Lost in Translation

The neighborhood reminded Harry Potter uncomfortably of his childhood ‘home’ with its precisely trimmed hedges standing uniform, grass mowed exactly 12mm (about 0.47 inches) tall, and houses featuring the exact same manicured pond in each front garden. It was as if someone had designed one model home and duplicating it perfectly along the entire street. Not a branch or blade of grass dared fall out of place.

The only thing that even allowed differentiating between the houses was the house number – each next to the door – the statue that was placed in the middle of each pond.

“Hey Ron, you sure this is the right place? While it’s creepy, it doesn’t look like the magical equivalent of an atomic bomb detonated here.”

They were standing in front of house number 13, the supposed epicenter. But the only thing out of place was the black halo of the angel statue, instead of the white one would expect.

“Dullsville Lane 13, yeah, that’s it. It has the name down to a peck, doesn’t it?”

Heaving a sigh, Harry surrendered himself to his fate. Being an auror had turned out way less interesting than he had though, he would much rather do something like curse breaking.

Bill’s stories were always way more interesting than paperwork and interrogating some random shmuck because their cauldron had the wrong color.

While Harry was once more wishing he hadn’t let Ron convince him to apply as auror, said red head rang the doorbell. It was a hollow sound that seemed to suck the life out of you, just like the rest of the street, but nobody opened.

Ron tried again, still nothing.

"Well, nobody's home," Ron stated flatly.

He tried the door handle and it turned easily. Exchanging a wary glance with Harry, Ron pushed the door open. It swung smoothly, soundlessly, revealing a meticulously tidy entranceway.

Harry and Ron stepped cautiously over the threshold, hands poised to draw their wands.

The interior seemed to match the cookie-cutter appearance of the neighborhood perfectly./The interior was entirely out of place.

Neutral beige walls, pale carpets devoid of any stains or tracks, and not a thing out of place./The walls were black and seemed almost alive and there was also the sound of something Harry couldn’t quite place.

He turned towards Ron/He turned towards Ron who wasn’t there.

“Ron, do you see that?”/”Ron, where are you?”

“Yeah, this is giving me the creeps," Ron muttered. "It's like nobody lives here."/How was Ron not there? He had been there just moments ago? No, Harry was at two places at once.

Harry turned around, everything was as pristine as he expected it. The door only a step away./Harry turned around, it was as if someone had cursed the interior of the house, but the door was still there, and the outside still looked as boringly mundane as before.

“You don’t see it, Ron? The creepy version of this place, I mean.”/Harry was torn between leaving again, or trying to find out what was going on.

“What do you mean? This place is plenty creepy. This order is unnatural, I tell you.”/The decision was made for him though, as he heard steps coming closer. Grabbing his wand, he prepared for whatever monstrosity that was probably out to eat him.

“I’m here, but twice, somehow. There is this version, and then an even creepier, darker version where the walls seem almost alive.”/Contrary to Harry’s expectations, no monster came around the corner. Instead, it was a teenager, maybe eighteen, holding a bag of chips, looking as surprised to see Harry, as Harry was surprised to see a muggle in such a place.

“Like, you are jumping between this and an even more disturbing version? How did you get there?”/”Oh, hi, sorry for the mess. I’m not quite sure how that happened, Z-space isn’t supposed to cause that, not even when it breaks.”

“When we entered, it is, as if I’m existing twice in the same moment, but give me a moment, I just met someone.”/ Harry inspected the teenager curiously, trying to ascertain if he was some illusion or magical construct. The boy seemed unfazed by his intense stare, casually munching on chips while leaning against the morphing walls. "What's your name?" Harry asked. "Do you live here?"

“You met someone? Is...” Harry raised his hand, interrupting his friend’s question, it was surprisingly difficult to keep track to two bodies and sets of events at once./”Hm... name, name... ah, you mean those things people call each-other by, those are interesting, aren’t they? And yeah, you could say that I live here, most people can’t come in, so barely anybody is going to notice anyway.”

“Then I’m going to look through the house while you do...” Ron waved his hand around, seemingly trying to come up with something to say, “while you do whatever you are doing there.” Harry watched as Ron wandered off to explore the pristine version of the house.

/

Meanwhile, he was still standing in the dark, morphing interior with the teenage boy.

"You never did tell me your name," Harry said, eyes narrowed in suspicion. The teen laughed, the sound echoing oddly in the cavernous space.

"Names, schmames. What does it matter? I'm just me." He crunched another chip loudly.

Harry's gaze swept over the undulating walls, trying to identify the source of the strange sounds he kept hearing. It was like a cross between slithering and flapping.

"What is this place? It doesn't seem normal," Harry asked.

The boy shrugged. "Normal is overrated if you ask me. This is way more fun, now if only the internet wasn’t so bad.”

Harry stared at the strange boy in bewilderment. "Internet? What's that?"

The teen gawked at him. "Seriously? You don't know what the internet is? It's only like the greatest invention ever!"

He launched into an enthusiastic explanation about computer networks and websites while Harry listened in utter confusion. He understood maybe one word in ten.

"Uh huh," Harry said when the boy finally paused for breath. "So this internet thing lets you talk to people all over the world?"

"Yeah! And watch videos, play games, read stuff - anything you can imagine!"

Harry thought of the Floo network and owl post. Muggles certainly came up with creative solutions for communication without magic.

"Anyway," the teen continued, "the internet here totally sucks. Super slow and barely works half the time, bad enough that I ended up in the late nineties once, now I’m there a second time.”

Harry's head was spinning trying to keep up with the strange boy's ramblings about this 'internet'. But one thing stood out - he had mentioned being in the nineties twice now.

"Wait, what do you mean you ended up in the nineties? Are you saying you're from the future?" Harry asked incredulously.

“I don’t know, most of the tech I acquired got damaged, and with the Z-space tilted, most of it probably wouldn’t work anyway. And for the one before that, I don’t even have an idea of how I would go about testing that.”

Harry stared at the strange teenage boy, trying to make sense of his ramblings. "Look, just tell me straight - are you from the future or not?" Harry demanded.

“I told you, that I don’t know.” The boy seemed be getting annoyed, something that unsettled Harry more than he would have liked, “not to mention that that question would only make sense if you talk about well-defined singular linear timelines.”

Harry blinked in confusion at the teenager's response. Talk of singular timelines and undefined futures was making his head spin. He decided to try a different tact.

"Alright, let's forget time travel and futures and all that for a moment," Harry said. "Just tell me - who are you? What's your name?"

The boy rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. "Ugh, you're really stuck on this name thing, aren't you? I told you, names don't matter to me. I'm just me."

He tossed another chip in his mouth and crunched it loudly, staring at Harry with an expression that clearly said 'just drop it already'.

Harry ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair in exasperation. Getting a straight answer out of this kid was proving impossible. He seemed harmless enough though, if a bit odd. Harry supposed there were worse things than chatting with a snack-loving, technobabbling teenager while wandering through an eldritch house.

"Okay, Mr No-Name it is," Harry said resignedly. "At least tell me if you have any idea why this place is so... strange? Do you know what caused it?"

The boy perked up at this question, annoyance seemingly forgotten. "Oh that! Yeah, so I was blowing up this spaceship, which is normally totally safe, but of course a piece had to hit my ship and break Z-space on the wrong side in a quite crude way, so there is still some of it bleeding through. I think, normally it doesn’t look this... edgy. But there is still some sort of liminal space between ‘normal’-space this-space and Z-space, so what do I know?”

Harry listened with growing bewilderment as the strange boy rambled on about blowing up spaceships, something called Z-space, and dimensional bleeding. He was clearly off his rocker, though Harry had to admit his explanation almost made a twisted sort of sense for the warped interior of the house they were in.

"Okay, let me see if I've got this straight," Harry said slowly. "You were in a spaceship, blew up another spaceship, and that caused this Z-space thing to start leaking into the regular world and make everything twisted and weird?"

"Somewhat, it’s a reality, not the, and it’s leaking – if you have to call it that – into a liminal space between Z-space and the liminal space that is between the liminal space separation your space from this liminal space.”

Harry blinked slowly, trying to parse the convoluted explanation from the strange boy. Liminal spaces between spaces between spaces? His head was starting to hurt.

"Alright, let's try this again," he said patiently. "In simple terms, can you explain what exactly happened here and where we are right now? Pretend I know nothing about spaceships and Z-spaces and whatnot."

The teen let out an exasperated sigh but seemed to take pity on Harry's obvious confusion.

"Okay, cliff notes version - I blew up an alien ship, it messed up the boundary between realities, and created this weird in-between place we're in. It's not quite your world or z-space, but a mashup of both. Make sense?"

Harry nodded slowly as the strange boy's explanation finally started to make some sense.

