Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Fuite du bourdon (Flight from the Bumblebee)
Wednesday 1 June, 1994; Hogwarts World 2558-P, Headmaster’s office, just after the events of the previous story
Whump!
Harry landed heavily and let out a cry of pain and anguish after being ripped quite unceremoniously from the Great Hall in Briallen’s world. His insides froze with fear when Harry heard the unmistakable voice of the very last person he ever wanted to see again. “Ah, Harry my boy! Welcome home.” Looking up, he spotted Albus standing over him with a triumphant smile on his face and a strange medallion dangling from his outstretched hands, “Let’s get this on you before anyone tries to do anything foolish.”
Rolling out of the old man’s reach, Harry pulled his wand and in a flash cast the first spell he could think of, “Abrutir!” The look of surprise on Albus’ face was amusing in retrospect as he was hit by the spell and slumped to the floor face first, unconscious. Slowly rising to his feet, wand at the ready just in case the headmaster was faking; Harry cautiously approached and nudged him with his foot. Accepting that the headmaster was indeed out of commission, Harry took a moment to look around. His first inclination was to run out of the office and disappear but he knew that to do so would be the height of stupidity. If Albus was able to yank him from Briallen’s world, who knew what he’d be able to do here.
Harry cast another stupefy to keep Albus unconscious, he hurriedly formulated a basic plan of escape. Gulping down deep breaths to calm his rapidly beating heart and whirling mind, Harry made a mental list of what he needed the most. First and foremost was to acquire allies. To that end, he called the first name he could think of, “Dobby!”
It took a moment before a tiny pop heralded the arrival of a hyperactive sock-wearing elf looking up at him with undisguised eagerness, “Great Master Harry Potter has returned! Dobby is so happy!”
Harry smiled down at the elf, “Hey, Dobs. It’s a pleasure to see you. I need help; how would you like to come work for me all the time?”
Dobby looked like he was ready to swoon, “Dobby would love the opportunity to work for the Great Master Harry Potter!”
Harry smirked, “Wonderful. (He gestured towards Albus’ unconscious form) Can you work some elf magic on the headmaster to keep him asleep for at least a day?”
Dobby nodded rapidly and snapped his fingers. Albus was encompassed in a bluish glow for a moment before it faded; Harry approved of that. “Next, I now know that elves do not normally speak in the third person so feel free to talk normally.” Dobby’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as the corners of his mouth twitched upwards. Harry scrubbed his face with his hands as he continued to plot. “Okay, the headmaster, for whatever insane reason felt the need to drag me back here without caring who might be hurt in the other world. I need to escape to France as soon as possible.”
Dobby cocked an ear, “Why France? Why not take up residence in your ancestral house?”
Harry shrugged and flinched from the movement. His shoulder felt sprained and would probably need to be looked at soon. “I have no idea on its condition nor do I know if Albus here even knows where it is. I’d rather not risk it and just flee the country for the time being.” He surveyed the room. “Here’s what I want to do. You and I will be going through this room and take whatever has my magical signature on it. I spent the better part of a year with my counterpart in another universe and she helped me understand a great many things.” He spotted the noisy trinkets on the side table and frowned. “Things such as those contraptions on the desk are able to track my whereabouts. Those need to be destroyed…or better yet, whatever they’re using to track me shifted onto someone else.” A slow smile crept over his face as an idea took shape. “I’ve got it. Swap out the tracking charms with Draco Malfoy.”
Dobby shivered at the mention of his former Master’s son’s name, “That bastard is now a slave so he shouldn’t have a problem with helping out. Not that I’ll give him a reason; I’ll be right back.” As he popped out, the trinkets vanished from the table as well.
Over the next thirty minutes, Harry moved through the office looking for anything useful he could use while on the run. He snagged a mokeskin bag from Albus’ apartment and stuffed it with a couple of advanced books on various topics, an invisibility cloak, some cash lying in a drawer, the medallion Albus had tried to put on him, and a few other things that could be useful at some point. It dawned on him after a moment to rifle through Albus’ pockets and stole the Elder wand from him. The moment his fingers touched the wood, it lit up in a brilliant display of light and effects. A whisper of promised untold power filtered into his mind causing him to grimace. ‘Not now. I need to escape before I can think of exploring that idea.’ He briefly toyed with the idea of leaving the wand up on a high shelf out of sight, but then he remembered its history from the seventh book. “Better I keep it with me.”
A sharp knock on the door caused Harry to freeze in place. It opened to reveal a curious Minerva poking her head in. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open at the sight of Harry standing there defensively pointing a wand at her. “Ha…Harry?! Mr. Potter, what are you doing here? I thought you…when did…how did you get back?” Her questions just tumbled from her mouth in shock.
Harry didn’t let his wand waver, “I’m not staying, professor. I was quite happy, safe, and loved in the other world yet Albus here decided on his own to rip me away from there for whatever idiocy floating through his demented mind. As soon as my friend gets back, I’ll be leaving England.”
Minerva was no fool and let her determined approval show on her face, “What do you need from me?”
“Just keep the knowledge that you and I spoke a secret.”
Minerva glanced about, “Where’s the headmaster?”
“I stunned and stuffed him in his apartment. He should wake up in about a day which ought to give me plenty of time to get out.”
Minerva nodded her approval of that plan, “Good. Don’t tell me where you plan on going for safety’s sake. Oh, it’s good to see you again, Harry.”
Harry finally let his wand drop and allowed her to approach. “It’s good to see you again, professor. Are you aware with what’s going on in the other world?” At Minerva’s amused huff, he grinned at her, “You should think about staging a coup here. (Dobby reappeared with the trinkets returning to the table) Now that my ride’s here, I’ve got to get going.”
Minerva straightened up and gave him a serious look, “Good luck in your endeavors, Mr. Potter.”
He returned her seriousness with a cheeky wink and took Dobby’s hand as the two disappeared.
Gringott’s, a moment later…
Harry strode through the gilded doors of the bank and approached the first available teller. He took note of the Goblin’s nameplate. “Greetings to you, Teller Hotiron. I hope your day is filled with the sorrows of your enemy’s financial woes.”
Teller Hotiron chuckled, “It’s been a while since anyone let alone a human knew of the old greetings. How might I help you today?”
“I need to speak with Potter Account Manager Daggerclaw if at all possible.”
Hotiron frowned, “Daggerclaw is not the Potter Account Manager.”
Harry could’ve slapped himself in the face, “Right, wrong world. Who is the Manager for the accounts in this world?”
Now intrigued, Hotiron replied that it was Bogrod. Harry growled, “I suspect that Bogrod is in league with Dumbledore seeing as how I never received any sort of correspondence from the bank in all of the years since I’ve re-entered the magical world. Would it be possible to speak with Daggerclaw anyhow?”
Hotiron slowly nodded, “I’ll send word to him. Will that be all?”
“For now, thank you Teller Hotiron.”
Harry only had to wait a couple of minutes before an escort arrived to take him to Daggerclaw. Upon entering the Goblin’s office, he took note of the wary curiosity on the latter’s face. Bowing respectfully, Harry explained what had transpired since his arrival then transitioned into what had happened the previous year with the revelations of an alternate universe.
