Edit 03/17/2007: I've been editing this and a few other stories for the past few weeks while my muses took a vacation. Hopefully I caught everything. If you're rereading it or just reading it, and you find something I missed or created during the edit, please let me know. I promise I don't bite.
Title: Side Effects
Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy VIII or Harry Potter
Summary: After killing Voldemort, Harry had planned on taking a long overdue vacation. However, Harry is Fate’s favorite toy, and she has plans. Two hexes and an accidental portal later, Harry finds himself dropped in the middle of another reality where people fear magic and a Sorceress is intent on taking over the world.
Pairings: HP verse: Hermione/Ron, Tonks/Remus, Molly/Arthur, Bill/Fleur, past Harry/Ginny. FF VIII verse: Cid/Edea, one sided Rinoa/Squall, one sided Quistis/Squall, eventual/possible Selphie/Irvine, eventual Zell/library girl (who as of right now does not have a name I like), and eventual Squall/Harry.
Warnings: Swearing, death, teenage stupidity, and eventual slash as the main pairing.
Spoilers: For all six books and the game.
Author’s Notes: This is the only part were I’m listing out all the pairings, major and minor pairings in both worlds, the other chapters will only have pairings that apply to that chapter. When the other pairings solidify later (mostly FF VIII pairings), I’ll add or, in Zell’s case, correct them here. The game, when it wasn’t focused on the main plot, revolved around romance, so I’m expecting there to be a couple more (I’m also resisting the urge to throw in hints of Neville/Luna, so you may see that). However, I’m not expecting most of the pairings to be serious since they’re teenagers. I’m also editing the heck out of this thing—grammar, spelling, wording, adjusting characterization here and there, adding bits and pieces, taking out others. Characterization wise, I’ve mostly spent time adjusting how Squall and Harry come across, not so much with the others. If you spot anything too out there or not quite right for any character here, please let me know. Same goes for any mistakes I missed or created while editing.
Prologue: Letters Home
Hermione,
I’m sending everything to you because I know you’ll be the sensible one about this. I can picture you checking everything for curses, hexes, and maybe some other spells most of us would never think of, then you’ll use a spell, the one you weaseled out of Tonks, to make sure the thumb print on the seal is mine. You’ll probably do it all again just to make sure before ripping your letter open and casting a charm to make sure this is my handwriting.
Now, Hermione, this is where I’m counting on you to still be the sensible, cautious girl I know and not shout for Ron. I’m going to let you in on some things I don’t want anyone else knowing. Not Ron. Not Ginny. Not Mrs. Weasley.
I included a copy of my journal to answer all your questions, but the short of it is that portal sent me to another reality and I landed right in the middle of this world’s biggest mess. No, it wasn’t Voldemort or some evil version of Dumbledore or me, and yes, the portal took me that far. I also happened to land on someone, a guy as a matter of fact. Long story made even shorter, sometime during the past six months I fell hard and fast for this guy. It’s nothing like what I thought I wanted, but it works. It’s not loud and fiery like me and Ginny were and it’s not that quiet love with the occasional explosions like you and Ron have. It’s dependable, quiet, passionate, giving, and amazing all at once. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but the only other way I know to describe it is like coming home. I wish you could meet him; I like to think you’d like him.
I want to tell you everything here, but my journal has all the details, even some personal things I don’t want anyone else to know. I trusting you to keep it safe from everyone else, or maybe burn it when you’re done reading it. Ginny will be hurt if she ever finds out what’s in it. I know she’s your friend, too, and I’m sorry for putting you in this situation, but you’re the only person I trust to know everything and still respect my wishes. You might call me the universe’s biggest asshole, though.
Hell, what I’m trying to say is: I want to stay here. In this world I’m as normal and ordinary as I’m ever going to get in any reality…
Okay, I’m infamous because I’m the first sorcerer this world has seen in a long time, participated in the battle against Ultimecia, and possibly because I’m living with Squall, but I don’t mind. Back where you are I could never be sure if people liked me for me, if the job I wanted came because of my fame, or if the people around me would like me one day then call for my arrest the next because of the Daily Prophet. Please forgive me, but sometimes I even wondered if you and Ron became my friends because of my scar and if Ginny loved me or the person she imagined I was. I know people here accept me for me--at least I know the people who met me before everything went to shit do.
I know it’s hard to believe, but I am really and truly happy here. I have friends who, while aren’t as close as you and Ron, are good ones; I live in a school that flies; I’m training for a job I love, and I have a lover who loves me for me. Please, Hermione, please convince the others to not to look for a way to take me away from this, or to come here looking for me.
Please, let me have the life I never could there.
