“What are you waiting for?” Nora laughed, giddy. “Hurry up, will you? Oh, of course—Harry do you need help?”

“I think so,” Harry said, his face flushed from excitement. Severus pulled down the blankets, unsure of how they were ever going to be able to get Harry down the steps.

“Carry him,” Nora suggested from the doorway. “We had a guest a while ago, an old lady… she had no room on her way back home for her wheelchair and we have yet to return it to her. We really should do that soon…. As soon as we reach the bottom of the stairs Harry can go in that, it'll much more convenient.”

“I don't want to be carried,” Harry mumbled, his face still red, although this time it wasn't from excitement. “Sev, please… don't carry me… isn't there another way?”

Nora began to walk over to the bed where Harry and Severus were. She bit her lip thoughtfully, staring at Harry closely.

“I'll take this side,” she started, “you take Harry's other side.”

She helped Harry sit up and put her left arm across Harry's back, placing her right hand on Harry's waist. Severus mimicked the movements. Then, with some effort, they lifted Harry out of the bed and staggered towards the door.

“All three of us aren't going to be able to fit down the stairs,” Nora muttered. “I'll go in front. Severus, do you have Harry's waist? He won't fall or slip?”

Severus grunted. It seemed that was the only thing he could do as Nora let go of the other side of Harry and ran as fast as she could down the stairs.

“I'll get the wheelchair!” she called over her shoulder.

With difficulty Severus managed to get both him and Harry down the stairs and by that time, Nora had the wheelchair down at the bottom of the stairs and was waiting to help get Harry into it.

Nora was slightly out of breath as soon as they accomplished getting Harry into the wheelchair—as was Severus.

“Are you all right, Harry?” Severus asked, wheeling Harry towards Althen's study with Nora in the lead.

“Yeah,” came the reply. “I just can't wait to read the incantation.”

“My uncle threw in a little surprise for you,” Nora said with her back to Severus and Harry, a smile in her voice. “You'll see soon.”

Nora held the door open to the study for Severus and Harry, and as soon as they were inside she followed, closing the door behind her.

“Well we finished successfully!” said Althen proudly, looking very pleased with this accomplishment. “As well as, if Nora didn't already tell you, a surprise. But first…” Althen trailed off, pulling out a sheet of paoer that seemed to shine in the light. It wasn't crumpled abd old-looking like the first incantation Harry had read. Althen set the paper on Harry's lap, who handled it gingerly.

“I read this, don't I?” Harry asked softly.

Althen nodded, smiling.

“You do indeed. Oh, and this—” Althen stopped and picked up another paper off his desk, which shined just like the other one in Harry's lap. “This is your surprise.”

“Uncle,” Nora said with a laugh. “I don't think they know what it is.”

“Oh, well.” Althen cleared his throat. “This is another incantation. Yes, I took the liberty of creating two—that miracle was really a miracle, and this one will come in handy. You see, if Harry stays in this reality, I imagine people back in your other reality will be quite puzzled. This is where the other incantation comes in.”

Harry frowned, looking at Althen in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Althen continued, “that this incantation will allow you to communicate with one person from your other reality. There is a time limit, of course. I think of, perhaps, one hour? Surely that'll be enough time. As soon as you read that incantation, your head should be projected so that the person in the other reality will, naturally, only see your abnormally large head that won't be quite so solid. Like a projection. Think… The Wizard of Oz, almost.”

“Oh.”

Harry watched as Althen set the other incantation on his lap, underneath the first one.

“Go ahead,” Althen said gently. “Read it, let's see what happens.”

Harry cleared his throat, glancing up at Severus, who gave him an encouraging nod of the head. Harry nodded back and began to read the incantation out loud.

“Permissum aliquid magus maneo hic, illico hinc noctis, illico hinc hora.”

Harry paused dramatically, waiting for some feeling to wash over him.

Nothing.

“It wasn't so eloquent, I didn't know really how to word this one,” Althen muttered to himself. Then to Harry, he said, “How do you feel?”

Harry shook his head, looking away in disappointment. His voice sounded distant.

“Nothing. No different.”

Althen sighed, the sigh sounding just as disappointed as Harry felt at that moment. They remained quiet, the only sound coming from a clock on the wall that went tick, pause, tick, pause, tick.

