The first rule of visiting a new universe is observation.
The second rule is don't accidentally rewrite history in the first week.
I followed both rules.
Mostly.
One Week of "Observation"
(also known as sightseeing with morally flexible shadows)
For a full week, we observed the Harry Potter world.
From rooftops.
From alleyways.
From shadows inside shadows.
Diagon Alley was lively—less capitalism, more accidental explosions. Goblins stared at us like they knew we didn't belong there, which was fair, because we really didn't.
Knockturn Alley was… unpleasant.
"This place feels like it smells evil," Rosalie muttered.
"It does," I replied. "That's the ambiance."
Alice, naturally, loved it. "Ooo, cursed objects!"
"Don't touch anything," Rosalie and I said at the same time.
Hogwarts, viewed from afar, was breathtaking. Ancient wards, layered spells, raw magic stitched into stone.
I crouched on a cliff overlooking the castle.
"…Okay," I admitted. "This Hogwarts is better run than most versions."
Alice blinked. "Most versions?"
"In some universes," I said gravely, "this place is a child endangerment lawsuit with towers."
Rosalie folded her arms. "And Dumbledore?"
I focused my shadows.
Observed meetings.
Watched lessons.
Listened to conversations.
After seven full days, I reached a verdict.
"This Dumbledore," I announced, "is… actually a good one."
Alice gasped dramatically. "Rare drop!"
"I know," I said. "No manipulation vibes. No cryptic chessmaster nonsense. He actually explains things."
Rosalie frowned. "That makes him suspicious."
"Exactly," I replied. "Therefore—"
Alice grinned. "Kidnap him?"
"Yes."
Rosalie stared at us. "…I hate that I agree."
Ethical Kidnapping: Wizard Edition
We didn't just take Dumbledore.
That would've been rude.
So we took the competent adults.
Shadows moved silently.
No alarms.
No spells.
No screaming.
One moment—
Albus Dumbledore was sipping tea.
The next—
He stood in my personal dimension, looking around like he'd just entered a very polite apocalypse.
Minerva McGonagall appeared beside him, already glaring.
"Explain," she demanded.
Filius Flitwick followed, mid-lecture, eyes sparkling.
"Oh! Oh my! This space—!"
Remus Lupin arrived next, looking tired, cautious, but composed.
And finally—
Sirius Black.
Who landed on his feet, looked around, and immediately went defensive.
"Am I dead?" he said sharply.
"No," I replied. "But that reactions are good."
He turned to me. "Who are you?"
"Adam," I said cheerfully. "Multiversal anomaly. You've been kidnapped. Please don't panic."
Sirius blinked.
"…You say that like it's normal."
"It is for me."
Introductions and First Reactions
Dumbledore adjusted his glasses, eyes thoughtful rather than afraid.
"This is not magic," he said calmly.
"Correct," I replied. "Magic-adjacent, at best."
Minerva's voice was sharp. "You removed us without consent."
"Yes."
Flitwick was vibrating with excitement. "The spatial stability! The shadows behaving like—!"
"Please don't touch them," I said. "They bite."
Lupin looked at Sirius.
Sirius looked back.
There was history there.
Heavy. Unspoken.
I explained everything.
The system.
The multiverse.
Time freezing.
Dumbledore listened intently.
When I finished, he nodded. "You could change everything."
"Yes," I said. "But I won't."
Sirius scoffed. "Why not?"
"Because free will matters," I said simply.
That earned me a long look from Lupin.
"…It does," he said quietly.
The Thought I Should Have Ignored
While discussion continued—
I had a thought.
A terrible one.
"…System," I murmured.
[Yes.]
"…Prepare visual records."
Alice's eyes lit up. "Oh no."
Rosalie groaned. "Adam."
I snapped my fingers.
The personal dimension reshaped.
Couches.
Chairs.
A massive screen.
Popcorn appeared.
Minerva stiffened. "What is this."
"Education," I said.
The title appeared:
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
Dead silence.
Sirius frowned. "Why does that name sound familiar."
Lupin went very still.
Dumbledore smiled faintly. "Ah."
Movie Night: Phase One – Confusion
The movie began.
Hagrid appeared.
McGonagall gasped. "That hat is inaccurate."
Flitwick clapped. "Wonderful charm work!"
Sirius leaned forward. "…That's James's kid."
Lupin swallowed.
Alice whispered, "This is my favorite part."
Phase Two – Realization
By movie three, the mood shifted.
Azkaban.
Sirius's escape.
The betrayal.
When Peter Pettigrew appeared—
Sirius stood up violently.
"That rat," he snarled.
Lupin stared at the screen, face pale.
"…Peter," he whispered.
The movie showed Sirius being accused.
James and Lily dead.
Silence crushed the room.
Sirius turned slowly to Lupin.
"You thought it was me."
Lupin didn't look away from the screen.
"…Yes."
The word landed like a knife.
"You thought I betrayed them."
"I had reasons," Lupin said, voice tight. "You were secretive. Reckless. And you—"
"And you never asked," Sirius snapped. "You just believed it."
The tension spiked.
Minerva looked stricken.
Dumbledore's expression darkened—not angry, but regretful.
"I failed you," he said quietly.
Sirius laughed bitterly. "Apparently."
Phase Three – It Gets Worse
The movies continued.
Lupin's curse revealed.
His resignation.
Sirius imprisoned.
Years lost.
By the time Order of the Phoenix ended—
Sirius watched his own death in silence.
Lupin didn't.
He stood abruptly.
"…I should have trusted you," Lupin said hoarsely. "I should've fought harder."
Sirius didn't look at him.
"I rotted in a cell," he said quietly. "Because no one did."
The room was suffocating.
Alice clutched my arm.
Rosalie's jaw was tight.
I hadn't expected this.
This wasn't funny anymore.
Phase Four – Fallout
When the final movie ended—
No one spoke.
Then Sirius turned to me.
"…Is that fixed here?"
I met his gaze.
"Yes," I said. "If you choose to."
Lupin stepped closer . Sirius never betrayed us."
"No," I replied. "Peter did."
Lupin exhaled shakily.
"…Then I owe you everything."
Sirius finally looked at him.
"…You owe me honesty," he said. "Nothing else."
They stood there.
Two broken men.
Dumbledore cleared his throat softly.
"Perhaps," he said, "this knowledge is a gift. A painful one—but a gift nonetheless."
Minerva nodded. "Then we do better."
Sirius looked at me again.
"…You didn't have to show us."
"I know," I said. "But now you have choices."
He laughed weakly. "You're a menace."
"Professionally."
Aftermath
The tension didn't vanish.
But it shifted.
Lupin sat beside Sirius, not touching—but close.
Alice wiped her eyes. "That was sad."
Rosalie sighed. "And informative."
Dumbledore smiled at me.
"You are dangerous," he said kindly.
"I get that a lot."
I leaned back, shadows calm around us.
"Well," I said to you, "that went… emotionally catastrophic."
But necessary.
[Chapter Thirteen Complete.]