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Chapter Text

Hagrid and Sirius were both searching the mess of the house for any survivors. Sirius because he was desperate to have not lost his best friend, his godson, or Lily, who'd grown on him. Hagrid because he had orders from Dumbledore to bring Harry Potter to Privet Drive. Hagrid found his goal first and, with a slightly apologetic look over his shoulder at the still frantically searching Sirius, quietly left without telling him.

Sirius halted his movements half an hour after the half-giant had disappeared, his ears finally registering the lack of noise his friend had made when he was searching.

"Didn't even let me say goodbye," Sirius mourned softly. "Dammit!" Still, Sirius would at least gather everything that he could from the house and take it down to the Potter vaults in Gringotts. Lily's jewellery, diaries, schoolbooks and research journals; James' awards, journals, family portraits, invisibility cloak and the prank diary; both of their wands... there was a third wand. Sirius growled, but gathered it up as well. It was very tempting to break this wand, but it might come in useful some day – such as when he took those Death Eater bastards to court – so he held himself in check, and refrained from breaking the wretched thing.

~oOo~

At midnight, Harry Potter was left on the doorstep of number four Privet Drive, with a note for his aunt telling her to take care of him. By dawn, the child was gone, whisked away by merciful fate to the far side of the globe where the sun was a mere two hours from setting, to a very different doorstep.

"Hitsuzen has brought us a customer," a tall, elegant woman declared serenely, though there was a measure of surprise in her tone as well as she looked down at the small bundle for a moment before she bent to pick it up.

"What do you have there Youko? Started stealing babies now?" Watanuki asked as he saw the bundle in his employer's arms.

"No Watanuki, the child simply appeared here. But what to do with the child?" she asked, looking out at her front gate. "Well, I opened the dimensional gates for that group the other week, maybe I'll send this little one off after them. But what payment?" she wondered, only to spot the letter in the folds of his blanket. Withdrawing and reading it, Youko frowned. "It seems that the child has already lost everything precious to him," she observed sadly. "That's no good at all, it really leaves very little else for equal exchange."

"Er, Youko, what's that?" Watanuki asked, pointing to the mark on the boy's head.

Youko looked again, then back to the letter, and smiled. "That, Watanuki, is the symbol of his fame in the United Kingdom. I think that would make equal exchange perfectly. We'll need to find something in the store room that can be sent with him to care for him, make sure he gets fed, cleaned, stays healthy and doesn't get stepped on, not to mention remove that scar."

Watanuki sighed as he followed his boss back into the building. She was in a good mood again. That was almost as bad as her being in a bad mood or hung over.

"Harry James Potter, born at eleven fifty-seven on July the thirty-first, you are going to give me that scar, yes you are! Yes you are!" she cooed, tickling the baby's nose with her own, a huge grin infecting her whole visage.

"I don't know why you'd want a scar," Watanuki complained. "Especially on your face."

Youko snorted. "I'm not going to transfer his scar to me, idiot. It's going to go into storage until someone comes who does want it, and will pay a fair price."

Watanuki could only roll his eyes at his boss behind her back. "Alright, so who or what are you going to send with the kid to look after him?"

Youko started to hum as she browsed through the storage shed, one arm cradling Harry while the other brushed things aside. Shifting one box aside, Youko froze completely.

"Perfect," she breathed, moving again, picking up the thing that she had found. "Now I just have to collect my payment. Let's do this in the comfort of the main lounge."

Half an hour later, with all the magic done, Youko was grinning like a maniac. "Oh yes, that scar is definitely worth it!" she crowed. "Both the inter-dimensional tripping and his caretaker!"

Watanuki could only shake his head at his crazy boss. What was so great about the scar? It had glowed black when she'd peeled it off, okay, not normal, but what was the big deal? Really? And what the heck was that statue that she'd sent with the kid? He didn't remember seeing it when he'd cleaned up the storage shed before.

~oOo~

Baron Humbert von Gikkingken had gone to live with the space-time witch after his adventures with Miss Haru into the Cat Kingdom. Not immediately of course, he'd promised that the Cat Bureau would always be open to her after all, but she hadn't needed them again and there had been no other business in that time either. So he'd gone to see the witch and had withdrawn himself from society completely, asking that she let him rest, undisturbed, until someone came to her who would need his help for something hopefully more long-term than a get-out-by-dawn adventure that had set his heart pumping in his wooden chest.

That time had come at last, after he didn't care to know how long, and he was rather surprised to find that he was looking down at a baby who had eyes just as brightly green as his own. Youko had explained the situation to him and then sent them both off, promising that fate would guide them to wherever they needed to be.

Their first stop on the inter-dimensional tour that Youko had set up for the boy appeared to be completely unsuitable however. A military encampment, even a hospital, was no place for a child. Especially not with alarm blaring about fresh wounded, indicating an active war-zone.

Baron quickly scooped up his charge and ran towards the nearest door. Being in the middle of the road was not a safe landing place for an only-maybe-mobile but currently sleeping infant.

"What -?" a soft, gentle voice just about yelped in surprise. "What is a child doing here?"

"We just landed," Baron answered. "In the middle of the road."

"Not a safe place to be just now," the blonde, glasses-wearing man observed. "I'm Father Mulcahy, the assigned chaplain of the four-oh-seven-seventh, please, come in and explain. We may have to go to Colonel Potter about this."

Baron smiled gratefully. "Potter did you say? This boy's name is Potter."

"Perhaps they're related?" Father Mulcahy suggested.

"Little Harry here is British," the Baron said. "What little I have seen so far indicates an American unit."

Mulcahy nodded. "That's correct, still, it's not that big a world, so they may be related anyway. Now, you haven't introduced yourself."

"I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingken," the cat statue said, taking off his hat and bowing politely to the collared man. "Thank you, by the way, for not having dismissed me as an irrational impossibility. That's always difficult to work with when meeting new people."

"I can imagine."

Baron spent the next ten minutes explaining to Father Mulcahy all that he could about himself and his new ward, and how they had come to be at the 4077th.

"I was right, this is going to need to be told to Colonel Potter. You are welcome to stay in my tent with young Harry until the wounded have all been seen to. I should really be getting to my own duties now," the priest said, getting up from his chair and leaving the tent to minister to the dying and act as an extra coreman where needed.

Baron stayed in that tent for three days, Father Mulcahy only coming in to bring food for Harry, sleep for an hour, change his clothes and then go back out again. There were a lot of wounded it seemed, and if everyone was as active as the priest seemed to be, then he wasn't the least bit surprised that Colonel Potter hadn't yet come barging in with questions.

The fourth day, however, that changed. Father Mulcahy returned to the tent, bringing a bottle of milk for Harry and a scone for the Baron as usual, but with behind him another two men and a woman filed in as well.

"Baron Humbert von Gikkingken, these are Colonel Sherman Potter," Father Mulcahy said, gesturing to the eldest man, "Head surgeon, Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce," he continued.

"Call me Hawkeye," the black-haired man said.

"And our head nurse, Major Margaret Houlihan," concluded the introductions.

"Margaret, please," the major said, smiling politely.

"And this," said the Baron, moving over to where Harry was just waking up, "is Harry Potter. He's just a little over a year old."

"Cute kid," Hawkeye observed, smiling as he moved a little closer, a delighted twinkle taking up residence in his hazel eyes. "Something you didn't tell us Colonel?"

Sherman Potter huffed. "Most certainly not," he objected.

Baron shook his head in agreement. "No, Harry and I have come from a different dimension, or at the very least, a different decade. Harry was born in nineteen-eighty-eight," he explained. "And lost his parents on Halloween night, nineteen-eighty-nine."

Margaret's face morphed into one of sympathetic emotion. "Poor baby," she cooed gently, moving closer, reaching out to pick up the baby boy, hesitating at the last moment and looking to the Baron.

"By all means Margaret, please, be my guest," Baron said, stepping aside and smiling up at the peroxide-blonde woman. "I can't really give Harry the proper hugs that he deserves at that age, though I can manage most everything else fairly well."

Margaret had Harry in her arms and resting against her bosom in an instant.

Smiles went around every face in the tent at the sight of Harry blinking those green eyes of his and yawning cutely.

"Well, let the physical begin?" Hawkeye suggested, holding up a clipboard that he'd brought in with him. "Then we can introduce this kid to the rest of the camp."

"BJ is going to love him," Margaret said, holding Harry expertly while Hawkeye checked the kid over.

"BJ loves all kids," Hawkeye countered. "But I agree. Little Harry here isn't Beej's Erin, but Trapper nearly adopted a Korean kid, and he's got two little girls."

"We're keepin' this one," Colonel Potter said firmly, eyeing Father Mulcahy. "I know the orphanage is where kids should be going, but we'll hang on to Harry personally until someone more official than me says we can't. Besides, I know how busy the sisters are with all the kids they've got already."

Father Mulcahy just smiled.

~oOo~

BJ Hunnicut did love Harry when he saw the boy. So did all of the nurses, Radar and Klinger. Even Winchester was enamoured with the child, and agreed to letting the fourth bunk in the Swamp be converted into a cot for the child. He played a lot of Mozart and Bach for the young mind to grow with, always setting a record to play for the child before rushing off to scrub for surgery – records which the Baron made sure didn't keep going around when they'd reached the end.

Baron helped Radar and Klinger in the office when someone else in the unit wanted to watch Harry for him, and by Christmas the bundle of joy was talking.

Sort of.

"Unca Hawk dunk?" Harry asked, having pulled himself up on the edge of Hawkeye's bunk so that he was standing. He'd crawled over. Since Harry had moved in, the Swamp had really cleaned up. The gin-mill was still there, it would never leave, but there was floor without random stuff sprawled everywhere. All of the pieces of the games had been found again, the old gorilla suits rediscovered and taken out for cleaning, and there was a fence around the stove to make sure Harry didn't get too close and burn himself.

Hawkeye smiled down at Harry. "Soon kid," he answered happily, "I just got off twelve hours of surgery, I think I deserve a few drinks. Don't you?"

"Been good?"

"Yes Harry," Baron said from the table between Hawkeye's bed and BJ's. "Working for twelve hours solid to save people's lives is very good. I'd say that deserves a drink of the man's choice. I would prefer my tea blend, but to each their own," he said, pouring a martini for the doctor.

Hawkeye chuckled and accepted the glass with gladness. "Ah, mother's milk," he sighed happily.

"Milk?" Harry asked. He knew what milk was. He liked milk. But this was Hawkeye and BJ's funny-smelling water. He was fairly sure that it wasn't milk.

"Not that kind of milk Harry," Baron said quickly. "Hawkeye was being metaphorical."

"Not sure you should be using big words on the kid," Hawkeye said, then shrugged. "But yeah, sorry Harry, this isn't actually milk. I just call it that sometimes, because it makes me feel better."

Harry nodded slowly, taking that in. He didn't really understand, but he sort of did. It wasn't milk, but Hawkeye liked the funny-smelling water the way that Harry liked milk.

"Where Beej an' Mister 'Chester?" Harry asked.

"Making sure with their last patients," Hawkeye answered. "Should be in soon. Might even bring Sherm with them."

"Someone say my name?"

Hawkeye, Harry and the Baron looked up at the door to see Colonel Potter, still in his bloody white scrubs, standing in the door.

"Hello Colonel," Baron greeted. "Can I pour you something?"

An easy, if somewhat tired and drawn smile made its way onto the old Colonel's face. "Much appreciated," he said, moving into the Swamp and taking up a deck-chair. "BJ will be along shortly, but Charles' last one is having complications. He can handle it, but he'll probably go to the O-club before coming back."

Hawkeye and the Baron nodded their understanding.

"Some way to spend Christmas," Hawkeye observed, far too soberly.

