22-Nov-2002
Parallel
A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy
Rating: R
Pairings: 1x2 (more to be announced)
Summary: Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold.
Warnings: Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)
Spoilers: TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)
Additional Notes: Well, the GW boys look like they're going back with Dumbledore and company - and who knows what awaits them?
As always, check out my home page for pics and even more fics (though if you want to read my GW fics, I suggest you check out Gundam Wing Addiction: www.gwaddiction.com under "Stormy" - I don't keep even half of my GW fics on my homepage. ^^).
Additional Notes: ^^ This has been some time in coming. ^^ Anyway, I’ve found while writing this chapter, there are many things I have to remember. The Hogwarts staff forgetting that the pilots aren’t actually their students, with no more authority over them then any other adult in their world. Even Harry is somewhat beyond them, something they’re going to have to come to terms with. And Duo….well let’s just say, Duo is going to play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between Heero and Harry’s worlds.
The group materialized back in the familiar comfort of the hotel, and remarkably, no one felt ill this time. The pilots automatically pulled back once their feet touched down, and Quatre looked up at Trowa, his face flushed with excitement.
"Would it be incredibly childish of me if I asked to do that again?"
Duo chuckled. "You’d have to get in line behind me, Q-ball." Still with his arms wrapped around Heero, he pulled back enough to look up at him. "Now you have to teach us BOTH how to do that, okay?"
Heero chuckled and nodded. Sirius grinned. "Hate to break it to you – you’re too young to apparate."
"Rules have never bothered me," Duo said, waving his hand dismissively.
Over in the corner, Snape coughed, catching the attention of the group. Dumbledore stood behind them, smiling. "I take it today was a learning experience?"
"You bet!" Hermione and Ron chimed. Quatre blinked at the elderly man with the beard nearly down to the ground and raised an eyebrow.
"I would say so," he smiled. "Hello sir. My name is Quatre Winner."
"What – no Rebarba?" Duo gasped in mock disbelief. Heero tugged his braid in silent admonishment.
Dumbledore gazed at the newest arrivals, studying them carefully. The aura’s surrounding the ones accompanying Heero and Duo were as bright as any he had ever seen. The darkness tingeing the edges was not from evil – but more from a life filled with trials and hardships. These were not children, much as Harry, Ron and Hermione had not been children - these were warriors. He bowed at the group. "It is indeed a pleasure."
Wufei shifted uncomfortably at the site of an elderly man, obviously the leader of the group, bowing in such a show of respect. He returned the gesture, bowing deeply. "An honour, sir."
Heero smiled. "Professors, I’d like you to meet Wufei Chang, and Trowa Barton. You’ve just met Quatre." He winked at the blonde who grinned back at him.
"Why, you’re all so young," McGonagall said in astonishment, moving forward to scrutinize them. Her hand fluttered as though she wanted to reach out and verify their age, but she caught herself and shook her head. "Children, all of you!" Although she tried to hide it, everyone heard the disapproving tone in her voice.
Quatre gave her a sad-looking smile, automatically playing the diplomat and preventing Wufei from saying something he’d be sure to regret later." Young, yes," he said nodding his head. "But I wouldn’t say we were children, Miss McGonagall."
Minerva studied the man-child in front of her, and then took in the stoic faces of his companions. Turning her head, she saw Sirius nodding his head reluctantly, confirming his belief in Quatre’s softly spoken words. "Professor will do, Mr. Winner."
Quatre inclined his head. "Very well, Professor."
Duo leaned over and poked Heero in the arm. "How does he do that?" He complained.
Without missing a beat or changing his expression, Quatre flicked an amused glance at the American. "Talent."
Heero grinned. Hermione stepped away from his side, Ron unconsciously mirroring her movements. She looked back from Heero to Dumbledore who was still smiling at them all. "Sir? What’s going to happen now?"
"I believe our esteemed Professor Snape is best able to answer that particular question," the Headmaster replied.
Severus shrugged from where he was dipping a small object into the steaming caldron. Time Turner, Heero thought, digging the memory up. He glanced at Hermione briefly and the memory seemed to solidify.