"I think I've got it now - you blew up an alien ship, which damaged the boundary between realities and created this odd mashed-up dimension we're in now that combines elements of my world and your Z-space world. Is that right?"

A creepy feeling similar to earlier washed over Harry’s back again as the boy’s face twitched minimally, “Not ‘my’ Z-space, the Z-space, it’s mainly used for FTL travel, I wouldn’t recommend you to try and live there.”

Harry shuddered as the creepy feeling washed over him again. The boy's strange distinction between 'my' and 'the' Z-space was only adding to his confusion. But he tried to focus on the key parts of the explanation.

"Okay, so you damaged the boundary between realities by blowing up an alien ship, creating this weird mashed-up dimension," Harry summarized slowly.

The teen nodded, tossing another chip in his mouth. "Yup, you're catching on now. I just kinda borrowed Z-space for the FTL drives on my ship. Didn't mean to go blasting holes in your quaint little reality."

Harry chose to ignore the 'quaint little reality' jab. "Right. So any chance you could, I dunno, patch up the hole you blasted? No offense, but I'd really rather not be stuck in dimensional limbo."

The boy shrugged. "Like I said, most of my tech got fried. But the bleed-through should stabilize on its own eventually. Time and space are flexible like that."

He crumpled up the now empty chip bag and tossed it over his shoulder. It vanished into the undulating darkness.

"Well, flexible or not, I need to get back to my own reality," Harry said. "My friend is still wandering around this freaky house and I'd rather not leave him alone here."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your robes in a bunch," the boy replied flippantly. "You can just walk back out the front door to your boring old reality. The effect is localized to this house."

Harry felt a spark of irritation at the flippant teenager but swallowed it down. He needed information from the kid. "And what about you? Are you stuck here?"

The teen barked out a laugh. “I can use the same door as you, and I don’t even have to worry about going through with both my bodies at the same time, unlike you.”

Harry felt a spark of irritation at the teenager's flippant attitude, but pushed it down. He needed more information.

"So you're saying we can both just walk out the front door back to my reality? And you'll be fine even though you're from... somewhere else originally?" Harry asked.

The boy waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, it's no problem. The only mentionable difference is the position, but that makes no difference for anything but tech."

Harry stared at the dimension-hopping teenager in the creepy, warped version of the house, trying to make sense of everything.

/

In the pristine version of the house, Ron returned form his wandering through tidy rooms and peering at the generic art on the walls.

"Find anything interesting?" Harry called out to Ron.

"No, this place is boring as watching paint dry. You have any luck?"

"Sort of.”

/

He turned back to the teen. "So we both just walk out the front door. I go back to my normal reality, you end up there too since your dimensional travel tech is busted. And the creepy mash-up dimension fades away on its own over time?"

The teen nodded, scuffing his shoe on the writhing floor. "Yeah, pretty much. The boundaries should stabilize once I'm out of here. Your reality will go back to being boring and limited to three spatial dimensions."

Harry bristled slightly at the 'boring' comment but held his tongue.

"Alright, guess there's nothing for it but to give this a try."

He started walking towards where he knew the front door was located, the morphing walls and floor shifting around him as he moved. The teenager followed behind, humming tunelessly.

/

“Let’s leave Ron, I found the problem.” Harry just wanted to get out of this house as soon as possible by now.

“Shouldn’t you fix it then?”

“Long story, but it will fix itself, according to someone anyway.” Not waiting for Ron to ask any more question, he grabbed his friend’s arm, and dragged him towards the exit.

Harry reached out, grabbed the doorknob, and turned./Harry reached out, grabbed the doorknob, and turned.

He stepped through into normal daylight, finding himself on the front step of the mundane house he had first entered. Turning, he saw the dimension-hopping boy standing beside him, seemingly unfazed by the transition, a bewildered Ron looking at the two of them.

"Blimey, what was that all about?" Ron asked, staring at the now mundane-looking house they had just exited. "One minute I was wandering around a boring empty house, the next you're dragging me outside babbling about fixing itself. What happened in there?"

Harry sighed, trying to figure out how to even begin explaining his bizarre experience to Ron.

"It's...complicated," he finally said. "Short version is, I got split into two versions of myself when we entered the house. There was a pristine version like the one you saw. But in the other version, the house was morphing, the walls moving."

Ron's eyes widened. "Wicked! Why didn't I get to see the morphing wall version?"

Harry shook his head. "No idea. But it gets weirder. I met this odd boy in the morphing house who claimed to be some kind of dimensional traveler. He's the one who joined us outside just now."

They both turned to look at the teenager, who waved casually back at them.

"He said he damaged the boundaries between realities with his spaceship, causing that warped house version to bleed into our world," Harry continued. "He couldn't fix it, but said walking out the front door should stabilize things."

Ron scratched his head, perplexed. "Spaceships? Damaged realities? What utter nonsense."

The teen piped up defensively. "Not nonsense! The principles are quite sound if you understand higher dimensional mechanics and Z-space manipulation. Your understanding of reality is just too limited."

“Oh yeah? And I suppose you're some kind of genius then?" Ron shot back skeptically.

"I wish, I just looked up some things on the internet, asked some questions, inferred some other stuff...

As the boy launched into a verbose explanation of what sounded very much like something only a genius would do, Ron turned back to Harry.

"What do we do about him? We can't have some dimensional loony hanging about."

Harry sighed. "Let me talk to him. Maybe I can get him home... wherever that is."

He drew the teen aside, who was still listing his academic credentials and IQ.

"Look, is there any way you can, I dunno, zap yourself back to your own dimension or something?" Harry asked hopefully.

The boy shook his head. "Nah, tech got fried, remember? I'm stuck here for the foreseeable future." He grinned. "This could be fun!"

Harry groaned. Dealing with this dimension-hopping teenager was going to be a headache, he could tell already. But it seemed he was here to stay, at least for now.

Harry rubbed his temples as he tried to process everything that had just happened. He and Ron had responded to a call about strange magical disturbances at this cookie-cutter suburban house, only to end up in some kind of warped alternate reality created by the dimension-hopping teenage boy now standing before them.

He clearly couldn't leave the kid to his own devices, not with unknown powers and unstable dimensional technology. But he also couldn't just haul him off to the Ministry of Magic without potentially causing an even bigger disruption.

"Alright, look..." Harry began slowly. "I think the best thing for now is if you come with Ron and I. That way we can keep an eye on you while we try and figure out how to get you home."

“Nah, I’m good.”

Harry blinked in surprise as the dimensional teen casually rejected his offer.

"What do you mean 'nah'? You can't just wander around on your own messing with reality!" Harry said incredulously.

The boy shrugged, shuffling his feet. "I don't need a babysitter. I'll be fine on my own."

"Oh yeah? And how exactly are you going to manage that?" Ron challenged. "Do you have food, money, a place to stay?"

The teen waved a hand airily. "Minor details. I'm very resourceful."

Harry shook his head firmly. "Not a chance. You barely understand how our world works. You'd get lost or exposed as an outsider in no time."

"So I'll learn," the boy replied breezily. "Could be fun to explore this quaint dimension for a while."

"Out of the question," Harry said sternly. "You're coming with us and that's final. I'm not letting you loose to disrupt reality further."

Harry sighed, realizing this strange dimensional teenager was not going to make things easy.

"Look, I get you want your freedom," he said patiently. "But we barely understand your powers and tech. Letting you wander around unsupervised could be dangerous."

The boy rolled his eyes. "I already told you, my tech is busted. And I know how to control my powers, thank you very much."

"Be that as it may, I have a duty to keep this world safe," Harry insisted. "So here's the deal - come stay with me for now, no Ministry holding cells or anything like that. You'll have plenty of freedom to move around and explore."

The teen considered this for a moment. "And I get full access to that weird scar on your forehead?" he asked shrewdly.

Harry's hand went self-consciously to his lightning bolt scar. "Er... I suppose. If you promise to be careful and not prod at it too much."

"Hmm alright, I accept your terms," the boy declared magnanimously. "Your primitive dwelling will have to suffice for now. But I expect quality food and entertainment!"

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, yes, we'll see to it you're comfortable. Now come on, we should get going. Ron, want to accompany us?"

Ron shook his head quickly. "And get stuck babysitting Dimension Boy over there? No thanks, mate. I'll leave that to you. Let me know if you need any help!"

With that, he hurriedly disapparated, leaving Harry alone with the peculiar interdimensional teenager. Harry sighed, already feeling a headache coming on.

"Right then, let's get going... er, I don't suppose you have a name I can call you?" Harry asked hopefully.

“First in Animorphs, now here. What is it with humans and names? Just call me whatever.”

Harry sighed as he regarded the strange dimension-hopping boy who had now been left in his care. Though the teen had the appearance of a human child, his mannerisms and speech patterns were decidedly peculiar.

