A Strange Suggestion

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, two young children, drank their milk and looked around at the house they were brought to. It was a very strange thing. Both had seen them move from one place to another – one world to another.

Still, for both of them, it was a hopeful thing.

Mark Illums, the name he was using, followed Tilly through the house. He finally arrived at the room which contained the two couples that he had contacted.

They stood up as he entered. The younger woman, wife of the man who's family had lived in this home for generations, asked, "Are they here?"

He nodded. "Yes. Tilly has served them milk while I talk to you before you meet them. I wanted to make certain that you all understood a few things first."

Although they wanted to meet the children right away, they sat down.

"I want you to understand that I have picked this world for very particular reasons. You need to understand those reasons."

The older man asked, "What is it that we need to understand?"

"These children were not born to you." The two couples flinched a little at that. "Yes, in all respects these children are the exact equivalent of the children you lost. Harry," he looked at the Potters, "was targeted and attacked by Voldemort when he was fifteen months old. In his world," Mark was careful, "this resulted in him losing his parents whereas in this world, you lost your son instead." He turned to the Grangers. "And in this world you lost your daughter in that car accident whereas in that world she lost her parents."

He spoke to both sets of parents. "I have the ability to go to any world." He repeated, "Any world." They paused as they considered that before he continued. "This includes what you would refer to as the afterlife. Before I brought them, I ensured that those who have passed would not be offended by what I decided to do."

He looked at the Grangers. "I checked in with both your daughter, Hermione Jane, and her parents, Elizabeth and David Granger. All were regretful for having lost the chance to live with their family but were quite approving of my plan. While you can treat each other as family, I charge you with remembering those that were lost. They will know. Light a candle on 14 August every year, or something, to remember those that were taken too soon." He looked at the Potters. "The Potters in that world had another child and once the family was torn apart they have concentrated their attention on the twin with them. The Harry you have lost is under the care of your parents, who went before you. All involved were satisfied to see you come together." Harry smirked a bit. "I think the only person who didn't or wouldn't like it would be Albus Dumbledore."

James and Lily Potter looked at each other before James said, "I should probably say that we are no longer truly concerned with the old man's opinions. His attitude when we lost Harry was 'that's so sad but tragedies happen' and 'perhaps it was for the best'. He then proceeded to try to convince us to name Hogwarts as the beneficiaries of our wills should we pass on."

Mark was taken aback. "Wow. Presumptuous much? He didn't even consider you might want more children?"

Lily was bitter as she said, "I was cursed which prevents me from having more children. James refuses to take on a second woman to get another heir. Potters are too faithful for such things."

Elizabeth and David looked at each other and then at the Potters. "What is wrong with this Dumbledore?"

James snorted. "He was born in the 1880s and grew up with a far different idea of what was proper. Apparently true empathy is beyond him."

Mark smirked. "Well, I apologize, but I did something without your permission. Well, to all of you actually."

The four were taken aback. "What did you do?" Lily asked.

"Well, due to my nature, I have the ability to change the fates of people when I so desire. Both you, Lily, and you, Elizabeth, will find that there is no longer any reason why you cannot have further children. The curse residue was removed while you were sleeping and, Elizabeth, you will have to live in a magic rich environment while pregnant. Or at least sleep there. You and your husband both have magical ancestors and there was a curse. The trace of magic in you fights with any magic in a child. I removed those curses as well. Now, the magics will be much better synchronized."

At that, both couples were overtaken with joy. Both couple had been devastated by the loss of their children and further devastated when they found out there would be no more.

Mark gave them a short time to celebrate before forcing them back into the moment. "I need a promise. I have, for my own reasons, changed your lives. You may have further children. I need to ensure that the two children I have brought will not be lost or suffer for lack of attention because you have new children to love."

Both couples immediately protested the idea.

Seeing their sincerity, he said, "Okay then. Let's bring in the children."