"At least there's the party tomorrow night, and the wounded can all enjoy some Christmas cheer with the orphans from Sister Theresa's," the Baron reminded the two men. "Harry and I have been making presents for everybody while you've all been hard at work saving lives and running the camp, so there's that to look forward to as well."

"Presents?" Hawkeye asked, grinning down at Harry now, sitting up and pulling the kid into his lap. "Where have you been hiding them?"

Harry grinned back and shook his head. "Uh-uh! It's a 'prise for 'morrow!"

It was too. Harry and Baron had made medals for everyone at the 4077, medals with their name, rank, and something special about them carved on. Baron explained that he'd found the metal and done the carving, while Harry had found the ribbons, boxes, and decided what extra little thing would go onto everyone's medals.

"I've always known that the doctors, nurses and coremen deserved medals for the work that they did here," Father Mulcahy said with a smile, eyes glistening behind his glasses as he read what was on his own little medal. 'Practically Perfect Padre'. Harry liked what his 'Papa Potter' called the camp chaplain.

Harry and Baron were given a book that Baron could record Harry's life in, with some photos, comments and advice already in there, courtesy of the medical staff. There were photos of Harry with every single member of the unit, and an extra one with Klinger in his favourite dress. His medical history was in there too, since Hawkeye and Margaret had made sure that Harry had all of the shots they could give him that were standard for the time, as well as a couple of extras when they could manage it.

Baron was thrilled with the gift, and he promised that Harry would appreciate it as more than a chew toy when he got older.

~oOo~

"Hey Sidney!" Hawkeye called. "You've been away too long! Come on, you haven't met the kid yet!"

"Kid?" Sidney Freedman, asked, his eyes going wide in his face as he got out of the jeep and was dragged to the Swamp.

"Harry Potter, Baron von Gikkingken, may I present Sidney Freedman, psychiatrist and poker friend," Hawkeye said, grinning from ear to ear as he picked up Harry, settling the almost-two-year-old onto his hip so that Harry was closer to eye-level with Sidney.

"Pleased to meet you Dr Freedman," the Baron said, leaping up gracefully from the floor to Hawkeye's bunk then onto the table. "May I pour you a drink?"

"Sure, if I'm not dreaming," Sidney agreed.

Baron chuckled and mixed a martini for the man. "I assure you Dr Freedman, you are quite awake, and sane. If you like, I'll explain?"

Sidney nodded as he accepted the drink.

BJ sat up from where he'd been lying, re-reading the most recent letter from Peg for the fifth time, and pulled out the poker things, dealing for five.

"Five?" Sidney asked, only to watch Baron and Harry both pick up a hand.

"I enjoy the game, and they enjoy trying to teach Harry. He has the advantage in that, as long as he can't remember what's a good hand and what's a bad hand, he has the perfect poker face," Baron explained.

"Harry wins just as often as he loses, but we've taken to just having chips on the table rather than cash, 'cause obviously Harry doesn't have any," BJ added.

"It's real embarrassing losing to the kid too," but Hawkeye was grinning with pride when he said it.

After Harry won that round of poker, a photo was taken of Harry in Sidney's lap that would be added to the kid's book, as well as some advice from the psychiatrist on the page the photo was to be stuck to.

"Why do I get the feeling you're up to something?" Sidney asked Hawkeye and BJ as they walked into the mess tent after the game.

"Tomorrow is Harry's second birthday, according to the Baron," BJ answered, "and we intend to celebrate the occasion. Two is old enough that some of the higher-ups might notice that we've been taking care of him rather than sending him to the orphanage, so we have to have a party before he gets taken away. We're inviting all of the orphanage kids too of course. Just because we've got Harry full time doesn't mean we forgot about them."

Sidney nodded his understanding.

"The kid really means a lot to everyone around here," he noticed.

Hawkeye smiled. "Yeah. He's a ray of sunshine immediately after surgery. He's even getting a proper cake, and Charles got some candy shipped in from Boston for Harry and all the orphans to enjoy as well."

The mess was being decorated with streamers and ribbons that had been ordered and hoarded by the unit over the too many years that the war had been going on in Korea, pulled out every time there was a party. Streamers in red, blue, pink, green, white and purple were all over the place, balloons were being made out of surgical gloves, some even getting faces drawn on them, and one end of the mess was getting table cloths.

"Just have to hope there won't be any wounded tomorrow," Sidney remarked.

"There won't be," Colonel Potter answered, appearing behind them in the line up for lunch. "We got word from HQ, no fighting in our area, and only a little in the area we take over-flow from. Harry should be able to have a happy birthday."

"Will he be getting anything special?" Sidney asked. "I know that out here you can't really get much..."

"You remember the old gorilla suits?" Hawkeye asked, smiling.

"Yeah, but what do they have to do with anything?"

"We sent them off to get cleaned, and then Margaret and some of her nurses took to them with scissors, needles, thread and some stuffing. Harry's getting a teddy bear made from gorilla suit," BJ explained.

"Yours or Trappers?" Sidney asked, turning to Hawkeye again.

"Trap's. We wrote to him first, sent a picture of Harry and everything. He approves the gift," Hawkeye answered.

Harry approved the gift too when he got it, hugging it tightly.

"I think he likes it," Sidney commented to Margaret, who had given Harry the gift, wrapped up in blue paper.

"Wonder what name he'll give it," she answered, grinning happily.

Radar echoed back the question to Harry, who stuck out his bottom lip and scratched his head in thought.

"Sooty!" the child declared at last.

"Alright everyone, it's picture time! Come on, bunch up. Kids down the front, coremen up the back, Harry and the Baron in the middle, that's it! Sidney, you get in there too! Right... timer's set, everybody smile!" Klinger yelled, running back to the group once he'd pressed the button.

The new pictures were in Harry's book by the next day, which was just as well, because the higher-ups did notice a two-year-old living with an army unit, even a medical one, and ordered that he be given to the orphanage.

Sister Theresa came to collect Harry, and the child stood there with his teddy under one arm, and his book in his bag with the clothes that Klinger had made for him, and the Baron beside him. Everyone came out to say goodbye, but just as Sister Theresa was about to take Harry's hand and lead him away, Baron and Harry disappeared.

"What just happened?" the nun asked.

Father Mulcahy smiled, sadly, and Colonel Potter explained to the sister as it had been explained to him, that Harry and Baron had come from a different time and place somehow, and at best guess, they'd just decided that it was time they went somewhere else now.

"I'm going to miss that boy," Charles said, wiping a tear from his eye before it had the chance to form.

"You and everybody else Charles," BJ answered. "But we've got pictures at least, so we won't forget him."

"It's not the same thing though," Margaret said, her voice soft as she did her best not to cry as well.

"Maybe we'll see him again some day," Hawkeye offered, though he wasn't too hopeful. "Maybe we can find another kid to adopt for a while. Maybe the war will end next week and we can go home to kids we won't have to say goodbye to. Marry me Margaret? I'm sure we can manage a kid almost as cute as Harry," he finished, getting down on one knee and clasping her left hand to his chest.

The sadness was cured, somewhat, as Margaret laughed at Hawkeye's proposal. "I'll think about it," she said, smiling. "Thanks Hawk."

Chapter Text

They appeared in front of a large, arching door that despite being shut could be easily seen through. It was the door of a very impressive glasshouse in the middle of a park that appeared to be somewhat neglected beyond the glass walls of the building before them.

Baron raised his cane and tapped it against the glass panes, hoping that there would be someone inside to let them in. The night was coming on, and he didn't want Harry out late in an unfamiliar area, especially with the temperature dropping the way it was.

The door opened and a woman dressed in green looked around, then down at them, red hair falling over her shoulders.

"Oh, Selina is going to love you," she said, fixing her gaze on the Baron before moving onto Harry. "So, what's this about?"

"Please excuse the intrusion ma'am," the Baron said, "but I and my ward just arrived in the area and don't really know our way around. Would we be able to spend the night? I don't want Harry here out on the streets after dark."

"I completely agree," the woman said. "Gotham city is no place for a kid, not even in the day time. Come on in. Just don't damage the plants and we'll do fine."

"Of course, thank you," the living statue said, ushering Harry in first. "I'm Baron Humbert von Gikkingken and this is my ward Harry Potter."

"Pamela Isley," the woman answered. "Though frequently referred to as Poison Ivy," she added.

"That does not sound very flattering, if I may say so," the Baron said, pausing in his checking over Harry, a task he had begun the instant they were inside.

Pamela shrugged. "It's no big deal. As well as preferring plants to people generally, I am actually poisonous, so it's fitting," she explained.

"How did a human become poisonous?" the Baron asked.

"It's a long story."

"Bed time story?" Harry asked hopefully.

"We seem to have time, and you have a willing audience," Baron said.

Pamela sighed, picked up the child and the cat – bracing the former on her hip and settling the latter on her shoulder – and headed towards the back of the greenhouse where she lived.

"Alright," she said. "You see, a few years ago I was doing research into plant and animal biochemistry..."

The story did take a while, but Harry managed to stay awake the whole way through it, even after he'd been tucked into a bed, and the Baron was completely fascinated, asking educated questions about the sciences and about the social situation of Gotham.

When Harry fell asleep at last, Pamela started asking questions of the Baron.

~oOo~

Harry and Baron spent their days in the greenhouse learning about plants, plant care, and some science from Pamela – until she went out to steal some cash so that she could get some new things for the growing boy. Then she got caught and sent to Arkham Asylum once more, and two new women entered the greenhouse and Harry's life.

"Yoo-hoo!" a bubbly voice called as the door was pushed open. "Hello all you green stuff, Pam's been locked up again, so it's me an' Selina takin' care of you 'til she gets out."

Harry peered out from behind a giant leaf, where he'd hidden when the first yell sounded.

"Oh, what have we here? Aren't you just a cutie! I'm Harley, what's your name?" the woman asked.

"Harry. You got white on your face."

"It's on purpose Harry," the Baron said, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder. "See the costume that she's wearing?"

Harry nodded.

"Oh, Selina's going to love you," Harely said, grinning when she saw the Baron.

"So Miss Pamela said when we arrived here. I have yet to meet this famous Selina however. I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingken, and this is Harry Potter, my ward. Miss Pamela was allowing us to stay here, and has been teaching Harry a few things."

"Always good for an education is Pam," Harley agreed. "Always tryin' to convince people that they should be more earth-conscious. I'm more about havin' fun, but when Pam talks, I listen. All us girls do. So, how are Pam's precious plants?"

"We watered already today," Harry said proudly.

"And a true challenge it was to keep him dry and out of the mud," the Baron added.

Harley smiled. "Just the heat-lamps and the fertilizer then. After that's done, what do you say I ditch the make up and take you out to an amusement park?"

~oOo~

Selina visited the next day, or rather, was dragged in by Harley, in full catwoman regalia.

"Oh, purr," the new face said upon seeing the Baron. Her own black cat hopped down off her shoulder and circled the figurine. "You are handsome."

Baron shifted a little uncomfortably under the woman's gaze.

"Don't worry," Selina said, smiling, "I am romantically involved with someone else, and handsome as you are, I think I'm a little too tall. Now, where's this child I've been hearing about?"

Harry stepped out from where he had been hiding.

"Oh dear," Selina said, getting down on her knees to look more closely at the child. "You look like you need some new clothes, and a bath."

He did too. Baron was always crisply neat and clean, but Harry did need a bath, and his clothes were visibly too small for him, as well as visibly having had the hems let out twice already.

"Pam doesn't exactly have those kinds of facilities," Harley pointed out. "There's her pond, but there's so many plants in there, she's the only one who'd be comfortable washing there. An' I sure can't take the kid around to Mistah Jay's for a wash. He'd just as likely end up with green hair and a purple suit, and only Mistah Jay can really pull that look off."

