Harry and Daphne spent the entire day after their dramatic exit from Hogwarts wandering through the streets of Diagon Alley.
It was a strange sight, truly. Daphne felt a lingering sense of vertigo as they roamed. Moving through the Alley gave her a feeling of déjà vu, every shop front looked normal, the crooked brickwork of the Leaky Cauldron was unchanged, and the cobblestones were worn in the same uneven patterns she remembered from her youth.
She could even see faces in the crowd, a shopkeeper here, a clerk there, that looked like people she knew from her own world. Yet, the place was not her world.
She stopped for a few seconds, taking a full circle to truly observe the surroundings. It was odd, despite everything looking identical on the surface to what she knew, the "feeling" of the world was different, and she could tell.
They visited various places of the magical world, starting with Flourish & Blotts. Daphne had been intensely curious to see if the history of this world was the same as her own.
She wondered if the laws of magic were the same, too. She guessed all these years with Harry had somehow affected how she thought. Harry had said he had done some browsing when he came here the first time, as he too was curious. He pulled a leather-bound book from one of the high shelves as he leaned in to whisper to her.
"On the surface, it's the same," he told her, his green eyes scanning. "But the history… is somewhat different in some areas. This world and ours are almost the same in everything, as even in the smaller details of life match, the same spells, the same potions, but once you look deeper into the history, you'd see that even some things that are the same are different in some way."
She discovered he was right as she leafed through a history of magical disasters. Here, the destruction of Pompeii was recorded as a catastrophic failure of a rogue ritual conducted by a coven of ancient wizards seeking to control the island.
In her world, that island hadn't been lost to a mere experiment, it had been wiped off the map because of some fools who had angered a Campione and paid the price.
The differences grew even more stark as she read about the global Events. The war with Grindelwald, for example, in this world had consumed nearly all of Europe, a decade of darkness that left scars across the continent and killed millions.
In their world, Grindelwald had been a formidable threat, certainly, but his ambitions had never truly engulfed Europe in the way the books here described. In her youth, Daphne might have wondered why their Grindelwald had been so much more restrained.
Now, as she glanced at her husband, the answer couldn't have been more obvious.
Grindelwald probably had an encounter with a Campione of that era and possessed just enough self-preservation to realize that he was a very small fish in a very dangerous pond.
Harry had once explained that each Campione claimed certain territories as their personal fiefdoms. Even the most megalomaniacal Dark Lord knew better than to intrude on the hunting grounds of a Godslayer who could erase him with a casual thought.
Daphne purchased several books on history and magic, tucking them into her own expanded space. They continued their date, moving through the Alley with a lightheartedness they rarely got to enjoy at home. It was hard to really just relax when people kept glancing your way just because of who you are.
They shared a meal at a small bistro, laughing as they watched a group of wizards try to handle a runaway shipment of Mandrakes that had broken loose near the apothecary. They ate ice cream at Florean Fortescue's, sharing a sundae.
For a few hours, the titles of "King" and "Godslayer" felt like a lifetime away, as Harry enjoyed his time with his wife without interruptions.
Before she realized it, the shadows were lengthening and the day was drawing to a close. The sky was bruising into shades of violet and deep orange. Harry turned to her, a mischievous glint in his eyes that usually heralded something spectacular. He told her he wanted to surprise her, and before she could protest, he produced a silk blindfold.
"Harry, really? You're dragging me into a surprise?" she laughed, though she allowed him to tie it securely.
"Trust me, dear," he said softly, his voice warm against her ear. She heard the familiar sound of his rift opening and felt the feeling of passing through as Harry guided her gently by the hand, the sensation of the Void passing beneath her feet for only a heartbeat before the air changed, smelling of damp earth.
"Here, stop," he told her. She reached forward to remove the blindfold, but he caught her wrist, his grip firm but tender. "Not yet."
She heard distant, muffled chatter from far away, then the sound seemed to fade off, she guessed Harry put up a silencing charm around them. After about a minute of agonizing anticipation, he spoke up.
"You can take it off now."
She did, and she couldn't help the soft, sharp gasp that escaped her lips. The setting sun hung low in the sky, positioned perfectly to turn the Black Lake into a sheet of liquid gold.
It was a sight more familiar than any other to her. Back when she and Harry were still students at Hogwarts, they had spent countless hours by these shores. At one point, this specific stretch of the lake beneath the oak tree had become "their spot".
She turned to see that Harry had set up a lavish picnic, complete with the vintage wines and delicacies they enjoyed in their own manor.
"Thought we'd have some old time memories," he said, flashing that boyish, slightly crooked smile he always wore when he was feeling playful.
Daphne couldn't help but smile back. It was a constant source of wonder to her how this man could be a terrifying tyrant who made the world tremble one moment, and then turn into a charming Casanova the next. She moved forward to sit as he waved his hand, the ground instantly cleaning itself and softening into a plush, carpet-like surface to ensure no dirt would stain her dress.
They sat together, eating and talking about everything and nothing. Harry never once took his eyes off her, and she found herself lost in the emerald depths of his gaze.
After they finished eating, Harry moved to lean against the tree, and Daphne shifted closer, settling against him as his arms wrapped around her. They watched the sun sink slowly below the horizon, the silence between them comfortable and deep.
Daphne caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Far back, near the stone arches of the castle entrance, she saw a cluster of Hogwarts students watching them from a distance.
Just by the side, near the Slytherin group, she spotted her younger self and Astoria. The younger Daphne looked absolutely gobsmacked, her "Ice Queen" mask completely shattered as she watched the "Goddess" version of herself being held by Harry freaking Potter.