I will always think of you and the Weasleys as family, and I will always love you, but Britain is no longer my home.
I’m sorry and goodbye,
Harry James Potter
P.S. Could you double check the spells on the Ruby Dragon plushy? It’s for Bill and Fluer’s baby, and I put a few protection and preservation charms on it, but I’m not sure magic translates well. I once cast alohomora to get in to my quarters ‘cause I couldn’t remember the new passcode and it unlocked all the doors in the hall.
Hermione wiped the tears from her face and carefully put the letter down on the table, because if she didn’t do it carefully, she was going to rip it to shreds.
Harry, the closest thing she had to a little brother, had just done the most selfish thing she had ever known him to do, and she wanted to hate him for it.
She couldn’t.
She couldn’t blame him for wanting to be normal, for wanting to be able to trust people, for wanting someone to love him for who he really was, because when it came down to it, none of them had seen him first. Ginny had fallen for ‘the boy who lived’ first and later, when Ginny found out he wasn’t quite who she had thought, spent a week crying before becoming to determined to turn into someone Harry would really like. Ron had confessed to her once he had gone to that compartment before first year just to see Harry’s scar. Being Harry’s best friend was something Ron wouldn’t give up for anything now, but he still had gone to be able to say he had met ‘the boy who lived’ and seen his scar. And Hermione, well, once she had found out about him, she had expected him to be perfect at every class, to out shine everyone else. The instant she had finished reading up on him, she had begun reading and rereading her course books to beat him, just to get his attention. She was normally a very studious person, but Harry’s reputation had spurred her drive to much higher levels. It had been a harsh disappointment to find out he was a very ordinary boy. No matter how little Hermione wanted to admit it, the only person who Harry considered a friend who had seen him just for him was Hagrid.
Hermione made a sound that was cross between a laugh and a sob, as she reached for the bag the letter had appeared with. Her hand was shaky as she unzipped it, but she got it open without getting the zipper stuck. The first thing she saw was a large stack of letters tied neatly together with string. She pulled them out.
She let out another choked laugh when she saw the first letter was to her. Harry had known she wasn’t going to show the first to anyone else and had planned ahead. She wanted to read it, but she put the stack aside without untying the string. She did, however, notice Ginny’s letter, which was sticking out just enough so Hermione could see the first three letters of her name, was probably the thinnest, and she sighed sadly. Harry probably hadn’t known how to explain things without hurting Ginny and glossed over a lot. She could only hope Harry’s other letters never mentioned this Squall’s sex, because while Ginny could take loosing Harry to another woman, Hermione wasn’t sure how the girl would take loosing him to a man. Unless Harry told her, Hermione was planning to keep that secret for a good five, maybe ten years.
After she pulled out a large red dragon plush toy—being extra careful not to jiggle it too much; she could feel the magic in it and it felt much stronger than Harry’s had before he’d disappeared—she saw the bottom of the bag was covered with several wrapped packages, each with a tag saying who it went to, and a small photo album. While Hermione was itching to open the two book shaped packages with her name on them—one had to be Harry’s journal—she picked up the photo album first. She flipped through it eagerly. Later she would spend hours matching the people in it to the descriptions in Harry’s journal, but for now she was looking for something in particular. She found it near the back, a picture of Harry and another man.
The man had been in a few other pictures, but all of those had been group shots. In this picture, he and Harry were alone. They were standing close together on a metal platform, leaning against the railing and, from what Hermione could tell, talking. There was nothing obvious, but the longer she looked at it, the more Hermione noticed and the more she became convinced this man was Squall. It wasn’t that there was anything suggestive about the picture—they were acting completely innocent—but the warm, happy expression on Harry’s face, Squall’s barely there smile, their relaxed posture, and how close they were spoke volumes to Hermione. Whoever had taken the picture had to have snuck up on the two of them and caught them in a private moment, because for all that it was only a muggle photo, Hermione felt like an intruder just looking at it.
“You better be good to him,” Hermione muttered, tapping the picture. “Or I will find a way to go there and kick your ass.”
She waited a moment, halfway expecting the picture Squall to turn and glare at her, but nothing happened. She laughed at herself and quickly looked at the last few photos. None of the others caught her interest and she put the album aside, one hand already reaching for the two packages addressed to her. She was tempted by the larger book first, but while her journal of six months in another reality could easily be that big, the small one was more like Harry. She eagerly ripped the brown paper off, all set to begin reading it, when she saw a folded piece of paper sticking out of the journal. She pulled it free of the pages and opened it, mildly confused why Harry would be sending her a third letter. Then she realized it wasn’t from Harry.
