Disclaimer: Not Mine

This story is the sequel for Of Misery and Mystery. I recommend reading that story first.

This story contains slash. It is a crossover between HP and SGA.

Thanks to my beta, Phoenix Catcher.

Please review!

Of Journeys and Justifications

Chapter One

Harry Potter sat in the middle seat in the back of the car, between two other men. The driver's and passenger's seats were also occupied. He tried to buckle his seatbelt, but gave up after a minute. He looked around, confused, and wondered where he was and how he'd gotten there. He tried to ask the man next to him. The man put his hand atop Harry's head and continued to stare straight ahead.

/\ \/ /\ \/ /\

Lt. Colonel John Sheppard and Dr. Carson Beckett sat together on the balcony outside of John's room. John unwillingly recalled seeing Remus Lupin propelled over the railing by a gunshot and Harry Potter vaulting over the railing after him. The recollection was enough to make his heart race. John felt the beginning of a headache approach. He rubbed his eyes and the action drew Carson's attention to his face.

"You're exhausted," the man said gently, "Is your insomnia getting bad again? Is-"

"Loneliness isn't a medical condition, Carson."

"Don't tell me my craft, John," Carson rebuked gently.

The comment drew a half smile from John, but it was short lived. He couldn't be bothered to keep up the pretense in front of Carson.

"I don't need to tell you that you're right. You know you are. I know you are. But I can't see what there is to be done about it. He's not dead. I can feel it. I know that. But something's wrong, Carson. Something is very wrong. I can't find him. I can't connect with him."

"I could make it easier for you."

"And it might very well make things for difficult for Harry. I can't risk that. I won't, no matter how bad it gets."

Despite Carson's medical concern, John got the feeling that Carson was pleased by his consideration of Harry's situation. Like nearly everyone else he had encountered in the magical world bar a few, Carson had a soft spot for Harry Potter. Harry had been a friend to his sister Evelyn and tried to protect her when the Death Eaters came for her and their family. Since then, Harry had done his best to continue to look out for the youngest Beckett who was now a Brother in the Monastery.

"We could look for him."

John's gaze fell on Carson, "What?"

"We could go back to Earth and look for him. We both have leave coming up. We could gate to Earth, look for him and return with the Daedalus. We shouldn't have a difficult time locating Ms. Lovegood. She may very well still be with General O'Neill, especially if the violence has continued. If she doesn't know his exact location than she help us locate him."

"We. Us," John smiled at the other man, "I see you intend to come with me."

Carson was quiet for a moment, "I owe Harry a great debt. My life and Euan's as well. I consider him a friend and you as well. There is no question that I will go with you unless you refuse my company."

John smiled.

"And I'm not exactly bad with a wand either. You're progressing with your Ancient powers, but you might do well to have someone watch your back."

John's smile lasted this time, "Thank you, Carson. Of course I'll be glad for your company."

Dr. Weir gave permission for both John and Carson to return to Earth for leave, although neither of them mentioned their intention to go looking for Harry. John began to count the days until he could return to Earth. Aware of her opinion on Harry and his actions, John gave up trying to convince her and anyone else on Atlantis that Harry was not their enemy. On this issue, he trusted only Carson. He felt he could probably trust Teyla as well, but was unwilling to risk it. He'd never felt so cautious and distrustful of the people around him and he strongly disliked it.

He passed the time practicing his Ancient powers and watching Carson test magical attacks against preserved Wraith cells. Both of their projects were slow going. John's biggest problem was finding the privacy to practice. Since his return to Atlantis, he'd barely had a moment to himself. Carson's problem was he was hesitant to cast some of the darker spells that seemed most likely to do serious damage because he'd been raised to view them as cruel and unforgivable. He'd taken to muttering to himself in the Old Tongue while he was working which both amused John and helped him to remember the language that Carson's younger brother had begun to teach him.

The day before he and Carson were scheduled to return to Earth, Dr. Elizabeth Weir called John into her office. He tried to hide the discomfort he'd felt around her since his return to Atlantis. Every time he looked at her he heard Harry's voice.

"Because we belong to very different worlds," Harry had told him before the first time they had sex, "I cannot keep you away from them forever. Eventually, they will demand that I return you. We both have a duty to our people."

