Chapter 4: The World as we Know It
This was where Harry found himself thoroughly immersed in the Alternate Universe, and got some nasty shocks (and remembered more than a few things that were presented to readers as flashback passages)
Chapter 4: The World as we Know It
1. He and Hermione had seen Snape run into the garden, take his dead mother's body in his arms and weep over her, while the Boy Who Lived stood nearby in his nappy, finger in his mouth and blood running down his face from his new scar, crying like any other baby on the planet.
This was Harry remembering what he and Hermione had seen in Snape's Pensieve, which was different from what Harry sees after saving his mother's life. However, if I ever get around to writing the missing-years-AU fic that tracks what happened from that point until the Harry from the other timeline "arrives" in this universe, readers will find that it's not really just a simple matter of Snape being there for Lily right after James was killed. It's all a lot more complex than that. (But there was really no way to fit all of that backstory into this fic, which was already long enough!)
2. "Thanks, Tunny," he said to the surprised-looking elf, whose large amber eyes grew even larger.
Here we see part of why Dumbledore placed Harry with the Dursleys: he didn't grow up as a child of privilege, he treats everyone equally and thinks that that is as it should be. Not that Lily raised Harry to be a stuck-up, entitled prat. But he did grow up here with more privilege than in the other universe. And, of course, the elf makes him think of Hermione, finally.
3. "So," his stepfather said to his mother, "I understand there are going to be over twenty-five first-years today."
This conversation at lunch between his parents also reminds Harry of a number of things: the smaller number of students at Hogwarts, the fact that his mother teaches Potions and stepfather teaches Dark Arts. Harry erroneously inserts "Defense Against the" before "Dark Arts" in his mind, which is not its current correct title--something JKR also did in DH!
4. He was enjoying being the fox again, dashing through the public rooms, ducking under adults' arms lifting delicate crystal to their lips, magical bubbles twinkling into people's laughing mouths, as the orchestra played and Harry skittered across the ballroom floor, hearing the hounds entering noisily, risking discovery. He was always a step ahead of them and far too unobtrusive for the adults to catch on; no one made a better fox than Harry.
I enjoyed doing the Christmas party flashback, but the Paper Chase metaphor was evidently lost on a lot of readers. Harry becomes a fox again in the later chapters, when he is on the run, right? Except that then he isn't intentionally leaving clues to help his pursuers find him. (Though they sometimes do anyway.)
5. "Lily, Lily... Surely as someone who is Muggle-born you can appreciate how important it is to keep the existence of the wizarding world a secret? This new policy will protect the wizarding community as well as Muggle-born children and their families."
This flashback also reminds Harry why the school's population is lower now: no Muggle-born students. Which JKR also did in DH. :D
6. His mother's voice became very low and dangerous-sounding. "You mean none of them are suspected of being part of the Prophecy themselves."
I felt that both Narcissa and Lily would ask to be in the DE inner circle for the sake of watching over their sons, and that Voldemort would also categorically reject that idea, not to mention the risk of having Lily present with Harry AND Draco, the Lion and Moonchild from the Prophecy, when she might be the Daughter of War. Because I doubt that Voldemort believes that even an Obedience Charm would be useful on Lily.
7. His dad waited a minute before speaking again. "Continuing to pretend you are not in the corner behind the Christmas tree will not do any good."
Did a seven-year-old seriously think he could get the better of Severus Snape?
8. Harry heard his mother give a deep sigh. "The way they follow him... It's not like a pack of hounds following a fox. It's more like they’re following the Pied Piper."
He heard his stepfather give a soft laugh. "He's a natural leader, Lily."
There was a longish pause before he heard his mother say, "That's what I'm afraid of..."
See, I thought here that I'd given obvious clues to why Lily was treating Harry the way she was in the non-flashback portions of the story, but this seemed to fly over a lot of heads. (Oh, the balancing act between indicating these things clearly and being way, way too obvious!)
9. The twins were born six months after the wedding.
That awkward moment when a kid realizes that his parents had SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE, gasp! Er, even when he already knew this...
10. The Map, he thought. Have Fred and George found the map in this life? He didn't know.
The first quest Harry gives himself in this chapter: to find the location of the Marauder's Map.
11. "Harry! I-I've never seen you fly like that--" Simon said.
