The Fate of Two Worlds

Chapter One: A Pull of Time

The nighttime noises of Privet Drive wafted in through the upper window of number four, directly into Harry Potter's room. Harry sat up in his bed, wide-awake. It was one week until his final trip to Hogwarts for his last year of school. After everything that had happened the past two years, Harry was actually being treated like a human being by the Dursleys. It was a welcome change to him, as it meant eating with the family and having free reign of the house instead of hiding or behind lock and key in his bedroom. It also meant that he could keep a close watch on the media, both Muggle and magical, for any news of Voldemort. Harry felt that it was entirely up to him to keep tabs on his enemy and warn the Order in case of a change.

His 6th year of school brought more of the same torture from Draco and his gang, another amazing season of Quidditch, and not one hint of stirring from Voldemort or his Death Eaters. It also brought Dumbledore's resignation as Headmaster of Hogwarts. His argument to Harry and the others in the Order was that he could better serve them from outside the school. In his place, Professor McGonagall had become the new Headmistress, but, thankfully, did not write up any ridiculous rules or educational decrees with her new power. Professor "Mad-Eye" Moody was rehired as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, as he was the most qualified for the job and was still sore that he was locked in a trunk and unable to teach the students the first time he was hired. Harry was relieved to have someone from the Order teaching that class, and although he would have preferred Professor Lupin, "Mad-Eye" would give him the techniques he needed to get high marks on his N.E.W.T.

Harry reflected back on his O.W.L. marks- surprisingly he'd passed every one, even just barely. Potions was a shock, maybe because it was the best mark he'd ever gotten in his entire history in that class. He smiled as he remembered the test and how much easier it was to concentrate without Snape breathing down his neck. Harry's smile grew as he recalled the look on Snape's face when he walked into Advanced Potions the next year! To Professor McGonagall's credit, she kept to her word and tutored Harry twice a week the entire year so he would pass the class. He really enjoyed school simply because for the very first time, there were no distractions from his learning; no strange dreams, no voices in the walls, no killers out to get him, no heroic rescues. Hermione even commented on the accuracy of his spells and was amazed when he corrected her magic- only once! He felt at the height of his academics and relished any and every chance to learn. Ron started calling him "Har-mione" as a joke!

Harry turned and looked at his clock- 4:25 a.m. How could I possibly still be awake, he thought to himself. He went back over the changes in his life since the end of his 5th year. He was finally eating like a healthy, growing boy should. He was getting enough sleep, since no troublesome dreams stole it from him anymore. He wasn't worried about Dudley trying to beat him up, and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia actually had decent conversations with him. He was sure it was because they were all still afraid of him, but he would take it gratefully. Yes, life is going great, he marveled, and with that happy thought, he rolled over and fell asleep.

- - - - -

Millions and millions of light years away, another student sat up in bed, pondering not the past but the future. She had her eyes closed in concentration and seemed very far away, detached from her sleeping roommates. Almost as if being lit, she bolted out of her room to a large open hall where a man sat, also in concentration. She approached him slowly and he acknowledged her. "What is it, daughter?"

"I had the visions again, Father," she said, bowing her head.

"Show me everything." He put his hands on either side of her head and closed his eyes again. Flashes of images spilled into his mind

-A dark figure with blood red eyes, moving towards an object, almost snakelike

-A lighter figure, smiling at a picture

-A large figure, petting an animal

-Another dark figure, hunched over a desk

-A young man, curled in bed

-The dark red eyed figure reaching towards the young man

-A bolt of lightning flashing silver, then red. He let go and heaved a sigh.

"What do my visions mean, Father?"

"I'm not sure, but I think we need to prepare for two things. We must get ready for a trip, and we must get ready for a war." The man turned away and looked outside. The sun was beginning to show the silhouettes of the forest trees, and the animals were waking each other.

"Must we leave?"

He looked back at her. "I would not have us leave for anything unless I thought we had no other choice. There has been a growing rift in the Force for quite some time now. I didn't want to believe it, but now I must. There is a dark enemy who has been growing stronger and stronger every day. He has been trying to keep himself hidden from those who seek him and has been successful. There is one who has been linked to him in the past, but not even he knows what the dark one is planning at this moment. How you were able to see these visions is puzzling to me, but it must be important, for both of us."

"What do you mean, for both of us? You and me?"

"No, my child, for our kind -and his kind."