“Well,” Severus suddenly spoke, sounding relieved, happy and amused. “Look at yourself, Harry.”

Harry looked down, his eyes widening. A slow smile spread across his face. Slowly, his arms and legs were melting into view. His wrist, his ankle, his palm, his foot, his fingers, his toes…

And then he was back.

All of him.

Harry let out a breath, not knowing what to say or do. He felt like he should let out a loud yell of joy, but it was too quiet in the study to do that, except for the relieved sighs coming from the adults.

“I can't believe it,” Harry murmured. He flexed his fingers. “Amazing…”

“Now the other incantation,” Althen said eagerly, looking about as pleased as anyone could get that his incantation worked. “Go on, Harry, go on.”

It felt so nice to use his hands again. Harry picked up the other incantation and once again cleared his throat.

“Defero cum… Albus Dumbledore… inde alius mundus, illico hinc noctis, illico hinc hora.”

“Okay,” Althen whispered in excitement, handing Harry a mirror. “Now focus those words into this mirror.”

“Into? Erm…”

In Harry's concentration to focus the words into the mirror, he began to squint until he got a headache. He even thought the squinting had started to make him started seeing a bit of fog on the mirror… but then, perhaps, this was supposed to happen. Maybe he actually succeeded in focusing the words into the mirror.

Then, something began to come into view as Harry, along with everyone else, stared intently into the mirror. Yes… a figure… a very surprised looking figure.

Dumbledore.

“Harry?”

Dumbledore spoke first, staring back at Harry through the mirror with a look of utmost surprise.

“Yes,” Harry said gleefully, smiling. “You can see me?”

“Your head is floating in my office,” Dumbledore said, his eyebrows knitting together. “How? Is it… really you?”

“Yes,” Harry said again. “I read another one of Fornacis Althen's incantations and… I want to tell you… well, I—I'm staying here, sir.”

A smile crossed Dumbledore's face, and the surprised expression left. “I already had a feeling that you were,” Dumbledore said. “I'm not surprised, however. I've heard a great deal about Fornacis Althen... merely stories, I've never quite experienced anything like this for myself.”

Harry smiled back. “Sir, how are—well, how is Hedwig? My stuff… what happened to those?”

“Hedwig is fine, your things are fine,” Dumbledore replied. “Ron Weasley is looking after your owl, and I have your luggage, along with your wand, here. Although, I can see you won't be needing them.”

Harry bit his lip. “No. I—I have clothes here, and a wand… but Hedwig…” Harry sighed, closing his eyes briefly. “Tell Ron to take good care of her, sir?”

“I'll do that,” Dumbledore said, nodding his head. “Harry… are you sure—?”

Harry swallowed and nodded. “I'm completely positive. Please, sir… it feels like, in a way, I belong here. I—I'm not leaving.”

“Harry—”

“No,” Harry interrupted firmly. “Professor Dumbledore.”

Dumbledore sighed, a sign that he didn't want to argue and would willingly give in. “You're happy there, Harry?”

Harry grinned down at the mirror, where Dumbledore's image was staring back. “More than I've ever been, sir.”

Dumbledore nodded, his face softening. “That's all I need to know.”

“I wish I could say goodbye to Ron and Hermione, but… will you just tell them that I'm all right? That I'm happy and that… I'll see them again someday soon? I'd honestly appreciate it.”

“I will,” Dumbledore answered. “Have a good life, Harry.”

“Thank you. You too, sir.”

Harry looked over at Althen, mouthing, “What do I do now?”

“Just will the conversation to end,” Althen instructed gently. “Unless you have something else to add.”

“No.” Harry shook his head, doing as Althen instructed him to. “I'm fine, I think.”

The image of Dumbledore began to fade away, and soon, Harry was merely staring back at his own reflection.

“Here.” Harry handed the incantations and the mirror over to Althen. “Thank you. Thank you… thank you loads. Really.”

“You don't want to keep this communication one?”

“I don't think so,” Harry said. “I already contacted Dumbledore, if I contact Ron or Hermione that might be a little hard for me. I miss them already a lot… besides, I'll be seeing them again one day I think.”

