Otherworldly Interference

As Harry's consciousness wavered on the brink of darkness, he was assaulted by a new wave of pain that seemed to originate from within his skull. His head throbbed relentlessly, each pulse sending sharp spikes of pain through his temples. He had never felt this much pain before in either of his lives.

With a groan, Harry attempted to lift his hand to his head, hoping to relieve some of the pressure. But as his fingers brushed against his forehead, a searing pain shot through him, causing him to recoil with a gasp. It felt as though his very veins were running with hot lava.

Confused, Harry tried to make sense of the inexplicable pain. There was no logical explanation for it, no injury to account for the pain he was feeling. It was as if his body was rebelling against him, each nerve ending ablaze with torment.

Struggling to focus through the haze of pain, Harry's mind raced through the possibilities. Was it a curse, perhaps? Or some unforeseen side effect of his magical healing? The questions swirled in his mind, unanswered and unsettling.

Amidst the chaos of his thoughts, a faint memory stirred in the back of Harry's mind. The Eye Correction potion and the Affliction Elixir. The Eye Correction Potion destroyed the eyes from the inside and rebuild them anew but he was not feeling any pain in his eyes. The Affliction Elixir was used to restructure the skeletal structure of the person to a desired way but then again Harry doubted anyone even remembered the potion anymore as it was from the times of Merlin. 

But the more Harry thought about the possibility, the more it seemed unlikely. The Eye Correction potion required basilisk venom, a rare and dangerous ingredient that was unlikely to be found in the confines of Hogwarts, at least till Harry's next year. And as for the Affliction Elixir, its recipe had long been lost to time, well not to Harry but still.

With a frustrated sigh, Harry realized that he was no closer to understanding the source of his pain. All he knew for certain was that it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before and it was very frustrating.

And for some even more weird reasons, he was unable to open his eyes, as if they have been glued shut. With a deepening sense of frustration, Harry struggled against the darkness that threatened to engulf him. His attempts to pry his eyes open proved futile, the lids stubbornly refusing to budge as if held in place by some unseen force. It was a sensation both disconcerting and unnerving, leaving him feeling helpless and vulnerable in the darkness.

But then, after what felt like an eternity of struggle, Harry felt a subtle shift in the air around him. A gentle warmth enveloped him, like the first rays of dawn breaking through the night. And as if in response to this newfound light, his eyelids fluttered open, revealing a world unlike any he had ever known. All the pain in his body was gone instantly as if it never happened which was even more concerning.

Blinking against the brightness, Harry found himself lying beneath the canopy of the largest tree he had ever seen. Its branches stretched out overhead, reaching towards the sky in a majestic display of strength and vitality. And beneath its sprawling roots, Harry discovered himself nestled in a field unlike any he had ever seen.

To his right, a patchwork of vibrant colors greeted him, the flowers and herbs arranged in a meticulously ordered pattern that seemed almost unnatural in its perfection. Each bloom seemed to pulse with life, their fragrant scents mingling in the air like a symphony of nature's beauty. On his left, a small pond shimmered in the sunlight, its waters crystal clear and inviting. The entire scenario seemed peaceful and calm with the gentle breeze blowing. 

As Harry took in the surreal scene before him, a sense of wonder washed over him. Where was he? How had he come to be in this strange and beautiful place? He was supposed to be at Hogwarts right....then where is this? And more importantly why did he find himself at odd places like this so often?

"Why do I seem to appear at random new places now and then?", Harry thought out loud.

"Hmm, I wonder what could have caused it?", a soft voice behind Harry said.

Harry's heart pounded in his chest as he turned around, his senses reeling with disbelief and confusion. Standing before him, bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun, was a figure that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Rea?... No, it can't be," Harry muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as he struggled to comprehend the impossible sight before him.

The figure before him smiled, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief as she took a step closer. Her hair in the same ponytail as always, wearing her favourite red dress as he had seen her wear on countless occasions. Elythral materialised in his hand immediately.