He turned and went back out, following the path that he had walked. He found the two children. He hunkered down. "Hello. Are you nervous?" he asked them. Both nodded. "Don't be. Even if you are a bit young, I want you to understand that there are a lot of worlds. And there are worlds which are very similar and worlds that are very different. This world is almost the same. The difference here is that in this world, you two died and your parents lived the lives they had." He made no mention of the Potters he left behind. "I've made certain that there is no reason why you can't love the people that are here just as if they were your original parents. Are you ready to meet them?"

The two children were very surprised. They hadn't considered that they would get back their parents (or close enough). Finally they both nodded.

It was a heartwarming meeting. They all knew that these weren't their original family members but in the end it didn't matter. Hermione Jean took the place of Hermione Jane and Harry James took his alternate's place.

With that, Mark had one thing left to do. And for that, he needed to see if there were active gods within this dimension.

It took a little time, but eventually everyone in the dimension that could cause a problem remembered the Grangers having two children, Hermione Jane and Hermione Jean. Everyone remembered Harry Potter having been hurt but not killed. It took a lot of energy, but it was accomplished. The gods in this dimension were not active, although they were there. So he wasn't stepping on any toes in doing what he had done.

When he moved on, both families were happily living on the same property, though in different houses, and the Grangers moved their business to a closer non-magical community.

Mark had never done things this way: Move orphaned children to their analog parents. It went counter to a number of his normal methods. While he would lead people to cross dimensions, normally it was once those who he was leading had decided they needed to get away. He was against the basic idea of "replacing lost ones" because he did not want those that were replaced to feel lessened because of his actions. And he normally limited his "cursebreaking" to those things that could be cured by mortal wizards with enough skill.

As a god, he knew that fate was often the purview of other deities. As a matter of course, he often messed with the fates of those he helped but limited it to his alternates and those whom fell under his purview. This was why he almost never went back and interfered with an earlier incident, despite his ability to do so. It would produce a split, meaning a universe would exist where his fix never happened, and it interfered with other gods.

This case was different in that he had a higher authority to act as he did. This was an extreme solution and he knew it. By searching he had possibly actually created this dimension. He didn't actually know. But it was exactly as he envisioned. He knew that all possibilities existed somewhere. This was just one of an almost infinite number of possibilities.

But he would be very careful about repeating this type of solution.

He had assuaged any guilt by ensuring that the child who had died was brought to a set of parents who had died so that they could "live" together. It was a fair exchange. And those who had passed had given their blessing. Death had refrained from preventing it, knowing that he had been given permission, and even encouragement, for such extreme action.

In the dimension left behind, Albus Dumbledore was in his office. "Ah, yes. Minerva. You have the final list?"

Minerva McGonagall nodded and handed him the parchment. He read the names. "Minerva. I believe we are missing one."

She took the list back and read them. "No. These were all the letters sent. There are none being homeschooled this year and none of the Muggleborn refused. All thirty-nine are present." She didn't know that there were originally forty-one."

Albus said gently, "Young Alexander Potter, if you remember, was born with a twin brother, Harry. Due to necessity he was sent to live with relatives. But it is time to bring him back."

Minerva thought back. The Potters did have two children. "I do remember there being another boy, but the Hogwarts rolls do not show him. Perhaps he was a squib?"

Dumbledore knew that wasn't true. "Bring me the book!"

Minerva did as asked and Albus read carefully over the correct year. He did notice one curious thing. "You are correct, Minerva. There is no listing for young Harry. However, look on this page and tell me what you see."

She did so and noticed immediately. "There is a blank space."

"Yes. Quite curious. Even if a child died, it would be marked with a line through the name, not erased." He looked a bit further. "And I found, in the same year, another blank space, though there is no evidence as to exactly who was listed as this book is made by date and not name. All I can see is that there was a child born in September."

Every effort was expended but there was nothing else that could be found about Harry Potter or the other missing entry.

The trouble was that his efforts were further hampered because no one was interested in finding out what had happened. His own spells had created the disinterest, but now he could not get anyone to investigate. And only he and Minerva could see the book due to the limits placed on it by the Founders. This was why the book was never available to check if children born were magical or squibs.