I don't know why, but it seemed to me that the Harry from the original world should be a better flyer. Also, as a Keeper in this universe, Harry would be used to a different type of flying than that required by a Seeker.
12. "Don't know why you bothered even having kids. You knew we'd get your disgusting disease."
"Stu!" Harry said in surprise.
Again, if I get to write the AU backstory fic, this aspect plays a big part in that.
13. "You know, don't you, that your dad dying was the best thing that ever happened to him? I'll bet he danced on Potter's grave..."
They were just inside the entrance hall now, and Harry lunged at him, knocking him down. Stuart managed to turn over underneath him. Harry knelt over his brother, his hands around his throat.
"He would never do that! Take that back!"
I enjoyed writing this bit. :) I think it illustrates well the bond between Harry and Snape, for Harry to defend him against an accusation like this.
14. "Why do you think she broke up with me over that?"
Harry was the one confused now. "Didn't she?"
He was terse and distant again now. "No. I broke up with her. And that's all we will discuss for now. I will go see whether Jamie wishes to keep you company."
This is Harry's bias from his other life showing through a little here, assuming that it had to be his mother who broke up with Snape, which is partly possible because Snape did not include the break-up in the Pensieve. (Of course, readers get to see that bit in The Lost Generation.)
15. Her long red-gold hair fell to her waist, and her large brown eyes shone happily in the torchlight as she smiled at Neville.
Harry's first glimpse of Ginny in this universe, and she's Neville's girlfriend!
16. Mariah Kirkner gazed up at him the way Jamie had been looking at the photograph, but with more of an expression of ownership. Harry eyed his sister, who was frowning. Uh oh, he thought. Competition.
Mariah is gazing at Draco, of course, whose ladies-man activities are then recounted in a flashback with him and Harry in the library, when Harry has to wait around while Draco shags the Head Girl. Awkward! And it doesn't make Harry want his sister and best friend getting together. (Shades of Ron's attitude toward Harry and Ginny, except that Harry's nothing like Draco is here.)
17. No, he thought. I'm not. I'm not I'm not I'm not...
I am.
I'm in Slytherin.
I know that a lot of other fic-writers did AU fics with Harry sorted into Slytherin, but the difference here is that after the time-change, Harry remembers NOT being in Slytherin, while in those other fics it's more like the Harry from the AU before the time-change; he didn't know any other life. Here he knows.
18. Finally, it came to him: 31 October 31 1981. Any student who had been conceived after that date no longer existed.
A lot of readers commended me for this. I've never understood time-travel stories where fairly massive changes occurred, yet all of the EXACT SAME CHARACTERS had been born as in previous incarnations of the universe. (This was only ONE of my time-travel/AU quibbles with Misfits.) I suppose I've read enough time-travel stories that this seemed like the logical thing to do, in addition to having some of the students Sorted into different houses.
19. At the end of the line of eleven-year-old boys and girls walked a stocky, muscle-bound red-haired man in worn-looking brown leather trousers, a matching leather waistcoat over his homespun shirt, and long, scaly green-leather wizarding robes fastened at his throat with a copper brooch, like a cape. He wore heavy dragon-skin gloves and matching boots, deep green and scaly like his robes. He removed his gloves and strode through the hall behind the first years. Harry immediately recognized him as Charlie Weasley.
You know, I'm still slightly disappointed that no one ever did fan art of Charlie from this description! And now that I'm seeing a lot of trailers for Outlander, I'm kind of picturing Charlie as Jamie Fraser...
20. I'm nothing much to look at
But looks aren't everything.
I've got oh! such a lot of brain
So hear this song I'll sing:
Enchanted shoes may make a dancer;
Magic gloves a pianist rare;
But I make you a Hogwarts student
When you put ME on your hair!
Every thought you've in your mind
Is an open book to me.
I'll look in you, and tell you true,
Which house is yours, for free!
Do you belong in Gryffindor,
With other heroes brave?
Will you run into fire and ice,
Your enemy to save?
Or do you fit in Hufflepuff,
That faithful, toiling crew?
Your patience and your loyalty
May show your colors true.
But you might be a Ravenclaw,
A clever, savvy sort,
If your wit and erudition show
In matters of import.
Or finally, in Slytherin
You may yet find a place.
Ambition and a cunning mind
May hide behind your face.
So sit right down and put me on!