"WHO ARE YOU? WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE HER?" Harry's voice trembled with anger and fear as he raised his wand, the tears streaming down his cheeks betraying the tumult of emotions raging within him.

"Who do you think I am Harry?", the girl in front of him asked. 

"NO...YOU CANNOT BE HER...SHE IS DEAD...I COULDN'T SAVE HER...", Harry shouted. He tried to blink away his tears, but they continued to flow down his cheeks. His wand still pointed at the girl in front of him. But Harry's mind was a whirlwind of doubt and confusion, his instincts screaming at him to flee from this surreal apparition before him. And yet, despite his fear and uncertainty, a part of him longed to believe, to grasp onto the hope that somehow, against all odds, this could be real 

"I ASKED WHO ARE YOU?", Harry bellowed again letting all his magical energy out that threatened to flatten the field around him. "YOU BETTER SPEAK UP FAST WOMAN, BEFORE I LOSE WHAT LITTLE CONTROL I HAVE LEFT!"

The girl before him flinched at the outburst, her eyes wide with shock and concern. She raised her hands in a placating gesture, her voice calm yet tinged with urgency.

"Harry, please, you need to calm down," she said, her tone gentle yet firm. "I know this is a lot to take in, but you have to trust me."

But Harry's mind was a turmoil, his thoughts running wildly as he tried to make sense of the view in front of him. How could she be here? How could she look so much like her? It defied all reason, all logic, and yet...deep down, a part of him dared to hope.

"TELL ME!" Harry's voice cracked with emotion, his wand trembling in his grasp as he struggled to contain the overwhelming surge of power coursing through him.

"I am not who you think I am Arthur", the girl said with a small smile on her face. Harry was taken aback. She called him Arthur...How did she know? Who was she and why did she look exactly like Rea? 

"Who are you then?", Harry asked while still pointing his wand at her. 

The girl stepped forwards and smiled, "I am Praesidius, the Guardian God of your world".

Harry's mind started spinning again. Guardian god? Gods existed in this universe? But even if she was a god why did she look like Rea? And more importantly why was he meeting this god? Was he dead? His injuries were not that serious when he fainted. Yes they were serious but certainly not life threatening. His grip on his wand loosened slightly, but he still remained wary, uncertain of the present situation. 

"First of all, would you prefer Harry or Arthur?", she asked. 

"Harry is fine", he replied immediately "Why do you look like Rea?"

"I am sorry for that Harry but this is my original appearance and I thought that it would be easier for you to talk to me in this form rather than some other appearance. But it seems I was mistaken about that."

Harry's confusion only deepened at Praesidius's explanation. If this was her original appearance, then why did she resemble Rea so closely? It was a puzzle he couldn't seem to solve, no matter how hard he tried.

"I don't understand," Harry admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. "Why would it be easier for me to talk to you in her form? And why are you here? What do you want from me?"

Harry's confusion only deepened at Praesidius's explanation. If this was her original appearance, then why did she resemble Rea so closely? It was a puzzle he couldn't seem to solve, no matter how hard he tried.

"I don't understand," Harry admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. "Why would it be easier for me to talk to you in her form? And why are you here? What do you want from me?"

Praesidius's expression softened, her eyes filled with compassion as she regarded Harry with a mixture of understanding and sorrow. "While I am here for something else entirely, I would like to say something to you first Harry", she said with a smile. "It's not your fault Harry, nothing you could do would have saved her."

Harry scoffs, "What would you know?"

"As I said I am a god Harry, and there are a few perks of being one" she said smiling.

Harry's skepticism remained, but a glimmer of curiosity sparked within him at Praesidius's words. A god? It was a concept he found difficult to comprehend, yet there was an undeniable air of authority and wisdom about her that made it hard to dismiss her claims entirely.

"Perks?" Harry echoed, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Like what?"

Praesidius chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, for one, I have the ability to see things that others cannot. To see beyond the veil of time and space, and to understand the workings of the universe in ways that mortals cannot fathom."