As a result, everyone was looking forward to Alexander's entry and no one paid attention that Harry was no where to be seen.

The test that he had arranged for went ahead – but it was an abysmal failure. Alexander Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Seamus Thomas could not get through the traps – Alexander was caught between the two fires – and Quirrell was stymied by the mirror.

The Stone had been too well protected. Albus found the dead man, without the back of his head, right in front of the Mirror of Erised. He still accomplished ensuring the Stone was destroyed because Voldemort was still after it.

The next year, he had to be called back to Hogwarts after being forced out when a pureblooded daughter went missing. He was just in time to save her after conjuring a snake and using the Imperio curse to force the Chamber of Secrets open.

Alexander Potter had no ability to open it. He had already found out that the boy was no Parselmouth.

When Peter Pettigrew had escaped Azkaban, everyone expected him to arrive at Hogwarts, but there was no sign. The Dementors had almost killed several students causing Fudge to lose his position to Rufus Scrimgeour.

In Alexander Potter's fourth year, Albus noted that his old friend had been replaced with a polyjuiced imposter. Considering that the imposter was attempting to enter Harry Potter's name in the cup, Albus let him. The boy must be found somehow.

It was Halloween 1994.

Albus Dumbledore stood up with a great smile on his face.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting...A few people kept checking their watches...

"Any second," Lee Jordan whispered, two seats away from Alexander.

The flamed within the Goblet turned a bright red once more and then … sputtered and went out.

The students in the now dark hall gasped. There were confused murmurs throughout the hall. Dumbledore waved his hand and the normal candles lit. "What happened?" he asked Crouch and Bagman.

Bagman was sputtering. "I don't know. There is nothing that I know of which would cause that."

Both Ministry officials as well as the Headmasters all performed their own diagnoses. There learned nothing. Meanwhile, an alert was sent to the Ministry as this was considered very important.

The students were dismissed to their beds, being told an announcement would be made the next day.

Scrimbgeour was enraged. He brought two Unspeakables with him.

"Well," he asked the two, "What happened?"

The Unspeakables looked at each other and then one spoke. "There was a confundus charm placed upon the Goblet as to accept another school. However, the entrant that was placed in the Goblet registered as non-existent and therefore the entry was destroyed. However, the Goblet registered that one school had no entries. Under these circumstances, the Goblet registers that the requirements to hold the tournament are unfulfilled and therefore will go out. That is why no names were picked."

The Minister was enraged. "Well, WHO cast the spell?" He turned to the Headmaster. "Who was in charge of security?"

Albus answered with a hint of confusion. "Professor Moody. As a retired Senior Auror, I felt he was the most qualified."

Everyone looked around and noted that the Professor in question was nowhere to be found. "Find him!"

Very soon Moody's trunk was found and the real Alastor Moody was found in the seventh compartment. "It was Pettigrew and Crouch that captured me."

"Barty Crouch?" Flitwick asked. He was the one which had broken the locking charm. "But you've been teaching all year and he was in the Great Hall!"

"No," Alastor snarled. "Crouch Junior! And he's been keeping me alive for polyjuice!"

Flitwick and those in the room were shocked. "But he's supposed to be dead!"

"That's what I thought!"

Eventually, the Aurors found Moody's leg and eye discarded just inside the ward line. They tried but could not locate where Crouch Junior apparated to.

Barty Crouch was found to be under the Imperious curse and then, when questioned, admitted to having assisted his son in escaping. He ended up in Azkaban.

The students were told the next morning that there had been an irregularity. The visiting Headmasters were competitive enough to allow the Goblet to be relit and the tournament went ahead as scheduled.

Throughout the year, Snape and Kakaroff both experienced the darkening of the Dark Mark.

On a mid-summers night Barty Crouch Junior, who was the subject of a manhunt, captured John Dawlish, an Auror, and used him as the enemy in the ceremony to rebirth his Master.

Severus Snape reported immediately when Voldemort had been reborn and had agreed to act as spy once more. He was the one who reported the method that the Dark Lord had used to get back a body.