Selina sighed. "My place it is then. I've got a nice big bath, as well as a sewing machine and some cloth. I'm sure we can fix him up."

Harley squealed and wrapped her arms around Selina's neck. "You're the best Selina!"

"Go fetch your bag Harry," the Baron instructed. "I'm sure Miss Selina would have an easier time of things if she can base new clothes off of your old ones."

Selina nodded, and Harry scampered off to get his bag, his book and his teddy.

~oOo~

New photos were added to Harry's book. Photos of him with Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn and Catwoman around him, and photos of Harry in the middle of Pamela Isley, Harlene Quinzel, and Selina Kyle. There were some pictures of Harry with the Riddler, Edward Nigma as well. Edward always wrote five new puzzles or riddles into Harry's book when a picture with him got put in. Some of those riddles held some good advice for later life as well, so Baron approved.

A month before Harry's third birthday, Selina took Harry with her to a party with the 'upstanding' elite of Gotham. A party where the guest list included the Mayor, Commissioner Gordon, and Bruce Wayne.

"What are you doing here Selina?" Bruce asked softly. "Not that I'm not thrilled to see you of course."

Selina smiled. "I'm introducing Harry here to polite society. Pam, Harl, Eddie and me have been doing our best to help take care of the kid for this past year, keeping his nose clean and those sorts of things. I've been right motherly lately."

Bruce's eyes grew wide as he looked down at the small figure he'd barely noticed standing beside the woman he was in love with – but could never seem to hold onto.

"Bruce Wayne, I'd like you to meet Harry Potter. His guardian, the Baron Humbert von Gikkingken, decided that he'd rather hide in the shadows than meet people," Selina said, conducting introductions.

"If he has a guardian, why have you been -?"

"Just because someone has a guardian, Bruce, doesn't mean that they have a home or resources," Selina interrupted.

"You said Baron though," Bruce pointed out.

Selina sighed. "Honestly, if you met the guy, you'd understand," she explained. "But can we can the twenty questions? I brought Harry for a good time, not a quiz."

"Not a job?" Bruce asked.

Selina frowned tightly. "You see a mask on me anywhere?" she demanded in a hard whisper. "No, I just wanted to see you again, and it was my turn to watch Harry. Alright?"

Bruce had the decency to blush a little, even as he smiled sheepishly. "You wanted to see me?"

Selina smiled. "Always when the masks come off," she admitted. "Hell, even sometimes when the masks are on."

"You gonna kiss?" Harry asked. "Cuz if you are, then I'm gonna go find Baron."

Selina laughed and bent down to look Harry in the eye. "No, Harry, we weren't going to kiss. Mr Wayne might have been about to ask me to dance though."

"Actually, I was going to ask if you would all like to come back to Wayne Manor for the night. I'm sure Harry has a bed time, and I'd like to talk to you more Selina, and meet this Baron?"

"Well, let's go then!" Selina said, smiling widely, and waving at a corner of the room before heading to the door.

Bruce was surprised to see the two-foot-tall feline gentleman at the door when they reached it.

"Good evening. Harry, have you been good for Miss Kyle?" the cat said.

Harry nodded. "Yes Baron."

~oOo~

Harry and Baron stayed at Wayne Manor after that. Alfred took care of him diligently, and while Harry was a little sad about not getting to see Pamela, Harley, Selina or Edward any more, there was a lot of manor to explore, and Bruce didn't seem to mind what he got up to as long as he didn't get hurt – and Baron made sure that Harry didn't get hurt.

A photo of Bruce and Alfred got added to Harry's book, and then it was a party at an amusement park with all of Harry's friends in Gotham – out of costume of course. Bruce had approximately professional relationships with all of Harry's friends as long as there were no costumes involved beyond a formal monkey suit.

After the party, they all went back to Wayne Manor and had cake and gave Harry his gifts. Baron immediately put these into Harry's bag once the child had said thank-you for it. Alfred produced a polaroid camera, and Baron insisted that he be the one to take the picture. He took two of them, and fixed one straight into Harry's book.

The reason became apparent when Harry and the Baron disappeared as soon as they were standing beside each other again.

"I was going to ask Harry if he'd like to move in permanently," Bruce sighed.

Selina smiled. "You want a kid?" she asked. "With your line of work?"

"I do," Pamela declared firmly, then turned to Edward. "Feel like helping a girl out, green-stuff?"

Edward laughed. "How do I survive the experience?" he asked, slipping an arm around the other red-head's waist.

"I'll be happy to show you."

Harley sighed. "Mistah Jay isn't exactly daddy material, even if he is my puddin'."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again Harl, that man does not deserve your loyalty," Pamela stated. "Eddie, you'll help out Harl too, won't you?"

Edward laughed and pulled Harley into his other side. "Sure, if you like," he said. "I'm no playboy, but I get the feeling I'm only donating sperm to Pam."

"Clever boy," Pamela said.

Selina sighed and leant against Bruce. "Your offer still open?" she asked.

"You mean the one from just before you killed Max Shrek?" he asked. "Of course."

Chapter Text

Harry landed then on a winding pathway inside a great wall, there were buildings all around and people in different coloured robes all over the place.

"Aw! I was having fun!" Harry complained.

Baron sighed. "I'm sorry Harry, but all I could do was move quickly when I felt that we were about to depart. I'm sorry that you didn't get to say goodbye, but at least you have pictures."

Harry sighed and nodded, then noticed something else. "You still have the camera!"

Baron smiled at the child's returned joy. "It appears that I do indeed. We shall be able to take plenty of pictures while we're here then, won't we?"

Harry cheered, an action which attracted attention.

"Aren't you a little young to be attending classes here?"

Harry looked up. A tall man with grey-streaked black hair and black eyes, dressed in grey shirt and pants with a blue robe over the top looked down at him.

"Where is here Sir?" the Baron asked before Harry could respond.

The man startled and looked at the Baron more closely. "Well, you are interesting, aren't you? You're at the Winding Circle Temple in Emelan. May I ask who you are and where you have come from?"

"I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingken, this is my ward, Harry Potter, as for where we have come from, Harry, please show the man your book?" the feline requested.

Harry held up his book, though he looked nervous. "It's mine," he reminded. "I get it back once you've looked."

"Of course," the man answered. "I'm a mage, not a thief. Oh, forgive me, I am Niklaren Goldeye."

"Pleased to meet you sir," Baron answered.

Niklaren looked over Harry's book quickly, his eyes growing wider as he paged through it, then handed it back to the child.

"We travel, Mister Goldeye," the Baron explained. "From one dimension to another. We just left a party to celebrate Harry's third birthday before landing here."

"Happy birthday," Niklaren said softly. "Well, since Harry is too young to join those who are actually studying here, and you would raise quite a few eyebrows Baron Gikkingken, may I make a suggestion? I just got back myself, and intended to visit Discipline Cottage. I'm sure they'd welcome you as well, and please, call me Niko."

~oOo~

When they arrived at Discipline Cottage, and after the exclamations welcoming Niko back, the man introduced Harry and the Baron to the Dedicates Lark and Rosethorn, and their students the Lady Sandraline fa Toren, the trader Daja Kisubo, the ex-thief Briar Moss and the merchant's daughter Trisana Chandler. All of them, it seemed, were mages, or more accurately for those not already adults, being trained as mages.

"Are you magical too Harry?" Sandraline, or Sandry as she preferred to be called, asked curiously.

Harry shrugged, not knowing the answer.

"He is," Niko supplied. "But his magic is different to yours."

"So it's academic magic, rather than ambient magic," Tris stated, nodding.

Niko shook his head. "No, and that's the curious thing. It's rather like academic magic in that it doesn't require that Harry must learn something to make his magic work, like the four of you, but at the same time, it has ties to ambient magic as well."

"It certainly explains why the child has yet to need a haircut," the Baron put in. "If his magic takes care of that for him."

"Wonder if you could learn to control that," Briar suggested. "Make your hair longer or shorter whenever and however you like," he laughed. "Maybe even make it change colour!"

Harry scratched his head. "I can try," he said, and pinched his eyes shut to concentrate on trying to make it happen. Five seconds later, he peeked an eye open. "Did it work?" he asked.

"No change," Daja answered. "Maybe Master Niko can teach you to meditate and figure out what your magic feels like, then you can start trying to do things with it."

The three-year-old looked around all the adults – to him even the teenagers were adults – and got nods from all of them.

"I like the idea," the Baron admitted. "I might even sit in on the lessons, if that's alright? I'm no mage, but I am a magical object."

"I would like the chance to understand you as well, if I may Baron?" Niko asked.

The Baron nodded. "Who am I to stand in the way of curiosity? I only ask that someone stands in the way of Little Bear."

The dog had been introduced as well, and the Baron wasn't at all big enough to be able to force the over-sized puppy to leave him alone, and Harry only squealed happily when the animal started licking his face. Not helpful at all.

Beyond that, Briar said that Harry could share his room, while Baron demonstrated his ability to transform into a statue in order to reassure them that a shelf out of the dog's reach would suit him perfectly well. Briar wouldn't hear of the kid sharing with the girls, and Baron refused to put anybody out, while also taking up only a very small amount of space.

~oOo~

Niko drew a circle on the ground and sat down, explaining to Harry and Baron the purpose of the circle and the way that meditation worked as he taught it once he was comfortable on the ground with his long legs crossed beneath them.

First was breathing to a set count. Harry had interrupted early and asked why seven counts, causing Niko to laugh and say that Harry was the first to ever ask him that.

"Seven is a magically significant number," Niko explained. "I could explain why, but not in words simple enough for your understanding. There are other numbers that have power of course, but for breathing like this, seven is a good number. Now, I'll count to seven, and you'll breathe in, hold, breathe out, and hold while I count, alright? We'll just work on that today. Tomorrow I'll talk about clearing your mind and pulling yourself into something small."

Harry looked like he wanted to ask another question, but Baron hushed him.

"Breathing exercise now, questions when you're done," the feline instructed.

Harry sighed, but did as he was told.

~oOo~

Meditation happened every day after lunch for Harry, who noticed that it happened before breakfast and after dinner every day for everyone else. He, being an enquiring child of three, upon making this discovery promptly asked the obvious question.

"Why?"
Tris, who he had approached to ask this question, chuckled without humour.

"I'll have you know that I meditate three times a day," she told him. "And it's because my magic is very difficult to control. Have you figured out what Daja, Briar and Sandry do with their magic?"

Harry shook his head. "Briar spends all his time in the garden or talking to his tree, and Sandry spends all her time with threads an' stuff. Daja's always sooty when she comes back, but I've never seen anything magical looking."

Tris sighed. "For the four of us, and for our teachers Lark, Rosethorn and Frostpine, our magic comes from the the world around us and the things that we do. Sandry's magic is like the threads that she's always doing things with. Briar's magic comes from plants, and Daja works her magic in the smith's forge. We need to meditate in the mornings so that we have control over our magic before we start our days, and we meditate again in the evenings to make sure we haven't made a mess of anything before we go to bed. See?" she explained.

Harry sat and glared at the table in front of him as he thought about it.

"I think so," he said after a while. "But what about your magic?"

"My magic comes from the earth itself," Tris answered, looking down her long nose and over her glasses at the child. "I feel the pull of the tides, the shifting of the earth, the whisper of the winds and the weight of the clouds in the sky. There are a lot of people who don't like the idea that someone can have that much power," she said, "and honestly, I'm one of them, but I've got all that, and a fair bit more as well, so I have to be completely in control all the time."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because if I don't control it, then it controls me," Tris said. "And it's tapped into my emotions anyway, so I could accidentally do something very bad if I don't have control."

Harry nodded his understanding. "So why don't I meditate at the same time as everybody else?" he asked again.

"Because Niko is still trying to figure out what type of magic you have, and we don't know how your magic will react to being around our magic when we let it out as we meditate," Tris said firmly. "Now, shall I teach you to read some of your book?" she asked, more gently, a kind smile replacing the stern look on her face.