Harry's skepticism wavered slightly at her words. It was one thing to claim to be a god, but quite another to possess such extraordinary abilities. And if what she said was true, then perhaps there was more to this encounter than met the eye.

"Okay," Harry said cautiously, his curiosity piqued. "So, what is it that you want from me, Praesidius? And how does it involve Rea?"

Praesidius's smile faded, replaced by a somber expression as she met Harry's gaze with unwavering intensity. "What I want, Harry, is for you to fulfill your destiny," she said earnestly. "And as for Rea...nothing. I just look the same as her."

Harry was silent. He couldn't say anything. His mind drifted off to the memories of his past life. He had known Rea since he was about 8 years old. He remembered all the fun the two of them used to have. She had committed suicide when he had moved to another state for college.

Harry's chest tightened with a mixture of sorrow and longing as he gazed upon Praesidius, who bore Rea's likeness with haunting familiarity. It was as if a piece of his past had been resurrected before his eyes, a cruel reminder of all that he had lost.

"It's not easy," Harry admitted softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "You look just like her."

Praesidius's expression softened, her eyes brimming with compassion as she reached out to gently touch Harry's shoulder. "I know, Harry," she said softly. "And I am truly sorry for your loss. But remember, she will always live on in your heart, in the memories you shared, and in the person you have become because of her."

"Since you are a god, can you tell me why I was transported into Harry's body?", Harry asked her wiping a tear from his eyes.

Praesidius regarded Harry with a thoughtful expression, her gaze piercing yet gentle as she considered his question. "The reasons behind such occurrences are often complex and intertwined with the threads of fate," she began, her voice carrying a weight of ancient wisdom. "But know this, Harry, you were brought here for a purpose, a purpose that is intricately linked to the destiny of this world."

Harry furrowed his brow in confusion, his mind swirling with a myriad of questions. "But why me? Why now?" he pressed, his voice tinged with frustration.

Praesidius's lips curved into a faint smile, her eyes alight with a spark of divine knowledge. "You possess a unique strength, Harry, a strength born from the trials you have faced and all that you have lost in your past life," she explained. 

Harry's thoughts raced as he tried to make sense of what Praesidius had just said. He didn't want to go through everything he went through in his past life again in this life.

Praesidius's words hung heavy in the air, their weight settling upon Harry's shoulders like a burden too heavy to bear. The notion of reliving the pain and loss of his past life filled him with a sense of dread, a fear of repeating the same mistakes and enduring the same heartaches all over again.

"I understand your apprehension, Harry," Praesidius said, her voice soft yet filled with an unwavering resolve. "But know this: while your past may shape you, it does not define you. Now you possess the power to get protect everything you want to. Earlier you didn't, your magic is only limited to your imagination Harry."

Harry took in the words of Praesidius. "Isn't it a universal thing that magic is only limited to your imagination?"

Praesidius chuckled, "No Harry it's not. You see wizards and witches have a barrier on their magical energy. Which means after a certain period their magical energy will stop growing and their lack of magical energy limits their possibilities of creating magic."

Praesidius's explanation left Harry feeling both intrigued and puzzled. He had always believed that magic was limitless, bound only by the boundaries of one's imagination. But now, faced with the news that there were indeed limitations to magical ability, it was rather a nasty shock.

"So, what you're saying is that my magical abilities aren't restricted by this barrier?" Harry asked, his mind racing with possibilities.

Praesidius nodded, her eyes gleaming with a knowing twinkle. "Exactly, Harry. Your magical energy will never stop growing. So your future is boundless"

"Why?", Harry asked. "Why me?"

Praesidius's smile vanished from her face, "Because only you can save this world from getting destroyed Harry"

"From Voldemort? I don't think he is that powerful. I can get his horcruxes and destroy them before my fourth year and then I'll be able to kill him", Harry explained. 