Elizabeth smiled at him when he entered her office, but it wasn't like before. She had trouble understanding this new John. He was the same, but he was changed in little ways. He was wary around almost everyone except Carson and Teyla. She found herself regretting not for the first time the pressure and questioning she had forced him to suffer when he first returned to Atlantis. And the pain he had suffered before leaving. But she knew something was still going on with John and it involved Harry.

"Teyla is returning to Earth with you. She's expressed an interest in learning more about our home and our culture."

"I see."

"I trust this doesn't interrupt any plans you already have?"

John shook his head, "Of course not."

She smiled again, "Thank you, John."

After excusing himself from her office, John went to look for Carson. He waited until the other man was finished with his current patient for having a quick word with him in his office.

"Apparently Teyla is coming with us."

"Why?"

John shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe Elizabeth is worried I'm going to disappear again."

"Well, I don't see what she can do if you chose to."

"It's unwarranted. I'm not going to abandon my post or my men."

"Then we'll just do the best we can to keep Teyla unaware of our true plans."

It was easier said than done. From the moment they got to Earth, John had to go to the bathroom to escape Teyla's presence. Finally Carson left to see what information he could gather while John gave Teyla a tour of the SGC. Carson returned a few hours later with a young blonde woman that he introduced as Lt. Jennifer Hailey. He made up some excuse that John didn't even listen to in order to get Teyla to leave John and go elsewhere with him.

"Dr. Beckett told me that you're looking for Luna Lovegood, Colonel Sheppard. But I knew already knew that you'd be coming here on this day. Luna knew and she told me ages ago. Before she'd even met you, I think. She told me you'd come here and ask me to take you to her."

"Why you?"

"Luna and are friends. I'm a squib, sir. Do you know what that is?"

John nodded.

"Luna's been quieter than usual. I asked her about Harry, but she refused to say anything. I don't know if you're aware, but he hasn't been seen in sometime. People are starting to whisper that he's dead and Bellatrix Lestrange is encouraging people to think that she killed him during the assault on Grimmauld Place, but she hasn't offered any proof."

"He's not dead."

"I'm glad to hear that, sir. The situation in Britain is bad."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Is Luna with General O'Neill?"

Lt. Hailey shook her head, "General O'Neill was called back to D.C. Luna stayed here. I have a car on base, sir. I can take you and Dr. Beckett there."

John sighed, "And Teyla."

Lt. Hailey nodded, "I'll meet you topside in thirty minutes if that's alright, sir?"

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

John found Carson showing Teyla around the commissary and explaining the names and ingredients of different dishes being offered. Teyla was feigning polite interest. John watched them for a moment and wondered what to do with Teyla. When no opportunity presented itself, he decided he'd have to tell her and hope for the best. He walked up to the pair and spoke directly to her.

"Teyla, Carson and I came to Earth to find Harry."

"Sweet Merlin," Carson muttered as he cast John as disparaging look, "I could have done with some warning before that."

"Lt. Hailey is going to take us to see a woman called Luna. She's Harry's cousin. What Dr. Weir doesn't know is that my superiors here know Harry and were aware of my location the entire time I was away from Atlantis."

Teyla nodded slowly, "And how does Carson know your friend Harry?"

Carson spoke softly, "He was a friend of my late sisters. He tried to save her, but a gang of terrorists murdered her. My brother and I would have died with her if it weren't for Harry. He's a good man, Teyla."

"There still is something you are not telling me."

Carson and John exchanged glances and John spoke, "We'll tell you on the way to see Luna."

As Lt. Hailey drove, Carson and John gave Teyla a very abridged explanation of magic and the war between wizarding factions in Britain. She took in all the information calmly and none of her questions for clarification expressed any doubt and John wished he'd had the courage to tell her all of this on Atlantis. He should have known he could trust Teyla.

Once at General O'Neill's house, they found Luna in the hammock in the back yard. She stood up from the hammock and stared at John, seeming not to comprehend the others with him. She approached them slowly, not bothering to hide the shaking of her hands.

"John, have you come to tell me something?"

"We came to ask if you knew where Harry is. Christ, Luna, are you okay?"