Daggerclaw leant back in his chair, “I must admit that this is all very unusual, Mr. Potter. I do not recognize you, but I do recognize the dimensional magic that surrounds you which lend credence to your story. What is it that you wish to accomplish here?”
Harry sighed and slumped in his seat, “I need to get out of the country, preferably to France since I can passably speak the language. I need to hole up somewhere that Dumbledore can’t find me until I can be rescued, assuming anyone will be coming for me.”
Daggerclaw agreed with Harry’s assessment, “Here’s what I think we’ll do. With your approval, I’ll open a separate account under a pseudonym and seed it with the sale of a couple of trinkets from my own collection. You will then be able to withdraw the funds without anyone getting wise to your plans.”
Harry could get behind that. “I appreciate what you’re doing for me, Daggerclaw. Let’s do that. Now, what name should I use? I don’t want something that sounds close enough to my real name that they’d be able to make the connection. Do you have any suggestions?”
Daggerclaw was starting to like this human and said so, “I follow a respected fantasy-genre author by the name of Kevin Finkel; it should suffice for the time being. So, let’s get the paperwork going on obtaining an emergency passport and a ferry ticket, unless you want to take one of those muggle aero-whatsits…”
Harry rolled the pseudonym around in his head before bobbing his acceptance of it. It would take a bit of time to get used to being called something different. “Airplanes? What’s the difference in price instead of taking a ferry? Can I afford a one-way ticket?”
Daggerclaw pulled out a ledger and ran a clawed finger along the listings, “Ferry tickets cost…about sixty-seven Galleons. An airplane ticket will cost you…oh, about thirteen Galleons.”
“Let’s go with the cheaper option. I’m not interested in spending more than I need to.” His memory twigged on a question that had popped up earlier. He dug around in his bag and pulled out the medallion. “Before I forget, would you be able to get this examined? Dumbledore tried to put it on me before I managed to stun him after I arrived.”
Growling at the old man’s circumstances of birth, Daggerclaw tapped a button on his desk. The door opened to let in a runner. He held out the medallion and instructed the runner to take it to the cursebreakers for an evaluation. “Make two copies of the report and send one to Director Amelia Bones at the DMLE.” The runner bowed their head and left in a hurry.
Daggerclaw hummed his approval and began generating the paperwork. “While this is processing, I want to wish you good luck with your plans, Mr. Potter. As soon as you leave, I’ll make some quiet inquiries about your accounts and see if I can have them transferred to my control.”
Harry gave a short nod, “Thank you for your help, Daggerclaw. My counterpart in the other world has always liked you. Oh, I should mention that I have an elf by the name of Dobby who can run interference between the bank and myself if you need him.”
Daggerclaw smiled, “That’ll help immensely. Thank you. Okay, here’s your temporary passport paperwork and airline ticket. I would recommend you find accommodations outside of the magical world until your flight.”
Harry stood up and held his hand out to shake, “May your enemies’ rue the day they ever heard your name, Daggerclaw.”
The Goblin stood and returned the handshake and farewell. “May your plans always net you the greatest gains, Mr. Potter.”
Hogwarts World 5678-T; Seconds after Harry was ‘beamed out.’
Silence filled Mia’s ears. Deafening silence that gave way to a rising ringing noise as the world returned in full force as Petunia grabbed onto her. “Mia! Can you hear me?”
“Harry! What happened to him?” Mia cried as she struggled to understand what had just happened.
Petunia gently embraced the distraught girl, “I don’t know, but we’ll find him. Don’t you worry about that. Toby!” Toby popped in and looked up expectantly. “Toby, go grab Algernon Croaker from whatever he’s doing and bring him up here immediately.” The elf gave a sharp nod of determination and disappeared from sight.
Selene appeared at their side, her face was hard; her eyes glowing with incandescent anger. “We need to get home. To Hell with the interdimensional laws; Albus Dumbledore is responsible for this and needs to be brought to justice.” Luna and the others arrived and agreed with her declaration.
Petunia put her foot down though, “Even if we can find him, not everyone will be able to go. Only those who came from that world should return.” She spotted the defiant look on Briallen’s face, “That includes you too, Briallen. I will not lose you to that madman again.”
Minerva arrived and ushered them all up to her office where Croaker had just arrived via Toby. Algernon opened the conversation, “Toby’s already told me what happened and I’ve alerted my counterpart in 2558-P to be on the lookout for Harry. With any luck, we should be able to intercept him before too long.”
Briallen gave her aunt an angry pout, “I should be going too.”
Algernon shook his head, “Inadvisable, Miss Potter. Not only is that world different from what you’re used to here, Albus still holds a large amount of sway over the population. Should word reach him of your presence, he could use you as a hostage for Harry’s surrender.”
“Then who’s going?” Minerva asked him.
Algernon glanced askance at Petunia for a moment who dipped her chin, “I propose that Petunia and I go, along with Misses Granger and Lovegood.” He pointed at Mia and Selene. “Everyone else should stay here.”
Draco had followed along and crossed his arms over his chest petulantly, “I want to go too.”
“No, for the same reasons why I won’t allow the girls to go,” Algernon answered calmly. “Your face and magic is too recognizable and I’d fear what might happen if your mother and father there got wind of your presence.”
Minerva and Petunia agreed with his assessment. Minerva glared darkly and waggled her finger at the teens, “Don’t even think about stowing away in some lame-brained attempt of daring. If you try, I have no compunction against hitting each of you with a sticking charm to a chair.”
The next morning…
Albus woke and let out a pained groan, clutching his throbbing head. ‘What happened? The last thing I remember was Harry’s arrival then…nothing.’ He climbed out of bed and called for a headache remedy before shuffling to his office where he stood there trying to make sense of the scene. Nothing seemed to be out of place, even the trinkets tracking Harry’s whereabouts were still sitting in their usual place. He crossed the room and examined their operation. He frowned at the sight of the one that indicated which direction his ward had taken. ‘South towards Devon? Why would he go there of all places? I suppose it’s understandable that Harry would want to seek out the safety of Molly. I’ll just call her and have her send him back to the castle.’
After placing the call and receiving a confused response from Molly that Harry wasn’t anywhere on the property, Albus disconnected the line and sat heavily on his throne to ruminate on the vexing problem.
“Where are you, Harry my boy?”
Saturday 4 June, 1994; Toulouse, France, Toulouse–Blagnac Airport
With the assistance of Dobby, Harry spent the next three days holed up in a cheap, no-questions-asked hotel near London International Airport while he waited for his flight date. To keep his Master from pacing a hole in the already threadbare carpet, Dobby suggested that Harry at least try to meditate to calm his mind. “At the very least, you have a couple of books to read. You can also continue to think of what you want to have happen when you finally leave the country. Where are you going to stay and for how long? If you need to get a job to pay for supplies, where can you go without attracting the attention of the authorities? Will you be able to continue your education?” The elf had also brought Harry the morning edition of the Daily Prophet to read just to keep his mind calm and focused on something other than his immediate problems.