"Right, no name then," Harry said. "I suppose I'll just have to come up with something to call you. How about... Alex?"

Alex shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, Alex works. Not that it really matters."

"Alex it is then," Harry said, trying not to show his unease at the boy's indifference to having a name. "Now, we need to get you back to my place without drawing too much attention. I think the best way is to take the Knight Bus."

He led Alex out to the sidewalk and stuck out his wand arm. With a bang, the violently purple triple-decker bus appeared.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus!" Stan Shunpike called out. "Where can we take you today?"

"Just heading home, Stan," Harry said, ushering Alex aboard. "This is my...cousin, Alex. He's come for a visit."

Alex looked around with interest at the mismatched chairs and beds crammed inside the bus. “Does this use spatial warping, replacement or is the space created? Maybe a mix of them with a bit of spatial layering.”

Harry quickly shushed him. "Just act normal, okay?" he muttered.

Stan gave them an odd look but seemed to accept Harry's story. "Right then, take 'er away Ern!"

With a bang, the bus shot forward, Alex letting out a whoop of delight as he was thrown backwards into an armchair. Harry grimaced, one hand wrapped tightly around a pole. This was going to be a long ride.

After a nauseating trip, they arrived outside Grimmauld Place. Harry ushered Alex quickly inside, sighing in relief once the door was safely shut.

"Kreacher!" he called. With a crack, the aged house elf appeared.

"Master called?" Kreacher croaked, eyeing Alex with suspicion.

"Yes, we have a guest who'll be staying with us indefinitely," Harry explained. "Please get him settled in and see to anything he needs."

Kreacher bowed reluctantly. "As Master wishes."

Harry watched as Kreacher led Alex away, feeling a mix of relief and trepidation. Having an interdimensional teenager with a penchant for chaos and a casual disregard for reality staying under his roof was going to be a challenge, to say the least.

As Harry wandered through the gloomy halls of Grimmauld Place, he couldn't help but reflect on the bizarre turn his life had taken. From battling dark wizards and uncovering hidden secrets to now playing host to a boy who travelled between dimensions however unintentional. The magical world had never been short on surprises.

He found Ron in the kitchen, already tucking into some sandwiches. Ron looked up as Harry entered, his mouth full.

"Oi, Harry! How'd it go? Did you send that kid to the Ministry?" Ron asked between bites.

Harry sighed and leaned against the counter. "No, Ron, I didn't send him to the Ministry. He's staying with us for now."

Ron's eyebrows shot up. "Staying with us? You mean, like, here at Grimmauld Place?"

"Yeah, that's what I mean," Harry replied. "His tech is damaged, and he's stuck in this reality until he figures out how to fix it. I didn't want to leave him to his own devices, and I can't just hand him over to the Ministry without knowing more about him."

Ron shook his head incredulously. "Blimey, Harry, you're really letting some dimension-hopping kid crash at your place? What if he blows something up or messes with our reality?"

Harry shrugged. "I'll keep an eye on him, and Kreacher will be watching too. I figure it's better to have him here where we can keep tabs on him rather than him causing chaos out there."

Ron chuckled. "You've got to admit, this is one of the weirdest things we've dealt with. Dimensional travelers and warped houses... it's like a sci-fi novel."

Harry chuckled too, though a touch wearily. "Yeah, I never thought I'd be dealing with something like this. But he seems harmless enough, just a bit eccentric. I'll talk to him, set some ground rules, and we'll see how it goes."

Harry chuckled along with Ron, though he felt a bit weary at the bizarre situation he now found himself in.

"I should go have that chat with him and lay down some ground rules," Harry said. "Who knows what kind of chaos could ensue if I just let him run amok around here."

Ron snorted. "Good luck getting that dimensional nutter to follow any rules. But yeah, better you than me, mate."

Harry left Ron in the kitchen and headed upstairs to the room where Alex was staying. He knocked on the door and entered to find the boy sitting cross-legged on the bed fiddling with something that looked like just a flat piece of glass.

"What've you got there?" Harry asked.

“Hmm? Oh just a phone. I got bored and decided to play some games.”

Harry looked curiously at the flat, glassy object Alex called a "phone" and was using to play games. He had never seen anything like it before in the wizarding world.

"A phone? What exactly does that do?" Harry asked.

Alex looked up, seemingly surprised that Harry didn't know what a phone was. "Oh, it does all sorts of stuff. I can call and talk to people far away, take photos, go on the internet, play games, watch videos - basically anything you can think of!"

Harry's eyes widened. This small device sounded remarkably powerful and versatile. "That tiny thing lets you do all that?"

"Yup! The technology just keeps getting better every year," Alex said enthusiastically.

Harry shook his head in amazement. Muggles certainly were innovative. Then again, this boy claimed to be from another dimension entirely - who knew what kind of advanced technology he had access to.

"Is that technology... common where you come from?" Harry asked.

Alex waved a hand airily. "Oh yeah, everyone has smartphones nowadays. Well, pretty much everyone on Earth."

"Smartphones?"

"That's what we call these mobile phones that can do all this cool stuff. Not so smart anymore compared to some tech I've seen, but still pretty handy!"

Harry's head was spinning trying to comprehend it all. Communicating instantly over vast distances from seemingly everywhere, accessing information at one's fingertips - even magic didn't offer that kind of power and convenience.

He shook his head, trying to refocus on the task at hand - setting some ground rules for his peculiar new houseguest.

"Right, so about some guidelines for your stay here..." Harry began.

Alex immediately groaned dramatically and flopped back on the bed. "Ugghhh, rules are so boring! Can't we just go on a fun adventure instead? I heard there are wyverns around these parts."

Harry crossed his arms. "No adventures until we get some things straight. I'm responsible for you while you're here, so there need to be some boundaries."

Alex sat back up with an exaggerated sigh. "Fiiine. Lay down your primitive edicts."

Ignoring the jab, Harry outlined what he felt were reasonable expectations - letting Harry know before leaving the house, no venturing into dangerous magical areas alone, mealtimes and bedtimes, asking before taking or using things that weren't his.

Alex listened with a bored expression, chin propped in his hand. When Harry had finished, the boy fixed him with a frank stare.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna remember most of that. How about this - I don't blow anything up or get myself killed, and you don't smother me with rules? Deal?"

Harry sighed. This was obviously going nowhere. "How about just try to use some common sense and we'll figure things out as we go?" he suggested wearily.

Alex brightened. "Now that I can work with! I’m sure I can find a book on that somewhere."

Harry resisted the urge to rub his temples in exasperation. Trying to establish any kind of structure or boundaries with Alex was clearly pointless. The interdimensional teenager seemed determined to do things his own way, with little regard for Harry's concerns.

"Alright, we'll figure things out as we go," Harry conceded tiredly. "Just...try not to cause too much chaos, okay?"

Alex gave a lazy salute from where he was sprawled on the bed. "No promises, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum."

Somehow that wasn't very reassuring. With a sigh, Harry left Alex to his own devices and headed back downstairs. He found Ron in the living room, flipping idly through a Quidditch magazine.

"How'd it go? Did you lay down the law for our dimensional guest?" Ron asked with a grin.

Harry collapsed into an armchair. "More like he laid down the law for me. Merlin, that kid is a piece of work."

He recounted his failed attempt to establish any kind of structure or guidelines for Alex's stay. Ron laughed uproariously.

"Blimey, he's got your number alright! Maybe you've finally met your match."

Harry grimaced. "Don't remind me. I just hope he doesn't burn the place down or tear a hole in reality or something."

Harry sighed as he recounted his unsuccessful attempt to set ground rules for Alex. As much as the interdimensional teen frustrated him, Harry knew he couldn't give up. He would just have to be patient and find a way to gain Alex's cooperation.

"I know he seems stubborn, but there must be some way to get through to him," Harry mused. "Maybe I'm going about this wrong."

Ron shrugged, doubtful. "Good luck with that, mate. He doesn't seem the type to follow rules."

"There must be something he cares about or needs. I just have to figure out what motivates him," Harry said thoughtfully. An idea struck him.

"His dimensional travel tech! He's stuck here without it, so maybe I can use that," Harry snapped his fingers. "I'll tell him that if he agrees to some basic rules, I'll help him try to repair his tech so he can travel between dimensions again."

Ron looked skeptical. "You really think you can fix some futuristic technology like that?"

"I don't know, but it's worth a shot. And it'll get him to cooperate at least."

Harry stood up, determined. "I'm going to go make him that offer and see if it changes his attitude."

Heading upstairs, Harry knocked on Alex's door again. The teen was still sprawled on the bed fiddling with his phone.

"We need to talk," Harry said seriously. "I have a proposal for you."