A sob escaped her lips before she could cover her mouth with her hand. She wiped away the few tears that escaped from her eyes.

"I thought he was dead. I thought you'd come here to tell me he was dead."

John put his arms on Luna's shoulders and drew her into a gentle hug, "He's not dead, Luna. I know that much."

Her sobbing grew into hysterics and she was barely able to speak through her gasping, "I've been…I've been having dreams. I thought he was- Merlin, I thought he was already dead. Thank Merlin," she whispered, "It's not too late."

"What dreams? What do you mean?"

Luna met his gaze, "I don't understand them. He's in different places and he's looking around, confused. No one notices him. He's completely terrified. Sometimes he's screaming. Harry's never been scared of anything in his life except three people. But he's terrified."

"But you said its not to late," John questioned.

"There is a very real chance that Harry is going to be in mortal danger in the near future. I thought it had already happened and that he was already dead. But if you say he is alive, there's still time."

"He's in danger on a regular basis, Ms. Lovegood. What makes this different?"

Luna turned to Carson almost as though she noticed him for the first time, "I know you. You're one of the Beckett men. Carson, right?"

He nodded.

She spoke again, "I don't know exactly what makes this time different. He isn't going to survive this one. Not with the way things are headed."

"What can we do?" John asked gently.

"We can find him and protect him when the time comes."

John smiled, "Carson and I came back to Earth with the intention of finding Harry. With my connection to him and your sight we just might be able to pull it off."

Luna nodded slowly, "We need three more people plus we five. We need Jack to come with us. We have to go to D.C. and get him. And Remus. He's in London."

John nodded, "Okay, and the other? Is it Prince?"

Luna grimaced, "I can't believe I'm going to say this."

John tilted his head, "Who?"

"Dudley Dursley."

"What? Why?" John demanded.

"I have no idea," Luna said, "I can't imagine how he will possibly aide us, but he will. I can tell."

"I trust you. I trust your gift," John said to her, "After we find Jack and Remus we'll go to Sheffield and get Dudley."

"Sorry, who is Dudley?" Carson interrupted.

"We can have introductions and explanations later. We have to get to D.C. Jenny, you coming?" Luna asked.

"Sure."

"How will we travel? By car?" John wondered aloud.

Luna rolled her eyes, "John, you forget that you're in the company of a witch and a wizard."

Carson shook his head, "But we need more than two people to create a portkey."

Luna smiled, "Not a problem, because I've already got one. Harry made it for me," she extended her right wrist and pointed to a red bracelet, "It's not tuned to a location, it's tuned to a person. It'll take me directly to Jack."

"Isn't that a bit risky?" John asked, "He could be anywhere. We could be seen by muggles."

Luna rolled her eyes again, "John, please. We can make ourselves invisible."

Carson disillusioned John and himself, while Luna disillusioned the other two women. At Luna's instruction, they all took hold of her bracelet. Once she was sure everyone was ready, she disillusioned herself and activated the portkey. They landed in an office. General O'Neill was alone and humming to himself as he rapidly flipped through a report he was reading.

"Boring. That sentence is a fragment. Boring, boring, boring."

"Hi, Jack!"

"Augh!" He dropped the report and almost fell out of his chair, "Luna? Damn it, don't do that."

Luna canceled the spell on everyone and smiled unrepentantly at Jack, "Sorry about that."

"Hello, Luna. And friends," He rose from his chair, "Dr. Beckett, Colonel Sheppard, I can guess why you're here. I see you've gotten roped into this as well, Lt. Hailey."

She smiled, "Yes, sir."

"This is Teyla Emmagen. Teyla, this is General O'Neill."

"General."

"Welcome to Earth, Teyla. So, what brings you all to my office?"

"How do you feel about going on a quest, Jack?"

He raised an eyebrow, "A quest? What are we looking for? The Holy Grail? The Arc of the Covenant? A city made of pure gold? A device made by aliens to travel to distant worlds?"

"Have you been watching Indiana Jones again?" Luna demanded.

"No!" Jack denied, "But seriously, where are we going?"

"To find Harry."