On the second day, Harry decided to write out his Will to Daggerclaw just in case something happened. ‘I hope this won’t be needed but in the event of my death or other grievous injury, I want to leave everything in my vault to Hermione Jean Granger should she ever manage to return back to this world. If she doesn’t, or can’t because the Ministry is being its usual bigoted self; I wish to leave control of the Potter Accounts to Luna Selene Lovegood. I know that she will eventually return to her home world and I trust that she will See something that will benefit the betterment of the magical world and use the money to make sure it comes to pass.’
The flight from London to Toulouse, France was uneventful though rather exciting in that it was the first time that Harry had taken a flight anywhere in his life. The agents at the desk didn’t even bat an eye at the fact that a lone teenager was getting onboard. Harry presented his Goblin-forged ID and boarding pass to the front gate agent and waited anxiously. The agent smiled at him and informed him that the boarding procedure would begin shortly. When the plane began loading, Harry followed the other passengers down the concourse into the plane. Checking his ticket, Harry was pleased to see he’d managed to get a seat near the very back of the airplane by a window which would allow him to watch the ground recede as the great metal bird thundered into the sky. Given that the flight was just less than two hours meant that boredom wasn’t going to be much of an issue. He even got a complimentary non-alcoholic drink from the stewardess!
After landing, and the moment that the doors were open, Harry practically unfolded himself from the cramped seat and made his way off the concourse and into the airport terminal. He glanced around and made his way over to a secluded area then called for Dobby. The elf’s arrival was nearly silent, showing Dobby’s awareness of his surroundings. “I really wish I could pop in and out like you can.”
Dobby patted him on the arm understandingly, “I heard you humans don’t learn how to apparate until you’re of legal age. I don’t mind taking you along for local trips, but going this far would’ve been too much.”
Harry peeked out around the corner for a moment before returning and pulling out his itinerary, “Okay, according to the map; we need to go here to meet up with the Delacours.” He pointed to a budget hotel outside of the city. The day before his flight, he’d mailed a letter to the Head of the Family with all of the code words Fleur of 5678-T had taught him to use in case of an emergency. He’d received word that they’d meet him on the outskirts of Toulouse in three days.
Dobby examined the map, “Ready?”
Harry let out a steadying breath and nodded, “Let’s do this.”
Premi ère-Classe hotel, Portet-sur-Garonne, France, a moment later…
Dobby popped the two of them in the back alley of the hotel then vanished from sight. Harry entered the lobby and approached the counter, “Bonjour, je dois louer une chambre pour les deux prochains jours.”
The clerk nodded and handed him a form to fill out, “Comment allez-vous payer?”
Harry answered that he’d be paying in the local currency. “En Francs. Combien?”
“Soixante pour deux nuits.” Harry handed over the money and received a room key and a map then headed out.
The room wasn’t all that much, but for the short time that he was expected to be there; he really couldn’t complain. Dobby popped in and frowned at the furnishings. Harry chuckled, “Don’t worry. If everything goes well between me and the Delacours, this hotel will be just a distant memory.”
Dobby reluctantly agreed, “In the meantime, I’m going to find some food and supplies for us.” He popped out a scant moment later leaving Harry to stretch out on the bed to take a nap.
Department of Mysteries, World 5678-T; Interdimensional Transfer Room
Algernon got Petunia, Mia, and Selene through his department’s security without much hassle; only a couple of curious looks from his agents were spared in their direction. “Remember not to touch anything without permission. When we get the destination locked in, walk straight through as if going through a normal doorway. You won’t feel anything other than possibly a slight whisper of motion from contact with the barrier.”
Petunia marveled at the sight of the Mirror of Erised and sighed wistfully. “Maybe when this is all over, we could contact a world in which my sister lived? I’d like to see her once more even though she wouldn’t really be my sister.”
Algernon smiled understandingly, “I think that’d be a wonderful idea.” He motioned to Agent 22 to get things underway. “Ladies? Shall we?” They followed him as he stepped into the mirrored surface and vanished from sight.
World 2558-P…
Upon exiting, the first thing Petunia noticed was that Algernon now stood next to his doppelganger who was smiling broadly. “Welcome to 2558-P! I hope you enjoyed your flight.”
Petunia chuckled, “It was quick, thank you.”
Robert turned to Mia and Selene, “Ladies, welcome home. Miss Lovegood, would you like to let your father know that you’ve come back?”
Selene pursed her lips for a moment before agreeing, “That would be a good idea. If anything, to let him activate our home’s defenses should Dumbledore try anything stupid.”
Mia harrumphed, “Would Dumbledore do that?” Both Croakers laughed quietly at her sarcasm.
Petunia glanced down and spotted Toby waiting patiently, “Do you need to do anything to alert your brethren about your presence?”
Toby shook his head, “No, I’m all set. Thank you for asking though.”
They exited the room and headed for Robert’s office where he directed them to a conference table. “So what do you all know or suspect?”
“Harry has been studying French since the start of the year and has been communicating with our world’s version of Fleur Delacour.” Petunia answered. “Briallen has suggested that he might’ve headed there and planned to go muggle there to blend in since that’s what she’d do.”
Selene whispered a question to Mia who replied with a name after a moment to recall it. She turned to Toby, “Toby? Could you contact Dobby and see if he knows where Harry is? If he does, and can get a message to him, let Harry know that we’re here and looking to bring him home.”
Toby glanced at Petunia for permission which she readily gave. He vanished from the room for a good fifteen minutes before returning and replied, “I tried to contact Dobby but he must be behind elf avoidance wards. I can’t locate him anywhere in Britain.”
Algernon thought out loud, “Could they already be out of the country so soon?”
Toby spread his hands, “It’s possible but I don’t have a clue how that could be.”
“Well, his options are limited. They could’ve flown in an airplane or taken the ferry.” Algernon mused. He turned to Robert. “Do you know where the Delacours live in this world?” Robert nodded and got up to retrieve the information.
“Should I continue to try and locate Dobby? He’s got to come out from wherever he’s hiding to get supplies or information.” Toby asked the others. Petunia gave her approval to his idea.
Robert had returned then with a sheaf of paper and answered as he passed the paperwork off to Algernon, “No, let him make contact with the Delacours. They will have better defenses if Albus tries to interfere. As much as I want to blow Albus’ plans to smithereens, I’d rather keep what’s happening quiet and not alert the entirety of the magical world. Besides, we still need to deal with Albus and his plans for Harry whatever they may be.”
“So what’s next on our agenda?” Mia inquired.
Petunia gestured to Selene, “We need to return Miss Lovegood back to her father then I want to make a quick stop to visit myself. I want to make my displeasure known about how she and her family treated Harry.” Both Croakers laughed at her word play as they rose to put their plans in motion.
Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon; Lovegood ‘Rookery’ after the DoM meeting
Xeno practically burst from his home the moment his wards alerted him to the arrival of Selene. “Luna! Oh, my baby girl you’ve come home!”