The Potters were both vastly relieved that there son was not targeted and vastly confused because their son was not targeted.

Rufus, being a former Auror, was more willing to act in the background but absolutely refused to inform the public that Voldemort had gotten a body until there was evidence that could be presented.

Alexander Potter's fifth year started off poorly but when the Ministry-provided Defense Professor, Delores Umbridge, targeted the Potter's son, they created such a ruckus that she was forced out. Alexander Potter was still revered as a hero and the Potters were quite adept at not allowing anyone to slander his name.

When Azkaban was invaded and the Death Eaters there released, it produced quite a stir. Barty Crouch was among those killed and left behind. The Public was demanding answers and Scrimgeour still refused to release the information about Voldemort.

It all came to a head when the Department of Mysteries was invaded by Death Eaters. Voldemort himself arrived to take the prophecy that was there. During the withdrawal, the Order of the Phoenix and several Ministry Aurors arrived to fight the Death Eaters.

Dumbledore himself arrived to confront Voldemort. "Tom. You should not have come here tonight."

Voldemort smirked. "I don't see why not. You have no one here who can stop me."

"I am here. And even should I lose, there is still young Alexander Potter who according to the prophecy you just retrieved has the power to stop you."

Everyone witnessing the confrontation was shocked when Voldemort started laughing at that. "Oh, Dumbledore. You are quite amusing. That cretin is of no threat to me."

James Potter, who had come with the rest of the order, cried out, "He defeated you once as a baby! He can defeat you again now that he's actually able to cast spells."

Voldemort was quite malignantly cheerful as he told the man, "But that boy was not the one who I cast the spell at. It was your other son – the one who disappeared. I was quite shocked that no one knew of him when I first came back four years ago. Quirinus Quirrell assisted me in getting inside of Hogwarts. I was so looking forward to seeing my enemy in the flesh. But to my astonishment – he wasn't there. When I sent Barty Junior to ensure that the boy was entered into the Triwizard Tournament, I was certain that I could force Dumbledore to produce him. But the Cup could not locate him." He looked at a horrified Dumbledore. "I can only conclude that he is dead. Your prophecy-named saviour is gone. There is no one remaining who has the power to stop me!"

In the horror and confusion, Voldemort and his uncaptured Death Eaters successfully retreated. The Daily Prophet the next day was quite detailed in what had happened and what had been said.

It took two more years, and a vast number of Muggleborns moving away to escape the Death Eaters taking over, but Voldemort gained control of the Ministry. Hogwarts alone held out, but its resources were quite limited.

When Dumbledore died as the result of trying to locate items that would help defeat Voldemort, the last defenders fled. Thousands had fled, thousands had died. Magical Britain was in Tom Riddle's hands.

He concentrated on Continental Europe next. He had to kill a number of both light and dark wizards who opposed him, but he was making real progress.

Something happened though which derailed the forward momentum of the Death Eater cause: Tom Riddle died of old age.

It was something that many Dark wizards who used horcruxes overlooked: They only prevented you from being killed, not dying of natural causes.

The remaining horcruxes left behind could actually resurrect the Dark wizard or witch who created them but then the resurrected wizard would die immediately.

Tom Riddle's father was a Muggle and his mother was from a highly-inbred line. That, added to the extreme amount of Dark magic he was involved in, ensured he died at an age, 84, which was not that uncommon for magicals who were not extremely powerful or who were steeped in Dark magic.

The world was thrown into a massive amount of confusion in the aftermath of his death.

In the world where Harry and Hermione were taken, there was no Voldemort. He had actually died with Harry Potter. Unlike other worlds, his body was still there and his death was recorded and proven.

Harry was quite reticent at first but with the love of a family and with friends, the best of which was the girl he came with to this new world, he flourished. He never lost his kindness because he knew how horrible people could be and how that made others feel.

When both Harry and Hermione got younger siblings, they were both overjoyed – they didn't like being only children.

They had their own struggles, but nothing that was so outside of the normal that it was history-making.

The world chugged on.