"We shall be able to perform the spell in about five minutes," Snape said shortly. "The spell will be good for about an hour. Then I’ll have to do this over again. "He narrowed his eyes at the group. "So get ready now or be left behind."
Sirius growled at the Potions Master but Remus laid a calming hand on his shoulder, drawing him away. Heero steered Duo over to the couch he’d lain on previously and sat down, letting Duo curl up next to him. Following their lead, Trowa and Quatre stole the other end, leaving Wufei to sit cross-legged on the floor between them, his sheathed sword resting across his knees.
Hermione and Ron stood next to Sirius and Remus, with the rest of the professors gathering around Severus to assist him in the final preparations. Despite the earlier harmony, Heero noted the split between the two groups and sighed, feeling a headache coming on.
No matter what happened, there would forever be a change. Both in his relationship with the other Gundam pilots, but also with the people he knew from before. Even Duo would feel the effects of this. Heero had a fleeting thought that maybe Duo would end up pushing away from him – after all, Harry and Heero were two different people entirely when it came to personalities. Duo was supportive now, but what if his Harry-ish tendencies drove the American away?
Duo must have felt his muscles tense again, for he looked up, nuzzling his head against Heero’s shoulder. "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked quietly. Trowa and Quatre were still watching the congregated professors, but their eyes darted in their direction. Like Heero had mentioned before, it was useless trying to keep something secret in their group.
"Just wondering how much of me is Heero and how much is Harry," Heero said, just as quietly. His fingers trailed through the loose bangs fringing Duo’s face. "Wondering if the changes found in me because of this will drive the people from my past and my present away."
Duo glared at him. "If I didn’t know this whole thing was such a shock to you, I’d beat you over the head with the staff of Deathscythe’s thermal scythe for thinking I’d let you get away from me." His volume was low, but the finger he jabbed in Heero’s chest was downright vicious. "You listen to me Heero Yuy. You are stuck with me for the long haul. Do. You. Understand?"
Each word was punctuated by a poke, each one harder then the last. As the American finished his quiet tirade, Heero caught up the rogue finger and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently.
"I understand," he said softly, thanking his partner without words, knowing Duo understood. Duo glared at him one last time before the gentle assault on his hand softened his eyes and he nodded firmly, nestling back into Heero’s chest.
Looking up, Heero met Quatre and Trowa’s amused looks and shrugged.
"I’m not going to get used to that," came a mutter from across the room. “OW!"
Heero blinked at the swat Hermione gave the redhead across the back of the head. "Get used to what?"
Ron gestured to the two of them curled up. "That."
Heero looked down at Duo and felt a chill in his spine. Duo had stiffened again, and Heero quickly gripped the braid trailing down Duo’s back, petting it soothingly, warning the American silently to stay where he was. "That?" He raised his eyes to stare Ron head on. He noted Sirius had thrown the redhead an angry look and was gratified by it. "Define that."
"Yes, please do," Duo said frostily, his eyes drilling into Ron’s fiercely.
Ron stared at them nervously. "What did I say?"
Hermione sighed in exasperation. "Ron, think about it. You sound as though Harry—ah, Heero and Duo’s relationship is wrong."
Ron blinked. "I do?"
Heero nodded curtly. "You do."
Ron sighed. "That’s not what I meant. I mean, sure the two of you together seems, I don’t know – strange, to put it mildly. But I meant you two together at ALL seems impossible. Harry wasn’t interested in anyone really – and before this whole incident happened, he was shyer then Neville around girls." He folded his arms, shaking his head in disbelief. "I just meant that I don’t think I’m gonna get used to this new side of Harry anytime soon."
Heero nodded slowly. Ron had a point. Still…"So you don’t have a problem with me and Duo?"
There was dead silence for a second.
"If you had asked me a year or two ago what I thought about two guys together," Ron began slowly, staring at them levelly. "I would have said it was unnatural. I’ve always just automatically assigned girls to boys and vice versa."