Luna (formerly known as Selene) beamed and bounced into his arms, “Hi, Daddy! I’m glad you’re alright. I’m safe and everything. The other universe’s Hogwarts has been absolutely wonderful and friendly to me and the other me.”
He hugged her tight and touched his forehead to hers, “I’m relieved to hear that, Moonbeam. Are you here to stay permanently?”
Her eyes twinkled slightly, “Only until I get married.”
Laughing at her gentle teasing, he put her down and clasped her hand in his. “I can work with that. So who are your friends? I recognize Miss Granger from your letters.”
Luna pointed them out in turn, “This is World 5678-T’s High Inquisitor Petunia Dursley. She’s Harry Potter’s maternal aunt. Next is Director Algernon Croaker of their world’s Department of Mysteries, and finally is Director Robert Croaker of this world’s Department of Mysteries.”
Xeno nodded his welcome to each of them. “Please come on in and rest for a while. I want to hear all about this world you got to experience.”
Robert glanced at the others before agreeing, “Perhaps just a short visit. We’re trying to track down Harry Potter after Albus somehow managed to bring him home.”
Luna led the way into the odd-looking house then disappeared into the kitchen to begin making tea while Xeno started the conversation again. “What’s that old coot done this time?”
Xeno was scowling by the end of Petunia’s and Algernon’s explanation of the past year with the recent troubles they’d had with Albus. He got up and started pacing. His attention was momentarily diverted to the sight of Draco out in the garden pushing a wheelbarrow full of manure. “Given what we know of Albus, it’s entirely likely that he’s planning something utterly convoluted and overly-complicated to keep Harry here. The question is what though?”
Robert spread his hands in supplication, “That’s the thing; we don’t know how Harry was pulled back into this universe. It certainly wasn’t done using the Mirror and the only two other methods are currently in our deep storage module. Although…” he trailed off thinking hard. “Toby? Would you please go to Hogwarts and poke around the Headmaster’s office to see if whatever he used is still there?” Toby agreed and vanished a second later.
When he returned, Toby replied, “The headmaster was busily examining a large wooden item on his desk muttering something about stunning the brat when the Goblet of Fire retrieves him from wherever he is.”
Both Croakers appeared worried leaving Petunia to ask the important question, “You look like you know what this… Goblet of Fire entails. What do you know about it?”
It was Xeno who answered however, “The Goblet of Fire is an ancient device constructed by people unknown to us for specific reasons that are still unclear. What we do know of it is that it’s quite capable of choosing people.”
“What do you mean ‘choosing people’? Choose them for what? All I know is what was referenced in the fourth book.” Petunia pressed.
Xeno shrugged, “That’s pretty much it. If you have a dispute, you input the information about the dispute into the goblet’s fire and it’ll kick out the name of the winner. I’ve even heard rumors about it being able to retrieve the ‘winners’ of these disputes from wherever they are in the world.”
Petunia’s eyes swung over to the two Directors as she scowled, “Or perhaps from across dimensions? Is there anything you’d like to add, gentlemen? Like how in the Hell did that bastard manage to get ahold of the device?”
Robert held up his hands in submission, “Peace, Mrs. Dursley. I’ll personally oversee the investigation as to how Albus managed to acquire it as the Goblet isn’t supposed to leave its storage crate unless escorted by an Unspeakable.”
Mia spoke up, “This discussion is all well and good but we really should concentrate on finding Harry. Who knows what sort of trouble he could be getting into right now?”
Premi ère-Classe hotel Room 11, on the second day of their stay…
Harry was definitely in trouble. He glared at his opponent and wondered if he had enough to be able to bluff his way out. “I’ll take three.”
Dobby sat looking rather smug as Harry examined his cards and slumped down when the teen saw what they contained. “I’ll bet five.” He dropped a blue chip into the pile and shifted to be more comfortable in his chair.
Harry glared at his elf friend, “I think you’re bluffing.”
“Only one way to find out, Harry,” Dobby grinned wider.
A sudden knock on the door ended the game immediately. Dobby vanished from sight while Harry crept up to the peephole and called out, “Qui est-ce?”
A muffled voice on the other side answered, “Mickey la souris.”
Giving the space in which he knew Dobby was standing a raised eyebrow; Harry asked the other part of the security question. “Quel est le plat préféré du poète?”
“Bouillabaisse.”
Satisfied with the answer, Harry unlocked and opened the door to see a blond man with a curious expression in his eyes looking back at him, “Monsieur Delacour, c'est un plaisir. Veuillez entrer.” He motioned to an empty chair.
Mr. Pierre Delacour took the offered seat and pursed his lips in thought for a moment before speaking. “Je dois admettre que votre lettre m'a surpris. Bien sûr, votre nom est tristement célèbre même ici, mais je ne comprends pas pourquoi vous me contacteriez et comment vous connaissez les informations d’urgence de ma famille.”
Harry sighed, “Eh bien, c'est une longue histoire.”
Pierre held up his hand and smiled, “We can speak English if that’s easier for you, Mr. Potter even though I’m impressed that you are able to speak it so fluently.”
Relieved to be back to his native language, Harry bashfully thanked him for the compliment. “So, let me back up to the beginning of the summer last year…”
Monday 6 June, 1994; Dursley Residence, World 2558-P
Dudley answered the door, grumbling about how unfair it was that the freak wasn’t there anymore to do all the grunt labor. When he opened it, he couldn’t help but laugh, “Very funny, mum. How did you get from the kitchen to here so quickly? It was the freak, wasn’t it?”
Petunia scowled down at the burgeoning baby whale, “I am not your mother, Dudley.”
Dudley screwed up his face in confusion, “Huh?”
Shaking her head in derision, Petunia 5678-T pushed her way past the befuddled teen and strode into the kitchen. Her doppelganger didn’t even turn as she called out, “Who was at the door, Diddyums?”
“Me.” Petunia 2558-P turned and paled at the sight of what appeared to be her double standing in her kitchen glaring darkly at her.
“Who are you?!” She shrieked and backed up against the refrigerator.
“I’m you, Petunia. Don’t you recognize me? I’ve come as a warning to you and your family about the way you’ve treated your last link to your sister.”
Petunia scowled, “We never wanted the brat! No matter how many times we tried to tell that to the blighted headmaster, he refused to listen to us! I knew that he would turn out just as abnormal as Lily did when he got that damned letter. Ten months of bliss is all we get when Potter’s up at that school of his.”
Petunia 5678-T growled under her breath to regain control of her emotions. “So you would have no problems signing over Harry’s guardianship to me?”
Petunia 2558-P scoffed, “Hell, we’d rejoice at the opportunity!”
“Fine. Toby!” The elf popped in already holding a contract and pen in his hand. “Seriously, you’re too good for me.”
Toby shrugged, “I had a feeling this is what you had planned so I asked Daggerclaw to draw up a guardianship transfer agreement for me.”
Petunia 2558-P eyed the tiny creature anxiously, “What is that?”
Toby barely spared the odious woman a glance, “I’m an elf. That’s all you need to know. Sign on the dotted line and add a drop of your blood.”
