Design for Life

Chapter 4 - Stranger than Fiction.

Wizard stood on the Vauxhall Bridge in central London and stared at the water making slow progress under him and away to the sea. The Houses of Parliament stood nearby, rising up from the mass of buildings. Morning traffic sped onwards behind him creating a rhythmic beat in his head that almost drowned out his thoughts. He was so lost that he didn't notice the other man standing next to him until he spoke.

"Nice day for it..."

Wizard turned his head to see a middle-aged man with long, black hair reaching down his back. He looked very thin, as thin as he was and was dressed similarly in a long dark coloured coat (or was that a cloak?)

"Pardon?" Wizard asked.

"I said, Nice day for it... Is your name Wizard?"

The boy's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Sirius. I'm looking for someone called Wizard. I was to understand they could help me..."

"Yeah, well, I don't know anything about anyone. Ask someone else."

"You're Wizard, aren't you?"

"NO! Look; just leave me alone mate. I can't help you..."

"This is important, I need to find Wizard."

Wizard didn't answer this, but turned and began to walk away. After a few steps, the man called out to him.

"I need to talk to you... Harry."

~~*~~

Ron and Hermione had been gone for several hours and it was now getting dark. Harry had dozed fitfully and had tried to do bits of Snape's essay, which usually made him sleepy again. Once, he had tried to get out of bed and walk over to the window, where the cheery noises of a Quidditch practice were coming from but as he put his feet on the floor, they had simply collapsed underneath his weight, refusing to co-operate. At about 8 o'clock, Madam Pomfrey returned with a large tray covered with a cloth.

"I daresay you must be hungry, so I've bought you some dinner." she said, smiling at Harry and placing the tray on his lap.

Harry pulled himself into a better sitting position and thanked Madam Pomfrey who left him to eat in peace.

Harry pulled off the cloth to reveal his meal, chicken and vegetables. He picked up the serrated knife and cut into the chicken.

The effect was like a thunderclap in his head; the memory came like a flash.

~~*~~

Harry was running and running fast. He could hear the footsteps behind him and knew that if they caught him they might even kill him. As usual, he had no idea what had started it off. He had been sitting, as usual, by the side of the Science block when he had seen Jason, Neil and Chris heading towards him. He had quickly packed away his bag and started to move away, but the three boys had cornered him, slamming him against a wall.

"Hello Potter... We've got a present for you." Jason was holding him, with an arm across his throat, choking him. Jason's head was very close to Harry's, blocking his view as the other boy reached into his pocket for something. Harry could feel his heart thudding within his chest, and trying to conceal his terror he said "Why thanks Jason, but my birthday's not for a few more months..."

Neil started to laugh, but a look from Jason shut him up at once and turning his attention back to Harry, he slammed him against the wall once more. "Shut up, Potter." He muttered at him, and bought his hand between their faces. Something glinted in his clenched fist and Harry saw that it was a knife. Long and serrated, it looked very dangerous indeed. Harry wondered if Jason meant to kill him and the thought struck him that if he was murdered, he would probably still be blamed for making Jason's knife all dirty.

Jason suddenly grabbed him and threw him at Neil and Chris.

"Hold him." he said, coldly and Neil and Chris held him tightly, pushing his arms up his back and causing spasms of pain in his shoulders. Jason advanced on him, and grabbed his hair, pulling his head back and sideways.

"Now then, let's see if we can add to that stupid scar."

Gripping the knife tightly, Jason bought it up closer to Harry's head.

Harry didn't notice the point of the knife making it's first cut on his scalp, and it must have been several seconds before the nerve endings registered the pain. He could feel the blood running down his head and past his ear. The top of his shirt began to get wet and Harry tried to pull away.

"Hold still, Potter, you wouldn't want me to slip, now, would you..."

But Harry just wanted to get away; with a burst of strength similar to the one that had pushed Jason away before, he wrenched his arms free of Chris and Neil and began running. He could hear Jason calling "Get him!" and the sound of three sets of feet giving chase.

He ran out of the school grounds and down the road. Something instinctive told him to make several sharp turns to try and lose his pursuers and he dashed down side streets and alleyways, all the time making for the woods to the East of town.

Dashing down a residential street, Harry saw the woods looming up in front of him. Just as he entered the woods, he heard Jason shouting faintly behind him. Harry made for the stream that ran through the trees and ducked quickly into the large water pipe that ran into it, hoping that the water would wash away any traces of blood he left behind. He crawled further into the pipe, hoping that Jason, Chris and Neil wouldn't think to look far for him. A few minutes later, Harry heard their voices growing louder.