Ms. Granger,
Harry said you are the closest thing he has to a sister, and while he said Weasley is like a brother, he also said you are the responsible one. I want to assure you I, to the best of my ability, will try to keep him out of trouble and keep him safe. However, I’m sure you’ve noticed he attracts it so please forgive me ahead of time if he still manages to do something stupid.
Also, if you’re half as intelligent as Harry’s says you are, I’m sure you can read between the lines and one look at Harry’s journal is going to send you into shock. You should know Harry chose to follow us into battle, despite the serious risk to his physical and mental health. I apologize for not trying to keep him out of it, but at the time we desperately needed the edge having a sorcerer on our side gave us. You have my word that I will do my best to keep him away from things of this nature in the future.
Sincerely,
Commander Squall Leonhart
Hermione snorted once, again, then just flat out laughed. It was too funny to think this Commander thought he could keep her Harry out of trouble. Still snickering, she folded the letter up and put it on top of the one Harry had sent her before finally opening the journal. She would only read a bit, just a tiny bit, and then she would Floo Ron.
Hermione,
I’m sending everything to you because I know you’ll be the sensible one about this. I can picture you checking everything for curses, hexes, and maybe some other spells most of us would never think of, then you’ll use a spell, the one you weaseled out of Tonks, to make sure the thumb print on the seal is mine. You’ll probably do it all again just to make sure before ripping your letter open and casting a charm to make sure this is my handwriting.
Now, Hermione, this is where I’m counting on you to still be the sensible, cautious girl I know and not shout for Ron. I’m going to let you in on some things I don’t want anyone else knowing. Not Ron. Not Ginny. Not Mrs. Weasley.
I included a copy of my journal to answer all your questions, but the short of it is that portal sent me to another reality and I landed right in the middle of this world’s biggest mess. No, it wasn’t Voldemort or some evil version of Dumbledore or me, and yes, the portal took me that far. I also happened to land on someone, a guy as a matter of fact. Long story made even shorter, sometime during the past six months I fell hard and fast for this guy. It’s nothing like what I thought I wanted, but it works. It’s not loud and fiery like me and Ginny were and it’s not that quiet love with the occasional explosions like you and Ron have. It’s dependable, quiet, passionate, giving, and amazing all at once. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but the only other way I know to describe it is like coming home. I wish you could meet him; I like to think you’d like him.
I want to tell you everything here, but my journal has all the details, even some personal things I don’t want anyone else to know. I trusting you to keep it safe from everyone else, or maybe burn it when you’re done reading it. Ginny will be hurt if she ever finds out what’s in it. I know she’s your friend, too, and I’m sorry for putting you in this situation, but you’re the only person I trust to know everything and still respect my wishes. You might call me the universe’s biggest asshole, though.
Hell, what I’m trying to say is: I want to stay here. In this world I’m as normal and ordinary as I’m ever going to get in any reality…
Okay, I’m infamous because I’m the first sorcerer this world has seen in a long time, participated in the battle against Ultimecia, and possibly because I’m living with Squall, but I don’t mind. Back where you are I could never be sure if people liked me for me, if the job I wanted came because of my fame, or if the people around me would like me one day then call for my arrest the next because of the Daily Prophet. Please forgive me, but sometimes I even wondered if you and Ron became my friends because of my scar and if Ginny loved me or the person she imagined I was. I know people here accept me for me--at least I know the people who met me before everything went to shit do.
I know it’s hard to believe, but I am really and truly happy here. I have friends who, while aren’t as close as you and Ron, are good ones; I live in a school that flies; I’m training for a job I love, and I have a lover who loves me for me. Please, Hermione, please convince the others to not to look for a way to take me away from this, or to come here looking for me.
Please, let me have the life I never could there.
I will always think of you and the Weasleys as family, and I will always love you, but Britain is no longer my home.
I’m sorry and goodbye,
Harry James Potter
P.S. Could you double check the spells on the Ruby Dragon plushy? It’s for Bill and Fluer’s baby, and I put a few protection and preservation charms on it, but I’m not sure magic translates well. I once cast alohomora to get in to my quarters ‘cause I couldn’t remember the new passcode and it unlocked all the doors in the hall.
Hermione wiped the tears from her face and carefully put the letter down on the table, because if she didn’t do it carefully, she was going to rip it to shreds.
Harry, the closest thing she had to a little brother, had just done the most selfish thing she had ever known him to do, and she wanted to hate him for it.
She couldn’t.