"No not from Voldemort Harry. In fact Voldemort is the least of your worries in the future" She said grimly, " And before you ask me anything, I have to tell you that I cannot tell you anything. Only remember this, Voldemort is nothing but a pawn in this game"

"But you are a god, you can surely help right?", Harry asked.

"Even though I am a god I am nowhere near as powerful as the one that threatens this world Harry", Praesidius smiled sadly. 

"Then how am I supposed to do something even you can't?", Harry asked. 

Just as Praesidius was about to answer Harry's question the sky suddenly darkened and it started raining. Harry was shocked but still it felt good to feel the rain on his skin. 

As the rain poured down around them, Praesidius's expression grew grim as she looked up at the sky, "I'm sorry, Harry, but I must send you back now," she said, her voice tinged with worry. "Any longer here and I risk accelerating the destruction of the world far sooner than anticipated."

"But what about everything you've told me? What about my destiny?" Harry asked, his voice tinged with desperation.

Praesidius's gaze softened with empathy. "Your destiny awaits you, Harry, but it's not time yet," she explained gently. "There is much you must learn and prepare for before you can face the challenges that lie ahead."

Before Harry could ask her anything else, Praesidius waved her hand towards him and he was flung backwards so fast that he lost consciousness. Just as Harry was loosing his consciousness he heard her voice say, "Don't be too tense Harry, we still have quite a lot of time left. Enjoy your childhood this time around."

When Harry's opened his eyes again, the familiar white stone ceiling of the hospital wing greeted him. The familiar sight of the white curtains and the sterile smell of potions filling the air. He sighed deeply, his life was getting more complicated than he had thought. He would have to fight someone more powerful than Voldemort, that is not exactly a thing he wanted to know. 

Just as Harry was pondering over his thoughts, the office door creaked open, and Madam Pomfrey bustled out, holding a smoking glass that suspiciously resembled Skele-Gro.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, you're awake," she exclaimed, her voice a mix of relief and concern as she hurried to his side. "You gave us quite the fright with your fall, Mr. Potter. Professor McGonagall will be contacting your guardians regarding this incident."

Harry winced at the mention of McGonagall contacting his guardians. He certainly wasn't looking forward to facing his mother's wrath.

"Madam Pomfrey, please tell me that's not Skele-Gro," Harry whimpered, eyeing the potion with dread.

Madam Pomfrey offered him a sympathetic smile. "I see you're familiar with this potion, Mr. Potter."

Harry groaned inwardly. He hadn't expected to encounter this dreadful potion until his second year, and even then, it was all thanks to the bumbling Gilderoy Lockhart something he was planning to avoid this time.

"But Skele-Gro is only used to regrow bones, Madam Pomfrey. I don't think I'm missing any bones," Harry said, hoping his assessment was correct.

At Harry's statement, Madam Pomfrey approached him and gently removed his collar, revealing the affected area. She then handed him a mirror so he could see for himself. What Harry saw nearly made him sick to his stomach. The region from his collar to his left shoulder resembled a lump of flesh-colored rubber. It was as if someone had extracted all the bones from that area.

"Why are my bones missing?" Harry asked, his voice trembling with a mix of shock and disbelief.

Madam Pomfrey sighed softly, her expression sympathetic as she explained, "Your bones were shattered into tiny fragments, Mr. Potter. The damage was so extensive that attempting to repair them would have been incredibly difficult and painful. Removing them and regrowing them with Skele-Gro was the most efficient option."

Harry groaned he really didn't want to drink the Skele-Gro. From what he had read, it's supposed to be nasty on a different level. Harry cautiously accepted the glass of smoking liquid from Madam Pomfrey, eyeing it warily. As he sniffed it, he was surprised to find that the scent was actually rather pleasant, reminiscent of peppermint and eucalyptus. It seemed harmless enough. With a shrug, he reasoned that it couldn't taste as bad as its reputation suggested.

With that thought in mind, Harry downed the entire concoction in one swift gulp. Instantly, his taste buds recoiled in horror. It was like drinking a mixture of badly fermented beer and whiskey, laced with the overpowering bitterness of cough drops. The liquid burned his throat like boiling water.