I never bite or lunge
It won't last long, I promise you,
So let's all take the plunge!
Yes, I actually wrote a Sorting Hat song! I'm not sure what tune someone once told me works with JKR's songs--is it Jingle Bells? That kind of works with mine, too, if you torture the meter just a little. ;) Of course, Harry's rather critical of the song. (I also have no illusions that it's high art or anything.) But unlike JKR's songs, I made a point of saying that a Gryffindor would save an ENEMY for a very good reason (James & Snape, Harry & Draco).
21. "Slytherin. Yes, an excellent choice. You're brave enough and talented enough for Gryffindor..."
Slytherin, Slytherin. Please.
"...but you would do great things in either place, and Slytherin could help you on your way, no doubt about it..."
I enjoyed flipping this from canon. :D
22. Harry noticed for the first time that there was a boy at the Gryffindor table who bore an extraordinary resemblance to Neville Longbottom, but he seemed to be a little younger. Harry remembered that one of the first years was called Rupert Longbottom, but he was sorted into Hufflepuff, not Gryffindor.
It also seemed logical to me that if the Longbottoms didn't get tortured into insanity, they might have had more kids.
23. "This is not right," the ghost hissed at him, making Harry's teeth chatter. Everyone around them ignored this interchange. "Fix it."
I really enjoyed having the ghosts know about the time-change! And, like the lack of kids born after 31 October, 1981, lots of people liked this. It also worked well for my later "down at the Quidditch pitch" reveal.
24. Harry knew what he would have to do if he were ever to fix this, if he were to right this wrong that had resulted from trying to right the wrong of his mother's death. If this was ever going to be fixed...
He needed desperately to find Hermione Granger.
Apparently, I'd teased some of my readers by saying that the last two words of this chapter were going to be "Hermione Granger"--and then didn't have Hermione in the chapter! I didn't remember doing this until I read some old posts, but it amuses me now. (I could be such a tease!)
Wow, that one was pretty long. I'd meant to post it on Friday, but Fridays just don't seem to work very well for posting. I'll give it a shot this week and see how it goes.
Also--RIP, Robin Williams. :sniff: I grew up watching Mork and Mindy and always loved his inspired silliness. He also became a wonderful dramatic actor. Maybe I'll rewatch Good Will Hunting and have a good cry...
Chapter 4: The World as we Know It
1. He and Hermione had seen Snape run into the garden, take his dead mother's body in his arms and weep over her, while the Boy Who Lived stood nearby in his nappy, finger in his mouth and blood running down his face from his new scar, crying like any other baby on the planet.
This was Harry remembering what he and Hermione had seen in Snape's Pensieve, which was different from what Harry sees after saving his mother's life. However, if I ever get around to writing the missing-years-AU fic that tracks what happened from that point until the Harry from the other timeline "arrives" in this universe, readers will find that it's not really just a simple matter of Snape being there for Lily right after James was killed. It's all a lot more complex than that. (But there was really no way to fit all of that backstory into this fic, which was already long enough!)
2. "Thanks, Tunny," he said to the surprised-looking elf, whose large amber eyes grew even larger.
Here we see part of why Dumbledore placed Harry with the Dursleys: he didn't grow up as a child of privilege, he treats everyone equally and thinks that that is as it should be. Not that Lily raised Harry to be a stuck-up, entitled prat. But he did grow up here with more privilege than in the other universe. And, of course, the elf makes him think of Hermione, finally.
3. "So," his stepfather said to his mother, "I understand there are going to be over twenty-five first-years today."
This conversation at lunch between his parents also reminds Harry of a number of things: the smaller number of students at Hogwarts, the fact that his mother teaches Potions and stepfather teaches Dark Arts. Harry erroneously inserts "Defense Against the" before "Dark Arts" in his mind, which is not its current correct title--something JKR also did in DH!
4. He was enjoying being the fox again, dashing through the public rooms, ducking under adults' arms lifting delicate crystal to their lips, magical bubbles twinkling into people's laughing mouths, as the orchestra played and Harry skittered across the ballroom floor, hearing the hounds entering noisily, risking discovery. He was always a step ahead of them and far too unobtrusive for the adults to catch on; no one made a better fox than Harry.
I enjoyed doing the Christmas party flashback, but the Paper Chase metaphor was evidently lost on a lot of readers. Harry becomes a fox again in the later chapters, when he is on the run, right? Except that then he isn't intentionally leaving clues to help his pursuers find him. (Though they sometimes do anyway.)