“My bl…blood?”
“It’s our method to validate who you are.”
Drawing herself up, Petunia 2558-P pulled a knife out of the drawer and followed the instructions. When the agreement paper flashed gold, she glanced at her doppelganger apprehensively, “What now?”
Petunia 5678-T answered, “Now, you will follow me out to the backyard where the wardstone is buried.” She led the way out through the patio door to where the other Petunia’s prized rosebushes were located. Toby clicked his fingers causing the whole thing to uproot itself and move to the side, exposing the wardstone to the sunlight. “Slice your palm and drip the blood onto the stone repeating what I tell you. ‘I, Petunia Anne Dursley née Evans, do hereby declare this house to no longer be the home and sanctuary to the occupant known as Harry James Potter. I cast him out forevermore.’”
As soon as Petunia 2558-P finished giving the oath, the wardstone flashed a deep blood red then faded away. She looked back to her counterpart, “What just happened?”
“You rescinded the permission ward to the house. If Harry or anyone else tries to leave him here, Harry will be forcibly ejected into the street.”
“So that’s it? Will you leave me and my family alone now?”
Petunia 5678-T nodded, “This is it, Petunia. From this point forward, you will never have to worry about the magical world again. As far as they’re concerned, you’re just another muggle. So long, and I hope our paths never cross again.” She took Toby’s hand and the pair vanished from sight.
Once Petunia made sure her counterpart was truly gone, she hurried back inside to call her husband and let him know about the great news! They were free of the freak!
The Rookery, two days later
Draco was aware of the fact that someone was watching him work. It was a talent that he’d developed since he’d become a slave to the Lovegoods. Xeno had the annoying habit of popping up out of nowhere. “Hello, Luna.”
“Hello, Draco Malfoy,” came her soft reply. “Are you settling in alright?”
He shrugged unconcernedly, “I’ve grown accustomed to it. Some days are better than others, I suppose. Was there something you needed?”
Luna hopped down from her perch upon the fence and wove her way around the path to face her one-time attempted murderer. She gazed into his sun-worn face for a long enough time that it was starting to make the teen feel uncomfortable. “You’ve almost learned your lesson it would seem.”
Draco sighed, “Yeah well, that does me absolutely nothing seeing as how the only way I’ll ever get to go home is if either your father dies, or I do.”
“That’s not necessarily true. I could encourage Daddy to release you.”
He scoffed derisively, “But you and I know he won’t. My servitude hasn’t lasted long enough in the eyes of your father. According to him, I’m still showing signs of defiance.”
Luna hummed her agreement as she reached down and plucked a flowering weed out of the ground and wove it into her hair. “If you remember, I was able to visit the other universe in which Harry was Briallen. I met your counterpart there; yours and his lives were the result of a single decision. You clearly chose the wrong choice and have to suffer the consequences.”
Curious despite his desire to get his tasks done so he could escape the afternoon heat, he asked what the other Draco was like. Luna smiled mysteriously, “He’s a good boy. He separated himself from his father’s teachings early on and opened himself up to those around him. He’s friends with all of the others in his year group, regardless of which House they come from. He has embraced the muggles’ technology with open arms and yet is able to stay true to his magical heritage.”
Draco sneered slightly, “Muggles. The only good thing about them is…”
“Be careful of what you say about them, Draco Malfoy. I’ve learned to enjoy their world just as much as I love the magical world. I will not tolerate you speaking ill of them.” Luna waggled a finger at him before turning and walking away.
Back inside, Luna grabbed a bottle of Butterbeer and settled down in her favorite chair. A thought flitted across her mind prompting her to jump up and retrieve her backpack. She pulled out the shared portrait of her mother and mounted it on the wall then pushed her magic into it to activate the enchantments. Pandora Lovegood came to ‘life’ and smiled fondly down on her daughter. “Hello, Mother. Is Hermione or Briallen available?”
“I shall check.” Pandora moved out of her frame and disappeared. When she returned, her voice changed to that of Briallen’s. “Hey, Selene! This portrait thing works!”
Luna beamed, “It does. How are you doing?”
Briallen sighed, “Annoyed that I couldn’t come along with you. I was hoping I’d get to meet the evil Draco and save my twin brother.”
Luna snickered, “Evil Draco, right. He’s not evil, just spoiled though most of that effect has been worn off thanks to all the manual labor Daddy has him doing. What else is going on there?”
“Nothing much, just studying for our finals. Hermione’s going spare in the Raven’s library. I was just about ready to go rescue her when your portrait called.” Luna inwardly smirked at the mental image that sprang up of Hermione being swamped by stacks of books as she valiantly tried to cram as much information into her head. Briallen looked off to the side then added, “I’ve got to go. Daisy is waving for my attention.” With that, Pandora’s image returned to its normal state of gently smiling at the room at large.
Xeno entered the room a moment later, his face one of curiosity, “Moonbeam, were you speaking to someone?”
Luna pointed to the portrait, “I made this in the other universe and connected it with my counterpart’s portrait so we can now share information between worlds without having to bother the Unspeakables.”
Xeno’s mouth flopped open and closed like a gasping fish before settling on open. “Astounding! I… wow. This’ll come in handy before too long, I’d imagine. Just think of the possibilities if other universes had a similar capability. We might even be able to find the answers to where the Crumple-horned Snorkack lives.”
Friday 10 June, 1994; Delacour House, Port Marianne region of Montpellier, near the Lez River, France
Harry had been offered a better place to stay with the Delacours than the low budget hotel room he’d originally rented. After finally getting to meet Fleur and her younger sister Gabrielle, or Gabby as she wanted to be known as; Harry was practically adopted by the younger Delacour who eagerly fussed over his perpetually messy hair and shared love of all things Quidditch. Fleur was only home for a short stay before she would need to return to Beauxbatons. Most of his interaction with her consisted of answering a couple of questions about how he knew the family emergency code words and showing some intrigue at hearing that there was another version of her in an alternate universe. With heavily-accented English, she asked him about his relationship with her alternate self. “Was that Fleur a friend of yours?”
“More of a pen pal than anything else. I started writing to her knowing that if I ever needed to escape from the clutches of my former headmaster, her insights on her home country would be invaluable.”
Fleur accepted that and smiled warmly, “I am glad that she helped you otherwise we would not have met.”
That afternoon, he was seated at the kitchen table helping Gabrielle with her studying. The soon-to-be eight year old was griping about how unfair her teachers were being by forcing her to do her multiplication tables when the sunny weather was practically begging them to go outside. “Pourquoi dois-je encore faire ça? Il fait trop beau dehors pour être enfermé!”
Harry rolled his eyes, “Parce que si vous ne les apprenez pas, je serai expulsé de la maison et obligé de vivre dans la rue. Voulez-vous vraiment que cela se produise?”
Gabby’s eyes widened and she latched onto his arm possessively, “Non! Je te garde ! Tu dois rester!”
Harry calmly replied, “Si tu veux que je reste, tu devras apprendre à multiplier des nombres à deux chiffres.”