Alex glanced up with a bored expression. "This better not be about rules again."

"Just hear me out," Harry pressed on. "You want to fix your dimensional travel technology, right? Well I'm offering to help, on one condition."

“Maybe later, if they don’t come here first. I’m not about to just leave a dimension where there is something that could be magic.”

Harry stared at Alex in confusion as the teenager gave yet another cryptic, evasive response. Who were "they" that he kept referring to? And what did he mean by not leaving a dimension with magic?

Trying to keep his frustration in check, Harry took a deep breath before responding. "Alex, I'm trying to understand your situation here, I really am. But you have to work with me a little bit. I made you an offer to help fix your dimensional travel technology in exchange for following some basic rules while you stay here. Does that not interest you?"

Alex waved a hand idly, not looking up from his phone screen. "Eh, the tech's not a huge priority right now. I'm sure I can scrounge up the parts and tools I need around here eventually. The people I know are way more advanced when it comes to transdimensional stuff anyway."

Harry's eyes widened. More advanced technology than what this boy possessed? That was a concerning thought.

"These...people you know with advanced technology," Harry began slowly. "Are they friends of yours? Or are they dangerous?"

At this, Alex finally glanced up, an unreadable expression on his face. "Dangerous? I mean, they can be, but not to me. We've been through some crazy stuff together." His tone held a note of defensiveness.

"I just want to understand who you're talking about," Harry said in a placating tone. "Are they from your original dimension? Are you expecting them to come here looking for you?"

Alex let out a short laugh. "Come looking for me? No way, they think I'm dead. But knowing them, it's only a matter of time before they stumble into another freaky situation that dumps them here too."

He shook his head ruefully. "We were kinda magnets for weirdness and trouble. Still not sure how I ended up in your magic world, but I bet the others will turn up eventually in their own crazy ways."

Harry’s mind was spinning with questions as he tried to parse this new information. Allies or enemies from Alex's home dimension - neither seemed a preferable option for possibly showing up here.

“Well, I hope for all our sakes they take their time finding this place,” Harry said carefully. “Introducing more unknown variables could make an already chaotic situation even more volatile.”

Alex shrugged again, turning his attention back to his phone screen. “Yeah, well, time has never been their strong suit. Knowing them, they’ll probably get a crash landing a’la Slytheen.” He chuckled as if enjoying a private joke. Harry, meanwhile, was even more lost than before.

Harry's mind was whirling as he tried to make sense of Alex's cryptic words. Crash landings? Allies and enemies? This mysterious group of people the boy seemed to be expecting to show up sounded like trouble.

Harry knew he needed more information. "Alex, I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but I need to understand who these people are that you think might come here. Are they truly as advanced and dangerous as you say?"

Alex glanced up from his phone with a sigh. "I mean, yeah, they can be dangerous if you get on their bad side. But they only go after, you know, alien invaders trying to take over Earth and all that. They wouldn't hurt normal people without reason."

Harry's eyebrows shot up. Alien invaders? Just what had this kid been involved in?

"Why don't you start from the beginning," Harry suggested. "Where exactly are you from, and how did you get mixed up with this group?"

“I will give you the short version, I’m hungry. Kids meet dying alien; alien gives them powers and tells them about an invasion by evil aliens. Kids fight evil aliens. “

Harry stared at Alex, trying to process this very brief and confusing summary he had just provided.

"Alright, let me see if I have this right," Harry said slowly. "You and some other kids met a dying alien that gave you powers to fight off an invasion by evil aliens? And that's how you ended up here?"

Alex nodded, popping a chocolate frog into his mouth. "Not quite, but close enough."

"That... doesn't really explain much," Harry pressed on. "What kind of powers? What was this alien invasion? And how did fighting aliens lead to you being in another dimension?"

Alex heaved a dramatic sigh. "You just don't give up with the questions, do you? I told you already, exploding spaceship hit my ride, damaged Z-space and landed me here. Now, no more questions.”

Harry sighed in frustration as Alex once again dodged his questions and provided only the barest hints about his mysterious past. Aliens, powers, dimensional travel - it was all well beyond Harry's experience or understanding.

But he knew there was more to the story that Alex wasn't telling him. And Harry needed to find out what he was dealing with here. An interdimensional traveler with unknown abilities showing up out of the blue was alarming, to say the least.

"Look, Alex, I get that you don't want to explain everything," Harry said, trying to keep his tone reasonable. "But you have to see this from my perspective. A stranger literally appears in my world claiming to be from another dimension and have experiences with aliens and advanced technology. How am I supposed to just accept all that without more information?"

Alex merely shrugged, clearly unconcerned by Harry's frustration.

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "At least just tell me if you or any of these people you know pose a threat to me, my friends, or this world. Do I need to be worried about an invasion of aliens or anything like that happening here?"

At this, Alex finally set down his phone and looked at Harry seriously. "No, you don't need to worry about an invasion or anything. Like I said, my friends only go after alien bad guys, not harmless humans."

He hesitated, seeming to debate something internally. "As for me...I can handle myself if I need to, but I'm not looking for trouble either. I know you have no reason to trust me, just trust that I have my own best interest in mind.”

Harry studied Alex carefully, trying to get a read on this enigmatic boy. His evasiveness about his past was concerning, but Harry didn't sense any overt malice or deception. Just secrecy and wariness.

"Alright, I'll take you at your word for now that you don't mean ill intent," Harry said finally. "But you must understand my caution. A stranger with unknown abilities showing up out of nowhere is bound to raise suspicions."

Alex shrugged. "Hey, suspicious works for me. I'd probably react the same in your shoes."

Harry nodded slowly. "Since you'll be staying here a while, perhaps we can build some trust over time. But I need you to promise me that if you ever feel your...powers might cause unintended harm, you'll tell me immediately so we can address it."

"Don't worry, I've got plenty of experience controlling my abilities," Alex said casually. "But sure, if it looks like I might accidentally blow up London or something, I'll give you a heads up."

Despite his flippant tone, Harry sensed Alex would keep his word, sometimes he wished he wasn’t so bad at passive legilimency, maybe he wouldn’t be quite as lost on how to deal with Alex then.

Harry studied the strange interdimensional teenager sprawled casually across the bed. Behind Alex's flippant remarks and indifference, Harry sensed something darker lurking beneath the surface. A cold detachment, an utter lack of concern for anything beyond his own entertainment.

Harry knew he would have to tread carefully with this one. Alex's promise to warn about unintended harm was likely the closest thing to reassurance he would get. But Harry doubted the teen cared one way or the other if his actions hurt others, as long as he found them interesting.

"Right, I'll hold you to that promise then," Harry said finally. "In the meantime, I expect you to abide by the rules of my household. Don't go wandering off alone, don't take or use anything without permission, and respect the privacy and property of myself and others here. Is that clear?"

Alex waved a hand lazily. "Crystal clear, O Supreme Leader. I shall contain my wandering ways and resist the urge to rummage through restrictively private possessions... unless I get bored. Then all edicts are off."

He flashed a sharp grin and Harry resisted the urge to grind his teeth in frustration. Laying down rules with this boy was utterly pointless, he simply did not care.

Harry watched as Alex sauntered out of the room, still seemingly unconcerned by Harry's attempts to understand his powers and past. Though he had secured a promise from the boy to warn him if he ever lost control of his abilities, it was clear Alex had no intention of revealing anything more unless absolutely necessary.

With a weary sigh, Harry headed back downstairs to rejoin Ron. His friend looked up expectantly from his magazine.

"Any luck getting Dimension Boy to spill his secrets?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head as he sank into an armchair. "No, he's tight-lipped as ever. All I got out of him was some nonsense about fighting aliens and a promise to warn me if he might accidentally blow up London."

Ron's eyes bugged out. "Blow up London?! Blimey, just what are we dealing with here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Harry said wryly. "All I know for sure is he has some kind of powers, a shadowy past, and a network of mysterious allies and enemies who may or may not show up here."

He scrubbed a hand down his face. "I just wish I knew whether he actually poses a threat or if he's just a chaotic loose cannon. He seems genuinely indifferent rather than malicious, but with powers like his..."

Harry trailed off grimly. Ron shook his head in disbelief.

"Mental, that's what this whole situation is. Why'd you have to go and get yourself saddled with an interdimensional nutter, eh?"

Harry gave a hollow chuckle. "Just my luck, I suppose."

His thoughts turned back to Alex. There had to be some way to gain the boy's trust and get real answers. But Alex was clearly too guarded and flippant to respond to direct questions.

No, Harry would need to observe the boy discretely, gather information subtly without setting off his defenses. It would require patience and cunning, traits that were admittedly not Harry's strong suits.

Yet he knew he had little choice. An unknown and likely volatile power had landed in their midst, and it was up to Harry to unveil its secrets before trouble found them.