"And now?"
Ron shrugged. "I can’t say this is what I pictured," he said. "I remember you used to dream about Cho Chang, and then there was Parvati that you took to the Ball. Or Ginny, my sister who had the hugest crush on you for ages." He grinned slightly. "Still, there’s just something about the two of you that seems so right. I can’t change fifteen years of thinking in one day, but what I’m trying to get at is that I’ll try. "His voice changed, suddenly sounding younger and more anxious. "Are you mad at me?"
Heero shook his head, and knew without looking that Duo probably had one of his standard grins on. "No. To be honest, when I think about it, you’re right. I didn’t consider a long-term relationship with anyone from my past, but I don’t remember looking at guys either. In fact, even in this timeline, I didn’t want friends, let alone a steady girlfriend or boyfriend. In the end, I fell in love with Duo – not a boy, not a girl – just Duo."
Ron nodded and Hermione smiled. "That’s beautiful, "she said, sniffling once. Ron rolled his eyes.
Heero relaxed a bit more and then suddenly noticed Duo staring at him in complete shock. Looking down, Wufei had craned his neck at an almost impossible angle and had a similar look of astonishment on his face. Ditto Trowa and Quatre.
"What?"
"I think that might have been more ‘Harry’ than ‘Heero’," Quatre remarked, his voice trembling with suppressed laughter.
Duo stared. "You’ve never said that out loud in public before," he stated calmly, his eyes wide. "Never. I know – I’ve tried to get you to, lots of times."
Heero chuckle and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Duo’s. "Then it was about time I did."
"Awwww!" Sirius pretended to swoon into Remus who laughed and caught the dramatic Marauder. Hermione sniffled again. Ron sighed with exasperation.
"I am never gonna get used to this!"
A cough broke through the groups laughter, and they looked over to see Dumbledore and the other teachers watching them. McGonagall hid a misty-eyed expression behind her glasses and gestured them to come forward.
"We’re ready to go, ladies and gentlemen."
"Ladies?" Ron looked around in confusion. Hermione punched his arm and strode over to the other teachers. "Hey! What’d I say?"
It wasn’t as clean as apparating. Heero’s memory produced the time that he and Hermione had used her Time Turner to save Sirius, and he remembered the twisting images that fled across his field of vision as they had travelled back further and further. Nope, it wasn’t like that either.
The ‘magic soup’ Duo dubbed Snape’s potion that Severus had dipped the Time Turner into, had also been spread across a large, lit circle that Dumbledore had woven on the floor with a flip of his wand. Wufei watched the proceedings with interest.
"How does this work again?" he asked. "We travel back in time?"
"Not exactly," Dumbledore replied absently, watching the magical energies carefully. "We can’t precisely go back in time – just as no one can really travel to the future."
"Huh?" Hermione stared at the Headmaster. "I thought this whole thing was about Harry being sent to the future!"
"And that whole bit about that Japanese time travel plant," Ron added.
"And I meant what I said," Dumbledore said, smiling. "However, there’s one more thing you have to know."
"I knew there was a catch," Duo said with a smirk. "There’s always a catch, a hidden cost. Just ask any telemarketer."
Dumbledore laughed. "Very wise of you Mr. Maxwell. Actually, we did travel to the future – which became an alternate future." He looked at everyone. "In life there are no guarantees. Travelling to the future and learning its secrets cannot ensure that a similar fate – or something else – cannot happen. It just means what happens in your own timeline will be impacted by what you have learned. The future where you received that information remains the same."
Remus looked intrigue. "You’re referring to alternate dimensions, aren’t you sir?"
Dumbledore nodded, smiling, pleased that his student had figured it out. "Precisely, Remus."
"But what about when we saved Buckbeak and Sirius?" Hermione asked, confused. Heero narrowed his eyes as he tried to unravel the strange thoughts Dumbledore’s words created.