Harry Potter, Lone Traveler, sat in the Diner at the End of the Universe drinking his Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster and eating his pie. Across from his was his boss, who was enjoying his own pie and drink.

"You stopped me from ensuring Tom was eventually defeated. As a matter of fact, you encouraged me to ensure Tom would win in that dimension. That's kind of a strange request considering that his efforts tend to counter your own nature."

God nodded as he swallowed another bite. "Very true."

"Why?" Harry asked.

God considered the question for a moment. "What do you know of the beginning of all things?"

Harry considered. "Well, from what I know you always were. You envisioned existence. And so it began. You created Order and Chaos which you used to create and destroy. Rythar and Mythar, who are the entities which direct me, were known as the Two Blind Gods of the Beginning in some dimensions. Some have said that Chaos came first – otherwise there would be no reason for Order. From what I understand, they were quite instinctive. Something changed though and now they are not mindless. From them descends almost all gods and goddesses in all dimensions."

God nodded in agreement. "Did you ever wonder why I changed them? Why they went from mindless to having discernment and determination?"

Harry considered that. "You know? Not really. I just assumed that was the way it was. You had your reasons."

"I did. You have never run into true Demons in a regular world."

Harry nodded. "I have heard stories. Buffy's world had a number. But I didn't really run into them there – we were on that extra plane."

God gave a small smile. "True demons cannot stand the presence of a god – well except Hell gods that is. There is a reason why gods came to be. Your finding the denizens breaking the rules allowed me to act by promoting you and cutting off that dimension from further incursions. It's one of the only exceptions to the normal limitations.

"When I began creation, I put in place those rules. And one of those rules was that I would not raise my hand to erase what was created by my children. The rules are built into Creation in such a way that if I changed my mind, Creation would end and I would have to start all over." God took a drink. "It actually took me a couple of false starts before I learned that."

Harry chuckled. "I can imagine that was embarrassing."

God shrugged. "Remember, I am not quite the same as you. The closest approximation the first time was annoyance and the second time was resignation. Anyway, one of the things that was created was the concept of a Hell dimension. With all the entities which would inhabit such a place. And while these dimensions were inimical to the other forms of life that came to be, they were a part of Creation and once created could not be uncreated. Not wanting any more of these created, I gave Ry and My minds to allow them to be more deliberate in their actions. I did this after a terrible thing happened: One Hell Dimension had residents who figured out how to break into other planes of existence and wreak havoc. That was not something that I planned on. And I wanted to minimize it happening over and over again."

Harry nodded. "I imagine that would create a number of issues."

God said, "Yes. It would. And has. It is unfortunately true that some dimensions are closer to Hell dimensions, cosmologically speaking, and are in a greater danger of being overrun. There is a world called Azeroth, for example, which has been getting invaded regularly for thousands and thousands of years. It required heroes of great power to kill them. And once a dimension has been breached, it is easier for it to be breached again. Unfortunately, the dimension which you left to suffer is one such dimension."

Harry's eyes were wide. "That sounds quite scary."

God nodded as he took another bite. "It can be. The degree of interaction is dependant on a lot of factors. There are reality clusters that have a balance which prevents them from being totally overrun. Buffy's dimensional cluster is one. There is another with Wiccans having true power rather than minor connections to the gods. Some Harry Potter dimensions have been overrun. Some have achieved a balance. The one we left behind was one which would be easily destroyed."

"How did Tom winning prevent that?"

God smirked. "Tom, as a general rule, doesn't like competition. During his attempts to take over, he will kill/has killed those who would knowingly create the breach. And if we had left little Harry, both of them would have grown to such powers that the denizens of the closest Hell dimension would have sensed them and, using their magics as an anchor, would have broken in themselves. Tom winning and Harry being taken away prevented both of those circumstances. And Tom will die/has died at a natural age. That world will eventually recover. But even if it destroyed itself, it was better than the alternative: Giving more power to that Hell dimension and its denizens."

Harry calmly continued to eat his pie and drink his drink. Finally he said to his boss, "You know? I'm glad I have my job and not yours."