Over the next few days, when he wasn’t at work, Harry watched Alex closely while trying not to be obvious about it. The boy spent most of his time holed up in his room reading books Harry provided or fiddling with his peculiar "smartphone."

When Alex did emerge, he was often irritable and restless, complaining about the "primitive entertainment options" available. Though impatient and surly, the teen made no suggestions of unleashing his powers or causing mayhem and instead just went exploring the house. And Harry wouldn’t be surprised if his tenant would know the house better than Harry by the end of the month.

Two weeks in, when Harry just came back from another day of mostly paperwork, he was surprised to find Alex waiting for him basically at the door, practically vibrating with excitement.

“I just found a causality-limited time-travel device. Do you know how rare they are?” In his hand, the boy was holding something Harry had hoped he wouldn’t see again, with how potentially dangerous they were, a time-turner.

Harry stared in dismay at the time-turner in Alex's hand. He had hoped to never see one of those dangerous devices again after the fiasco in his third year at Hogwarts.

"Alex, where did you get that?" Harry demanded. "Those things are incredibly rare and volatile. You can't just go messing about with time travel!"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Chill out, they are basically useless anyway. Didn’t you hear me say ‘causality limited’. They are barely better than a regular curio, incredibly rare, but otherwise nothing interesting. Well, other than how difficult they are to create compared to non-causality-limited ones.”

Harry breathed a small sigh of relief as Alex dismissed the capabilities of the time-turner. He should have realized the boy's intellect would prevent him from being tempted by something as volatile and restricted as time travel.

"Right, of course, causality-limited. My mistake," Harry said, trying to cover his initial alarm. "It's just, in my experience, any kind of time manipulation tends to cause more problems than solutions."

Alex snorted derisively. "Please, I can think of at least ten ways off the top of my head this thing could be useful even with the limitations. But I'm not interested in rehashing timelines and fracturing reality any more than I already have."

He tossed the time-turner casually up in the air, catching it with a grin as Harry winced.

"Relax, I know how to handle delicate temporal instruments," Alex said smugly. "I've worked with way more advanced tech than this thing."

Harry eyed the time-turner warily as Alex continued casually juggling it. "Right, well, advanced tech or not, I'd feel better if that was safely locked away. Just in case."

Alex rolled his eyes but acquiesced, stowing the time-turner in his pocket. "There, happy? Honestly, sometimes you people get so worked up about nothing. Past, future, what’s the difference other than maybe that we remember a version of a past?”

Harry breathed a small sigh of relief as Alex put the time-turner away, though he remained wary of the boy's casual attitude toward something so potentially dangerous.

"I know you claim to have experience with more advanced devices, but time is not something to be trifled with," Harry cautioned. "Even the wisest wizards tread carefully when meddling with the past or future."

Alex merely waved a hand dismissively. "Please, your so-called 'wise' wizards clearly have no concept of the true complexity and malleability of temporal mechanics. Did you know some species can perceive time non-linearly? Makes causality look like child's play."

Harry's head spun trying to comprehend Alex's words. Perceiving time non-linearly? It sounded impossible, and yet the boy spoke about such things as accepted facts.

"I... see," Harry said slowly, though he did not really see at all. "Well, for us mere mortals, linear time is all we understand. So I would still urge you not to experiment with that device. The results could be catastrophic."

"Yeah, yeah, I won’t copy Rassilon." Alex said with exaggerated solemnity. “Then again, I don’t like the guy anyway.”

Harry sighed inwardly as Alex once again brushed off his warnings with flippant nonchalance. The boy clearly saw Harry's concerns as trivial and unnecessary, given his purported experience with "higher dimensional" sciences.

Trying a different approach, Harry focused on appealing to Alex's evident intellect and ego. "I don't doubt you possess knowledge far beyond anything we 'mere mortals' could comprehend," he began.

Alex looked pleased at the acknowledgement.

"However, perhaps you could enlighten me," Harry continued. "Help expand my limited understanding by explaining some of the advanced principles behind temporal manipulation you're familiar with."

Alex's expression grew thoughtful at this request. Harry could practically see the gears turning in his brilliant mind.

"Hmm, well I suppose a simple overview couldn't hurt," the boy mused. "Let's see... how to explain this on a linear scale..."

Harry listened intently as Alex launched into a complex but surprisingly cogent lecture on theoretical temporal physics - quantum entanglement across temporal vectors, calibrating tachyon pulses to prevent causal loops, using higher dimensions to sidestep paradox limitations.

It was clear Alex possessed an astonishing intellect, though his explanations continued referencing concepts and jargon far beyond anything in Harry's experience. Wormholes, spatial manifold manipulation, matter phasing - Harry's head spun trying to keep up.

Yet he made sure to nod along and interject occasional sounds of fascination, even when completely lost. Alex seemed to relish the chance to showcase his knowledge.

Finally, the boy wound down, looking pleased with his impromptu lecture. "So in summary, manipulating timelines isn't nearly as messy as you linear perceivers make it out to be, though I’m no expert, fucking Andalites and their refusal to share their technology with less advanced species." he concluded.

Harry's head was still spinning from Alex's complex lecture on temporal physics. Though he had understood barely a fraction of the concepts the boy referenced, Harry was careful to maintain an expression of rapt fascination.

"Incredible," Harry said when Alex finally finished. "You clearly possess an astonishing grasp of time-theory far beyond anything I've encountered."

Flattery seemed the safest route with the mercurial teen – most of the time – and now didn’t seem like it, as the traveler who was probably a teen scowled, “Well, you pick up a few things here and there when you've studied alien technology as much as I have. Though there's still tons more I'd love to learn if the Andalites would get over themselves and share. Just because they made a mistake one time. And anyone could have told them that giving a parasitic species advanced technology wasn’t a good idea.”

Harry nodded along as Alex continued talking about advanced alien technology, though he was completely lost. It was clear the boy had knowledge far beyond anything in the wizarding world.

"Well, I won't pretend to understand even a fraction of what you were describing," Harry said. "But I can certainly appreciate the complexity of it. I imagine even our wisest magical scholars would be dumbfounded by such advanced concepts."

He hesitated, then continued carefully, "I don't suppose there might be some way to...adapt certain aspects of this technology for use in our world? With proper precautions, of course."

Alex gave a derisive snort. "Please, you people can barely handle sticks and potions, let alone quantum phase entanglement devices. I'd rather not tear a hole in space-time thank you very much."

Harry held up his hands placatingly. "No, no, of course, nothing so drastic. But perhaps some insights could be applied to our own magical devices and theory? There may be innovations we haven't conceived of yet."

He could see the gears turning in Alex's brilliant mind as the boy considered this. As chaotic and dismissive as Alex tended to be, Harry sensed he couldn't resist an intellectual challenge.

"Hmm, well I suppose some basic principles could translate, with a lot of modification," Alex mused. "Your 'magic' seems limited by the user's inherent ability, whereas the technology relies on external power sources and scientific manipulation. But combining the approaches could have intriguing potential..."

He trailed off, lost in thought, and Harry had to hide a satisfied smile. It seemed he had found a way to engage the strange interdimensional teen - appeal to his intellectual curiosity.

"Why don't we start simple?" Harry suggested. "Is there a way you could explain some basic technological theories in terms I can understand? Perhaps we can work up to applications for magic from there."

Harry watched warily as Alex began scribbling on the scrap of parchment, already seeming lost in contemplation. He wasn't sure if appealing to the boy's intellectual curiosity was wise, but he needed to find some way to understand Alex's abilities better.

"Easy, just use logic. I read up on what you can do and some things you allegedly can't do. Like the rule that you can't duplicate money? Bullshit," Alex muttered as he scribbled.

Harry's eyes widened as Alex casually dismissed one of the fundamental laws of magic - Gamp's Law which stated that money could not be cuplicated.

"Now see here, duplicating money is impossible," Harry said firmly. "It's an intrinsic limitation of magical abilities, not just a rule that can be circumvented with logic."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Please, just because you wizards accept something as immutable fact doesn't make it so. If I define a wooden stick as money, would you suddenly become unable to duplicate it?”

Harry paused, considering Alex's point. It was true that the limitation on conjuring money specifically only applied to official currency. Theoretically, one could duplicate or transfigure any object and assign monetary value to it.

"Alright, you raise a fair point," Harry conceded. "Simply defining an object as 'money' doesn't automatically make it unduplicable. But real currency has complex anti-counterfeiting enchantments that prevent direct duplication through magic."

“Then it’s the enchantment that prevents duplication and not some fundamental law. And you could always duplicate muggle money, or do you want to tell me that’s enchanted as well?”