"Time Turners can affect mere hours and keep you within the correct timeline. It uses an enormous amount of energy to do so, which is why Time Turners can be so dangerous. The Kikan Utsuso plant can send you further then the Time Turners, but it doesn’t keep you in the same timeline – to do so would take an impossible amount of energy to keep the timelines straight. When we travelled to the future, we travelled to one version of it that may – or may not – become ours, as a result of the information we now know."
Sirius rubbed his temple. "All I understood was alternate dimensions."
Ron nodded. "Me too."
McGonagall chuckled. "It is rather confusing, isn’t it?" She smiled. "I suppose the most heartening thing you can make of this whole adventure is that the destruction of Hogwarts is not guaranteed in our timeline. It’s only one of many possibilities, something we’ve already known."
Hermione, Ron, Sirius and Heero gasped. "The destruction of Hogwarts?" Sirius asked in astonishment.
Belatedly, Remus remembered Sirius and the kids hadn’t been at the ruins he and the others had found earlier. "Yeah. Hogwarts doesn’t exist here anymore."
Sirius found his powers of speech temporarily gone. Heero had gone several shades paler then usual. Quatre looked confused.
"Hogwarts?"
"Our school," Hermione said quietly, feeling numb. She couldn’t fathom the idea of Hogwarts just being gone. Dumbledore clapped his hands.
"As I said, this world is only a possibility. It is NOT a guarantee. And regarding worlds, it’s time we returned to ours." He gestured to the circle that was still glowing. Snape stepped forward.
"Everyone gather in the circle."
Moving to do so, Duo grimaced as the ‘soup’ clung to the bottom of his sneakers. "Yuck."
"I’m with you, mate," Ron said quietly, mirroring his disgusted expression. Snape threw them a dirty look, which Duo cheerfully and fearlessly returned while Ron pretended to look innocent.
Sirius and Remus hung back a bit, letting the others get settled first. Remus nudged the animagus, nodding at Duo with a small smile.
"That one’s going to be hellfire, isn’t he?"
Sirius chuckled. "I think all of them are. They aren’t used to being bossed around. Too many people are afraid of them."
Remus looked sideways at him. "Afraid?"
"Moony, remind me to tell you what I saw at the Preventers, in greater detail."
"I’m going to hold you to that, Padfoot."
"Sirius! Remus!" Heero waved at them. "Your turn."
The two wizards headed over.
It was like the goop around their feet suddenly grew, swirling up their legs and enveloping them, swallowing them all. Duo was reminded of a cheesy horror film he’d once seen at Howard’s called “The Blob that ate Chicago" and decided apparating was much cooler.
He was extremely relieved when the darkness suddenly melted away and spat them out onto a soft carpet. The soupy substance peeled itself off his limbs and body, folding into itself over and over again before disappearing altogether. He felt the others start to move around him and decided it was safe to open his eyes.
"It’s good to be home!" Dumbledore declared jovially. Snape and McGonagall stood up, dusting their clothes off. Snape had a particularly pleased look in his eyes, as he seemed to recognize where they were. Hermione and Ron stretched, bounding out of the circle to join their teachers in a large yet immensely cluttered room. Sirius and Remus looked okay too, pulling Heero to his feet and hugging the boy, obviously pleased to have him there. Well, wherever there was.
Duo automatically checked out his fellow pilots, and found Quatre, Trowa and Wufei staring at the wall in shock. "What’s up?
Quatre pointed at the wall wordlessly. Duo followed his finger to a large oil painting on the wall of an elderly man that looked like Dumbledore. The man in the paining was waving at them. He swallowed.
"I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto," he quipped softly.
End chapter 12 – or 13 on FFNet. Blasted chaptering system not allowing prologues. ^^
Special thanks to Starving Author for the incredibly detailed letter she wrote me – even if the beginning was a little…blunt. ^^ I write as fast as my schedule allows, but I do appreciate the encouragement. Thanks to everyone who wrote asking for the next chapter – I will respond to the individual emails eventually (after wading through a huge backlog of emails). And thanks to everyone whose reviewed here at FFNet. ^^ This was done for everyone who nagged me. See what happens when you review? ^^
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Stormy
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