Harry's face lit up. "I'd really like that!"

~oOo~

Harry's understanding of magic – ambient and academic – improved as the months passed. He slowly, slowly, slowly learned how to clear his mind under Master Niko's instruction, he was only three after all, and as the Baron had already commented, getting a child of that age to sit still for any length of time should be considered an achievement of grand proportions.

Baron took pictures with the polaroid camera now and then, adding them to Harry's book. Harry now had pictures of his reading lessons with Tris, the time he spent helping Rosethorn and Briar with the weeding, holding thread for Lark while she rolled it up into a ball, being fitted for clothes by Sandry, playing with Little Bear and sitting, learning about magic, from Master Niko.

Most of the Baron's time, however, was taken up by Niko asking him questions or experimenting with magic. Niko was practised in 'seeing' magic, so experiments that involved craft of any kind weren't at all what he was used to, but he could certainly study how things worked, even when it was a matter of a soul attached to a wooden doll.

The months passed, and it was almost around to Harry's birthday again. He was concentrating very hard in meditation, the one thought that wouldn't leave his head is Briar's nickname for Tris: Coppercurls. He liked her hair, and he liked the nickname too. Baron told him that copper is a conductor for electricity, which meant that lightning liked copper, and there was almost always a spark or two hiding in Tris's curls, so Harry thought it was a very good name.

"Congratulations Harry, you've successfully changed your hair colour," Niko said.

Harry opened his eyes in surprise. "I wasn't trying to," he said, pulling a little bit of his hair forward and down so that he could see it. It was orange, and curly. Now he was Coppercurls! He couldn't wait to show Tris and Briar!

"Well, you'll have to go over what you were thinking and feeling just before the change happened," Niko said. "We'll meditate some more, and maybe you'll be able to figure out how you did it, maybe change it back?"

Harry wondered why he should want to. Being a red-head was great! Tris was great, Pam was great, and Harry had read in his book about the time that everybody in the 4077 had dyed their hair red, only for an officer with real red hair to show up. Still, maybe someday he'd see an even more awesome hair colour, and he'd want to be able to change it. So he thought about his own hair, how it was black, and a bit shaggy, and never seemed to sit smoothly no matter what the Baron or anybody did.

"Very good," Niko said. "It's back to normal. Now, I believe that Sandry was talking about going into Summersea after lunch?"

Harry nodded and got up from the floor.

~oOo~

"Do you think I can maybe turn into an animal?" Harry asked at the breakfast table the day of his fourth birthday. "Or maybe change the way that other people look like I can for myself?"

Tris laughed. "You can try on me if you like," she offered. "If you can talk Niko into letting you."

Harry turned his best pleading look on Niko, clasping his hands under his chin, practically begging the mage.

The man sighed. "Not on Tris," he instructed. "On something non-magical, like a rat or something. As for you turning into an animal... I've heard stories of people who can do it, but I know none of the practicalities, so I'd advise against trying. You might forget that you're human if you change yourself into an animal after all, and then we'd never get you back."

Harry nodded in acceptance. It would do for beginning. At dinner – where there was birthday cake – he got to show off his test-subject rat, which had started brown, but was now striped with every colour of the rainbow.

"We disappeared from Harry's last birthday party," the Baron commented as he set a photograph of Harry holding the colourful rat up into the book. "I'd like everybody to write something for Harry in the book now. I don't think we'll be leaving tonight, but I feel that it will be soon."

"I take it you're not meaning the standard 'happy birthday, love you' thing that people often write?" Daja said.

"No," Tris confirmed, surprising everyone but Harry. "I've been teaching Harry to read with this book. There are stories, jokes, advice, as well as a list of things he is apparently 'immunised against' in the back."

"Immunised?" Rosethorn asked sharply, looking a little ferocious. "Where's that list?"

Tris turned the pages to the document in the rear of the book. "See?" she said, pointing to the list. She wasn't about to read it aloud. She knew that Rosethorn was perfectly capable of understanding the written word.

"Harry, tomorrow I want to take you to see Dedicate Crane, so he can take a blood sample from you. It may well help us the next time we have to fight against a plague," Rosethorn said, noticing that smallpox was on the list, and that disease had almost completely wiped out Hatar just a few short years ago. If by examining Harry's blood for these inoculations they could prevent something like that from happening again, then Rosethorn wanted to get a pint of the stuff.

Harry looked at the Baron, who nodded. "Okay," the boy said.

With that, Lark took a pen and returned the book to the page where there was a photo of her as she was borrowing Harry to hold her wool up while she rolled it into a ball, and she started writing.

Tris waited until last, and looked over what the others had written quickly before taking up the pen and turning to the two, side-by-side pages that had pictures of Harry with her. One where she was teaching him to read, and one where she had made lightning for him up on the Wall. There, she wrote her story for him. It wasn't pleasant, recalling how she had been moved from one relative to another, but she made sure that every part of it was told in such a way as to teach him something, even if it was just how to dust properly. She wrote about Sandry rescuing Little Bear and how she herself had cared for a baby starling as a counterpoint to her life, she wrote about the time she'd tried to stop the tide from coming in, and she wrote of the joy she'd had in teaching Harry – and Briar before him – how to read, write and understand numbers.

The next day, Rosethorn took Harry to the greenhouse early in the morning, and slowly she and Crane siphoned off blood, always making sure that Harry didn't lose too much at once, stopping regularly, making sure he ate and had water, then continuing again. It was supper time when they returned to Discipline Cottage, and Harry had just hugged everybody goodnight when the Baron picked up Harry's packed bag, grabbed onto the boy, and they disappeared.

"Looks like you've got your room back to yourself again Briar," Tris said at last.

The boy laughed humourlessly. "Yeah. Damn. I'm gonna have to get used to sleeping without the kid curled up next to me with his teddy bear and kickin' me in his sleep again," he said.

"He slept in your bed?" Daja asked, a brow raised.

Briar shrugged. "Sure. It was cosy."

Chapter Text

When they landed, Harry and the Baron stared. For completely different reasons of course. Harry stared because he thought it was the most incredible thing he had ever seen ever! The Baron was staring because, even in war-torn Korea back with the 4077, he'd never seen anything so violent before. Mercifully, to the Baron's mind, it was also over quickly.

"That was so cool!" Harry crowed, revealing their location to those who had previously been too busy fighting to notice them. "I want to learn how to do that! Hey, and I want to have long hair and pointy ears too! They look wicked cool!"

"Are you going to change your hair-colour as well?" the Baron asked dryly. "I think you should introduce yourself to these people, now that you've got them all staring at us – and before you go changing the way that you look."

"I'm Harry Potter, and I'm four! This is Baron, my guardian. We just landed here from, er," Harry looked at Baron, already having forgotten the name of the place they'd been, but also unsure if he should tell these people.

"Another dimension," Baron supplied.

"Genjo Sanzo, Son Goku, Cho Hakkai and Sha Gojyo," the blonde introduced shortly, pointing to himself and then each of his companions in turn.

The Baron, having been around for quite a long time with little to intrude upon his time, was exceedingly well read, and recognised the names from the legendary 'Journey West', though there had been many names and attributes given to these four characters in the myriad different translations. At least he didn't have to ask where he was and what was going on for this landing.

"Baron, can I change my hair and ears now that we've done introductions?" Harry asked.

"What's the kid talkin' about?" Gojyo asked, confused.

Baron sighed. "At out last stop, Harry learned a few things about himself. One of those things is that he has the ability to manipulate his appearance. Yes, Harry, you may," he added with a long-suffering sigh, though he was smiling as well.

"Do you mind explaining just what the hell you are?" Sanzo asked curtly. "Only we've been having a bad day and I'm not in the mood for any more surprises."

"I'm a doll," the Baron answered, watching as Harry closed his eyes and focused. "Brought to life, yes, but ultimately a doll made of wood. Harry is a human."

"He doesn't look human any more," Goku said, his big golden eyes staring at Harry's brand new pointy ears and the shiny black hair that now flowed down the kid's back.

"At least he hasn't changed the colour of it yet," Baron sighed. "He's rather fond of red hair."

"Can't think why," Gojyo said, honestly puzzled.

"Because all the cool people have red hair!" Harry answered earnestly, opening his eyes wide and grinning brightly. "There are some cool people who have different coloured hair too, but every person with red hair that I've ever met has been brilliant!"

"Better keep the kid away from Kougaiji and Lirin," Hakkai said quietly, "or he could become quickly disillusioned." He didn't like putting people down like that, but he also didn't want any child to lose such enthusiasm.

Baron sighed. "I suspect that Harry could get even the demon prince to play nice," he said, shaking his head. "He's like that. I hate to bother, I'm sure you're busy, but may we travel with you for a while? Just until our inter-dimensional ride catches up with us again and we move on?"

"How long will that take?" Sanzo grumbled. "We're on a tight schedule, and not exactly a child-friendly mission."

"Most stops have lasted roughly a year," Baron admitted.

"Aw, come on Baldy, let the kid tag along," Gojyo said with a grin. "These two aren't gonna take up much space in the jeep, and Goku will have someone closer to his mental age to play with."

"Do you really think that's a good idea, with all the assassins that get sent after us?" Sanzo countered, even as Goku gave an indignant "Hey!"

"I know how to use most weapons, if I can get my hands on them," the Baron said. "And I think that Harry is old enough to learn now. Serious situations will just make his learning stick better."

"You guys are teaching the brat," Sanzo stated flatly. "Let's get moving. We've wasted enough time talking as it is already."

Harry cheered and launched himself at Gojyo. "I get to come!"

~oOo~

At the very first town that the newly enlarged group came to, Harry begged to buy more film for the polaroid camera that the Baron still had. After all, he wanted to be able to put pictures of his new friends – and of the journey – into his book!

Sanzo, keeper of the credit card, had grumbled about wasting funds, even if the card did actually belong to the Sanbutsushin, but had relented upon the Baron promising that he'd find a good deal and a couple of packs of the monk's favourite smokes.

The cat didn't approve of the habit, knew it was unhealthy, but he also knew that trying to talk the monk into quitting while in a continuously stressful environment was foolishness. Hakkai took Sanzo's card and went with the Baron out to the shops to see what they could get, and how cheap they could get it for.

Harry stayed behind with Gojyo, Goku and Sanzo at the inn and began his tuition in the art of fighting. On breaks between practising stances, because he was still just a little kid and didn't have the endurance yet for long periods of practice, Harry entertained his teachers and new friends by changing his hair colour, eye colour, ear length, and once even by changing Goku's hair colour. He made it the same violet as Sanzo's eyes, which made Gojyo laugh so hard he fell on the floor, and when Sanzo noticed, he snorted in amusement before ordering Harry to turn it back. Goku wasn't sure if he was ticked or impressed, but he was glad to have his own brown colouring restored either way.

Hakkai and the Baron returned in time to hear Gojyo trying to persuade Harry to change his own red colouring into something else, and Harry trying to figure out why anybody would want to get rid of naturally occurring red hair.

"Nothing you say will convince him it's not the best hair colour in the history of hair," Baron said with a chuckle. "Harry, I'll take a picture of you with Gojyo, and then change his hair colour for him, alright? Gojyo can decide for himself if a different colour suits him, after all, everyone has different tastes."

Harry clearly wasn't convinced of any colour possibly being better, but nodded anyway. Ten minutes later, Gojyo was examining his new black hair in the mirror. Harry had gone through every colour of the rainbow, as well as making Gojyo's hair silvery-white like an old man's, before turning it black.

"I still say it was better red," Harry said.

"I don't know, I rather liked that shade of dark pink you gave him," Hakkai said.

"I liked the blue!" Goku said, still chuckling about that one.

