charm, and I need you to take a potion. It'll numb the pain…" Harry again pointed his wand at Matt's chest, whispering, "Finite."

Harry was right. He needed that pain relieving potion like yesterday! Harry could see the shock of pain on Matt's face and immediately passed him the potion, which he gulped down hurriedly. It had an immediate effect, and the raging pain in his chest dulled to a throbbing pain, which he could better deal with.
"Where is Jay and Moose?" Matt demanded, realizing he could move and speak again.

Harry had completely forgot about them. He was immediately in front of the map. He forced it to zoom close. "What are their full names?"
"Jason James, and Michael Thomas," Matt supplied.
"Locatus, Jason James," Harry commanded, tapping the map. It zoomed in at once, to a spot not far from the truck stop. Luckily, Moose was close to him.
"That's one hell of a map, Harry," said Jiro, coming to stand beside him.
"Yeah, right useful. And we still have a problem." He pointed to the label 'Tom M. Riddle', with a miniature dark mark beside it, circling around a large 'X' on the map. "The 'X' marks where we are. He's likely found our hiding spot." He had no sooner gotten the words out, when there was a loud BANG, and the trunk shook.
"Where are we anyway?"
"This is my trunk," said Harry, "It's been strongly warded, but… it's Riddle. He'll break through eventually." He thought for a moment. "Kreacher, could you please move Matt into his room?"
"Right away, master Harry," said Kreacher. He gestured with his skinny fingers, levitating Matt off the floor, and guided him into the corridor, while Harry summoned his invisibility cloak.
"You're going back out there," Padge guessed.
"Have to, or we're dead." He draped the cloak around him, his body instantly disappearing, leaving only his head visible.
"Holy shit!" Padge was shocked.
"Don't touch anything. I'll be back shortly." He pulled the hood over him, completely vanishing, and there was a soft POP.

He appeared just outside the trunk. Voldemort was still circling it, contemplating what to do next. It was a most curious artefact, considering it was the only thing unscathed in the swath of destruction. He could detect the powerful magical enchantments placed on it. Yet, what was it doing here? Something of Potter's, perhaps?

Harry observed Voldemort for a few moments. Should he risk launching an attack against him? No. His head already felt like it would split in two from the pain blazing from his cursed scar. He simply swooped in, and popped away with the trunk, having already guestimated the location of Matt's friends. He was in luck for a change, as the two of them were huddled close together near a clump of bushes. Harry dropped the hood. "Jay? Moose?"
"Harry! Jesus Christ we're glad you're all right," said Jay. He opened his mouth to ask, then closed it, seeing the trunk at Harry's feet, which Harry was already opening the lid to. "Come on."

Padge looked beyond relieved as his two friends stepped off the ladder and joined him in the common room. Harry was only a moment behind.
"Jiro. Do you know how to make a port key?"
"Of course. Where to?"
"Where do you live?" Harry questioned, wondering just how far his fame might get him here.
"In Toronto. Got something I can use?"
"Here." Harry tossed the guy a cushion off one of the couches. Jiro shrugged, then tapped it with his wand. "Portus."
"Okay. Padge, Jay, and Moose, stay here. You'll be safe in the trunk."
"You're taking us with you, right?" questioned Jay.
"Of course I am! Just stay put."
"We'll come out as well," said Jiro, "My house and all."
"Yeah, of course. Grab onto me, then." Jiro and Zack grabbed hold of his shirt, and the three of them popped away.

"How long before it activates?" questioned Harry, as he shrunk the trunk down and stuffed it in his pocket.
"Get a finger on it, quickly," Jiro warned. Harry and Zack did so, and less than five seconds later, he felt the familiar hook about the naval, as the world spun away.

Harry touched down, and found himself in the back yard of a neatly-kept house. The garden was filled with vivid plants and vegetables-he spotted several magical varieties as well. He let out a snort.
"What?" questioned Jiro.
"Just seeing a few… err… not-so-Muggle plants growing in your garden. My aunt would be in a right state if I were to do something like that."
"That 'Loving' family of yours? A few interesting things came out about your relatives once you 'died'," said Jiro, "It was all over the papers, both here and in Britain."
"They didn't treat me well, but-"
"HARRY! How can you defend them? They beat you to within an inch of your life once!"
"Huh? No, never-err… wait. I keep forgetting, alternate universe."
"So… where you come from, they treat you at least half-decent, then?" questioned Zack. Harry nodded. "Somewhat. I mean, they don't exactly like me, but… they never actually beat me. I mean, getting a swat across the head a few times when I was younger, but… never like what you're suggesting. I'm not THAT daft, and besides, Dumbledore would never allow it."
"Oh, don't get me STARTED on that man!" Jiro hissed, "He let us down… he let ALL of us down, YOU the most when it TRULY counted!"
"Look, mate… in my world, he's a bit manipulative, but… he still cares… I count him as an ally, someone I'm gonna need support from if I'm to deal with… you-know-who."
"All right, I guess… holy fuck this is confusing," said Jiro, shaking his head. "C'mon inside."

