Harry Potter & the Starship Enterprise
By JM Lane & Amy Tymchuk
(Harry Potter/Original Star Trek crossover)
Christine Chapel looked at her grandfather with great concern. The man wore what one would think was a Vulcan-style robe. He had white hair and a long beard; he also wore half-moon glasses. He was not the type of person one expected to see at Star Fleet Headquarters, which was why she was worried.
“Grandfather, what are you doing here?”
“Chrissy, you look lovely as always,” he said as he walked into her office. He looked around the room. It was a little too clean for his liking, but she was a doctor. He looked at her and smiled. “I have seen our Healers; they say they can do nothing for me. I was hoping that you might tell me something different.” He paused. “Christine, this is a very bad time for all mankind.”
“I know.”
Her grandfather looked almost surprised. “I still read the papers,” she informed him. “Well, come with me. We’ll have a look.”
Five minutes later it was sinking in; Albus Dumbledore would be dead by this time next year. “I don’t think that my death this way will do any good.”
“He’s really back?” She really didn’t want to know the answer, but still had to ask.
“I’m afraid so.” He walked around her office. He had not seen her in almost sixteen years because he had hurt her a great deal. He had not made the choice to hurt her; it was a terrible by-product of a choice that was for someone else’s well-being—-or so he had believed. “I never wanted to upset you, but I had no choice in the matter.”
“I understand now.” She had forgiven him a long time ago; however, by then she was so entangled in the new life which she had made for herself, and so far away, she could not just simply return to the wizard world at that time. “Perhaps now is the time for me to come back.”
Dumbledore thought for a long moment, weighing all the possibilities, then replied, “No. I believe it would serve us better if you waited until after my passing.” He moved closer to her and then touched her cheek. “I will keep in touch, don’t worry. I have to find a way to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Good day, my pet.”
* * * * *
Over the next eight weeks Christine spoke with her grandfather quite often; they made plans as to what would happen once he was gone. Because of this, she knew things no one else knew. At Christmas time, Dumbledore had Christine meet him and a very good long-time friend of his. They would meet at this friend’s place; she was shocked to see that it was the Vulcan Ambassador’s private home on Earth.
So much contrast, she thought as she walked up to the home, then rang the bell and waited only a second before being led to a sitting room. She took in the décor; all stone dark in color. Dimly lit, and very few luxuries. Maybe not so different after all. As the door to the room was opened, she saw her grandfather, and as the Vulcan turned, she saw it was Sarek. She smiled warmly.
“Ambassador Sarek, it’s good to see you again.”
“Miss Chapel, you look well.”
“Well, I did not think the two of you knew each other.” Dumbledore paused. “But at least I don’t have to make introductions. Christine, Sarek, you both know much of what is happening. Sarek, our spy will give you the information and you will get it to Christine, who will in turn give the information to the Order. Now that you have met, perhaps you two should work out a code so you know you are really one another.”
“Logic tells me there is a better—-safer—-way. Your spy gives me the information, and I pass it to someone—-a past colleague of Miss Chapel. It would seem quite normal for her to speak with her former shipmates. They in turn pass you the information.”
“This person would have to be quite trustworthy, Sarek,” Dumbledore said.
“I think Miss Chapel would agree that my son Spock is quite trustworthy. Would you not?”
Sure, if he can keep from running from the room before he tells the messages, she thought to herself. “Yes, I would agree.”
They worked out as many details as possible but as she was leaving, her grandfather called after her. “Christine, there should be some kind of code word for Spock,” Dumbledore stated.
She thought for a long moment; this should be something that only Spock would know. All she could think of were moments she’d rather forget. Finally she said, “Plomeek soup.”
Sarek raised an eyebrow. “Plomeek soup?”
“Spock will understand, and I’ll be sure it’s him.”
* * * * *
Christine sat on her balcony enjoying her breakfast on a beautiful early summer morning when she heard a faint sound in her living room. It was a noise she had not heard in a long time. She rose and walked back into her penthouse and visually scanned her living room, only to have her eyes stop at the fireplace. There in the flames was a face she had not seen in many years. Through the flames one could see the face of an older woman, but none of the natural coloring. It was, in fact, kind of creepy. Professor Minerva McGonagall, now Headmistress of Hogwarts—-and her grandmother.
“Professor McGonagall,” she said as she rushed to the mantel and fell to her knees, knowing her grandmother preferred the formal title. Only in very private situations did Christine dare to call her anything else, such as “Grandmother.”
“Dr. Chapel, Christine—- Your—- Albus has been killed. I’m sorry.” Christine could see the tears in McGonagall’s eyes. Albus and Minerva had been married for as long as Christine could remember and had had at least one daughter, her mother, who had been killed by Death Eaters when Christine was a teenager, along with her father, a Muggle of Canadian descent.
“How?”
“Snape killed him.”
Christine smiled inwardly, knowing her grandfather’s death would not be in vain, just as she knew that he had in fact planned for Snape to kill him on his orders to make Voldemort think he was still loyal to him, while all the time he was working for the Light side.
“I shall return to our world. When is the funeral?”
“In three days’ time. Will you be here by then?”
“Of course. Will he be there?”
“I would not send him back one second before I have to.”
“Good. I need to see him. I will arrive by the morning of the funeral.”
“Good; you have been gone for far too long. I have many things to discuss with you.” As the face disappeared from her fireplace, Christine turned to her com-unit. She waited until she saw Sarek’s face.
“It is time.”
“Did he go as he wished?”