5. "Lily, Lily... Surely as someone who is Muggle-born you can appreciate how important it is to keep the existence of the wizarding world a secret? This new policy will protect the wizarding community as well as Muggle-born children and their families."
This flashback also reminds Harry why the school's population is lower now: no Muggle-born students. Which JKR also did in DH. :D
6. His mother's voice became very low and dangerous-sounding. "You mean none of them are suspected of being part of the Prophecy themselves."
I felt that both Narcissa and Lily would ask to be in the DE inner circle for the sake of watching over their sons, and that Voldemort would also categorically reject that idea, not to mention the risk of having Lily present with Harry AND Draco, the Lion and Moonchild from the Prophecy, when she might be the Daughter of War. Because I doubt that Voldemort believes that even an Obedience Charm would be useful on Lily.
7. His dad waited a minute before speaking again. "Continuing to pretend you are not in the corner behind the Christmas tree will not do any good."
Did a seven-year-old seriously think he could get the better of Severus Snape?
8. Harry heard his mother give a deep sigh. "The way they follow him... It's not like a pack of hounds following a fox. It's more like they’re following the Pied Piper."
He heard his stepfather give a soft laugh. "He's a natural leader, Lily."
There was a longish pause before he heard his mother say, "That's what I'm afraid of..."
See, I thought here that I'd given obvious clues to why Lily was treating Harry the way she was in the non-flashback portions of the story, but this seemed to fly over a lot of heads. (Oh, the balancing act between indicating these things clearly and being way, way too obvious!)
9. The twins were born six months after the wedding.
That awkward moment when a kid realizes that his parents had SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE, gasp! Er, even when he already knew this...
10. The Map, he thought. Have Fred and George found the map in this life? He didn't know.
The first quest Harry gives himself in this chapter: to find the location of the Marauder's Map.
11. "Harry! I-I've never seen you fly like that--" Simon said.
I don't know why, but it seemed to me that the Harry from the original world should be a better flyer. Also, as a Keeper in this universe, Harry would be used to a different type of flying than that required by a Seeker.
12. "Don't know why you bothered even having kids. You knew we'd get your disgusting disease."
"Stu!" Harry said in surprise.
Again, if I get to write the AU backstory fic, this aspect plays a big part in that.
13. "You know, don't you, that your dad dying was the best thing that ever happened to him? I'll bet he danced on Potter's grave..."
They were just inside the entrance hall now, and Harry lunged at him, knocking him down. Stuart managed to turn over underneath him. Harry knelt over his brother, his hands around his throat.
"He would never do that! Take that back!"
I enjoyed writing this bit. :) I think it illustrates well the bond between Harry and Snape, for Harry to defend him against an accusation like this.
14. "Why do you think she broke up with me over that?"
Harry was the one confused now. "Didn't she?"
He was terse and distant again now. "No. I broke up with her. And that's all we will discuss for now. I will go see whether Jamie wishes to keep you company."
This is Harry's bias from his other life showing through a little here, assuming that it had to be his mother who broke up with Snape, which is partly possible because Snape did not include the break-up in the Pensieve. (Of course, readers get to see that bit in The Lost Generation.)
15. Her long red-gold hair fell to her waist, and her large brown eyes shone happily in the torchlight as she smiled at Neville.
Harry's first glimpse of Ginny in this universe, and she's Neville's girlfriend!
16. Mariah Kirkner gazed up at him the way Jamie had been looking at the photograph, but with more of an expression of ownership. Harry eyed his sister, who was frowning. Uh oh, he thought. Competition.
Mariah is gazing at Draco, of course, whose ladies-man activities are then recounted in a flashback with him and Harry in the library, when Harry has to wait around while Draco shags the Head Girl. Awkward! And it doesn't make Harry want his sister and best friend getting together. (Shades of Ron's attitude toward Harry and Ginny, except that Harry's nothing like Draco is here.)
17. No, he thought. I'm not. I'm not I'm not I'm not...
I am.
I'm in Slytherin.
I know that a lot of other fic-writers did AU fics with Harry sorted into Slytherin, but the difference here is that after the time-change, Harry remembers NOT being in Slytherin, while in those other fics it's more like the Harry from the AU before the time-change; he didn't know any other life. Here he knows.