The house itself was a one-and-a-half-storey design, with bedrooms upstairs, Harry guessed, as they stepped through the patio door. The bottom floor was completely open, with only a half-wall and an island counter separating the kitchen from the rest of the place. There was a half-bathroom that made up the back part of the stairs.

The house was VERY Muggle, and he only had to look at Zack to know why. It didn't take much to figure out these two were in love with each other. Yet, as he looked around, he spotted a few things that indicated a wizard lived there. Namely, a number of text books in the bookshelf. "Advanced Potion-making, Grade 6"… "Most Potente Potions"… Harry arched an eyebrow. "Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them"… Oh yes, a wizard most DEFINITELY lived here.

"You can put your trunk here," said Jiro, pointing to a spot beside the book case. "I'd offer you a bedroom, but…"
"I already have a bed in the trunk," Harry finished, as he pulled the miniaturized trunk out of his pocket, and returned it to its proper size. He looked over at the twin desks sitting against the opposite wall. Computers. He'd seen models like those not long before he came back… of course, he WAS twelve years into the future, and a very dark one for that matter. Did he want to know what was going on? "Let's get back into the trunk, I need to check on Matt."
"They look familiar," said Zachariah.
"They're some Muggle rock band-never heard of them, though. 'Bullet for my Valentine', I think that's what Matt said."
"Damn. I know who they are, just couldn't place them. Thought they looked familiar… just all this other shit went down," said Zachariah.
"Thanks, by the way," said Harry, "I mean, I've faced him enough, but… he totally caught me off guard… where I come from, he's still just a spirit." He opened the lid of the trunk, but stopped. "What are your names?"
"Jiro Kane."
"And Zachariah Flint-Kane."
"Great." Harry tapped the lid with his wand, speaking, "Addendum, Jiro Kane, and Zachariah Flint-Kane." The lid flashed green twice.
"How long have you guys been bonded?"
"It was three years in May," answered Jiro, as Harry started to climb into the trunk. The pair quickly followed as room allowed, coming to stand in the common room once again.
"Everything's okay?" questioned Jay. He was the only one still in the common room. Harry guessed the others were in with Matt.
"The Dark Lord won't be able to find us for now," said Jiro, "Port keys are hard to trace."
"What's a port key?" questioned Jay.
"It's a type of magical transportation," said James, from his portrait, giving both Jiro and his mate a start. "Mr. and Mrs. Potter?"
"Indeed," said Lily.
"How does this 'port key' work?" Jay persisted.
"Well… you have to have a destination in mind when you charm it… an object, just about anything will do… it's set to go off at a certain time, or at once… and when it does… it takes anyone touching it to its programmed destination. Quite simple, really," Harry explained, "Though… the ministry has tough regulations on who can make a port key. Not that I really care about those rules."
"Couldn't agree with you more on that one," said Jiro, with a grin.
"You'll get along smashing with the Weasley twins," said Harry, with a mischievous smirk.
"Oh, those two were famous here for a while," said Jiro, "Caused the Death Eaters endless nightmares, 'till they finally blew up their joke shop, with them inside."
"That would kill Molly," said Harry, a dark look sliding across his face.
"It did. Her husband found her dead one morning, not long after. It's believed she died of a broken heart-I mean, she had lost Ron, your best friend, right?" Harry nodded. "Well, Percy actually went to the Death Eaters. Charlie vanished."
"Percy became a Death Eater?" Harry arched an eyebrow. "He's a prat, but he'd never betray his family."
"Yeah, lots of people agree on that point. More than likely he's been put under the Imperious curse."
"I can believe that. What about Bill and Ginny?"
"Bill's moved back to Egypt, at least that's what the word is in the underground. Don't know anything about Ginny, though."
"How do you know this stuff, all the way over here?"
"Loads of connections," answered Jiro, "The wizard world is deathly afraid of computers, but Muggle-borns aren't. We keep the information flowing, help out the resistance."
"When did Dumbledore get killed?"
"In 1997, just before the school year ended. Severus Snape took over as headmaster, and still is."
"How is he here?"
"A great man, but you know that already, right?" questioned Jiro.
"Yeah, absolutely. The Dark Lord thinks Snape's his man. Never. He loved my mum too much for that."
"He was humbled greatly with your death, Harry."
"He would be. He swore to protect me." He thought for a moment. "How did you-know-who get the Elder wand?"
"Stole it from Dumbledore's grave."
"Right. Should have known the answer to my own question." That got a strange look from both Jiro and Zack. "Guys… I need to check on Matt, then I'm gonna get a bit of rest, meditate for a while. This has been a cluster-fuck."

