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Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and the Chronicles of Narnia belong to C.S. Lewis. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made from the writing of this story.

III: Meeting the Narnians

As Harry walked through the many entrances in the cave, his heart constricted a little more. Etched on the faces of magical creatures of all ages was misery, pain, suffering, and defeat. The failure at the Telmarine Castle had really taken its toll on these beings and hope was starting to become a foolish idea. Harry knew it was a matter of time before they cracked. He wanted to help and something in him told him to do all that he could, but all Harry could think about was seeing his own friends—his family—in this position. It made him see the Weasleys, mourning the death of Percy. It made him see helpless men and women featured in his visions, their bodies perfectly arched as they withered in pain and succumbed to the Cruciatus curse. It made him see children become orphans and look to him—their savior, their hero, their only hope—for a possible solution; a way to prove that he really could save them and end the madness.

It made him more determined to find a way home.

Harry could feel eyes on him, but found it easy to ignore since the Wizarding World as a whole was a lot worse when it came to staring at him. The stare of the Narnians was different, though. Back home when most Wizards stared, they viewed him as an idol, savior, and scapegoat. He was someone meant to save them one minute, be crucified the next, and forced to become a sacrifice after that. When these people stared at him, their inquisitive and hopeful looks made Harry feel ashamed to even consider leaving without helping them. But despite his own people being hypocritical and not always deserving the efforts he made to keep the world safe, it was still the world he belonged to.

Harry noticed that the Narnians all stopped what they were doing, giving the old Kings and Queens of Narnia their undivided attention. It seemed not all of them were bitter about the siblings' disappearance like Nikabrik or the rest of the Black Dwarfs and patiently waited for an explanation as to Harry's appearance.

"I'm sure you're all wondering who this is or what he's doing here," Peter began, his strong voice commanding respect and attention. Not that Harry noticed, mind you. "This is Harry Potter, and he's here to help us."

Harry fidgeted slightly as murmurs rippled through the crowd. He offered them a small, hesitant smile and a tiny wave. "Hello," he felt obliged to say.

"As if," Nikabrik scoffed angrily, glaring at Harry. "He should go back to wherever he came from, the Wizard filth!"

The murmurs quickly turned into cries of outrage, most remembering their ancestors' suffering at the hand of the White Witch. Despite the efforts of the Pevensie siblings and the council, panic and fear was starting to manifest itself in the Narnians' hearts.

Harry stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he called. Most continued to bicker. Lifting his wand, he held it to his throat and when he spoke again, his voice boomed, "Excuse me!"

The Narnians were startled into silence. "That's one way of doing things," Caspian muttered.

With their fearful gazes fixated on him, Harry desperately wished the Earth would swallow him whole and make him reappear in his own world. "Thank you," he said weakly. "I'm not here to hurt you or anything. I promise, I'm nothing like the White Witch."

"How can we trust your kind?" a young centaur yelled, earning many nods from a majority of the crowd. "How do we know you're truthful?"

Harry licked his lips. "You don't," he admitted, "but if I were here to cause harm, do you really think Peter or Caspian or the others would let me stay here?"

"Has it truly been so long since a son of Adam or a daughter of Eve has had the throne that we've forgotten the protection they gave us?" Trufflehunter questioned, shaking his head in disappointment. "Everything was right and just whilst we were under High King Peter's rule. I doubt his character has changed since his unfortunate disappearance, and we've already discussed Prince Caspian and his loyalties last night. Must we argue in circles instead of trying to save our homeland?"

Many had the decency to bow their heads, ashamed. The Black Dwarfs, however, with Nikabrik in the lead, continued to glare angrily at the Pevensies, Caspian, and Harry. They hadn't forgotten the downfall of their race after the White Witch was killed and their angry expressions put Harry on edge; he wondered if, given the chance, they would start something.

Caspian stood forward. "We swore to help liberate you Narnians," he said. "And after our failure at the Telmarine castle, it is obvious that we need all the help we can get."

Nikabrik laughed cruelly, feeling more confident when others of his race sneered in disgust at the Prince. "It's apparent that you lot have no clue what you're doing," he spat angrily. "If Narnia's fate is only in your hands, then we're doomed! The only one that can possibly save us is the White Witch!"