Neil said "I think we lost him... Jay, we've got to get back to school. There's only ten minutes of break left."

"Harry heard Jason say "Yeah, Ok..." and then he shouted "Potter, if you can hear me, the next time I see you, you're going to DIE!"

Harry held his breath; sure that the three boys were able to hear his heartbeat echoing down the pipe, but no-one came to look. He heard footsteps moving away from him and he was finally able to relax.

~~*~~

Harry's cry bought Madam Pomfrey running back to his bedside.

"Harry! What's wrong?"

Harry didn't quite know what to say and all he could stammer was "I.. I don't know..."

Madam Pomfrey came to a decision. "I'm going to fetch Dumbledore." She said firmly. "You look worse and you're sweating terribly."

Harry bought a hand up to his forehead and touched his damp skin. He became aware of an ache behind his right ear and gently pressed the area, and with surprise felt a line of healed skin, where none had been before.

"No, no, don't worry Dumbledore. I'll be fine. I just felt a little dizzy. All I need is sleep."

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips. "Well, if you're sure... Let me know if it happens again. Now eat, and I'll make you another sleeping potion."

~~*~~

Wizard had stopped dead when Sirius had called his real name on the bridge. He had thought that no-one knew who he was and even more that no-one who knew him would come looking for him. He slowly turned to face Sirius, who stood looking at him, hands held lightly together in front of him.

"Who are you really?" he asked the older man.

"That may take a little explaining..." said Sirius softly, his words almost carried away by the breeze.

"Then explain. Now. Or I walk."

" Not here. Let's find somewhere quieter."

"Fine."

They walked in silence, Wizard keeping his distance from Sirius, worrying all the time about what Sirius was preparing to say.

They ended up siting at either end of a park bench, both staring at the floor. Wizard looked up at Sirius. "Well then. Talk. What do you know about me?"

"I know your name is Harry Potter... and I'm sort of your godfather. I knew your parents. Other than that, I'm not sure what I know about you. I was hoping you'd tell me."

Wizard looked at him, astonished. "You knew my parents? What do you mean you're 'sort of' my godfather?"

"I went to school with you mum and dad, and I am your godfather, but something seems to have happened, it's very confusing. Tell me, did you live with your aunt and uncle?"

Wizard stiffened visibly at the mention of Petunia and Vernon. "Yes." he said bitterly. "For 15 years."

"Ah. Well, that answers that question. Did they ever talk to you about your parents?"

"No, never. I tried to ask them a few times, but they just shouted at me and locked me in the cupboard. Look, just what the hell is this all about?"

"Harry..." began Sirius.

"Wizard." said Wizard firmly.

"Right. Have you ever had anything... strange happen to you? Something you couldn't explain?"

Wizard immediately thought of Jason being thrown across the playground. It must have shown on his face as Sirius immediately continued "I thought so. This isn't going to be easy... I said I was sort of your godfather, because I'm Harry Potter's godfather." he held up a hand to stop Wizard saying anything. "No, not you... well... sort of you. There seems to be two of you. The Harry Potter I know goes to Hogwarts School, and I have it from a very good source that he's still there..."

"Do you have ANY idea how crazy you sound right now?"

"Yes, I suppose I do... but the fact still stands that I know who you are, I know you parents were called Lily and James, and I know that you lived with your Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Cousin Dudley at number 4 Privet Drive and that they told you that your parents died in a car crash."

Wizard hung his head in thought. "You still haven't explained to me how there can possibly be two of us."

"It must have taken some very strong magic to pull you into this reality."

"Magic?" exclaimed Wizard, standing up and staring down at Sirius. "Now I know you're crazy. There's no such thing as magic."

Sirius stood up to face Wizard. "That's what your Aunt and Uncle told you, is it? And you believe them?"

Wizard opened and closed his mouth as if he was going to say something. Eventually he said "There's no such thing as magic. Everybody knows that..."

Sirius looked around him. The park was deserted. "Oh no?" he said, with a small smile on his face. "Explain this."

Sirius transformed.

~~*~~

At the same moment as Sirius transformed into a large black dog in a corner of a London park, Ron and Hermione hurried into the hospital wing as Harry was slowly eating a bowl of cornflakes.

"Harry! How are you this morning?" asked Hermione.

"Ok, I guess... I had another memory thing last night though, threw me a bit. This one was nasty."

His friends looked concerned. "Why? What happened, or don't you want to talk about it?" Ron said, moving closer to Harry's bedside.