Jack's good humor evaporated, "Count me in," he picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a number, "This is O'Neill. Ms. Lovegood and I are going somewhere to do something. I need you to rely this to the appropriate people. Oh, and Lt Colonel John Sheppard, Lt. Jennifer Haily, Dr. Carson Beckett and Teyla Emmagen will be with us as well. See that everything is taken care of."

"Jack, we'll need an international portkey with no predetermined destination."

Jack relayed the request before hanging up the phone, "They need an hour. Luna, you told me that no one had seen Harry since Dumbledore and Snape liberated Grimmauld Place over a month ago."

Luna nodded, "That's correct. He left Hermione Granger's room and was seen by two people before he disappeared."

"Who?"

"Molly Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt."

John frowned, "We should speak with them and find out if he said or did anything unusual. Wait, he didn't see Prince and Albus?"

Luna shook her head.

"But that doesn't make since. The headquarters of the Order had been under siege and Prince had gone to Sheffield to see if I was there. If for some reason he didn't seek them out, they would definitely have sought him out. They would want to make sure he was all right and to tell him that I'd returned to Atlantis. He wouldn't leave without talking to one of them."

"Maybe he didn't leave willingly?" Teyla suggested.

Jack shook his head, "If there was someone strong enough to overpower him,"

"Which isn't likely," Luna interrupted.

"Then he wouldn't have gone quietly. No, John is right. It's odd that he didn't speak to Dumbledore or Snape."

Lt. Hailey frowned, "Snape?"

"Severus Snape," Luna said, "We used to call him Prince. John, you bring up a good point. I didn't think of it, but you're right. Something must have happened to make him leave without speaking to either of them," She paused, "Or maybe he did talk to them."

"But why would they keep it to themselves?" John asked.

"They're full of secrets, those three," Luna said quietly.

"We'll ask them when we see them," Jack said firmly, "We have to go to Britain anyway, we might as well look them up while we're there."

"I'll send word to Remus, Severus and Albus and ask that they meet us at the Monastery. Maybe they'll be able to retrieve Dudley for us," Luna said quietly, "With your permission, Dr. Beckett. I think your brother would like to see you. And it's a lucky starting place for a quest."

/\ \/ /\ \/ /\

Harry Potter lay on his back on a table with four people looming over him and staring at him. They examined him with muggle tools, but none of them pierced his skin.

/\ \/ /\ \/ /\

John was vaguely surprised they didn't end up as a tangle of limbs when they landed at the gates of the Monastery from their portkey journey. He was pleased he'd managed to remain on his feet. Luna helped Jack up from his prone position on the ground and he pretended not to notice her smile. John took a step towards the entrance to the Monastery, but stopped where he saw the sheer number of people gathered there. There were people everywhere and they were staring at the arriving group. Some were crying with something akin to hope in their eyes and others were smiling and waving excitedly. Carson and Luna looked surprised by the gathering, but not fearful. Luna organized the group into a line and beckoned the people that had gathered. The people silently formed a line and walked pass the group, stopping to address each person and wish them luck or offer them a family charm. John lost count of the number of people that shook his hand, hugged him or kissed him. All of them begged him to find Harry, to bring back their Savior. John kept looking in Luna's direction and hoping she would give him some clue about how these people even knew about the quest, but she was always completely focused on the person in front of her. The first person John encountered that he recognized was Brother Euan.

"The Monastery is a good starting place for a quest," He said by way of a greeting, "I've missed you. It is a weight off my shoulders to see that you are well."

John returned the hug Brother Euan offered, "What is all this about? Why are these people here?"

"To wish you well on your quest."

"Well, yes, but how do they know about the quest?"

"Formed questing parties are automatically registered and recorded with the Ministry of Magic, so they know the members of your quest and the ultimate goal."

"The Ministry hasn't exactly been friendly to me or Harry in the past."

Brother Euan nodded, "But they can't interfere in this. It's forbidden. Even Bellatrix won't dare to interfere in your quest. It would be a serious insult against the pureblood traditions she holds so dear."

"Oh. Oh! I need to tell you something. It never occurred to me until after I'd left the Monastery."

"What?"

"I know your brother."

Brother Euan was puzzled for a moment, "My Brother?" He shook his head slowly, "You cannot mean Carson."

"I do."