Gabby’s mother, Apolline watched on in amusement at how expertly Harry Potter was handling the younger Delacour. “I am impressed with your fluency in French, Harry and how well you are handling my youngest daughter’s behavior.”
Harry smiled shyly, “Thank you, but she’s really not that much of a bother. You should meet my counterpart, Briallen. She’s by far a lot more of a handful, especially when she gets riled up about something.”
Dobby popped in bearing a letter, “Letter for you, Harry. It’s from your aunt.”
Harry frowned as he took the envelope, “Aunt Petunia wrote me? How?” His face brightened as he read the first part, “Oh, wow…”
Gabby tugged on his arm, “Qu'a-t-elle écrit?”
“Gabrielle! C'est sa lettre, ne sois pas curieuse.” Apolline admonished her youngest.
Harry started a bit, “Euh, ce n'est pas un problème. Elle a écrit sur la façon dont elle a réussi à convaincre la version d'elle qui vit dans cet univers de céder la tutelle à elle-même. Wow, c'est déroutant si on y pense. Tante Pétunia, le directeur Croaker – tous deux, ainsi que Mia et Sélène, sont venus me trouver et se vengeront de Dumbledore pour ses actions contre moi.”
Apolline brushed her fingers gently over his hand, “Alors qu'est-ce que cela signifie pour vous à l'avenir?”
Harry shook his head, “Aucune idée.”
Hogwarts, World 2558-P, same time
Albus had not been idle since Harry’s escape from his office ten days ago. He’d put out word through his many contacts that it was imperative that the Potter boy be returned to his care and guidance as quickly as possible. After determining that the tracking charms he’d placed on the boy no longer worked, he sighed in dismay at the crowded table full of useless devices that still sat off to the side of his office. It annoyed him greatly that the teen was behaving so irrationally and personally vowed that once Harry was back safe within the castle; Albus would make sure that he’d wear the medallion he’d made even if he had to apply a Permanent Sticking charm to the teen’s forehead.
Minutely, he wondered if perhaps he ought to check in with the Dursleys to see if they had any clue as to the lad’s whereabouts but ultimately dismissed that idea. ‘No, they both hate each other so even if I did ask, chances are likely that Petunia or her husband would lie. Better that I just keep searching. How many places could the boy find to hide in?’ He worried that Harry might’ve slipped out into the muggle world which would make his job in finding him all that much more difficult. “Perhaps I should reach out to the old crowd to see if any of them know of his whereabouts. They might have an insight as to where the brat could’ve disappeared to.”
His floo flared up drawing his attention away from his rumination. The Department of Magical Sports and Games Chief, Ludo Bagman’s head floated in the flames. “Ah, Albus! Glad you’re in. Listen I have a couple of suggestions for the upcoming Tri-Wizard Tournament. As you know, the First Task involves dragons, right? What do you say if we brought in something a bit more exciting than three Welsh Greens?”
Back at the Delacours…
After finishing out helping Gabby study for her math homework, he holed himself up in his room and began reading his copy of the fourth book when the strangest feeling washed over him. Putting down the book, he walked into the home office where Pierre was busily perusing some official paperwork, “Monsieur, sauriez-vous où je pourrais trouver des dragons?”
Pierre frowned as he looked up, “Des dragons ? Pourquoi auriez-vous besoin de les trouver?”
Still working on his shyness, Harry picked at the hem of his shirt. “Um, I had a hunch about their language capabilities. I’m able to speak Parseltongue and wondered if they’re able to as well.”
Surprised at the revelation, Pierre studied the teen for a moment. “Well, there aren’t any in the immediate area, but I think if we went to Gringotts; they might know. When would you like to go?”
Harry slipped back into French, “Je n’ai pas besoin d’y aller tout de suite si vous êtes occupé, mais peut-être plus tard ce mois-ci? S’ils sont capables de comprendre le langage du serpent; J’aurai besoin de temps pour travailler sur mon idée sur la façon de communiquer avec eux.”
Pierre hummed his approval, “I think that is agreeable with me. I must confess that your ability has made me curious to see how the dragons would react.”
Apolline entered a moment later, a mysterious smile on her face. “We have visitors, Pierre. Three people who are most anxious to find our displaced guest.” She gestured for Harry to follow her. She led the two into the foyer where Harry’s eyes bugged out as he yelped, “Aunt Petunia! Mia! Director Croaker!”
Mia immediately rushed up to him and grapple-hugged Harry tightly as if afraid that if she ever let go, he’d go and get dragged to yet another dimension. “Oh, Harry! I’ve missed you so much!”
Harry was relieved beyond belief that he’d been found by his girlfriend and aunt. “So how did you find me?” Apolline led them all into the living room and offered them a place to sit while she organized some refreshments.
Algernon answered, “Simple logic based on what your counterpart had mentioned, as well as the assistance from a helpful elf.”
Dobby and Toby popped in. The former had a sheepish expression on his face. “Toby found me after the last time I went for supplies.”
Harry held up his hand to stop Dobby’s apology, “I don’t hold you responsible for what happened, Dobs. In fact, I would’ve eventually had you reach out and contact Director Croaker when I finally found a secure place to stay.” He turned back to his aunt, “So what happens now?”
Petunia accepted the cup of tea from Apolline and replied that they would be heading back to the Department of Mysteries to go home. Harry frowned, “But Dumbledore has some sort of device he used to bring me here. What’s to stop him from trying that again?”
“Director Croaker of this world is investigating that very thing as we speak. Hopefully, he’ll have answers for us soon,” Algernon explained.
Gabby appeared and brazenly climbed into his lap. She ‘glared’ cutely at the intruders, “Harry est mon petit ami donc tu ne peux pas l'avoir!”
Harry snorted and poked her in the side, “Mia a le premier droit sur moi, Gabby mais je suis sûr qu'elle serait prête à partager mon amour pour toi aussi."
Mia looked nonplussed and leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, “Je pourrais avoir besoin de votre aide pour m’assurer qu’il fait ce qu’il est censé faire. Les garçons peuvent être très difficiles si on ne leur fixe pas de limites. Nous, les filles, devons nous serrer les coudes pour les empêcher de se déchaîner.”
Gabby’s eyes widened as she nodded rapidly and took both Harry’s and Mia’s hands in hers. “Je suis d'accord. Nous devons tenir Harry en laisse courte, sinon il pourrait s'enfuir et faire quelque chose de stupide, comme aider quelqu'un d'autre à faire ses devoirs.”
Petunia snorted in amusement, “I gather that some sort of accord has been reached between the two of you?”
Harry scoffed and shook his head ruefully. “This munchkin (playfully poking Gabby in her side again) declared me to be her boyfriend and initially didn’t want Mia to reclaim me. Mia, on the other hand, has convinced Gabby that the two of them need to work together to keep me under control so I don’t go do something ‘stupid.’”
Both Petunia and Algernon snickered at his expression of ‘why me?’ Apolline also smirked, “It could be worse. You could be under Fleur’s Allure, which would make you do something truly stupid.”
