2. UNSETTLING REALIZATION AND STARTING ANEW.
Harry found himself at JFK International Airport, feeling unsure about what to do.
He tried reaching out to his wizard friends and the magical world, but everything failed. Using a patronus or finding a post owl didn't work, and portkeys and long-distance apparition weren't options. Going back to London on his Firebolt or Sirius's motorbike seemed too challenging.
Not knowing how to contact other magical societies without breaking rules and risking arrest added to his worries.
What bothered him most was the lack of attempts to contact him. The British Ministry and Hermione, with their resources, should have tried. But nothing came.
All this led Harry to form a scary theory that needed confirmation back in England.
However, without a passport, he couldn't board a plane. Spells like Confundus or Notice-Me-Not didn't work well with tight security and automated systems. Confundus could trick people but wasn't mind control like the Imperius Curse.
Even the Imperius Curse wouldn't help much against tight airport security or automated systems.
Climbing onto a plane with his invisibility cloak was an option, but planes were too cramped, unless he wanted to be in the cargo hold.
So, Harry, faced with the challenge of getting back to England, decided to use his magical skills to navigate the airport without attracting attention. Casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself, he became nearly invisible. This way, he could move through the airport without being noticed.
Walking through the busy airport, Harry watched the security checks and boarding procedures. The Disillusionment Charm helped him pass through without drawing attention. He carefully moved through the crowds, blending in with the Muggles.
As Harry got closer to the plane, he used his magic to make a shield around himself, so no one could see him – not even wizards or regular people. This shield helped him stay hidden. Luckily, he found an empty seat on the plane, maybe because the person who was supposed to sit there got delayed or something. So, making sure he wouldn't be noticed, he sat comfortably, using his spells and an extra Notice-me-not-charm to avoid any problems during his journey.
Upon the plane's landing, Harry apparated from the hold to Diagon Alley's apparition point, appearing in a busy street filled with Muggles.
Apparating again, he materialized in front of 12 Grimmauld Place, only to find a record store there.
Trying another location, Harry appeared at number four Privet Drive, discovering an elderly couple living there. Anxiously, he apparated to the Burrow, finding an empty field.
Feeling drained, Harry sat on the damp ground, a sense of emptiness engulfing him. The weight of his situation sank in deeply.
"We've had wild adventures, and we usually made it through... I was hoping," he murmured to himself, unable to finish his sentence, taking a moment to compose himself.
"There's only one place left to check," Harry whispered softly, preparing to apparate once more.
In the ancient castle's remains, Harry walked slowly among the scattered stones. Recognizing fragments resembling parts of Hogwarts, there were fewer ruins than expected. Faint remnants of magic lingered in the air, once protective wards now feeble, fractured, and incomplete. Traces of centuries-old carved wards clung weakly to the stones, barely holding onto their ancient magic.
"No point fooling myself any longer. I'm in a different universe or reality or… something," Harry murmured softly, standing where, in his reality, the Great Hall of Hogwarts would have stood, likely centuries ago in this reality.
It was clear that this castle hadn't transformed into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Some catastrophic fate seemed to have befallen the wizarding community of this time.
In his reality, Professor Binns monotonously detailed the role of British wizards in shaping wizarding society, sandwiched between lectures on Goblin Wars.
The absence of Hogwarts must have significantly limited magical education, likely restricting it to apprenticeships. Without the school, magical growth and evolution would have been severely curtailed. In contrast, Hogwarts in Harry's time produced hundreds of new wizards annually and inspired the establishment of other schools like Beauxbatons and Durmstrang worldwide.
Harry retrieved the Marauder's Map from his trunk and tapped it, saying the familiar words, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." But the map remained blank, failing to connect to the castle's magic. "Mischief Managed."
He spent the rest of the day exploring the ruins, using revealing charms to find hidden magic or recent signs of wizarding activity. As the sun began to set, hope waned.
As far as Harry could tell, he seemed to be the only wizard in the world.
Back in London to get supplies, Harry decided to camp at the Hogwarts ruins to figure out his next steps. He found comfort in the faint traces of magic in this strange world.
Using his magical skills, he made a shelter from rocks and twigs with transfiguration. Checking his stuff, he had clothes, both magical and normal, Quidditch gear, and a partially used potions kit. He had books covering all seven years of most classes, including some ancient runes books from Hermione for self-study.
From the Black family library, he got books on rituals, an old prank journal from Sirius, a tome on animagi, and a Mind Arts book from Neville. Harry realized he hadn't made much progress in Occlumency or Legilimency.
Looking through his things, he found Ron's spinning top and his second sneakoscope from the Horcrux hunt. Next to his omnioculars were bottles of firewhiskey and butterbeer. A box had gifts like letters, photos, and even some embarrassing knickers.
After losing his original Firebolt, Harry replaced it post-war. The Marauder's Map had turned into just paper. The Sword of Gryffindor was in his trunk, with a special scabbard. The Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand were secured in a heavily protected box. Harry was unsure about being the Master of Death and hesitated to use these powerful artifacts.
The Invisibility Cloak, used for eight years, remained reliable. Dumbledore's Pensieve had no memories. Harry also had about 200 pounds and 5000 Galleons.
Feeling a bit sorry for not having more gold, Harry remembered the exchange rate between Galleons and pounds. He decided not to mess with the enchanted coins to avoid trouble with the goblins or the Ministry.
Harry faced new challenges in this different reality. As he made tea and sandwiches over a small fire, he thought about the lack of paperwork in the Muggle world. The absence of documents for birth, education, driving, and travel would make things tricky.
Lost in thought, Harry wondered what his friends were doing. Was Hermione checking the Black library for clues? Had the Ministry declared him dead? Was Ginny mourning his supposed loss?
Then, he thought about Teddy, now without parents or a godfather, just like Harry once was.
"This is what I get for saving the world? Everything taken away from me?" Harry murmured to the fire with bitterness. The pain, sacrifice, and suffering felt almost too much.
"I didn't ask for much. Just a quiet, normal life," he expressed softly, wanting things to be normal.
Harry's time at Hogwarts became a routine, working on solving the Galleon enchantment problem while figuring out this unfamiliar reality.
He experimented with spells, learning how to safely disenchant the coins. Slowly, he converted them into gold, making trips to London to sell it. Dealing with pawn shops and tricky merchants was a challenge, but using charms, Harry managed to get an average return of 65 percent, gathering a sum just under 30,000 US dollars.
This new wealth, though not as much as in his old reality, gave him a starting point in this unfamiliar world.
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(edited chapter.)
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