"Never make him blonde again," Sanzo ordered, to which everybody nodded.

"Yeah, that was a little creepy," Goku agreed.

"It will take some getting used to," Gojyo decided, "but I like the black. Though, if Hakkai is so fond of the pink, maybe I could learn to like that too. It was kinda close to the old red."

"Hang on, I got one more," Harry said, grinning.

Suddenly, Gojyo's hair became rainbow striped, and Goku fell to the floor laughing again.

"Okay, that's a good laugh," Gojyo allowed, "turn it back."

Harry nodded, and Gojyo's hair was his natural colour once more.

"It really is the colour that looks best on you," the Baron offered. "And if you like black so much, you can create a dye from iris roots to make it black."

Gojyo sighed in resignation, but nodded his acceptance.

~oOo~

Harry's talent for being able to change the way he – and his friends – looked came in useful whenever the party wanted to get in and out of a new town without being noticed. It certainly cut down on the assassination attempts and the strange looks that had come from people wondering about the group of men wearing sunglasses and head-to-toe cloaks.

He couldn't do much about Hakkai and Gojyo's scars though, he certainly couldn't hide the limiters, and Hakuryu seemed to shrug off whatever magic Harry tried to do to him, remaining always either a white dragon or a green jeep, and no colour-change attempts by Harry could alter him.

Still, after a nice quiet month of travelling without being noticed in which the party as a whole made a good deal of progress towards their destination and Harry made leaps and bounds in his training – sometimes literally, where it was called of him – Sanzo decided that they could probably stand to have some assassins come after them again, just to make sure they weren't getting rusty and to see if there was any new information to be had. The changes were all reversed before they reached the next town.

Assassins arrived just after they'd finished their evening meal.

"At least they let Goku finish eating first," Harry observed.

"But fighting immediately after eating does not allow for proper digestion," the Baron countered, even as he held a knife at the ready as though it were a sword – and in relation to his size, it really was. He was hardly the most imposing of figures there, being only as high at his ear-tips as some of the others were at the knee, and even Harry was more than a head taller than him now, but he was still dangerous when he had a weapon in his hands and his charge was being threatened.

Harry could only shrug in response to that. "Not much we can do except get it over with quickly."

Of course, Harry didn't fight, and the Baron played only the very minor role of tripping the enemy. It was really Gojyo, Hakkai, Goku and Sanzo who did the fighting. They'd wanted the fight from the moment they decided to have Harry make sure that they looked like themselves when he met them before driving into town. Gojyo and Goku seemed to genuinely enjoy the fight, while Hakkai just never seemed to let anything actually bother him, and Sanzo... well, he didn't enjoy anything really, but he was a little trigger-happy sometimes.

"You've been hard to find lately," a voice sneered from above once the fight was over. "If I didn't know better I'd say you were hiding."

"Not being spotted means we get where we're going faster," Sanzo answered. "Why, did you miss us that much Kougaiji?"

"Yeah," the bronzed red-head answered. "When you're not around to fight with I have to deal with my father's mistress acting like she's the queen."

"That's more forthcoming than we're used to," Hakkai muttered near Gojyo, the Baron and Harry.

"Trouble in paradise isn't confined to Shangri La," the half-breed responded, just as quietly.

"If she's a pain why haven't you killed her?" Goku asked.

Kougaiji growled. "Because she's the bitch who's got the scientists -" he cut himself off, scowling at them all before throwing a fireball at them and disappearing.

"Remembered who he was talking to," Sanzo muttered. "I get the feeling he doesn't care about his father's revival all that much though. It's someone else."

"And if he dislikes the mistress acting like the queen..." Hakkai continued.

"He's a Momma's Boy," Gojyo finished with a smirk.

"I missed that part of the legend," Baron admitted. "Was she as terrifying as her husband was?"

"Good question," Sanzo growled. "Wish I had an answer. I'm fairly sure she got sealed away at the same time as Gyumaoh, but I'm not sure if that was because she was as dangerous or if it was just guilt by association."

"A little of both, actually," purred a voice, drawing the attention of everybody to the figure leaning against the door frame. "But she was sealed separately, and much more recently."

"Merciful Goddess," Sanzo acknowledged.

"I thought it might be a good time to meet your new friends," answered the black-haired deity, pushing off the beam xe'd been leaning on and walking over, kneeling down so that xe was closer to eye-level with Harry and the Baron. "Very cute kid, and very interesting little statue," xe said, standing again and turning to look over the stars of xir favourite show. "So, you get one free question each since I'm here."

"May I ask what you meant about Kougaiji's mother?" Hakkai asked.

"Rasetsunyo was powerful in her own right, but she was also married to Gyumaoh as his queen. Gyokumen Koushu sealed her, used something of a dirty trick to do it too."

"But is she the kind to go around hurting people for kicks like Gyumaoh did?" Gojyo asked.

The Merciful Goddess shook xir head. "No, she was the sheath to his blade, and the demons followed because she cared for them as much as they were inspired by Gyumaoh's strength."

"Can we unseal her? If we do, Kougaiji would probably stop fighting us and start fighting that mistress who's trying to wake Gyumaoh," Sanzo demanded.

The Merciful Goddess shrugged. "You still have to get there to do it, though with the founding scriptures, anything is possible."

"Isn't there a faster way there?" Goku whined.

Sanzo slapped the monkey over the head with his paper fan. "Shut up!"

"I'm just askin' Sanzo! I mean come on! She shows up wherever, whenever! I wanna know how she does it!" Goku complained, defending his head from any more strikes.

"It's because I take the Heavenly rout, not the Earth-bound one," xe answered with a smug smirk.

Through this, Harry had been getting out his camera and checking to make sure it was good to go for picture-taking. With the device in hand, he walked up to the Merciful Goddess and tugged gently on the edge of xir dress.

"Yes?" xe asked.

"Can I have a picture for my book?" he asked.

Xe smiled. "Sure you can cutie."

~oOo~

For the next few months as they travelled, the group headed west were met by Kougaiji, Dokugakuji, Yaone, and most often by Lirin – though her presence always meant that the others would be along shortly after. Through befriending the young demoness and various shock-tactics, Harry soon had pictures of these four in his book as well, and even got a few lessons from Yaone about what sort of things she did as an apothecary – she even wrote a couple of recipes in his book, and he just couldn't stop smiling all day when he got them.

Baron had refused to let Harry try mixing them himself though.

"No potentially dangerous substances before you're ten," the figurine insisted. "I don't mind if you want to watch other people make them, but before you're ten I'm not letting you handle them for yourself. Clear?"

Harry had sighed, but nodded before perking up again. "What about guaranteed dangerous substances?" the precocious four-and-a-half-year-old asked.

The Baron's green gaze had been so level it was perfectly flat.

"Ask him again after your voice breaks and your balls have dropped," Gojyo suggested with a laugh. "Come on kid, we're gonna play a game of mah-jong tonight, and you need all the lessons in that game that you can get. Can't only win at poker all the time."

"But I don't!" Harry objected. "You an' Hakkai win lots as well."

Gojyo chuckled. "Yeah, we do, but the monk and his pet monkey don't, so they want a different game tonight, and you do still need help with your mah-jong."

Harry nodded. "What's the stakes if one of you wins?" he asked. They always had a bet between themselves – that Harry and Baron weren't part of – when they played mah-jong.

Gojyo grinned. "Private room," he answered. "We've got two doubles and a single room. You and the Baron will be in a double with someone, and then two of us will be sharing a room as well, but someone gets a room all to themselves. Winner decides the sleeping arrangements."

It was a rare event that night, as Goku won the game and assigned Sanzo to share the room with Harry and the Baron, while Hakkai and Gojyo shared the other. Hakkai and Gojyo shared a room often, both they and Goku had shared a room with Harry and the Baron numerous times. It was a new experience for Sanzo though, even when the kid had been with them for half a year.

The blonde priest was surprised at how quiet the kid was. The Baron just sent him to the bathroom to wash up before bed, then when he got back the kid sat on the bed and meditated for thirty minutes.

"He'll keep going until he's told to go to sleep," the Baron said quietly. "He was only doing five minutes when we first joined you. I've been letting his time for this get longer though," he explained before rousing the child and tucking him in. "Say goodnight, then have pleasant dreams."

"Goodnight Baron, goodnight Sanzo," Harry said, pulling the blanket a little closer to his chin and closing his eyes.

"Goodnight Sanzo," the Baron echoed, then hopped down from the bed and, standing rigidly, returned to his wooden form for the night.

"Damn," Sanzo muttered to himself, trying not to think about having just watched the cat turn into the figurine he had always stated he was. "No wonder the kid is good at Hakkai's chi lessons. Goku could stand to learn a thing or two from him, rather than just teaching him how to fight."

~oOo~

"Baron says I'm five today," Harry announced when he sat down at table with Hakkai, the only other person awake yet. The inn had been empty enough as well as big enough that they'd all been able to have their own rooms the night before, though Baron and Harry had shared as always, and Hakuryu slept in the same room as Hakkai most times they stayed at an inn or tavern.

Hakkai looked up at Harry in surprise. "You've really been with us that long already?" he asked, shocked. "It really doesn't feel like it. But then I suppose we've all just been taking one day at a time on this journey."

Harry nodded silently.

"Well, would you like to celebrate?" Hakkai asked, unsure how to react to the normally happy boy being so solemn.

Harry shook his head. "Every time I have a birthday, the inter-dimensional leap comes not long after. Sometimes the same day. I figure if I maybe don't celebrate, then I won't go away, and I'd really like to stay with you guys a bit longer," the boy explained.

Hakkai laughed. "I'd like it if you could stay with us too," Hakkai said, laying a hand on the boy's head and carding his fingers through the – today – long and dead-straight magenta strands. "But I don't think that it's you having a party that triggers your leaving. I think it's probably just Fate deciding that it's time for you to move on and meet new people who can teach you new things."

Harry's shoulders slumped.

"Have you ever not liked where you ended up?" Hakkai pointed out.

Harry shook his head.

"Then you'll like wherever you go next. I'm going to talk to the chef about getting a cake to celebrate with," Hakkai said, patting Harry's head one last time before getting up from the table.

"What are we celebrating?" Gojyo asked, coming in just as Hakkai left through the other door.

"You coming out to Hakkai," Harry answered, staring at his breakfast.

"What?" Gojyo yelped. "How'd-? I mean!"

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "You'll want to work on that poker face," he said. "I'm five today."

"You brat! You made me think Hakkai had figured out how I felt about him! And all the time it's just your birthday!?" Gojyo said, glaring at Harry over the table. Then his brain caught up with his ears and mouth. "Hey, it's your birthday? Happy birthday kid. You're now that much closer to those potentially damaging substances."

Harry really laughed at that. "Thanks Gojyo," he said. "I needed the laugh. I always leave not long after my birthday."

Gojyo slumped down into a chair next to Harry. "That's why you looked kinda bummed huh? Fair enough. But seriously, how'd you figure out my feelings for Hakkai?"

Harry smiled. "When there are lots of women around for you to choose from, you manage to pick the ones with the sappiest story, or have dark hair and green eyes, and for preference both. Now, who does that remind me of?" Harry asked, dramatically tapping his chin with a finger, pouting his lips and squinting his eyes like he was thinking really hard.

"How come you noticed and no one else has then?" Gojyo asked.

Harry blinked. "Because you're Gojyo, you've got red hair and you're the best, so I paid extra attention to you so I'd know how to be the best when I grow up," he explained. Besides, he could remember Gojyo saying that if Hakkai liked the dark pink, he'd get used to that colour.

"If you're planning on emulating Gojyo, I never want to meet you as an adult," Sanzo said as he entered, a smoke already being tapped out of its box.