It drew a soft, melodic chuckle from her. Harry looked down at her before following her gaze. He snorted quietly, but as Daphne looked back at him, she suddenly got a mischievous look in her eyes. Before he could ask what she was up to, she grabbed his collar and pulled his head down, kissing him deeply in full view of the school.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the reactions. Astoria's mouth fell open so wide it was a miracle it didn't unhinge, before her face split into a massive, triumphant grin. She grabbed her sister and started shaking her excitedly, pointing at the couple by the lake. Younger Daphne looked like her brain had simply suffered a critical system failure.
Daphne pulled back from Harry just to see the fire of affection and growing lust in his eyes.
Uh oh. It seemed she had just set him off. He released a soft growl as his hands snaked around her waist, pulling her face against him. He kissed her again, far more intensely this time, and she could feel his hands wanting to start roaming over her body.
"Not here, dear," she whispered against his lips, teasing him as she smacked his hands arm playfully.
Harry bit back a genuine groan, his forehead resting against hers as he tried to catch his breath. "You'll pay for that when we get back home," he promised, his voice low and husky.
Daphne just laughed, a bright bell light sound that echoed over the water. They stayed until the last sliver of sunlight disappeared, leaving only the stars to watch over them.
It was around the time the students were having their dinner that Daphne and Harry made their final way into the Great Hall, drawing every eye in the room once again.
"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall spoke, her voice sounding incredibly tired as she looked up from her plate. "What brings you here now?"
"We're heading back to our own world, Professor," Harry replied cheerfully. "I just came to say my farewells."
He moved toward the Gryffindor table, where his younger self and friends were sitting. "So… Daphne, huh?" Hermione was the first to speak. "I guess things didn't work out after all… with Tonks, I mean."
Harry blinked, momentarily confused as he'd forgotten that she had only known he was with Tonks. "Oh, that! No, that's still going great. My wives get along wonderfully."
That statement left Ron looking like he might have a stroke, and Hermione's brain seemed to stall. Harry didn't elaborate. Instead, he reached into his hammerspace and pulled out three thick, leather-bound books, handing them to Hermione.
"Your other self liked these. I thought you'd find them more interesting than your current curriculum."
Hermione's eyes lit up with a hunger for knowledge that was universal across all realities. Then Harry turned to Ron and his younger self. "I didn't really know what to get you two, so I brought these." He pulled out two sleek, aerodynamic brooms.
"I've never seen these before," Ron whispered in awe.
"I'm not surprised," Harry said. "These were custom-made in my world using materials from the Far East. They're faster and more responsive than anything that's been made so far, I guarantee it. Consider it a gift."
Ron looked like he was about to cream himself with joy. "Thanks," the younger Harry said quietly. The boy looked like he wanted to ask many questions, but decided to just stay quiet, and Harry nodded at the boy before turning to find Daphne. She had finished her own conversation with her younger self and Astoria, the sisters sharing a final, tearful hug, no doubt thanking her again for what she had done for them.
"Well," Harry said lightly. "Time to go."
"Mr. Potter!" McGonagall called out, gesturing upward. Umbridge still hung from the wall, trapped in the steel chains Harry had conjured that morning.
"Oh, has she been up there all day?" Harry asked, sounding genuinely amused. He'd completely forgotten about her.
"Nothing we tried worked," McGonagall admitted, her voice lacking any real sympathy.
"Of course not," Harry snorted. He used an Authority. Normal magic won't work on it. He looked up at the toad, who was glaring at him. He raised a single eyebrow, and she immediately flinched. "Are you sure you want her down? It would be much quieter if I just left her there."
He heard murmurs of agreement from the student tables, and even McGonagall seemed to hesitate before she sighed and gestured for him to proceed. Harry shrugged and waved his hand. The chains vanished, and Umbridge dropped unceremoniously to the floor with a dull thud.
"Well, it was nice meeting you all again," Harry said, waving back at the Hall as he opened a final rift. Daphne stepped through first, and with one last look, he followed her.
Two weeks later.
Harry stood alone in the center of his lab. He had told the girls he would be gone for a while.
He opened a rift and followed the latest "string" he had attached to one of his daggers and thrown into the dark. He moved through the void as he created the tunnel pathway, Odin's Wisdom active, as knowledge rushed into his mind as he studied the currents of the Void.
It was a place of endless possibility and terrifying danger, but he had learning to read the ripples in the cosmic sea of existence.
"Finally," he muttered, coming to a halt.
It had taken a while, and a few jumps through realities, but he finally understood the basic architecture of the Void pathways. Well, not understood, understood more like He wasn't just drifting anymore, he was finally about to have a bit of power in navigating this place.
He stood still in the middle of the pathway, raised both hands, and focused his intent. He pulled the space in front of him, folding the distance like a piece of paper. In a flash of light and a roar of silent sound, he was standing before the light at the end of the tunnel.
He ripped open a rift and stepped through, emerging in a narrow, shadowed alleyway.
The air was salt-heavy and smelled of piss and shit, he could see crowded streets and smell the faint tang of raw fish. He closed the rift behind him and made his way up toward the light of the streets.
He emerged onto a bustling street. The architecture was massive, stone-wrought and towering, and the people wore clothing that suggested a world far removed from the 20th century. He didn't know where he was. When he had been doing this jump, he had simply aimed for a world inhabited by humans.
He spotted a beggar sitting by a stone staircase and tossed him a small, heavy gold coin. "Where am I, friend?"
The man caught the coin, looking at it with deep suspicion. He had never seen such a coin before.
"It may not be the money you're used to," Harry said calmly, "but I assure you, it is solid gold."
The man bit the coin, his eyes widening as his teeth sank into the soft metal. He pocketed it instantly, a wide, gap-toothed grin spreading across his face. "Well, my friend, you're in the Free City of Braavos, " he said, his voice gravelly.
Harry went still. 'Braavos'. He knew that name, he didn't know whether to be happy or annoyed.
'Game of Thrones".
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