As the older Vulcan spoke, she found herself fighting back tears. “I believe so.”
“He would not want you mourning him, only to remember him. And to make him proud, that which you have already done.” Sarek paused, giving her time to regain control of herself. “Where will you be?”
“The owl will find me.”
* * * * *
She packed what she believed she would need. If she needed more, she could always return. Christine then called her commanding officer, saying there was a family crisis she had to deal with, and received an undetermined length of leave, then walked to the center of her room, grabbed her trunk and with a faint pop, she vanished.
* * * * *
Once the funeral came to an end, she watched three young figures, clearly very close to each other, as they moved back to the castle. The castle was Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, of which Dumbledore had been headmaster for many years. Christine wondered why she’d returned; there were so many things she’d rather forget or leave in the past. Then she heard a voice she hadn’t heard in almost sixteen years, at the last funeral she had attended in this world.
“Christine, is that really you?”
She turned to see an old friend, looking far older than his years. The years should have been kinder to him, but then, his was a hard life, having been a werewolf since he was a child. “Remus.” She smiled warmly. “It is I. It’s been far too long. Moony, you look like something the cat dragged in.”
“And you look like an angel.” In the wizard world, everyone had codes to prove they were themselves. The two hugged. “I missed you.”
“And I you.” She wiped a tear that had escaped her.
“Minerva asked me to take care of you until she finished with the school governors.” He smiled. “This is–” He walked her over to a younger woman with pink hair. “Tonks. Tonks, this is Christine Chapel. She is—- was—- Minerva and Dumbledore’s granddaughter.”
“I’m so sorry,” Tonks replied.
“We don’t have much time; would you like to meet him?”
Christine only nodded. Within minutes they were in the castle and up at the Gryffindor common room. As they entered, they saw one boy with raven-black hair and round glasses sitting by the fire with his back to them. Remus spoke first. “Harry, there’s someone I would like you to meet.”
The young man looked up. “I’m really not up to meeting anyone.” Harry clearly had issues, Christine could see that, and couldn’t blame him for feeling as he did. Her grandfather had explained the affection he and the boy had had for each other; Harry must be hurting terribly right now but was characteristically stoic, almost Vulcanly so, reminding her a lot of Spock.
“Dumbledore would want you to meet this lady.”
Harry slowly got up and walked towards them. “Hello. Now you can say you met ‘The Boy Who Lived’. Good day.” He turned to walk away.
Tears filled Christine’s eyes; Harry had so much pain. “No. Now I can say I’ve met the young man who is my godson.” She waited for a reply.
Harry stopped dead, then turned around. “What did you say?”
“Harry, I am Christine Chapel, your godmother. Your mother Lily was my best friend.”
Harry looked shocked for a minute. “Really? So where have you been for the past sixteen years?” He was very aggrieved.
“The day your mum and dad died, I was in Canada visiting my father. By the time I heard about what happened, you were already with your aunt.” Remus and Tonks moved to the other end of the room. “I tried to get you, but could not persuade my grandfather.” It was clear Harry did not know whom she was talking about.
“And what about the rest of the time?” he asked pointedly.
“Harry, I too lost my whole world that day. I lost my best friend, my godson, and my fiancé. He betrayed us all; he was their Secret-Keeper.”
“You wanted to marry Wormtail?” he stated as if that made her guilty.
“Wormtail? No, Harry, Sirius Black. He betrayed us all. He was a Death Eater.”
“Don’t ever speak of him like that!” Harry yelled.
“Sirius didn’t betray anyone; it was Peter who was working with them.” Remus was clearly listening.
Christine was clearly shocked. “Sirius was innocent.” She sat down in the overstuffed chair. “I never knew. Where is he?”
“He died last year,” Harry said. There were tears in her eyes instantly; at that moment, he realized he liked this woman.
She again fought back tears. “Where were you?” Harry needed to know.
“After your mum and dad’s funeral, I left the wizard world. I tried to forget and move on. I made myself a life—-or at least tried to.”
“Who was your grandfather?” Harry asked.
“Dumbledore. You see, Harry, I felt I lost my whole life that day.” Just then Harry’s friends Ron and Hermione could be heard arguing as they came down the stairs.
“You would lose your head in that mess if it wasn’t attached. I don’t know how you can live like that,” the girl said, then fell quiet as they took in the scene in the common room.
“Uh, Remus, Harry, what’s going on? Who’s that?”
“A member of the Order,” Remus said. The other two teenagers looked skeptical but accepted the explanation for the moment.
“Harry, we have to go or we’ll miss the train,” Hermione said.
Harry looked at Remus and then Christine. “Go, Harry. I’ll see you in a couple of days, if that’s okay.”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll be at—-”
“I know.” With that, Harry and his friends left. Christine had seen closeness like that only twice before in her life. Her former Captain, Spock and Dr. McCoy-— then James, Remus and Sirius. But it was still remarkable. As the door closed, she turned to Remus. “He really has a lot of anger issues.”
“He’s been through a lot.”
“Sirius did not betray them?” Remus and Tonks shook their heads. “I never knew.” Or more accurately, she’d not listened when Sirius had tried to tell her—-and now she’d never have the chance to apologize and tell him how sorry she was for doubting him.
“I tried to find you when we found out. You were already off-planet. Really, Christine, Star Fleet?”
“It’s a long story.” She told them how she had gone to university and became involved with a professor, then got engaged to him only to lose him when he went on a deep space mission … then of how she joined the Fleet to try to find him.