Coughing and sputtering, Harry's eyes watered as he struggled to suppress the urge to gag. Madam Pomfrey looked on with a mixture of sympathy and amusement, offering him a glass of water to wash away the unpleasant taste. Harry accepted it gratefully, gulping it down greedily to soothe his burning throat.

"Whoever made this potion should really be sent to Azkaban..", he muttered under his breathe. 

Madam Pomfrey chuckled softly at Harry's remark, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, I'm sure they had their reasons for creating such a potent potion, Mr. Potter," she replied with a hint of humor in her voice. "But I must say, you've handled it rather well for a first-timer."

Harry managed a weak smile, still feeling the lingering burn in his throat. "Well, I don't plan on making a habit of drinking Skele-Gro anytime soon," he quipped, relieved that the worst of it was over.

Madam Pomfrey nodded understandingly, a fond smile playing on her lips. "I don't blame you, Mr. Potter. It's not exactly a beverage of choice," she agreed, before turning and marching back to her office. 

Harry sighed, he was in for a rough night today. Growing bones is a nasty business. Even more nasty than having to deal with the troll's ungodly smell.

As Harry lay in the hospital wing, his mind drifted back to his encounter with Praesidius. The resemblance between her and Rea was uncanny, leaving him grappling with complex emotions and questions. Was it possible that she was somehow connected to Rea, or was it merely a coincidence?

And then there was the matter of his destiny. Was it truly his destiny to save the world, or was it something beyond his control? The weight of responsibility hung heavy on his shoulders, casting a shadow over his thoughts.

"Ahh, to hell with this. I'll just sleep", he groaned and closed his mind and eyes, letting sleep claim him. Thankfully Harry had a dreamless sleep that night which was the courtesy of Skele-Gro. The entire night Harry could literally feel his bones growing bit by bit and this was thanks to his magic sense. 

Morning came after a restless night and Harry felt that his bones had all been regrown. He looked expectantly at the office door hoping that Madam Pomfrey would come through it soon and let him know that he could go back to his dormitory. He was disappointed when it didn't happen. As he laid there thinking about what his mum would do when she came to see him. He secretly hoped that he was out of the hospital wing before that happened though. 

He turned to look around the hospital wing to see if there was anyone else there. To his dismay the entire room was empty apart from a single bed that had curtained drawn around it. Harry wanted to let his magical energy out and see who it was with his magic sense but he refrained to do so as he somehow didn't feel like doing it. But well at least he was not alone in the entire hospital wing. Not something to be happy about but still. 

Harry's eyes lingered on the curtains for a few moment before he tore them away and looked at the big clock hanging on the wall. which read 7:08 am. He really was hoping that Madam Pomfrey would come soon. Just then he heard the hospital door being opened. He looked brightly hoping that it was Madam Pomfrey. What he saw was not something he was hoping to see. 

As the door swung open, Harry's hopes for Madam Pomfrey's arrival were dashed as a group of unexpected visitors entered the hospital wing. His heart sank as he recognized each familiar face that stepped through the threshold: Petunia, Vernon, Sirius, Ron, Abigail, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny.

Harry felt cold creeping into his body as he saw the faces of his mum and the other females of the group. Hermione's glare was particularly icy, her eyes flashing with unspoken reproach. Mrs. Weasley looked disappointed and Ginny was somehow happy but also angry. Didn't make any sense but well nothing ever made sense when it came to the Weasleys. Abigail was just happy to see him. Well she was his favourite out of the entire group right now.

Harry looked at Petunia to see her smiling and rather calm, compared to the others. 

"Oh dear, I am finished.", Harry gulped as he felt his stomach sink. He had learnt the his mum's anger worked quite the opposite way. The calmer she got the more angry she was and looking at her face right now, Harry was sure he was grounded for the entire summer break. 

"Hello everyone..", Harry smiled sheepishly. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"