18. Finally, it came to him: 31 October 31 1981. Any student who had been conceived after that date no longer existed.
A lot of readers commended me for this. I've never understood time-travel stories where fairly massive changes occurred, yet all of the EXACT SAME CHARACTERS had been born as in previous incarnations of the universe. (This was only ONE of my time-travel/AU quibbles with Misfits.) I suppose I've read enough time-travel stories that this seemed like the logical thing to do, in addition to having some of the students Sorted into different houses.
19. At the end of the line of eleven-year-old boys and girls walked a stocky, muscle-bound red-haired man in worn-looking brown leather trousers, a matching leather waistcoat over his homespun shirt, and long, scaly green-leather wizarding robes fastened at his throat with a copper brooch, like a cape. He wore heavy dragon-skin gloves and matching boots, deep green and scaly like his robes. He removed his gloves and strode through the hall behind the first years. Harry immediately recognized him as Charlie Weasley.
You know, I'm still slightly disappointed that no one ever did fan art of Charlie from this description! And now that I'm seeing a lot of trailers for Outlander, I'm kind of picturing Charlie as Jamie Fraser...
20. I'm nothing much to look at
But looks aren't everything.
I've got oh! such a lot of brain
So hear this song I'll sing:
Enchanted shoes may make a dancer;
Magic gloves a pianist rare;
But I make you a Hogwarts student
When you put ME on your hair!
Every thought you've in your mind
Is an open book to me.
I'll look in you, and tell you true,
Which house is yours, for free!
Do you belong in Gryffindor,
With other heroes brave?
Will you run into fire and ice,
Your enemy to save?
Or do you fit in Hufflepuff,
That faithful, toiling crew?
Your patience and your loyalty
May show your colors true.
But you might be a Ravenclaw,
A clever, savvy sort,
If your wit and erudition show
In matters of import.
Or finally, in Slytherin
You may yet find a place.
Ambition and a cunning mind
May hide behind your face.
So sit right down and put me on!
I never bite or lunge
It won't last long, I promise you,
So let's all take the plunge!
Yes, I actually wrote a Sorting Hat song! I'm not sure what tune someone once told me works with JKR's songs--is it Jingle Bells? That kind of works with mine, too, if you torture the meter just a little. ;) Of course, Harry's rather critical of the song. (I also have no illusions that it's high art or anything.) But unlike JKR's songs, I made a point of saying that a Gryffindor would save an ENEMY for a very good reason (James & Snape, Harry & Draco).
21. "Slytherin. Yes, an excellent choice. You're brave enough and talented enough for Gryffindor..."
Slytherin, Slytherin. Please.
"...but you would do great things in either place, and Slytherin could help you on your way, no doubt about it..."
I enjoyed flipping this from canon. :D
22. Harry noticed for the first time that there was a boy at the Gryffindor table who bore an extraordinary resemblance to Neville Longbottom, but he seemed to be a little younger. Harry remembered that one of the first years was called Rupert Longbottom, but he was sorted into Hufflepuff, not Gryffindor.
It also seemed logical to me that if the Longbottoms didn't get tortured into insanity, they might have had more kids.
23. "This is not right," the ghost hissed at him, making Harry's teeth chatter. Everyone around them ignored this interchange. "Fix it."
I really enjoyed having the ghosts know about the time-change! And, like the lack of kids born after 31 October, 1981, lots of people liked this. It also worked well for my later "down at the Quidditch pitch" reveal.
24. Harry knew what he would have to do if he were ever to fix this, if he were to right this wrong that had resulted from trying to right the wrong of his mother's death. If this was ever going to be fixed...
He needed desperately to find Hermione Granger.
Apparently, I'd teased some of my readers by saying that the last two words of this chapter were going to be "Hermione Granger"--and then didn't have Hermione in the chapter! I didn't remember doing this until I read some old posts, but it amuses me now. (I could be such a tease!)
Wow, that one was pretty long. I'd meant to post it on Friday, but Fridays just don't seem to work very well for posting. I'll give it a shot this week and see how it goes.
Also--RIP, Robin Williams. :sniff: I grew up watching Mork and Mindy and always loved his inspired silliness. He also became a wonderful dramatic actor. Maybe I'll rewatch Good Will Hunting and have a good cry...