Harry turned to his hostess, “Yeah, I was wondering why she wasn’t here. I hope I haven’t caused any sort of bad feelings.” Gabby had taken his arms and wrapped them around her, wiggling slightly to cuddle in better.
Apolline waved off his concern, “At her age, she felt the need to spend more time with her friends than her loving family who greatly miss her. I do not worry though, she’ll eventually come home; I suspect she’ll have laundry that desperately needs attention.”
The English rescue trio was invited to stay the evening which was graciously accepted. Petunia and Mia regaled their hosts with tales of Harry’s time at Hogwarts (though they couched it as if he was still at this world’s Hogwarts.) Mia mentioned how Peaches always seemed to gravitate towards the raven-haired teen which caused Gabby to frown and exclaim, “Combien de personnes a-t-il aidé à faire leurs devoirs?!"
Harry calmly explained that Peaches is a baby dragon owned by the school’s groundskeeper. Pierre’s eyes lit up at that, “Ah, so that’s why you wanted to know if there were any dragons in the area?”
Harry waggled his hand, “Sort of. It would be nice to be able to give her instructions in a language she couldn’t pretend to ignore, but at the same time; I worry that my headmaster might force me to take part in the competition that’s scheduled to happen starting next year.”
Both Delacour adults frowned in confusion, “What competition?”
Algernon spoke up, “Beginning near the end October, Hogwarts will be hosting Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to take part in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.”
Pierre shook his head, “But wasn’t that thing cancelled because of the horrendous death toll?”
Petunia bobbed her head and looked apologetic, “It was, but the organizers figure it’s time they should give it another shot. Apparently they have new procedures in place; not that I trust our Ministry very much to do the right thing and let the past stay where it is.”
Apolline grimaced as she turned to peer at Harry, “So how does that involve Harry?” Harry was chewing on a bite of fish so he let the others answer.
Petunia took that, “Given Harry’s seeming bad luck for anything that takes place at the end of October; the chances are likely he’ll be dragged into the middle of this thing.”
“So how does his unwilling involvement include dragons?” Pierre wanted to know, a sinking feeling formed in his gut.
Croaker glanced at Petunia briefly, “Because the first task is to retrieve an egg from a nesting mother.”
Pierre’s face hardened as he visibly restrained himself, “I see… I shall need to speak with Madam Maxine and demand to know why I wasn’t informed of this.” At Mia’s puzzled expression, he supplied her with the answer, “I’m the French version of your Director of Magical Law Enforcement. Anything transported from Europe or Asia has to go through my department first.”
“But doesn’t the ambassador handle those sorts of requests?” Mia asked him.
He nodded once, “Yes, he does but I still need to know so I can alert the border guards. On top of that, Madam Maxine is the initial contact between Beauxbatons and Hogwarts so it begs the question of what is she hiding? Does she even know that the first task involves dragons and nesting mothers on top of that?” He turned his attention to Croaker, “Who is in charge of organizing the competition in Britain? I’ve met Director Crouch from your International Magical Cooperation and he’s never struck me as the type to mislead anyone either directly or indirectly.”
Algernon grimaced, “It’s Ludo Bagman. He’s the Department Head of Sports and Games.”
Pierre sighed in annoyance, “I know of that buffoon. He must’ve been hit by one too many bludgers to the head. It’s a wonder he can tie his own shoelaces by himself these days.”
Chuckling, Algernon agreed with the other man’s sentiment but then sobered, “While Ludo’s the public face of the tournament; I suspect Albus is the architect of the whole endeavor. It would be on par for one of his legendary convoluted plans to achieve something that could’ve been dealt with in a matter of minutes simply because he craves the attention something like the Tri-Wizard Tournament would bring him.”
The next morning…
Gabby spent the rest of the time before Harry and the others departed practically glued to his side. When all was discussed and the time for their departure was nigh, he knelt down and tapped her on the tip of her nose, “Ce n'est pas un au revoir pour toujours, Gabby. Toi et moi nous reverrons l'année prochaine.”
She sniffed sadly and looked hopeful, “Tu promets?”
“Tu l'as dit plus tôt avec Mia. Vous devez tous les deux me garder sous contrôle. Comment peux-tu faire ça si tu ne viens pas me rendre visite?” He gave her a strong hug then stepped back to take Mia’s hand. Algernon held out a tin cup portkey and gave their hosts a solemn nod before giving the activation phrase.
Once they were gone, Pierre declared that he was going into the office to investigate why he’d been kept out of the loop regarding the dragons. Apolline herded her despondent daughter back inside, “Viens, mon amour. Voyons quelle quantité de glace nous pouvons manger pour noyer vos chagrins.”
Minist ère des Affaires de la France, Paris (Ministry of Magical Affairs of France)
Algernon’s portkey dropped them off within a hundred feet of Place de Furstemberg, the hidden magical entrance to the French Ministry. Harry glanced around curiously, “So where’s the entrance? I don’t see a telephone box.”
“That’s because the French do things differently than we do.” He gathered them closely and let out a cough. The roots of the surrounding trees rose up to form a birdcage-style elevator and began descending into the ground.
Petunia grinned, “Classy. I like it.”
In the Atrium, they were met by the French Chief Unspeakable who spoke quietly with Algernon for a moment before gesturing to follow him. Harry took Mia’s hand in his and smiled fondly when she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re here, Mia.”
“Me too, Harry. You have no idea how much of a basket case I was when that bastard stole you away from me.”
They were escorted to a guest suite where they would be able to stay until the brewing international scandal was resolved. Mia disappeared into one room to check out her accommodations. Harry poked around the kitchenette for something to snack on while Petunia and Croaker settled in the living room to discuss their future plans.
“So I heard back from Robert who informed me that Albus used the Goblet of Fire to illegally enter Harry’s name as a participant of the upcoming tournament. It’s my guess he did this to make sure that Harry wouldn’t be able to escape back to our world. Should he try, the Goblet would see this as forfeiture and strip the lad of his magic as punishment.”
Harry overheard as he exited the kitchenette, “How could he do that? I thought the Ministry had enacted a new rule that only those of age would be able to enter.”
Algernon dipped his chin, “Remember the fourth book? You were entered as a selectee for a fictional school after the Goblet had been ‘confunded’ into thinking that there were four schools instead of the usual three. Hogwarts will still have its own Champion when the time comes.”
Mia settled in next to Harry and draped her legs over his lap, “How will the headmaster explain Harry’s absence? Will he even bother?”
Algernon shook his head, “I don’t think he would. After the events of your last year, I sincerely doubt that there’s a single person who doesn’t remember that Harry hasn’t been in the castle for an entire school year.”
Petunia was thoughtful, “Well, it’s not like we don’t know what the tournament will consist of. Three tasks, one of which involves stealing an egg from a nesting mother dragon. Oh, do you know the status of Robert’s Horcrux Hunt? The original Harry had to confront that demon at the end of the Third Task.”
Algernon rubbed his chin, “Good question. I’ll make a note to ask him about it. Even if Harry does have to face him in that graveyard, he won’t be alone and untrained. I plan to help him train for as much as I can between now and then.”