“Harry,” Severus started, frowning, “h—”

“Dad,” Harry interrupted, “I really do think we need to see a bit of Ireland, don't you? Up there for so long… Ireland seems like a great place. It does.”

“That's all very well,” Severus said impatiently, looking grumpy. “If you hadn't interrupted me, however, I was going to ask how you were possibly going to go back to the other reality 'one day' and why.”

“I—” Harry glanced guiltily at Althen, who was staring back at him with a confused look on his face. “Well… you see… I kind of… kept the other incantations. To go to a reality… those ones…?”

Severus stared at Harry blankly. “I was under the impression that you threw those away?”

“I—I couldn't,” Harry stammered, fiddling with the bottom of his top. “I thought I might need them again someday, but you and Sirius wanted them gone so badly…”

Severus said nothing, but his expression was icy. Harry stood up, loving the fact that he was able to walk again, but dreading the fact that Severus seemed to be giving off an unfriendly vibe at the moment.

Harry looked at Nora and Althen, smiling widely. “I don't know how I can thank you enough! Er… Mr Althen, does it matter that I, uh, still have the incantations…?” Harry tried his best not to look at Severus as he said this.

“Oh no, there are more created every second—which might be an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.”

“Created?” Harry echoed, sounding confused.

“Uh huh. There's a spell on it that whenever a child is in desperate need of one it is created, so you having one is hardly the end of the world.”

Harry nodded silently, chilled by the icy vibe that was still emanating off Severus. He wondered if anyone else in the room could feel it.

“How much longer do you think you'll be staying with us—or should you be heading back?” Nora asked. She seemed a little clued in to the icy vibe.

“I'm sure we can stay for, perhaps, a couple of hours longer. You have been gracious to us; I do not like simply up and leaving, but Harry and I really must head back.”

Even Severus's voice had an icy edge to it.

“No, that's perfectly understandable,” Nora said.

Harry glanced sideways at Severus and stayed silent.

--

Severus and Harry packed their things and said much heartfelt thank-you's as well as good-bye's to Nora and Fornacis Althen. But, as much as Harry should have been in a good mood, he definitely was not. Severus, right when they got into the taxi that took them to the airport all the way until they boarded the plane, did not say one word to Harry.

“You can have the window seat,” Harry offered cheerfully as the two went down the aisle searching for their seats.

“No, thank you.”

The words, spoken so carefully and coldly and somehow meaningfully (maybe because they were the only words said to Harry recently), caused Harry to gulp.

So, as soon as they found their seats, Harry took the one by the window, Severus took the one next to Harry and an old man probably in his eighties who looked like he'd rather sleep than do anything else was next to Severus.

Harry stayed quiet, searching for something to say. “It's getting pretty dark out. Nearly nine o'clock… guess we stayed longer than planned.”

“Mm.”

Severus didn't even bother looking at Harry as he made such a simple sound, which made Harry become a little angry. At least he was trying!

“What's wrong?” Harry finally blurted, scowling. “You're acting like such a git! Why?”

“Oh, I am, are I?” Severus snarled.

Harry pinched his lips together and paled, realizing what he said. “W—well—”

“You kept those… papers without telling me,” Severus whispered in a harsh voice. “Did you think you might as well keep them around in case one day I turn around and start being a git towards you?”

Harry flinched at the accusation. “That's not it at all!”

“Mm-hm.”

“I'm serious!” Harry said, more loudly than he should have. He turned pink and lowered his voice. “You heard why I kept them.”

“I'm sure that's the reason,” Severus responded sarcastically.

Harry made a noise of disgust. “You're acting so childish.”

Severus stared coldly at Harry. “Me? Are you forgetting who is the child, here? Who's the father?”

Harry grit his teeth. Of course, Severus was his father by blood… this wasn't an adoption or anything of the sort… he'd need to still get used to this fact.

No matter, he was still angry.

“I don't care.” Harry scowled. “You're paranoid that I'll leave. That's why, before I found out there was a cure for Remus, you kept knocking on my door wanting me to open it up to you. You wouldn't just open the door and come in for yourself. You're afraid you'll do something and I'll just leave. Well you're wrong!”

Severus scowled. “That is not it. It…” Severus faltered, kept scowling, and turn his head away.

They didn't talk once during the rest of the flight.