"You know Carson?"

John smiled. "I do," He leaned forward and pointed down the line past Luna and Jen, "And he's right there."

John watched as Brother Euan completely bypassed the two women to stand before his brother. They embraced fiercely and John felt a surge of happiness like nothing since he'd returned to Atlantis. With a smile, he turned to face the next person come to wish them well. Walden Mungo shook his hand, slipping a small vile into it.

"It's a strong healing draught. My sister brewed it for your quest to find Harry. Eleanor and I played stone, parchment, skissor to determine which one of us could come to this. Maybe you know of it, it's a muggle game. My uncle would only permit one of us to go."

"Thank you for coming."

A gaggle of people passed, including quite a few people that identified themselves as Weasley's. He spoke briefly with Molly Weasley. She confirmed that she had seen Harry exit Hermione Granger's room and that he'd stopped only long enough to tell her that he and Hermione were both uninjured. Seeming to appear from nowhere, John suddenly found himself meeting the cold gaze of Prince. Severus, he mentally corrected himself. Severus offered an expression that was more smile than sneer. He leaned towards John.

"He's my family. I need him. It might not seem like it, but I do. I couldn't love him more if he was my own son instead of my sister's," he whispered.

"We'll find him."

"No, but you might."

John watched Severus as he approached Luna and considered his words. No, but you might. He wondered what Prince meant by that. A polite cough returned his attention to the next person, Albus Dumbledore. He wasn't surprised to see Albus and Severus together now that the younger man's allegiances were publicly known.

Albus smiled, "Hello, my boy."

"Albus, I need to ask you something."

"Please do."

"Did you see Harry before he left Grimmauld Place?"

"Yes."

John blinked in surprise at the admission, "Did he say anything to you? Did he tell you where he was going?"

"Yes, but if you take Remus there he will tell you that Harry has killed himself."

"I don't understand."

Albus sighed, "The first time Harry tried to go through the Veil, Remus prevented him. Before Harry left Grimmauld Place he told Severus and I that he thought everyone was wrong about the Veil. He told me he thought it was Ancient technology that disguised a place where people went to wait for the proper understanding so they could ascend."

"Do you think Harry tried to ascend?"

"Do you?" Albus countered.

"No."

"I don't either. Severus feels the same way. We think he went to try and remove his godfather from the Veil, assuming that it is what he thinks it is. He swore to both of us that under no circumstances would he enter the Veil. Whatever has happened to him, I do not believe that Veil to be the cause of it. However, it may very well have occurred inside the Department of Mysteries."

"That's part of the Ministry. We can't just go in there."

Albus smiled, "Of course not, but as a visiting diplomat General O'Neill and his staff may very well be granted a tour. Good luck, John," He leaned forward and gave John a kiss on the forehead that sent a strange tingling feeling all the way down to his toes before he moved on to speak with Luna.

Dudley Dursley took his place, only John didn't recognize him at first. The young man was in good shape and dressed in nice trousers with a collared shirt and tie. He looked more curious than afraid of his surroundings. He smiled at John.

"I was going to talk to a recruiter. I was thinking RAF. My mum said I look sharp, but I feel a little foolish dressed like this now. I stand out like a sore thumb," he admitted quietly.

Joh smiled, "RAF? Really?"

"Yeah," Dudley admitted, "I'm trying to get my life together. I want to be a better man than my father. The Headmaster told me you need my help because Harry's gone missing. Is that true?"

John nodded, "It is. Are you willing to give it?"

Dudley nodded without a second thought, "Yes. How can I help?"

Luna gave Dudley a mild look of disapproval before joining the conversation, "Stand here between John and I and try not to insult anyone that comes to wish us well."

Dudley followed her instructions, "I'll do my best, Ms. Lovegood."

John watched Dudley out of the corner of his eye for a few minutes, but Luna's concerns about his rudeness turned out to be unnecessary. He was perfectly polite to everyone who passed him. He graciously accepted all charms and trinkets offered to him, even the strange and magical ones.

The next person John recognized was Narcissa Malfoy. Without bothering to speak, she pulled him into a fierce embrace and kissed both of his cheeks. With a blinding smile, she gestured to the young man beside her.