Later, as they were settling down for the night; Mia determinedly looked at Petunia as she joined Harry in his room. “He needs me and I need him.”
Petunia smiled knowingly, “I know. Sleep well you two.”
English to French Translations
Abrutir = Stupefy
(Hotel)
HP: “Good morning. I need to rent a room for the next two days.” (“Bonjour, je dois louer une chambre pour les deux prochains jours.”)
Clerk: “How will you be paying?” (“Comment allez-vous payer?”)
HP: “In Francs. How much?” (“En Francs. Combien?”)
Clerk: “Sixty for two nights.” (“Soixante pour deux nuits.”)
(Contact made) (PD=Pierre Delacour)
HP: “Who is it?” (“qui est-ce?”)
PD: “Mickey Mouse” (“Mickey la souris”)
HP: “What is the poet’s favorite food?” (“Quel est le plat préféré du poète?”)
PD: “Bouillabaisse.”
HP: “Mr. Delacour, it’s a pleasure. Please come in.” (“Monsieur Delacour, c'est un plaisir. Veuillez entrer.”)
PD: “I must admit that your letter caught me by surprise. Your name is, of course, infamous even here but I’m confused as to why you would contact me and how you know my family’s emergency information.” (Je dois admettre que votre lettre m'a surpris. Bien sûr, votre nom est tristement célèbre même ici, mais je ne comprends pas pourquoi vous me contacteriez et comment vous connaissez les informations d’urgence de ma famille.”)
HP: “Well it’s a long story.” (“Eh bien, c'est une longue histoire.”)
(Gabrille, Harry, and Apolline) (Gabrielle Delacour = GD; Apolline Delacour = AD)
GD: “Why do I have to do these anymore? It’s too nice out to be cooped up!” (“Pourquoi dois-je encore faire ça ? Il fait trop beau dehors pour être enfermé!”)
HP: “Because if you don’t learn these, I’ll be kicked out of the house and forced to live on the streets. Do you really want that to happen?” (“Parce que si vous ne les apprenez pas, je serai expulsé de la maison et obligé de vivre dans la rue. Voulez-vous vraiment que cela se produise?”)
GD: “No! I’m keeping you! You have to stay!” (“Non! Je te garde ! Il faut rester!”)
HP: “If you want me to stay, you’ll need to learn to multiply double digit numbers.” (“Si tu veux que je reste, tu devras apprendre à multiplier des nombres à deux chiffres.”)
GD: “What did she write?” (“Qu'a-t-elle écrit?”)
AD: “Gabrielle! It’s his letter, don’t be nosy.” (“Gabrielle ! C'est sa lettre, ne sois pas curieuse.”)
HP: “Um, it’s not a problem. She wrote about how she managed to convince the version of her who lives in this universe to sign over guardianship to herself. Wow, that’s confusing if you think about it. Aunt Petunia, Director Croaker – both of them, plus Mia and Selene have come to find me and dish out some retribution to Dumbledore for his actions against me.” (“Euh, ce n'est pas un problem. Elle a écrit sur la façon dont elle a réussi à convaincre la version d'elle qui vit dans cet univers de céder la tutelle à elle-même. Wow, c'est déroutant si on y pense. Tante Pétunia, le directeur Croaker – tous deux, ainsi que Mia et Sélène, sont venus me trouver et se vengeront de Dumbledore pour ses actions contre moi.”)
AD: “So what does this mean for you going forward?” (“Alors qu'est-ce que cela signifie pour vous à l'avenir?”)
HP: “No idea.” (“Aucune idée.”)
(Conversation about dragons)
HP: “Sir, would you know where I might be able to find some dragons?” (“Monsieur, sauriez-vous où je pourrais trouver des dragons?”)
PD: “Dragons? Why would you need to find them?” (“Des dragons ? Pourquoi auriez-vous besoin de les trouver?”)
HP: “A hunch about their language capabilities. I’m able to speak Parseltongue and wondered if they’re able to as well.” (“Une intuition sur leurs capacités linguistiques. Je suis capable de parler Fourchelang et je me demandais s’ils le pouvaient aussi.”)
PD: “Well, there aren’t any in the immediate area, but I think if we went to Gringotts; they might know. When would you like to go?” (“Eh bien, il n'y en a pas dans les environs immédiats, mais je pense que si nous allions à Gringotts ; ils pourraient le savoir. Quand aimerais-tu y aller?")
HP: “I don’t need to go right this second if you’re busy, but perhaps later this month? If they are capable of understanding the snake language; I’ll need time to work on my idea on how to communicate with them.” (“Je n’ai pas besoin d’y aller tout de suite si vous êtes occupé, mais peut-être plus tard ce mois-ci? S’ils sont capables de comprendre le langage du serpent; J’aurai besoin de temps pour travailler sur mon idée sur la façon de communiquer avec eux.”)
(Gabby to Petunia, Algernon, and Mia)
GD: “Harry is my boyfriend so you can't have him!” (“Harry est mon petit ami donc tu ne peux pas l'avoir!”)
HP: “Mia has first claim on me, Gabby but I’m sure she’d be willing to share my love for you too.” (“Mia a le premier droit sur moi, Gabby mais je suis sûr qu'elle serait prête à partager mon amour pour toi aussi.")
HG: “I could use your help in making sure he does what he’s supposed to. Boys can be quite challenging if they’re not given boundaries. We girls need to stick together to keep them from running amok.” (“Je pourrais avoir besoin de votre aide pour m’assurer qu’il fait ce qu’il est censé faire. Les garçons peuvent être très difficiles si on ne leur fixe pas de limites. Nous, les filles, devons nous serrer les coudes pour les empêcher de se déchaîner.”)
GD: “I agree. We need to keep Harry on a short leash or he might run off and do something stupid like help someone else with their homework!” (“Je suis d'accord. Nous devons tenir Harry en laisse courte, sinon il pourrait s'enfuir et faire quelque chose de stupide, comme aider quelqu'un d'autre à faire ses devoirs.”)
(At dinner; Gabby to Mia)
GD: “Just how many people has he been helping with their homework?!” (“Combien de personnes a-t-il aidé à faire leurs devoirs ?!")
(Harry to Gabby at the end of his stay)
HP: “This is not goodbye forever, Gabby. You and I will see each other next year.” (“Ce n'est pas un au revoir pour toujours, Gabby. Toi et moi nous reverrons l'année prochaine.”)
GD: “You promise?” (“Tu promets?”)
HP: “You said it earlier with Mia. The two of you need to keep me in line. How can you do that if you don’t come to visit me?” (“Tu l'as dit plus tôt avec Mia. Vous devez tous les deux me garder sous contrôle. Comment peux-tu faire ça si tu ne viens pas me rendre visite?”)
(Apolline to her daughter)
“Come along, my love. Let’s see how much ice cream we can eat to drown your sorrows.” (“Viens, mon amour. Voyons quelle quantité de glace nous pouvons manger pour noyer vos chagrins.”)