Harry frowned, realizing Alex had a point. The anti-counterfeiting enchantments were precisely what prevented magical duplication of wizarding currency, not any inherent limitation. And Muggle money lacked such protections.

"You're right, the enchantments are key, not an intrinsic barrier," Harry admitted. "I suppose Muggle money could potentially be magically duplicated, though that would still be illegal counterfeiting."

Alex waved a hand dismissively. "Please, arbitrary human laws mean nothing. I'm just demonstrating that your so-called fundamental magical 'laws' are far from immutable."

Harry studied Alex's face for a moment. "In theory perhaps, but the danger of misuse is too great...” And immediately knew he had said something wrong as the boy interrupted him.

“And who the ever-loving fuck cares about that!? I’m showing you why your ‘fundamental laws’ are wrong. Do with that whatever you want, but don’t start lecturing me about potential problems until you not only a) fixed the utter shithole that is your government but also b) reached a point where that is relevant. We are debating magical theory, not ecology, not social dynamics, not ethics, but magical theory!” And, though Harry wasn’t sure he had been meant to hear that, Alex added, “I had enough of that from llms first time around.”

Harry took a deep breath, trying to stay calm in the face of Alex's outburst. The boy had a dangerous temper when provoked, that much was clear.

"You're right, I apologize," Harry said evenly. "I overstepped by lecturing you. We were simply debating magical theory, not the larger implications."

Alex seemed to relax slightly at Harry's conciliatory words, though his eyes still glinted with irritation.

"However," Harry continued carefully, "I hope you can understand my caution comes from experience. Powerful magic in the wrong hands has cost many lives. I've seen firsthand the damage it can inflict."

Alex's expression remained stony, but Harry pressed on.

"That said, I acknowledge your point about so-called 'immutable' magical laws. Perhaps together we could explore some of those boundaries - purely on a theoretical basis, of course."

“You ruined my mood, maybe another time, I’m leaving.”

Harry watched helplessly as Alex stormed out of the room, closing the door behind him, surprisingly not slamming it, like Harry would have expected from an angry teenager. He sighed and ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair.

Once again, he had managed to provoke the mercurial boy's temper without meaning to. All he had tried to do was have an academic debate about magical theory, but clearly Alex was sensitive about the implications and applications of such knowledge while discussing theory. Harry would need to tread even more carefully in future discussions to avoid setting him off again.

Deciding it was best not to go after him right away, Harry gave Alex some time and space to cool off. After a couple hours passed with no sign of the boy, however, Harry grew concerned. He searched the house but found no trace of Alex. It seemed he had left Grimmauld Place entirely.

Harry tried a few tracking spells to locate Alex, but they proved fruitless, either fizzling out, or giving nonsensical results like telling him that the sky isn’t blue. Either the boy was somehow blocking the magic, or he had gone somewhere it couldn't reach. Harry could only hope Alex hadn't gotten too far and would return once he calmed down.

Two days went by with still no sign of Alex. Harry was really starting to worry now. He had no idea where the mercurial teen had gone or what trouble he might be getting into out there alone.

Just when Harry was contemplating sending out a search party, he received an owl from Luna Lovegood. To his immense relief, her letter informed him that she had encountered Alex during one of her magical creature expeditions. Apparently they had struck up a conversation and she had told him all about Charlie Weasley's work with dragons in Romania. She said Alex had seemed quite interested and set off in search of Charlie.

While Romania was a long way for Alex to travel alone, Harry was relieved to at least know where he had gone. He sent Luna a grateful reply, thanking her for the information. Knowing Alex, he was probably fascinated by the idea of seeing real dragons up close. As worrying as the boy’s temper could be, so far he hadn’t seemed truly malicious, just impulsive.

Harry spent the next several days anxiously awaiting word from Charlie that Alex had arrived safely in Romania. He knew the boy was highly intelligent and resourceful, but the idea of him traveling across Europe alone still caused Harry no small amount of worry.

Finally, nearly a week after Alex had stormed off, Harry received an owl from Charlie:

"Harry,

That strange boy Luna told you about showed up here yesterday - Alex, I think she said his name was? He just appeared out of nowhere and started wandering around the enclosures, looking at the dragons. Nearly gave me a heart attack! I asked what he was doing all the way out here and he said Luna had told him about our work.

He seems very bright - asked all sorts of insightful questions about dragons that even some of my colleagues wouldn't think to ask. But a bit odd too. He insisted the dragons were "wyverns" not true dragons. Said something about continental power level and intelligence, but most of it just went straight over my head. I told him most folk classify them as dragons but he was quite adamant.

Anyway, I've let him stay on for now since he's no bother and clearly knows his magical creatures. But thought you should know he's here safe and sound. Let me know if you need me to send him back your way.

Charlie"

Harry sighed in relief as he read Charlie's account of Alex's unexpected arrival. Though the circumstances were concerning, he was immensely glad the boy had made it safely. And it seemed his fascination with dragons - excuse me, wyverns - was keeping him occupied and out of trouble for the time being.

Harry penned a quick reply:

"Charlie,

Thanks for letting me know Alex arrived safely. I apologize for the inconvenience, but appreciate you allowing him to stay. He clearly has a uniquely obsessive interest in magical creatures.

No need to send him back for now if he's proving no trouble. The boy has a restless spirit, so this is probably good for him. Just continue keeping an eye on him and let me know if anything comes up. I'm happy to handle any expenses for his care.

Gratefully, Harry"

Satisfied that Alex was in good hands with Charlie for the time being, Harry was able to relax and focus on his own work again. He made a mental note to send Luna a thank you as well for tipping Alex off about the dragons. Er, wyverns.

About two weeks later, Harry received another owl from Romania:

"Harry,

I apologize for the abrupt notice, but your young ward has once again departed unexpectedly. He became oddly fixated on acquiring some rare basilisk venom and when I wouldn't approve such a dangerous request, he disappeared one night without a trace. The dragons were in a right state after he disappeared, so he probably was up to something before he left.

None of our tracking spells can locate him. He may have somehow blocked them. While we've appreciated his help these past months, I cannot condone providing venom from a deadly creature to an unsupervised child.

I will alert you if he turns up again here, but thought you should know he's on the move once more. I wish you luck in tracking him down. That boy is too clever for his own good.

Regards, Charlie"

Harry paced back and forth in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, wondering when or if Alex would return. It had been almost a month since he up and left the dragon reserve. Harry knew Alex was brilliant and capable, but he couldn't help worrying about the mercurial teen traveling solo across Europe.

With a weary sigh, Harry sank into a chair and dropped his head into his hands. This whole situation was proving far more challenging than he had anticipated. When he first stumbled upon Alex in that warped alternate version of the suburban house, he assumed escorting the boy back to the regular world would be the end of a peculiar but isolated incident. Instead, Alex had insinuated himself into Harry's life in the most unpredictable and frustrating ways.

Brilliant yet volatile, secretive yet attention-seeking - Harry felt like he was trying to manage a Niffler in a treasure vault. He had to constantly remain vigilant for signs of trouble or chaos from the inscrutable teen. Their academic debate a couple weeks ago was a prime example - a simple theoretical discussion about magic nearly provoked Alex into a rage when Harry had tried cautioning about potential misuse.

Harry grimaced at the memory. Clearly there were a multitude of sensitive topics and triggers lurking beneath Alex's surface indifference that he would need to navigate carefully. The boy seemed to revel in contradictions - flippant yet touchy, intellectual yet anti-authority. Keeping him engaged without setting off his temper proved a delicate balancing act indeed.

With another weary exhale, Harry lifted his head from his hands. Worrying about Alex's return was getting him nowhere. The teen had proven resourceful so far, so he hoped that he wouldn’t do anything too stupid.

Rising from his chair, Harry decided some distracting busywork might take his mind off things. He set to tidying up the house and catching up on mail, refusing to glance at the clock more than twice every ten minutes.

Several distracting chores later, Harry's stomach rumbled, alerting him it was past dinner time. As he stood debating what to scrounge up for a meal, the fireplace flared green and Ron emerged, brushing soot from his robes.

"Evening, Harry!" Ron greeted cheerfully. "Mum sent along a basket of food for you. Figured you could use it, with your dimensional stray off Merlin-knows-where."

Harry smiled gratefully as Ron set a large basket on the kitchen table. "Thanks, I was just wondering what to rustle up. Your timing is impeccable as always."

The two friends sat down to enjoy the still-warm meal together. Harry's nerves settled considerably in Ron's easy company, the familiar banter over dinner providing a sense of normalcy he sorely needed.

After cleaning their plates, Ron leaned back in his chair with a contented sigh. "So, any word from your wandering house guest yet?"

Harry shook his head. "Nothing since Charlie said Alex had left. I just hope he doesn’t do anything too stupid.”