The next morning, the man and a woman gathered all the students together in the great hall. "My students, as you know, you are all here to learn to protect those in need. You have studied how to open your minds and reach out with the Force, how to use it as a part of you. We are both very proud of you. Now, I must ask you all to answer a call for defense. Long ago, there were students of the Force that broke away and began studying another facet called magic. Like you all, there were some with the innate ability to use this facet. The gift was handed down from generation to generation, with some variances and skips along the way. One of my former students, Dorsk 81, was a clone of his father Dorsk. In fact, he was the 81st clone in a line of hundreds. Somehow, his anatomy was altered and he had the ability to use the Force. There are some like this example in that facet as well. Some children are born into families with no ability to use magic and yet, they have magic! So you see, we are not that different from each other. What I am asking you to do will be different, dangerous, and perhaps the greatest test of your abilities anyone could ever give you." There was a nervous shift in the group, but then the man got a sense of courage that emanated from his young students.

He continued. "We have been getting messages from this facet of people for a while. They are going to be facing a great battle very soon. This battle will not only affect them, but in time, us as well. This is why we must lend our aid. It will require us to leave our home here and travel a great distance to reach them." He stopped and looked at his group.

"I know that you are young and afraid, but I cannot stress enough how important it is for us to help. What is our answer?" The resonating emotion he felt from his students was eagerness and excitement. He smiled. "You are elite and gifted, and I couldn't be prouder of you than I am right now. We leave at sunset."

- - - - -

Harry packed up the last of his spellbooks in his trunk and latched the lid. Hedwig flitted on the windowsill, anxious to go outside. "Alright Hedwig, I can write to Ron now. I wanted to get everything ready before I sent the A-OK to come get me." Harry sat at his desk and wrote a short note: All packed. Meet you at the fireplace. H P

Once the note was tied to her leg, Hedwig took off at top speed. Harry watched her fly into the horizon and got more excited the farther she flew. He grabbed his trunk, tucked his wand in his back pocket and set off down the stairs. The Dursleys knew that the Weasleys were coming to get Harry for school and "volunteered" to leave the house. He once again reeled at their willingness to give him leeway and allow magic in the house. His trunk bumped down the stairs and thumped into the living room, where he parked it in front of the fireplace. The excitement of leaving for the last time started creeping into him as he sat and waited for Ron to pop out of the fireplace. All of a sudden, the room got hot and he felt dizzy. His head began pounding and he felt his body slip off his trunk and onto the floor. All he could see was a pair of emerald green eyes boring into his before they turned blood red and very familiar. "You- what will happen-" A mix of voices blending together screeched in his head. "What is coming- battle- destiny..." Then a hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"Harry, what the bloody hell are you doing napping on the floor?" Harry reached instinctively for the back of his head and opened his eyes to see Ron standing over him.

"I, uh... I was just... waiting for you."

"On the floor?" Ron sounded louder than usual.

"Uh, y-yeah." Harry rubbed his eyes and pretended to yawn.

"Alright, are you ready to Floo?"

"You bet!" Harry said excitedly, almost forgetting about what had just happened. Ron helped him up and handed him some Floo powder. "The Burrow!" Harry shouted and almost instantly got the feeling he hated, being yanked on an invisible string toward an imminent fireplace. Out he popped with his trunk in the now-dirty home of Ron Weasley. Seconds later, Ron popped out. The rest of the Weasley family greeted them both in the kitchen and Mrs. Weasley insisted on giving him a hearty breakfast. Once again, Harry reveled in the thought that he wasn't starving for a good meal, but ate all he could to be polite.

"So, what's been going on around here lately?" Harry asked.

"Well, you know that Charlie is still working with the dragons and personally hatched over 200 babies this year alone." Mrs. Weasley stated. Ron chuckled into his muffin. "Bill is working hard at Gringott's and has recently been promoted."

"To what, Head Goblin?" Harry retorted. Ron spit out his muffin and choked with laughter.

"Anyway, Fred and George have made a killing with their joke shop. You must go visit it during one of your trips to Hogsmeade this year, especially now that they've got all their merchandise perfected." Harry was surprised that Mrs. Weasley was talking about Fred and George's shop without getting upset. After all, they set it up without her permission using money he'd given them. I guess time can heal anything, he thought. Then he decided to get daring.

"How is Percy?"

The room suddenly got colder. Mrs. Weasley looked at him and said slowly, "He is busy." That was the end of the conversation. Maybe time can't heal all hurts, Harry mused. Despite this, he was still happy to be back at the Burrow.