Harry ducked his head. "Don't say that Sanzo," he begged. "It's my birthday today, and soon I'll probably disappear on another inter-dimensional hop and never see you again."

Sanzo froze, the search for his lighter halted by those words. He was suddenly confronted with the memories of Gojyo and Goku in the back seat of the jeep fighting over stupid inanities just to pass the time, and the foreboding feeling that they'd be bemoaning the kid's not being there for the next few thousand miles – and none of the Baron's specially made tea to help him relax any more. He'd be back on standard whatever that they could buy and relying on beer and smokes more. There was suddenly one less person he'd be able to share a room with while also getting a good night's sleep.

"What's up?" Goku asked, yawning, as he finally joined them. "What's for breakfast?"

"Take a wild guess you damn monkey. All the same things that are usually available for breakfast!"

"And cake," Harry added, just a little unhappily, as he spotted Hakkai coming back from the kitchen with a rather large cake on a trolley.

"Cake? Why are we having cake? Not that I'm complaining!" Goku asked, grinning in excitement.

"Because today is Harry's birthday, correct?" Baron asked as he entered, carrying Harry's packed bag over one shoulder, with the camera held in his hand and Harry's ever-fattening book under one arm.

Hakkai nodded. "I see that you're all packed in case you disappear during the celebration," he noted.

Baron nodded. He didn't actually have luggage. He didn't need to change his clothes, clean himself or eat, his enjoyment of tea completely aside. Harry on the other hand needed changes of clothes, his toothbrush and comb, and would not enjoy being parted from the gifts he'd been given at earlier birthday parties and the two Christmases he'd gotten to enjoy.

Harry pouted when he saw the bag that his guardian was carrying. "Today?" he asked.

Baron nodded. "Not immediately, but within the next twenty-four hours."

"Within the next twenty-four hours what?" Kougaiji's voice demanded from the door of the inn.

"Cake!" Lirin cheered, rushing straight in.

"Hey, we haven't even sung Harry 'Happy Birthday' yet! No cake until we've sung the song and he's blown out candles!" Goku said, intercepting the girl. If he wasn't allowed to dive straight into the cake, then neither was she!

"Harry's birthday?" Yaone asked, blinking in surprise.

"Yep," the boy answered. "And I always leave around about the same time as my birthday."

"So if you would oblige the birthday boy and all stand around him and the cake for a photo?" the Baron requested politely. "Then we may have cake and farewells."

Dokugakuji frowned. "Some birthday present, having to say goodbye to people."

"I'm gonna miss all of you guys a lot," Harry said, claiming hugs from them all – even Sanzo – once Baron had taken the picture and Lirin and Goku had started on the cake.

"Oh, we'll miss you too," Yaone said, kissing his hair softly.

"Yeah kid, you were just getting good at mah-jong," Gojyo added with a lop-sided grin that didn't reach his eyes. "An' it was real fun watching you win the poker game in the last town."

Harry smiled. That was a good memory for him too.

"What did you do with poker winnings?" Dokugakuji asked. He'd already heard the story of where the kid had learned to play poker. He hadn't been too impressed, but it was too late to change now.

"I bought Harry a couple of sets of clothes with some of it, then spent the rest of it on more of these," the Baron said, holding up the now-developed picture of everybody around Harry and the cake. "Enough to last us two years if there isn't anywhere to re-stock at our next stop."

"Can everybody please write something on that page?" Harry asked, watching the Baron stick the photo onto a new page in his book. "So I'll have more than just the picture to remember the day by?"

Gojyo gave Harry one more thing to remember the day by, and one more photo to put into his book before he disappeared. He kissed Hakkai and told him how he felt.

"Gojyo?" Hakkai asked, stunned.

"Harry figured me out," he admitted. "And I couldn't let the kid disappear not knowing if we'd get together."

Hakkai smiled at his friend, and pulled them together again.

Harry, Lirin and Dokugakuji were all cheering, while Baron just smiled and took a picture for Harry. Under that photo, Hakkai and Gojyo wrote just a small message: "Thank you Harry."

The boy picked up his book and hugged it, smiling around at everybody, then he and the Baron faded away.

Yaone blinked. "He really just disappeared."

"Hope wherever he lands, he's appreciated. He's a good kid," Kougaiji said.

"Hey Sanzo? Think you could chant the sutra for this?" Gojyo asked.

"Yeah," the blond said, pulling his hat out of his sleeve and sitting down on the floor. "Yeah, I think this deserves a little chanting."

Chapter Text

It was practically convenient that, having just turned five, Harry Potter and his guardian landed in front of a school this time around.

"Perfect," the Baron declared, looking around. "Let's find the secretary and the headmaster's office, and we can enrol you here to begin your schooling. I'm sure we'll be able to figure out some way of paying tuition and finding somewhere to stay."

Inside, the secretary was absent, but the headmaster, or principle as he introduced himself as, smiled at them when he opened the door and welcomed them inside.

The Baron gave a summary of their situation, and Harry presented his book for inspection as evidence.

"Well, we are just a couple of days away from starting the new school year, and enrolment generally happens a few months in advance, but I don't see why I can't help you both out," the smiling man said. "I'll put you in... ah! There now," he quickly printed off a sheet and handed it to the Baron. "That is the room number and his teacher's name, as well as the school rules he will be expected to follow. For your uniform Harry," the man rose from his chair and beckoned for Harry to follow him into the next room. "I may be brand new to this position, but I've decided to always have a few spare in all of the sizes, just in case someone has an accident. I am happy to let you both live with me until you leave, and supply you with all the basics you will need, if you will let me use you as a test-audience for the books that I write."

Baron smiled. "I think that's an agreement very much in our favour," he said. "I would be happy to help with any chores that need to be done as well."

"Thank you Mr A- Ama-" Harry scrunched up his face, trying to remember how to say the name. He wasn't used to long names that were hard to pronounce. Everyone always had a shorter name. Dokugakuji excepted, but he'd answered to Doku just as fine, and even sometimes his old name Jien. Of course, he'd also only heard the new name once yet, which didn't help.

"Amakawa," Baron supplied. "It's really not that hard Harry."

"Thank you Mr Amakawa," Harry said, grinning now that he'd gotten the name right.

On the way to Mr Amakawa's home after that interview, they stopped by a doctor's office so that Harry could get more immunisations added to the list in the back of his book.

~oOo~

Harry sat next to a boy with blue hair on his first day of class, and watched, curious, as the teacher called on each student to stand up behind their desk, say their name, and tell the class something about themselves. He thought it was really interesting how the kids all said their family name first too, when he was used to having it come last until he'd met the Sanzo party, or like with Kougaiji and his friends – having no family name at all that he could tell.

"Potter Harry," he said when it came to be his turn. "I travel a lot." He'd figured that was really the best way to tell his class the most important thing about himself.

"How often is 'a lot' Harry?" the teacher asked kindly.

"Every year of my life, I've lived somewhere different," he answered. "I've got a big book full of pictures from the people I've met. It's my most precious treasure."

"Maybe when it's your turn for show-and-tell you could bring it along?" the teacher suggested.

Harry nodded and sat down again.

A little while later, it was the turn of the boy he was sitting next to.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto. I play the violin."

The teacher asked Ikuto if he'd like to bring his violin to class one day and play for them.

"I don't really like playing for crowds," Ikuto said, blushing a little.

"That's okay," the teacher reassured him. "You're allowed to feel that way."

Ikuto smiled in gratitude and sat down again, and the next child was called to stand up. This went on until recess, at which time Harry decided to get to know Ikuto better, since they were sitting next to each other and he wanted a friend.

Harry learned that Ikuto's father wasn't around much, that he had a younger sister, and sometimes the two of them played with a little boy who's father was a friend of Ikuto's father. Harry pointed out that, since they were only five, they weren't really in a position to call anybody else a little boy.

"Tadase is only just one," Ikuto answered. "That's little."

Harry nodded. "How old is your sister?"

"Utau is three. She's really annoying too, all clingy all the time," Ikuto complained, pulling a face that made Harry laugh.

"Well, maybe you could come and visit with me some time, and then you wouldn't have to play with a clingy little sister and a baby," Harry offered.

Ikuto smiled. "I'd like that."

They visited together the very next day, and Mr Amakawa read them his newest story, about an egg.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"If we really could have an egg like that," Ikuto said, "that would be so cool!"

Mr Amakawa laughed. "What makes you think it couldn't be?" he asked. "I had to get the idea from somewhere. Harry, what do you think?"

"It's great," he said, smiling. "But I think you need more pictures."

Mr Amakawa laughed. "More pictures it is then!" he declared happily. "Thank you Harry. I'll remember that."

"Afternoon tea!" called the Baron from the kitchen.

Harry and Ikuto raced to the kitchen, but Ikuto stopped the instant he saw the Baron walking across a thin wooden plank from the kitchen bench to the table, carrying a plate of fruit, cheese and crackers.

"You must be Ikuto," the Baron said as he set the tray down. "I'm the Baron, Harry's guardian."

"I wish I had a guardian like you," Ikuto said. "Are you the one who takes Harry all around the world?"

Harry hadn't explained yet about how he'd been to different worlds, or possibly just times yet, he wasn't exactly clear on that.

"Yes, I'm the one who travels with him. Mr Amakawa is being gracious enough to let us stay with him while we are here," the Baron answered.

"I wish I could see the world."

"You're making a lot of wishes Ikuto," Harry said, grinning. "You should be careful, they might come true!"

Ikuto laughed.

~oOo~

"I shouldn't have laughed," Ikuto said, his face red as he stood in front of his friend in class the next morning.

"About what Ikuto?" Harry asked. "If you mean when I tickled you, then you really couldn't help it."

Ikuto shook his head. "No, I mean when you said I should be careful what I wish for." The boy shoved his hand into his book-bag and pulled out an egg that looked like it had been painted with black on each end and black cat-heads around the white bit in the middle.

Harry stared. "An egg like from Mr Amakawa's story?" he breathed. "That's so cool Ikuto."

"I pinched myself five times this morning when I woke up and found it in my bed," Ikuto said, sitting down beside his friend. "What do you think will come out of it?"

Harry shrugged. "I'd say a cat," he said, "since it's got cats all around it," he added, pointing. "Only, cats don't come out of eggs normally, do they?"

Ikuto shook his head. "Nuh-uh."

"Well, don't think about it for now. Just keep it warm so it will hatch, right? We'll find out then!"

~oOo~

The school year wasn't very exciting. Harry did bring his book to class to show everybody the places he'd been and the people he'd met, and everybody was really impressed that he knew so many people. The teacher in particular was interested in the people he'd been with just before he'd come to the school.

"We were always going west," Harry said. "I don't know why," he admitted. "Or... I think we were going because something had to be fixed and Sanzo had orders from someone to be the one to fix it, but I don't really know."

Other kids brought different things to class to show, and Ikuto eventually did bring his violin to class, and after school he played for Harry – and only Harry.

"It's Ikuto's birthday next week!" Harry declared happily. "He says he's having a party at the amusement park and I'm invited. Can I go? Please?"

Mr Amakawa and the Baron both laughed, nodding happily. "Of course you can Harry. I'll even take you shopping for a birthday present," Mr Amakawa said.

"Yay!"

After the party, Harry was invited to stay the night at Ikuto's house. Baron said it was alright, and Mr Amakawa went back to fetch an overnight bag.

"Hey Harry?" Ikuto asked when the two of them had been tucked into Ikuto's bed together.

"Yeah?" Harry answered, a little sleepily. He'd never been to an amusement park before, and all the training he'd done with weapons, and all the meditation he'd sat through, had not prepared him for all those rides. It probably didn't help that since coming to this world, Harry hadn't really had a chance to practice his weapons.

"In some of your pictures in your book, you look different. Why?"