"Romania is a long way to travel alone," Ron mused. "However he managed it..."

He was interrupted by the fireplace flaring green once more. Both men jerked upright in surprise as Alex himself stepped out of the flames, looking windswept but unharmed.

"Alex! You're back," Harry exclaimed. "Are you alright? Where have you been?"

Alex brushed some residual soot from his clothes with a nonchalant air. "Oh you know, here and there. Romania was cool but the dragons were total weaklings compared to the real deal."

Ron and Harry exchanged bemused glances at this proclamation. Trust Alex to be disappointed by 'tame' magical dragons.

"Did you have a nice trip?" Harry asked evenly, trying not to let his anxiety show, he could ask more questions later, he didn’t want to risk the teen running off again after just coming back.

“Yup, the Lethifolds were cool!" Alex said enthusiastically. "Way better than only reading books that have more mistakes than a computed incomputable number. And I picked up a few souvenirs too."

He began unpacking his expanded bag, pulling out dragon scales, quills, a jar with strangely glowing powder, and what looked disturbingly like an intact dragon's eye preserved in a jar and some more paraphernalia.

Harry felt faintly ill. "Please tell me those are just shed pieces you collected and not actually harvested from live dragons."

Alex waved dismissively. "Yeah yeah, Charlie made sure I didn't go chopping bits off his precious dragons. Apparently that's frowned upon or something."

He carefully set the glowing powder on a shelf. "But check this out! Powdered Romanian Longhorn horn. Super rare ingredient, took me ages to collect enough shed horn fragments to grind down. Can't wait to start experimenting with it!"

Harry eyed the powder nervously, but held his tongue. At least Alex hadn't done permanent harm, even if transporting illegal dragon ingredients was risky.

"Just out of curiosity, what kinds of experiments are you planning with the powder?" Harry asked, trying to sound casual.

"Oh, you know, potions, wards, talismans," Alex said vaguely. "The resonant properties are fascinating. I theorize it could really amplify spellwork in the right combinations."

Harry made a mental note to tell Hermione to keep an eye out for any strange new potions or enchantments utilizing powdered dragon horn. He didn't fully trust Alex not to abuse the rare ingredient's power.

"Well, I'm glad you had an... educational trip," Harry said diplomatically. "Perhaps lay off experimenting with volatile substances for a bit though?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Ugh, you sound like Charlie. 'Be careful, don't blow anything up!'" He mimicked mockingly, before shrugging. "But don't worry, I'll be careful with the volatile reality-bending experiments."

Somehow, Harry did not find that reassuring in the least. But he merely nodded, resolving to keep a close eye on Alex's activities going forward. The teenager seemed incapable of resisting chaotic experiments, dangerous ingredients or not. Harry would have to step up his vigilance.

Alex disappeared back to his room, humming cheerfully with his bag of illegal dragon parts. Harry sank into a chair, rubbing his temples. Merlin's beard, just what had he gotten himself into, playing host to an interdimensional teenager with a penchant for mayhem? He had a feeling life at Grimmauld Place was about to get a lot more interesting... and hazardous.

Harry resolved to notify trusted friends in the Ministry to be alert for misuse of any rare or dangerous magical ingredients. He trusted Alex not to intentionally cause harm, but the boy's curiosity tended to override caution when experimenting with volatile magic.

Better to have safeguards in place if Alex did manage to brew something truly chaotic. The last thing they needed was a reality-warping mishap of interdimensional proportions. Harry shuddered at the thought.

Over the next week, Harry kept a close eye on Alex, trying to get a sense of what experiments he was up to. The dimensional traveler spent most of his time sequestered in his room or the attic lab, often emerging looking singed and soot-stained.

When Harry tried gently inquiring about his projects, Alex would just mutter vague references to "ionizing warded containment fields" or "regulated micro-wormhole generators." Harry had learned not to press for clarification when Alex used incomprehensible technobabble.

Instead, Harry took to subtly casting detection spells whenever Alex left a room, scanning for dangerous magical signatures. Yet even the most sensitive charms turned up nothing amiss, which Harry found odd. He would think experimental spells using powdered dragon horn would leave some kind of magical residue.

When he mentioned this puzzlement to Ron, his friend shrugged. "Maybe he's not actually brewing anything," Ron suggested. "He might just be saying all that to mess with you."

Harry had to admit Ron had a point. For all his talk of experiments, he had no evidence Alex was actually doing anything besides reading in his room. Perhaps this was just another case of the boy's mercurial nature - all bluster and no action.

Still, Harry wasn't fully convinced. For all Alex's unpredictability, the boy did little without reason. If he had gone to the trouble of collecting rare magical ingredients, he surely intended to use them for something. Harry resolved to keep vigilant for any signs of reckless experimentation. Where Alex was concerned, one could never be too cautious.

A few days later, Harry was proven wise for his wariness. He awoke abruptly in the dead of night to a thunderous crash and the sound of shouts coming from upstairs. Heart pounding, he leapt out of bed and raced up the stairs, wand drawn.

Harry threw open the door to the attic lab and froze at the scene of chaos within. It looked like a dragon had rampaged through - furniture upended, shards of glass and wood littering the floor, scorch marks covering the walls.

In the center of the destruction stood a soot-coated Alex, hair singed, triumphantly holding up a glowing vial of viscous purple liquid.

"It worked!" Alex crowed, before noticing Harry gaping in the doorway. "Oh hey, did we wake you? Sorry about that, minor miscalculation with the energic containment matrix. But look!" He held up the vial eagerly.

Harry found his voice at last. "What in Merlin's name happened here?" He demanded, staring around at the utter devastation.

Alex waved a hand airily, unconcerned by the damage. "Like I said, slight containment issue with one of my crystallic matrix experiments. Blew out a teensy little dimensional micro-rift, but I was able to stabilize it quickly. And I got results!" He brandished the glowing vial again.

Harry just gaped at him, mind whirling. Rifts in reality? Was he joking? And what was that purple substance now oozing within the vial?

"Are you out of your mind?" Harry shouted once he found his voice again. "You could have blown us all to pieces or damaged reality permanently! What were you thinking?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Please, I had it under control. I'm not an amateur." Seeing Harry's thunderous expression, he shrugged. "Alright fine, I may have gotten a little carried away. But I learned a ton, and isn't that what matters? Plus check out this, Void's Tear – I always wanted to taste them. They are supposed to be one of the most delicious substances in the multiverse!"

Harry stared at Alex in disbelief as the boy waved around a vial of strange glowing purple liquid, claiming it was some sort of interdimensional delicacy called "Void's Tear." After the utter devastation the teenager had just wreaked in the attic lab, Harry was in no mood for more of his absurd stories and antics.

"Put that down this instant!" Harry demanded, pointing his wand threateningly at Alex. "I don't know what kind of chaotic concoction you've brewed up, but I won't have you making things worse by ingesting Merlin-knows-what."

Alex pouted sullenly. "Oh come on, it's just a little Void's Tear, perfectly safe! Do you have any idea how rare it is to actually get your hands on some?"

When Harry continued glaring sternly, Alex heaved a dramatic sigh. "Fine, take all the fun out of interdimensional experimentation why don't you." He set the vial down on a miraculously still-intact table.

Harry swiftly summoned the vial to him before Alex could change his mind. Holding it up to the light, the viscous purple liquid seemed to swirl and glow oddly. He had never seen a potion quite like it before.

"Now suppose you explain exactly what this stuff is and what it does," Harry said severely.

Alex shrugged. "I told you, it's Void's Tear. Extremely rare trans-dimensional delicacy made from a timeline-cascade, supposed to taste different to every individual but always incredible." He licked his lips wistfully.

Harry stared at the glowing vial in his hand, utterly bewildered by Alex's explanation. Timeline-cascades? Trans-dimensional delicacies? It was complete nonsense as far as he could tell. But the proof was right there in front of him - whatever this strange concoction was, Alex had clearly cooked it up through some kind of experimental magic far beyond Harry's understanding.

"A timeline-cascade? What in Merlin's name does that even mean?" Harry asked in exasperation.

Alex let out an exaggerated sigh, as if explaining to a particularly dense child. "Honestly, do I have to spell everything out? When two alternate quantum realities collide, it creates a temporary recursive cascade across multiple temporal vectors. If you crystallize the cascade residue in a hyper-dimensional matrix, it condenses into Void's Tear."

Seeing Harry's blank look, Alex threw his hands up. "Ugh, you people are so linear. Just trust me, it came from the space between realities, so it's perfectly safe for consumption."

He eyed the vial in Harry's hand longingly.

Harry's head was spinning, but he held firm to the vial. "I don't care how many fancy words you throw around, I'm not letting you drink some unstable interdimensional concoction. I'm vanishing this until we determine what it is." He said firmly, raising his wand.