The guy in question was resting comfortably, with Padge seated beside the bed, while Moose chose to stand.
"You still comfortable?" Harry questioned.
"Yeah, as comfortable is I can be, I guess."
"It was a reducto curse he nailed you with… I was able to fix it, but you still might ache for a while. How's your breathing?"
"Fine… although it still aches a little."
"Yeah, expected, as I said. Get a few more hours' rest. After which, we are all going to have a conversation." Harry's face darkened with that comment. "For now… I need to get a bit of rest myself."
"We'll keep him in place," said Padge.
"Great."

Harry closed the door to his room with a sigh. Things had gone from bad to worse. In a different world altogether, never mind just a hop across the pond, for Merlin's sake! What the hell was that?! Then, his new friends obviously have no concept of following instructions… never mind a visit from Voldemort, who shouldn't have his body! He blew out a heavy breath, throwing himself onto the bed. This would take a while… so much trash to sort through in his mind since the morning.

More than ever, he needed to get back where he belonged. Clearly, this world was far scarier than what he had seen in his future… a world completely under Voldemort's control was a nightmare. He counted his blessings for Jiro and Zach's timely arrival. He still wasn't sure if he would have been able to escape the duel otherwise, and he had to admit, only one of them would walk away from that. He closed his eyes, resigned to reorganizing the overload of information that came from the rollercoaster of events that had just taken place. It was nearly time for supper before he got up again.

Stepping into the common room, he noticed at once a few things had changed. Namely, the addition of two desks, on which sat two computer systems.
"Nice to see you guys moving in… I'll be even more impressed should they actually WORK in here," Harry smirked.
"Careful what you wish for," Jiro smirked right back, his eyes dancing with amusement, as he finalized the connections.
"But… why wouldn't it work?" Harry looked over to see Matt standing once again by the corridor to the bedrooms.
"Muggle electronics usually go haywire in magically saturated areas," answered Harry.
"Now I know why all our cell phones stopped working yesterday," said Matt, making his way over to where the group was standing, watching Jiro hook up his computer.
"Well, whatever it is now sitting in my bedroom… it was giving off a pretty strong amount of magical energy. I bet everything within about a thousand feet of it went haywire. Which is again why I'll be very surprised should these computers work here… by the way, where do you plan on plugging it in?"
"Here," said Jiro, pointing to a large box. It had eight Muggle electrical receptacles on the top of it, but the front glowed. Harry waved an index finger at it, and arched an eyebrow. "Magic behaving like electricity?"
"Yep," supplied, Jiro, "The Weasley twins invented it. They spawned a whole group of people whose job was to figure out how to make Muggle things work in magical areas. I'm one of those." He pulled the box away from the wall, and gestured to the label on the back. Sure enough, the large 'W' was plain to see: the twins' trademark.
"So… none of our equipment would ever work here, then," said Matt.
"About our equipment…" said Padge, darkly, "What happened to our bus?"
"It was destroyed, Padge," answered Matt, "The whole fucking place blew up."
"I'll replace every knut worth," Harry vowed.
"Nut?" questioned Matt.
"Every penny of it," supplied Zack, "Harry has to keep in mind there are still Muggles here."
"No matter what currency it's in, like I said, I'll help you guys replace whatever you lost. It was my fault attracting Death Eaters. You guys could have been killed."
"Never mind the fact Matt attacked the Dark Lord. Dude… what the FUCK were you thinking?"
"Trying to save Harry's ass, maybe?!" Matt shot back.
"Well, Einstein, you've signed your own death warrant," Jiro snorted, "When they catch you, you'll become the Dark Lord's play thing for a few days. Then he'll get tired of you, and kill you… not before he snaps your mind like a twig!" He finalized the connections, then switched the machine on.

Harry fell silent with what Jiro had just pointed out. Of course, he was absolutely right. The last time a Muggle had attacked Voldemort, it hadn't ended well. Word circulated that Voldemort had kept the man alive for eight days, pushing his mind to the brink. He finally, mercifully ended the suffering, and tore the body into dozens of pieces.

"See? We told you it would work," said Zachariah, drawing Harry's attention back to the present. He only nodded, the novelty of the situation having been clouded by a very grave reality. Whether Matt knew it or not, he was very much a marked man. His life as he knew it was finished.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Weeeeee! Looks like Matt's got himself into a spot of trouble, eh? This chapter was both fun, and challenging to write, as we see just how different this universe is compared to what Harry's used to.

A note about Jiro and Zachariah. I'm a huge fan of the 'Sims 3' game, and they are currently my main 'family' or pairing. If you're a fan, you can download Jiro from ModTheSims . com. His appearance isn't mine, but his personality certainly is. Zachariah is entirely my own creation. And yes, you will be seeing a lot of them in the future.

(1) velocitatem - L. "swiftness, speed"
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