Harry blinked and sat up, reached out to Ikuto's bedside lamp, and turned it on. When Ikuto was sitting up as well, Harry looked his friend in the eye. "Because I can do this," he said, and made his green eyes almost as golden as Goku's and turned his hair bubble-gum pink. Then his eyes turned grey-purple, and his hair became sandy blonde – just like Mr Amakawa's eyes and hair, rather than Sanzo's violet eyes and golden blonde hair. Then he made his eyes and hair red before returning them to normal again.

"Wow!"

Harry grinned. "I can do more than just that," he said, closing his eyes to concentrate. Then a pair of cat ears popped into existence on top of his head, a matching tail appeared behind him, and then they both vanished in favour of a third eye in the middle of Harry's forehead. The eye blinked at Ikuto, changed colour a couple of times, and then it closed and vanished as well.

"How do you do that?" Ikuto asked.

Harry shrugged. "According to Master Niko, I have magic. He's not sure exactly what kind of magic, but it's really fun," he answered.

~oOo~

"Already!" Harry asked, horrified.

"Yes Harry," Baron answered, completely empathetic to the child's plight. "I'm sorry. But the school term will be over soon, and your birthday comes not long after. I've got your class photo in your book, so I suggest that you take it with you to class again this week and ask your friends there to write in it. We will most likely be leaving on the day of your sixth birthday."

Harry sniffed. "Do you think we'll ever come back?" he asked. "I want to see Ikuto again."

Baron wrapped his arms around the boy's shoulders. "I'm afraid that there is really no way to tell," he said. "We might, but we might not. We might even run into him somewhere else on our travels. I'm sorry that you have to say goodbye to your friend."

Harry cried that night before he went to sleep, wishing that there was some way he could control where he ended up when he was forced on another inter-dimensional journey.

There was an egg in his bed with him when he woke up.

"Be careful what you wish for," he whispered to himself, staring at the egg. "It might come true."

Ikuto's still hadn't hatched, he knew. They'd check every recess and lunch together, and Ikuto told him he'd checked again every morning and every night before he went to sleep. They were beginning to wonder if it would ever hatch. Harry wondered if his egg would take forever to hatch as well.

His egg, unlike Ikuto's, was ringed in a rainbow of stripes around the middle, rather than just the two colours, with a white top and a black bottom, and had a shape printed on one side of the egg over those colours that he thought might have been a compass, but he wasn't sure. Maybe having more colours would make it hatch faster? It probably wouldn't, but he'd hope anyway.

Harry told Ikuto about his leaving before class started, and since the teacher had been given a note by Mr Amakawa, she told the whole class and everybody wrote him a farewell in his book. Everybody promised to stay in touch, but Harry shook his head.

"I don't even know where we're going," he admitted. "I'd like for us all to stay in contact, but it's probably impossible," he added, tears coming to his eyes. He'd really made a lot of friends who were his age here, and he didn't want to never see them again.

"I wish I could go with you," Ikuto said at lunch break. "I really want to travel the world some day. See places no one else does or will."

"I just want to be able to come back some day," Harry answered softly.

"I can help with that," two little voices said, one from each Harry's and Ikuto's book bags.

The two friends opened their bags in shock as their eggs hatched right before their very eyes. Out of Ikuto's came a small cat-boy, with large paws in place of his hands and feet. He had a tail sticking out of his little black jumpsuit, cat ears on top of his messy blue hair, and a pair of golden-bright cat eyes. Harry's egg hatched something that had the same proportions, a large head and a small body, but without the great big paws. The figure that came out of Harry's egg was wearing a jumpsuit as well, but instead of grey-black it was the green colour of Hakuryu's jeep form. There was a stripe of every colour from the egg in the mess of hair on his head, and his eyes... one was black and the other was white, an idea which Harry thought was something he was going to have to try.

"I'm Yoru, nya!" announced the cat-like boy that had appeared from Ikuto's egg.

"And I'm Ryu!" declared the colourful boy who had emerged from Harry's.

"Nice to meet you," Harry answered.

"Not meaning to be rude," Ikuto cut in. "But what are you?"

"Guardian Characters!" Ryu and Yoru said together.

"We're born from the wishes and desires of your hearts, to help guide you on your way to achieving your dreams," Ryu added.

Yoru nodded solemnly in agreement, then grinned and floated closer to Ikuto. "I'm born from your dreams to be free to travel as you please and live without restrictions," he informed the boy happily.

Ryu floated around Harry's head before stopping and settling on his shoulder. "I was created from your wish to be able to find your way back to the places you've been and the people you've met. It's a lesson that may take a while," he said, smiling. "But you've got the time to learn it!"

"I'm going to be able to actually navigate on that inter-dimensional highway?" Harry asked, awed at the very idea, then he grinned. "I'll be able to come back and visit Ikuto! I'll be able to go and see Gojyo and Tris and Pam and everybody!"

Ryu held up his hands and laughed. "Calm down Harry!" he said. "It's going to take a few years before you master this! When you do, you'll be able to pick when you go as well as where, but first have patience!"

Harry sighed. "Alright. Good things come to those who wait, like Hakkai said," he allowed, then turned to Ikuto. "I'll definitely come back," he promised.

Ikuto nodded.

Just as the Baron had said, not long after Harry's birthday, they were gone. This time though, they were three travelling instead of two. Considering that only one of them had any luggage though – and that it now included a few schoolbooks as well as clothes – it wasn't at all a bad thing. In Harry's mind, that they still had all of their emergency supplies for the polaroid camera was the best thing, since they'd been able to buy the special film it needed as they needed it.

Chapter Text

“Oof!"

"Er, sorry about that," Harry apologised, climbing down out of the lap he'd landed in.

"You need to work on your re-entry when landing from inter-dimensional travel Harry," the Baron said, just slightly scolding. "You will do yourself – or someone else – a permanent damage if you are forever landing on your rear or expecting me to catch you. You're getting too big for me to do that any more."

"Don't worry, I'll help," Ryu promised with a smile. "It's just like landing from a really high jump while you're moving forwards at the same time."

"I apologise for having landed on your paperwork Sir," the Baron said, turning his attention to the man whose lap Harry had landed in. "And for my ward landing on you. Would you be able to tell us where we've landed this time?"

The greying man raised an eyebrow at the question. "I take it this isn't the first time that you've landed somewhere without any idea where you are?" he asked.

The Baron nodded. "Every year, usually on or just shortly after Harry's birthday, we travel from one dimension to another without any way of controlling where we end up," he explained. "I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingken, this is my ward Harry Potter, and his imaginary friend who claims to be able to teach Harry how to travel inter-dimensionally with purpose is apparently called Ryu."

Baron could see the little guy, but he was well aware that not only was he one of very few, but Harry would openly talk to Ryu even though other people couldn't see him, so it looked like the child was talking to thin air.

The elderly gentleman nodded his acceptance of the Baron's story. "I am Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure."

Harry scratched his head, trying to figure out what that meant.

Sarutobi laughed. "That means that I'm the boss of this place," he explained. "Konohagakure, or just Konoha, is this village," he said, standing up and gesturing to the window. He wasn't too worried about these two being spies from somewhere else. A ninja wouldn't have landed so gracelessly in his lap, a ninja wouldn't actually look so much like a feline, a ninja wouldn't be in enemy territory without any weapons or armour and carrying a bag that looked to be full of clothes, books, and possibly a soft toy.

"It looks too big to be just a village," the Baron commented as he looked out the window, slightly awed by what he could see. The mountainside that had apparently been carved out to have faces in it was particularly impressive.

Sarutobi laughed. "Yes, it is quite impressive, isn't it? I should really be out there somewhere enjoying my retirement, but I'm afraid that the matter of choosing my successor is becoming something of a difficult matter."

"May someone who has no true bias offer you some advice, Sir?" the Baron offered politely. "I don't know anything of your candidates or your village, but there are two things that I have found through my years when it comes to leaders."

"Please," Sarutobi said with a smile, amused.

"The leaders who are good leaders, are the ones who want to do the best that they can for the group that they are leading. The leaders who are great leaders however, are the ones who truly care about the individuals that they are leading. Every group is made up of individuals after all, and what is the concern of one is often the concern of many others," the Baron said.

"Sounds like Tsunade," Sarutobi said with a chuckle. "And here I was considering only the boys. Thank you."

The Baron bowed to the ageing man.

Tsunade was sent for, and while they waited for her to arrive, Sarutobi discussed living arrangements within Konoha for the Baron and Harry, as well as the possibility for the boy to go to the Ninja Academy. Sarutobi wasn't exactly keen on village techniques being taught to someone who would never fight for the village, but after a bit of grilling from the Baron, he admitted that a large number of Academy students never went on to be ninja for the village anyway, and for all sorts of reasons. Baron reasoned that Harry would doubtlessly make friends with the students, and in the (admittedly, unlikely) event that they ever returned, Harry wasn't the sort to initiate conflict of any kind if he could help it.

"You sent for me, Sensei?" asked a blonde woman from the suddenly open door of Sarutobi's office.

"Yes, Tsunade, I did. Please, come in," Sarutobi said, smiling and waving her in.

She closed the door behind her, but eyed the other two in the office, thinking it particularly odd that the child was speaking to an empty spot of air. "Who are these two?" she asked.

"Baron and his ward Harry, who is speaking with his imaginary friend, it would seem," Sarutobi said, smiling a little at the sight of the child's activities. "Please sit Tsunade."

"What's this about Sensei?" she asked as she eased into one of the chairs Sarutobi had in his office for visitors.

"I'd like you to be my successor for the post of Hokage."

"I don't want it," she answered at once.

"I know," Sarutobi countered. "But regardless of you wanting the job or not Tsunade, I know that you care about the people of Konoha."

"So do Jiraiya and his student Minato. Pick one of them," Tsunade snapped.

Sarutobi shook his head. "Minato cares for Konoha a great deal, and is an inspirational leader to those who follow him because his priority is always those who are following him. Your priorities, if I hear the rumours right, are getting a proficient medic-nin on every team, something that's good for not only Konoha as a whole, but for every ninja on field duty and their worrying families back within our walls. Do you see the difference Tsunade?" he implored.

Tsunade sighed. "Yes," she admitted, sinking into the chair she was sitting in. For a few minutes, she was silent and just stared into her hands where they rested on her lap. She took a deep breath, then snapped her honey-brown eyes up to her old team leader. "I'm going to make a pack of changes if you put me on the other side of this desk Sensei," she said. "You may even not like some of them. Think you can live with that?"

Sarutobi smiled. "I'm sure that I can," he said. "Thank you Tsunade."

When the news got out, Orochimaru was not well pleased.

~oOo~

Harry was having a blast in the Academy, blissfully unaware and unconcerned with the dangers that the Baron was getting into in order to help Tsunade clear out the 'cancers' as she called them, of the village. He'd gotten to show off a few of the things that he'd learned from the time he had spent travelling west in the back of Hakuryu, sandwiched between Gojyo and Goku, and then there were lessons on a whole bunch of new stuff. It was great! They didn't have the kinds of explosives that had been used now and then on the journey west, and there wasn't a gun to be seen anywhere, but there were loads of other options to be had, completely apart from the few things that went bang.

His best friends in the class were a boy called Itachi and a girl called Anko, but he'd made a few friends outside of the Academy as well. There was Tsunade – she was nice to him when she was around – a man called Minato, and his student Kakashi was alright, if a bit uptight. He'd made friends with just about all of the Inuzuka clan after Hana's dogs had pounced on him in the park, she'd apologised (she was in his class at the Academy as well), and taken him back to her place to feed him as part of that apology. Then there was the Hyuuga.