"The White Witch only cares for her own power and seeks to destroy any who oppose her," Harry said angrily, glaring at the Dwarf. Yeah, not all Witches and Wizards were good, but they weren't all bad and evil. Besides, to glorify someone who was practically an equivalent to Voldemort infuriated Harry and he had to set the record straight before Nikabrik spewed any more bullshit. "That is not what a leader should be concerned about! In order to have a great and prosperous Kingdom, the ruled must be safe and happy! Their welfare comes first, like a child's needs do to a parent. For you to keep ignorantly advocating the White Witch and her actions proves that you do not care for Narnia, your home, and instead wish to further the superiority of your race!"

Nikabrik's mouth hung open in shock, his eyes glittering angrily. "How dare you insinuate—"

"I dare," Harry interrupted, sneering at him. He turned to the Narnians and gave a small bow. "I have no idea how to prove to you all that I mean you no harm. To be completely honest and fair to you, I do not wish to stay here longer than I have to. I have my own war to fight and my own people to save. However, I will help all that I can for as long as I can."

Glenstorm looked at Harry appraisingly. "Perhaps we can observe your skills and see what you have to offer," he suggested, looking to Peter and the others for approval.

Lucy's eyes lit up. "Is your magic different than the White Witch's?" she asked excitedly.

Harry bit his lip slightly. "Yes," he said slowly. He turned to Peter and spoke quietly, "I suppose I could show you what I've learned in school, but I need something in return."

Peter cocked an eyebrow. "What is it that you require?"

"Information," Harry replied. "I'll help you with your cause, but I'll need your help to get me back home."

Susan pursed her lips. "We already told you; you can't g—"

"I've been known to be an exception to rules, including laws of nature," Harry said hurriedly. "If I go home after helping you defeat your war and Voldemort wins because I was here, I wouldn't forgive myself if I hadn't at least attempted to return to my world. I'm more than willing to help you, but not at the expense of sentencing my world to certain death and destruction."

"I understand that," Peter said before his siblings could speak. "And, though I think it's futile, I'll help you in any way I can."

"I don't think that will happen, Harry," Lucy said suddenly, brightening. "When we go back to London, it's as if time never passed!"

Harry blinked. "Are you serious?"

Edmund chuckled ruefully. "Why didn't we think to tell you that before? It certainly would've saved us a lot of time arguing!" he exclaimed.

Peter allowed a small smile to slowly travel across his face. "I guess that solves the problem of your world perishing because you're here."

Harry coldly squished down the ball of hope and excitement that grew in the pit of his stomach. "That may be true for when you return to your world," he said softly, "but I come from a different world. What if the flow of time actually speeds up in my world while I'm here? What then?"

Edmund scowled. "Such a pessimist," he grumbled. "Can't you look on the bright side of things? You know, see the cup half full instead of half empty?"

"I'd rather not get my hopes up, if you don't mind," Harry said, feeling somewhat offended.

"As interesting as this conversation is," Caspian interjected, "I believe we were about to assess Harry's skills…"

Peter nodded his head. "Well, let's see this magic of yours," he said, feeling more than amused when Lucy practically bounced in her seat.

Harry flushed slightly, becoming more aware of all of the people watching him. "I'm not done with my schooling," he said softly, "but I can show you what I've learned over the years."

"What do you learn at the Wizard school?" Susan asked curiously as Harry whipped out his wand.

"Well, there're a lot of things you can learn," Harry replied. "Like, for our curriculum at Hogwarts, we have to take Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, History of Magic, Flying, and Defense Against the Dark Arts along with any electives you want to take."

"Cool!" Lucy said. "Do you cast spells, like ala-ka-zam?"

Harry smiled and shook his head. "Our spells are in Latin," he explained. He looked her over and smiled again. "Would you like to help me demonstrate my magic?"

Lucy nodded her head rapidly. "Oh, yes, please!" she cried. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just stand there," Harry instructed. "And don't worry; I've mastered this spell when I was eleven so I won't drop you."