"You remember my son, Draco. Were you ever introduced to his wife Virginia?"

John grinned, "Not officially. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Please, call me Ginny," she said hastily, "I broke into Harry's rooms at Hogwarts to get this. It might be useful and I don't think he'll mind if you borrow it. Open the bag later," she said as she handed him a plain paper bag.

"What's in it?"

"Luna knows what it is," Ginny said, "Good luck and stay safe."

The women moved on, but Draco lingered a moment and offered John two business cards, "If you toss this into a floo it sort of works like a muggle pager. I'll be alerted how to reach you. The second one is for my father. He asked me to pass it along in addition to his regrets about not being able attend. Use it if you need anything. Anything at all."

"I will."

The last person to pass through and offer his greetings was Ron Weasley. He was paler than ever and had dark circles under his eyes. He stared at John for a long moment before speaking throatily.

"Harry was all that kept me going after what happened to Hermione. I'm sure people have come and told you how much the need the savior and the boy-who-lived. They need him to be their symbol. They need him to have hope," he said with a tone of disgust, "And maybe I should be more sympathetic of that. But that isn't why I want him back. I want him back because he's Harry."

"I understand."

Ron turned his face away and struggled for a moment to keep himself controlled, "Remus asked me to pass along a message. He's too weak from the last full moon. He said he'll join you when he's well and not to wait for him."

Ron hugged Luna and nodded politely to everyone else before leaving. Wearing more amulets around his neck than anyone could count, Jack stepped forward.

"So what now? We aren't knights, we have no horses and really no idea where to look."

"I have an idea where we can begin. Harry did speak to Prince and Albus before he left Grimmauld Place."

"What did he say?" Luna asked.

"Harry went to the Veil to rescue his godfather."

"No," a weak voice whispered from behind him, "No! No, it can't be." Leaning heavily on a cane, Remus approached the group, "That would be suicide. He wouldn't do that."

Luna went to his side and took hold of his elbow to offer him support, "You shouldn't be up and about yet, Remus."

Remus shook his head, "I'm well enough. John, you must be mistaken. Harry knows that would be suicide. Albus would never permit it!"

"Harry thought it was Ancient technology. He thought it was a place where people went to seek enlightenment so they could ascend to a higher plane of existence. I believe Teyla and I have encountered this before in the Pegasus galaxy."

Dudley frowned, "Sorry, where?"

"I'll come back to that in a minute. The point is, Harry may very well be correct. Sirius Black might be alive."

Remus' face tightened, "No. This isn't happening. Not again. Not again. I can't have abandoned him again."

"Remus," John said gently, "Harry promised Albus he wouldn't enter the Veil under any circumstances. Albus thinks that whatever happened to him happened there, but had nothing to do with the Veil."

"He's talking about Sirius," Luna said quietly.

Remus leaned heavily on his cane and covered his face with his free hand as he sobbed. John remembered hearing that they had both been part of the same gang during school, the Marauders. He remembered what Harry had written about his godfather in the letter. Sirius was arrested, thrown in jail without a trial and left to rot for the next thirteen years. People were horrified, but not surprised. He was a Black, after all. No one had known about the switch in the secret keeper spell, so Remus must have spent all those years thinking that his friend was guilty of murdering their other friend. He'd gotten Sirius back, his one remaining friend, only to witness his death at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange a few years later.

Remus made his way over to a bench where he sat and stared blankly at his feet. Luna watched him for a moment before turning back to the others.

"We need a plan on how to get into the Ministry."

"General O'Neill is technically a visiting diplomat. He might be granted a tour," John said, "Albus suggested that would be the best way to get into the Ministry."

Jack nodded slowly, "Good idea. And call me Jack."

Luna spoke again, "I'll see what I can arrange. Jack, you'll need to come with me."

"Okay."

Luna hesitated, "Carson…"

He nodded, "I'll examine Remus and see if I can't convince him to rest."

John watched as Luna and Jack went into the Monastery and Carson went to check on Remus. After a moment, Teyla followed Carson and observed as he spoke with Remus. John was left standing outside the Monastery with Jen and Dudley. Dudley scuffed his foot against the ground.

"So, the Pegasus galaxy?"