She couldn’t blame him for wanting to be normal, for wanting to be able to trust people, for wanting someone to love him for who he really was, because when it came down to it, none of them had seen him first. Ginny had fallen for ‘the boy who lived’ first and later, when Ginny found out he wasn’t quite who she had thought, spent a week crying before becoming to determined to turn into someone Harry would really like. Ron had confessed to her once he had gone to that compartment before first year just to see Harry’s scar. Being Harry’s best friend was something Ron wouldn’t give up for anything now, but he still had gone to be able to say he had met ‘the boy who lived’ and seen his scar. And Hermione, well, once she had found out about him, she had expected him to be perfect at every class, to out shine everyone else. The instant she had finished reading up on him, she had begun reading and rereading her course books to beat him, just to get his attention. She was normally a very studious person, but Harry’s reputation had spurred her drive to much higher levels. It had been a harsh disappointment to find out he was a very ordinary boy. No matter how little Hermione wanted to admit it, the only person who Harry considered a friend who had seen him just for him was Hagrid.
Hermione made a sound that was cross between a laugh and a sob, as she reached for the bag the letter had appeared with. Her hand was shaky as she unzipped it, but she got it open without getting the zipper stuck. The first thing she saw was a large stack of letters tied neatly together with string. She pulled them out.
She let out another choked laugh when she saw the first letter was to her. Harry had known she wasn’t going to show the first to anyone else and had planned ahead. She wanted to read it, but she put the stack aside without untying the string. She did, however, notice Ginny’s letter, which was sticking out just enough so Hermione could see the first three letters of her name, was probably the thinnest, and she sighed sadly. Harry probably hadn’t known how to explain things without hurting Ginny and glossed over a lot. She could only hope Harry’s other letters never mentioned this Squall’s sex, because while Ginny could take loosing Harry to another woman, Hermione wasn’t sure how the girl would take loosing him to a man. Unless Harry told her, Hermione was planning to keep that secret for a good five, maybe ten years.
After she pulled out a large red dragon plush toy—being extra careful not to jiggle it too much; she could feel the magic in it and it felt much stronger than Harry’s had before he’d disappeared—she saw the bottom of the bag was covered with several wrapped packages, each with a tag saying who it went to, and a small photo album. While Hermione was itching to open the two book shaped packages with her name on them—one had to be Harry’s journal—she picked up the photo album first. She flipped through it eagerly. Later she would spend hours matching the people in it to the descriptions in Harry’s journal, but for now she was looking for something in particular. She found it near the back, a picture of Harry and another man.
The man had been in a few other pictures, but all of those had been group shots. In this picture, he and Harry were alone. They were standing close together on a metal platform, leaning against the railing and, from what Hermione could tell, talking. There was nothing obvious, but the longer she looked at it, the more Hermione noticed and the more she became convinced this man was Squall. It wasn’t that there was anything suggestive about the picture—they were acting completely innocent—but the warm, happy expression on Harry’s face, Squall’s barely there smile, their relaxed posture, and how close they were spoke volumes to Hermione. Whoever had taken the picture had to have snuck up on the two of them and caught them in a private moment, because for all that it was only a muggle photo, Hermione felt like an intruder just looking at it.
“You better be good to him,” Hermione muttered, tapping the picture. “Or I will find a way to go there and kick your ass.”
She waited a moment, halfway expecting the picture Squall to turn and glare at her, but nothing happened. She laughed at herself and quickly looked at the last few photos. None of the others caught her interest and she put the album aside, one hand already reaching for the two packages addressed to her. She was tempted by the larger book first, but while her journal of six months in another reality could easily be that big, the small one was more like Harry. She eagerly ripped the brown paper off, all set to begin reading it, when she saw a folded piece of paper sticking out of the journal. She pulled it free of the pages and opened it, mildly confused why Harry would be sending her a third letter. Then she realized it wasn’t from Harry.
Ms. Granger,
Harry said you are the closest thing he has to a sister, and while he said Weasley is like a brother, he also said you are the responsible one. I want to assure you I, to the best of my ability, will try to keep him out of trouble and keep him safe. However, I’m sure you’ve noticed he attracts it so please forgive me ahead of time if he still manages to do something stupid.
Also, if you’re half as intelligent as Harry’s says you are, I’m sure you can read between the lines and one look at Harry’s journal is going to send you into shock. You should know Harry chose to follow us into battle, despite the serious risk to his physical and mental health. I apologize for not trying to keep him out of it, but at the time we desperately needed the edge having a sorcerer on our side gave us. You have my word that I will do my best to keep him away from things of this nature in the future.
Sincerely,
Commander Squall Leonhart
Hermione snorted once, again, then just flat out laughed. It was too funny to think this Commander thought he could keep her Harry out of trouble. Still snickering, she folded the letter up and put it on top of the one Harry had sent her before finally opening the journal. She would only read a bit, just a tiny bit, and then she would Floo Ron.
Tags: crossover, ffviii, hp, side effects, squall/harry