"No don't!" Alex cried, lunging forward. Harry swiftly cast a shield charm, blocking Alex's attempt to grab the vial.

"Calm yourself!" Harry ordered sharply. "Reacting like that only proves this potion is too dangerous to allow."

Harry held firm as Alex lunged for the vial, shielding it from the teenager's grasping hands.

"Enough!" Harry said sternly. "I don't know what kind of chaotic experiment produced this, but I cannot let you ingest an unknown interdimensional substance. It's too dangerous."

Alex's eyes blazed with anger. "You ignorant fool! Do you have any idea what vanishing something into the void could do? The void is already void, making it more void will rupture reality itself!"

Harry blinked in surprise at Alex's outburst. "What are you talking about? Vanishing things just sends them into non-being. It's a safe way to remove dangerous magic."

Alex let out a scathing laugh. "Safe? There's no such thing as non-being, you simpleton. The void is already absolute nothingness - trying to vanish something into it will backfire catastrophically."

He jabbed an accusing finger at Harry. "That so-called potion contains trace amounts of the void itself. Vanishing it would be like dividing by zero - total existential collapse! But I guess that's what I get for trying advanced alchemical transmogrification around a bunch of magical cavemen."

Alex crossed his arms angrily, glaring daggers at Harry.

Harry's mind whirled, trying to comprehend Alex's tirade. He thought he understood the basics - vanishing the strange void potion could somehow damage reality itself by overloading the void it was sent to. But advanced alchemical transmogrification? The void containing trace elements of itself? It made no sense!

"Just slow down a minute," Harry said, raising a placating hand. "I think I understand why vanishing the potion could be dangerous. But you lost me with all that talk of advanced alchemy and the void containing itself - how can nothingness contain anything?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Ugh, of course those concepts fly right over your head. Let's put this simply then - I used incredibly advanced magic you can't even conceive of to make that potion. Vanishing it would be monumentally stupid. Just hand it over so I can safely dispose of it."

He held out an expectant hand. Harry wavered. He was utterly lost when Alex started spouting technobabble about alchemy and the void. But the boy clearly had a better grasp of this strange potion's volatile nature.

"Alright, fine," Harry conceded reluctantly. "I don't fully understand any of this, but I suppose you know better how to handle your...experiment's results."

Alex snatched the vial back eagerly – and promptly chucked it down. "Mmm, tastes like rainbows and supernovas!" Alex exclaimed. "That hit the spot."

Harry could only stare in dismay and growing anger. Once again, Alex had completely disregarded any caution or restraint in pursuit of his own satisfaction.

"How could you be so reckless?" Harry seethed, mind racing with worry over what effect the strange concoction might have. "You may have just poisoned yourself through sheer idiocy!"

But Alex seemed utterly unconcerned, casually examining the empty vial. "What? I told you it was harmless. And even if it wasn’t, still better than you erasing this reality before I can leave. It’s only a few more rotations until they will probably arrive. There is no way I’m going to let you kill me until then.”

Harry stared at Alex in disbelief as the boy casually dismissed drinking an unknown interdimensional substance as if it were nothing. How could he be so reckless with his own safety and the safety of others?

"You have no idea if that potion is actually harmless or not!" Harry said angrily. "For all you know, it could wreak untold havoc on you or even reality itself. And what do you mean 'erasing this reality'? I thought you said vanishing the potion would cause damage, now you're saying destroying it would erase reality?"

Alex waved a hand dismissively. "Minor semantics. The point is, the potion is harmless and you overreacted as usual. I told you it's a rare delicacy, but you had to go all control freak about me enjoying a little transdimensional treat."

He grinned and licked his lips. "Gotta say, it really did taste amazing though. Like experiencing the birth of a galaxy."

Harry ran a hand through his already disheveled hair in frustration. Trying to talk sense into Alex felt akin to conversing with a brick wall at times.

"Even if the potion is harmless, which I'm not fully convinced of," Harry said slowly, "that does not excuse the utter devastation you wreaked up here with whatever reality-tearing experiment created it in the first place."

He gestured around at the destroyed attic lab. "Look at this mess! You could have seriously injured yourself or damaged the stability of our world with your chaotic tinkering."

Alex glanced around the wrecked room as if just noticing the damage for the first time. "Huh, guess I did make a bit of a mess," he said casually. "But like I told you, I had the micro-rift under control. Any collateral damage was within acceptable parameters."

Harry barely resisted the urge to tear out his own hair. "Acceptable parameters? You call blowing out part of reality acceptable?"

Taking a deep breath, Harry tried to restrain his temper. Yelling would get him nowhere with the impossible boy.

"What concerns me is your utter lack of caution for the consequences of your experimentation," Harry said as evenly as he could manage. "Magic is not to be trifled with or used recklessly. I cannot simply stand by while you endanger yourself and others."

Alex let out an exaggerated yawn. "Alright Dumbledore, are you done with the lecture yet? I already said I had everything under control. Why don't you go back to bed and let me clean up?"

But Harry remained resolute, keeping himself firmly planted between Alex and the door.

"Not a chance," he said sternly. "You've lost the right to be left unsupervised after pulling a stunt like this. From now on, no more experimenting alone."

Alex's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Now wait just a damn minute," he spat. "You can't seriously expect to control what I do! I'm not one of your little students."

"So long as you're under my roof, you will abide by my rules," Harry retorted. "Reckless experimentation stops now. If you want to study magic and potions, you'll do so only under carefully controlled conditions."

Alex looked livid, but Harry refused to back down. There was too much at stake to indulge the boy's carelessness any longer.

"I don't care if you hate me for it, certain lines must be drawn," Harry continued firmly. "Your actions could have far-reaching consequences beyond yourself. As an adult, it's my responsibility to prevent that."

For a moment, Alex looked almost impressed by Harry's steadfast resolution. Then his expression closed off, eyes glinting dangerously.

"Get out of my way, Potter," Alex growled. "You have no power over me. I'll do as I damn well please, and no one's going to stop me."

He made as if to push past Harry to the door, but Harry quickly cast a shield charm, blocking his path.

"I mean it, Alex," Harry said warningly. "No more reckless antics. You leave me no choice but to restrain and supervise you from now on for everyone's safety."

Alex let out a hollow laugh. "Go ahead and try, old man. But you have no idea who you're dealing with."

His form began to ripple and change before Harry's shocked eyes, clothes melding into yellow fur covering a powerful feline body as Alex's anatomy reshaped into that of a lion.

The huge beast let out an earth-shaking roar, baring glistening fangs longer than Harry's fingers. Frozen in shock, all Harry could do was stare into the cold predatory eyes of the lion that had been a sarcastic, troublemaking boy just moments before.

Harry stood frozen in dismay and mounting horror as Alex, now in the form of a fully-grown male lion, stared him down with gleaming feline eyes. How was this possible? Humans couldn't just transform into animals at will, not even Animagi!

Alex let out another ground-shaking roar, causing Harry to stumble back against the wall, levity raising his wand reflexively. But what spell could possibly affect a 500lb lion? His mind raced, heart pounding.

"A-Alex, stop this!" Harry croaked, voice quavering. "Let's talk about this, we don't need to resort to threats."

The lion seemed to let out a contemptuous snort, slowly prowling forward. Harry noticed with alarm that the door was now unblocked with his back against the wall.

"Don't try to leave!" Harry warned, panic creeping into his voice as the lion inched steadily closer. "We're not finished here!"

But Alex ignored him completely, brushing past Harry's half-raised wand and padding on huge paws out the door and down the stairs.

Harry remained frozen for a long moment after the lion had gone, trembling with belated adrenaline. He had no idea how Alex had transformed like that, but clearly the boy was even more dangerous than Harry had realized.

Shaken, Harry slowly made his way downstairs, peering around corners nervously for any sign of the lion. But the house appeared empty, no trace of Alex in human or feline form. Harry cast a few detection spells just to be certain, but they turned up nothing.

Alex and whatever unnatural power allowed him to transform were gone. And Harry had a feeling the interdimensional troublemaker would not be coming back anytime soon. Not after Harry had attempted to restrain him.

Numbly, Harry sank into a chair in the kitchen, staring blankly at the wall. He had failed - failed to earn Alex's trust and ensure he used his strange powers responsibly. Now there was an unpredictable shapeshifter with unknown capabilities loose and unaccounted for.

Harry dropped his head into his hands. How could he have let this happen? He should have been more patient, found some way to reason with Alex before resorting to ultimatums. Now he had only made the situation far worse through his own rash actions.

Harry didn't know how yet, but he swore to himself he would find Alex and make this right somehow. The boy clearly needed guidance, not threats. Harry only hoped he could make Alex understand that before something truly disastrous occurred.