"Drop her?" Susan demanded.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Harry cast. Lucy squealed and laughed as she floated in the air. Edmund and Peter's hands had automatically grabbed for their swords, but paused when Caspian pointed out that Lucy was only a foot in the air.

"Stop it," Susan shrieked. "What if she gets hurt?"

Lucy blew Susan a raspberry. "I'm not that high up!" she exclaimed. "This is fun! And besides, he said he mastered this spell when he was eleven!"

"How old are you exactly?" Peter asked, still eyeing Lucy protectively.

"Sixteen," Harry replied. "But if this makes you feel that uncomfortable, I'll let her down."

When Lucy was firmly on the ground, she eyed Harry's wand excitedly. "What else can you do?" she chirped, bouncing in place.

Nikabrik clapped his hands slowly, sneer in place. "And how exactly will that spell aid us in battle?" he questioned, disbelief and outrage clear in his voice. "Making the Telmarines float a few feet in the air won't help us at all! At least with the White Witch, she coul—"

"Petrifacus Totalus," Harry snarled, smirking with dark satisfaction as the dwarf froze and toppled over. He ignored how some of the Narnians froze up and looked at him fearfully. "So quick to judge, and so slow to think! That spell may seem harmless, but it can cause quite a lot of damage as well. It's all about the intent, when you cast spells. That particular spell could be used to, like I demonstrated, cause a person or object to simply float off the ground. You could also use that spell to lift a boulder and then drop it on someone, causing their death."

Edmund nodded his head in understanding. "Like how you use a sword," he said. "It can be used to kill, but it can also be used to protect."

Harry smiled. "Exactly."

"You can't just leave him like that!" a Black Dwarf shrieked, glaring furiously at Harry. "You rotten Wizard!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I could've done a lot worse," he sneered before murmuring a quick spell and putting away his wand.

Nikabrik sprang to his feet and bellowed to the Narnians, "YOU SEE? HE'LL KILL US ALL IN HIS SLEEP WITH THAT STICK OF HIS!"

Trumpkin scoffed. "It seems like that spell was completely justified," he said.

Trufflehunter nodded in agreement. "Us badgers will not forget the mistreatment nearly all of us suffered at the hands of the White Witch. It is like Aslan said: the only time when Narnia is peaceful and right is when a human ruled."

Agreement rippled throughout the crowd. "Trufflehunter is right," Glenstorm said sagely. "We need to fight to have our Kingdom back and help Prince Caspian take his rightful spot at the throne. It is the only way for us all to have peace."

Nikabrik huffed. "The White Wi—"

"Your continuous babble about the White Witch is open treason, dwarf!" Reepicheep exclaimed. "We will have Narnia back under High King Peter's orders, mark my words!"

"I think that is enough discussion for today," Peter called. "Let us all retire. We have a big day tomorrow and need our rest."

After wishes of a good night's rest, the Narnians began to travel throughout the tunnels in the cave to, Harry assumed, their sleeping arrangements, Nikabrik and the Black Dwarfs still glaring at Harry all the while, the Pevensies, and Caspian, Harry directed his attention to Peter and cleared his throat gently. "We had a deal," he reminded him.

Peter nodded his head. "We did," he said softly. "I'll tell you all that I know about how time works in Narnia for us. I'm afraid that's not much, though. The only one that can really help you is Aslan, but I doubt he'll be coming now."

"He will, Peter," Lucy assured. "I saw him. He'll be here."

Susan pursed her lips, but didn't voice her disbelief. Edmund sighed heavily. Caspian yawned and said softly, "I think I'll be catching up on that rest, unless I'm needed here…"

"It's alright," Peter said. "You can go to sleep. All of you can go; I'll tell Harry what I know."

Lucy and Edmund opened their mouths to protest, but sullenly obeyed Peter when he pointed to a tunnel, remembering that he was still the High King and their older brother on top of that. Susan left without a backwards glance.

"Good night, Harry, High King Peter," Caspian murmured as he left.

"Good night," Harry replied with a small smile. He turned to Peter again. "You ready?"

Peter nodded his head. "Let's get this over with."