"I was at school. The one I remembered from before. Someone... his name was Jason, attacked me. He had this huge knife. I only just got away, but then I noticed this." he pushed the hair over his right ear up and Ron and Hermione could clearly see a long-healed scar. They looked at him inquisitively.

"As far as I know my own head, that scar wasn't there before yesterday night. Believe me."

"But... that's impossible." said Hermione matter-of-factly.

"I know that, but the fact still remains, I remembered getting attacked with a knife at a school I never went to by someone I've never met and then suddenly this was there. If that's not impossible, then I don't know what is."

Ron coughed. "Show him the letter, Hermione."

"Oh, of course." Hermione pulled out the piece of parchment they had taken from Dumbledore's office the previous night. "We got this, it's a letter written to Sirius. What do you make of it?" she handed the note to Harry who read it quietly to himself. When he had finished he looked up at his friends.

"What do you two make of it?"

"Hermione noticed the bit about 'the Harry you know' which does sound a bit weird, if you think about it and well, as crazy as it seems, we've come to the conclusion that this other person that Dumbledore's sending Sirius to find might be... you."

"You're right. That does sound crazy. I'm here!"

Hermione broke in. "Well, what else could it be?"

Harry thought for a long time. "I just don't know..." he conceded. "But I'm going to make Dumbledore tell me."

~~*~~

Wizard sat back down on the park bench with a thump and stared down at the dog. He shook his head as if he was dislodging water from his ears.

"I'm going mad..." he muttered.

Suddenly Sirius was back, standing in front of him.

"No, I can assure you, you're not. I've been there, and you don't look right."

"But... but I saw you just turn into a giant fucking dog!"

"That'll be because I'm a wizard. Just like you are, or at least just like you should be."

"I still don't understand..." said Wizard weakly.

"Ok, you want the full story as far as I know?"

"Sure. Go right ahead... Today can't get much stranger."

"Well then... Once apon a time Lily and James Potter had a child named Harry. They appointed me his godfather, but a year later they were murdered by a powerful dark wizard named Voldemort. Harry somehow survived the attack which drained Voldemort of his power, and thus became known as 'The Boy who Lived' and famous throughout the Wizarding world. Harry was bought up by his Aunt and Uncle in number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey and never found out that his parents were really a Witch and a Wizard until on his eleventh birthday he was sent a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry went to Hogwarts and made lots of friends, learnt a lot of magic and had lots and lots of bizarre adventures because of his connection to Voldemort... With me so far?"

Wizard didn't trust himself to speak, and just nodded.

"Good. So am I. What nobody understands is that how Harry Potter could also be sitting on this bench next to me in London, when everybody knows he's at Hogwarts, which he is. Something has gone wrong. Very, very wrong. I saw you the other night, underneath a railway arch with three people who didn't look like they liked you much, and knew who you were instantly. I sent a letter to Professor Dumbledore, Harry's Headmaster, and he told me to track you down so that he could meet you and sort this whole thing out for himself... Which reminds me..."

Sirius whistled and a small tawny owl fluttered down from a nearby tree and landed on his shoulder. Sirius scribbled a hasty note to Dumbledore and tied it to the owl's leg. The owl flew off, soaring above the trees and out of sight.

Wizard turned to Sirius. "So, now what do we do?"

"We wait. As soon as Dumbledore gets the letter he'll come to get you."

"And how long will that be?"

"A few hours, I think. Not too long, the school owls are quite quick."

Wizard held his head in his hands. "Owls?" he asked.

"Wizard post." Sirius explained.

"Ah... Of course. Naturally... So do you have any idea why I'm me, instead of this other me? What the hell went wrong? How are there two of us in the first place? I mean, surely we would have bumped into each other at some stage?"

Sirius sighed. He wasn't sure he could explain properly, or even at all.

"Have you heard of parallel universes?"

"Sure."

"Well, I think that you and 'my' Harry were the same Harry until one event was changed. One tiny event that made all the difference to your lives..."

"But what?"

"I have no idea. It could have been anything, but it must have taken some very powerful magic to reunite the two timelines. Both yours and Harry's worlds are colliding. Let me ask you, have you been having strange dreams? About magic? Or about being somewhere else?"

Wizard thought for awhile as a memory crept into his mind. "I... I remember something about benches. Four long tables with benches in this huge hall. There were banners in different colours. A few days ago when I was in the shelter I remember standing in the dining hall and thinking it looked so familiar, but I couldn't remember why. Does that make sense?"

"It does. The great hall at Hogwarts with the four house tables. And from what I've learned from Dumbledore, I'm willing to bet that Harry is remembering some of your life."

"Poor him." said Wizard with feeling.