Harry had met the man when he was visiting a weapons dealer – he was looking for something like Gojyo's shakujo. The kunai and shuriken that they got taught to use in the Academy were okay, but he'd wanted something like the shakujo since the first time he'd seen it. Goku's nyoibo was cool with the way that it could extend to practically forever or break up into sections held together by a chain, and Hakkai's chi-blasts were awesome fun to do, and Doku's blue dragon sword was creepy-cool and learning hand-to-hand with Lirin – and now in the Academy - was fun, and Sanzo's gun was something Harry had sometimes almost itched to be allowed to handle, but it was Gojyo's shakujo, hands down, that beat them all. Yaone's spear was practically pathetic in comparison, but she made up for it with her potions and bombs and stuff. Not that he was allowed to experiment with that for a couple more years yet though, so it didn't matter anyway.

But back to the main point; he'd met Hyuuga Hizashi in the shop of the weapons dealer.

"What's a child like you doing in here?" the man asked. "Have you even mastered the Academy basics with kunai and shuriken yet?"

"A longer weapons gives the smaller fighter an advantage," Harry answered. "So I'm looking for a longer weapon." He folded his arms over his chest and pouted. "Not like they've got what I'm looking for here anyway, and even if they did, I probably wouldn't be allowed to buy it."

"A long weapon is harder to hide and travel with. As ninja, both are a priority," Hizashi pointed out.

"A long weapon doesn't get hid," Harry retorted. "A long weapon gets shown off and used for intimidating the opponent and slashing at their fronts, while a more practical team mate can silently and subtly attack from behind."

Hizashi chuckled. "And what about travelling with it? How do you carry a large weapon over long distances without it becoming cumbersome and irritating, yet still having it ready at an instant?"

"Is keeping it in a sealed scroll or something too complicated?" Harry asked, then shrugged. "I expect I'd get used to it," he answered. "Or maybe find a long weapon that can fold up if I need it to." He wasn't going to mention the whole summoning and banishing weapons the way he'd learned. It was a whole different way to here, and they'd probably rip themselves apart if he just did it. Either their brains would break or they'd all be begging to learn how for themselves.

"You truly are determined, aren't you? You would be a good influence for my son."

Harry perked up, just a little. "How old is he?"

"Only just one yet."

Harry shrugged. "I might not still be here by the time he gets old enough to remember me," Harry said. "If you like, I'll watch him for you sometimes when you have a mission."

Hizashi smiled. "Thank you. I am Hyuuga Hizashi."

"Potter Harry."

So Harry added babysitting Hyuuga Neji to his happy memories of his time in Konoha, as well as a couple of pictures of the white-eyed boy to his book.

~oOo~

Harry's book was getting very full. Every page had at least one photo on it, and most of them were filled to the very edges with writing. He had anecdotes, listings of medical procedures, sage advice, recipes, stories – most of them true – and at least a hundred different sets of instructions for how all sorts of different things were done. He had instructions for how to bind a wound; how to draw blood safely; how to play poker; how to distil alcohol and mix a drink; how to care for twenty different types of plants; how to use a whip – he was going to have to try that some day; how to perform maintenance on sixty different weapons; how to meditate; how to spin thread, weave it, and then sew the cloth into clothing; how to work three different types of metal – actually, that might be useful for making his own weapon; how to concentrate his chi – which was different to wielding his magic, which he also had some rough instructions for; how to care for sick, injured or orphaned animals and birds; how to design, create, write and execute a seal – that was the most recent one put in there actually. It had been a considered effort of both Jiraiya and Minato. There were instruction on chakra control – which was again different to both his chi and his magic, and there were medical techniques that Tsunade had decided he should know, even if he was too young and inexperienced in controlling his chakra yet to learn them, and that wasn't even all of it!

Harry decided that, for his upcoming seventh birthday, he was going to buy himself a new book. He had no intention of getting rid of the old one, but it was getting to be very full. It would probably only last him until he left Konoha, and he was fairly sure that Baron was planning a big party for him this year, for everybody to come and say goodbye, write something in his book, and get into the big group-photo that would be around him and the cake.

Sometimes, Harry wasn't sure if he hated his birthday, or loved it. One thing he was sure of was that, as well as the new book, he was probably going to need a new bag. Unless he wanted to put everything into seal scrolls. That was a pretty good idea actually. He'd sort through everything, store it in a few seals, the stuff that he used a lot would be easily accessible and the stuff that hardly ever got used would be safely away for those times when he did want it.

"No worries Harry," Ryu comforted, floating beside the boy. "The techniques that you've been learning will help you be able to navigate better in the inter-dimensional pathways."

Harry smiled. "Speaking of pathways," he said. "Which part of Konoha have I ended up in?" he asked. "I think I got turned about because I was thinking too much."

Ryu chuckled. "Chara: change!" he declared with a smile, and a compass pendant on a thin choker appeared around Harry's neck an instant before the boy turned around and started off towards his home with the Baron, taking the fastest rout, bouncing over the rooftops.

When Harry's seventh birthday rolled around, his very favourite gifts weren't the piles of kunai and shuriken – though that was pretty awesome – no, his favourite gifts were the three technique scrolls, the two sealing scrolls, and the new, awesome, backpack that could expand out to twice its original size upwards, and an extra half it's size again at the sides.

After his party, he had time enough to get everything packed up just the way he wanted it, sling on his brand new backpack, and then he, the Baron, and Ryu were gone from Konoha.

They never knew about the birth of Minato's son that happened a mere week later, the death of his wife, or the destruction the Kyuubi wreaked upon Konoha before Minato sacrificed his life so that it would be sealed it again – this time inside his son.

Chapter Text

When Harry landed, it was initially on his feet, but soon his hands and knees were on the ground as well. "Okay, little more abrupt a landing than anything we did in the Academy."

"I promise you'll get better Harry," Ryu said.

"You are much improved on your previous entry-landing Harry," Baron offered.

"Thanks," the boy said. "So, where are we this time?"

"My lab," answered a slightly stern voice from behind them. "On the day when hopeful new trainers come to choose their first pokemon."

Harry looked up from where he was still crouched on the floor. "Sorry for dropping in like that," he said.

"Quite," the old man agreed. "I am Professor Oak. You are?"

"I'm Harry Potter."

"Baron Humbert von Gikkingken."

"Ryu," the little guardian added, even though he knew he couldn't be seen or heard by this man.

"Well, I suppose that you would like to start a pokemon journey?" the Professor suggested. "You seem to be packed already. What would you like?"

"Um, what are pokemon?" Harry asked.

Professor Oak blinked. "What are pokemon?" he parroted, before launching into a full and comprehensive explanation, handing over a pokedex at one point as an aid to his lecture. "And that's what pokemon are," he finished.

"Cool," Harry answered, a little stunned. "Um, can I have a charmander please? And a map?"

Professor Oak smiled and handed over one full pokeball, a small bag of empty ones, and a map.

"The empties are for catching new ones, right?" Harry asked.

Professor Oak nodded. "Now Harry, you can't carry more than six full pokeballs at a time, alright?"

Harry blinked up at the professor. "But Professor, I always vanish from a world at the end of a year. If I don't have them with me, then I'll never see them again!"

Professor Oak blinked in surprise. "You mean like how you appeared here?" he asked.

Harry nodded.

"I should be able to carry some, right Professor?" the Baron suggested. "That would allow for twelve pokeballs."

Professor Oak nodded slowly in agreement, seeing that it did seem to make sense, though he wasn't sure where the Baron would be carrying those pokeballs.

Harry tugged at his lip. "If I got one of my pokemon to carry the pokeball for another pokemon... could that work?" he asked, then sighed. "I guess we'll find out if we need to." One thing he knew for sure: he'd more likely end up putting pokeballs in storage scrolls first to see if that allowed him to carry more captured pokemon around with him.

~oOo~

Harry decided that he wasn't going to waste his time proving that he had 'strong' pokemon by going to the various gyms and winning badges. Instead, he started by looking through the very long list of all the pokemon that had been discovered so far, and made a much, much shorter list of the ones that he wanted.

A ditto, a pack of eevees so that he could have one of every evolutionary form, a vulpix and a ninetails, maybe a lapras. Beyond that, he'd see what he came across that he liked the look of when he met it. If he wanted those evolutionary forms though, that meant he'd need a bunch of those magic stones as well as getting the pokemon.

"Well, no time like the present!"

Baron smiled. "It will be nice to spend some time travelling the traditional way, and just us for a change," he offered.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, it will be," he agreed.

It was too. Harry and Baron talked as they walked, and sometimes they would stop and move off the road so that the Baron could help Harry get a stance or movement just right. Ryu added to the happy chatter and when Harry got out his kunai and shuriken for throwing practice as he walked, the little guardian always found them when they missed their target.

In the evenings, Harry brought his charmander out of his pokeball to light a fire for them to camp around, and spent some time getting to know his – as yet – only pokemon.

It helped communication that Harry was able to understand every other word that his charmander said, and that Ryu always knew exactly, so between them, they could translate for the Baron.

They'd been travelling for a week, seeing all sorts of different bug pokemon, as well as a few bird and mouse pokemon, when they were met by a pair with, even to Harry's mind, really quite interesting hair.

"Hey kid, aren't you a bit young to be travelling on your own?" asked the violet-haired man.

"I'm not on my own," Harry answered.

"Indeed he is not," the Baron added firmly.

The group of three – there was a pokemon with them – blinked at the suit-wearing feline gentleman.

"I thought you were the only cat pokemon who could talk, Meowth," the woman said to the unusually upright pokemon.

"I didn't know meowths could talk," Harry said, surprised himself now.

"And I'm not a pokemon," the Baron corrected.

"Generally speaking, meowths don't," the man answered to Harry. "But Meowth here taught himself how to talk and walk upright."

"So, who are you? I'm Harry, and this is Baron."

The pair smirked at each other and launched into a tandem speech that they obviously had memorised. "Prepare for trouble – and make it double..." It ultimately resulted in James demanding that Harry hand over any pokemon that he might have.

"No," Harry answered, shaking his head. "I don't think so. I mean, how would you feel if someone stole your meowth?"

"I'm not their meowth," the pokemon objected. "I'm my own!"

Harry blinked.

"That's different then," the Baron said with a smile. "If you are your own pokemon, then you classify as a 'wild' pokemon, and may be captured by anyone at any time. Harry? How do you feel about the idea?"

Harry laughed. "Well, you obviously like the idea Baron. Okay, sure."

"What?" the meowth yelped, backing away.

"Come on out to play Chav," Harry said with a smile, releasing his charmander from its pokeball. They'd talked nicknames for the pokemon the first night they were camping, and Chav had been the name that the charmander had liked best. So that was the name he went by. If they'd known what a chav was in Harry's native England, they probably would have picked something else.

"You can't do that! Meowth's our team mate!" James objected.

"You can't steal pokemon," the Baron countered. "It's illegal. Yet you seem to do it anyway."

"You wanna just tackle him or do you feel like stoking the fires a bit Chav?" Harry asked.

"Char!"

"Char it is," Harry declared happily. "Kick things off with an ember."

Jesse and James tried to protect their team mate, setting out their ekans and coffing to get between them, but Chav set them both to 'barbeque' before setting the meowth's tail on fire and sitting on him so that Harry could catch him.

Harry smiled when the pokeball returned to him with his new pokemon. "It's going to be interesting getting to know him," Harry said, tucking the ball into his pocket before he recalled Chav.

Jesse and James stared after Harry and Baron mutely as they walked between them, and then off along the road.

"Think we'll get in trouble for this?" James asked Jesse.

"Probably."

~oOo~

"Stop twitching," Harry ordered kindly. "It will feel better when I'm done, I promise!"

"You burned my tail!"

"Yes, and now I'm applying the burn salve and bandages. Now, do you want to be called Meowth or would you rather have a nickname?" Harry asked.

"A nickname?"

"Char, char char!"

"No, I will not submit to being called 'Twitchy'!"

Baron and Ryu laughed as they watched the scene and cooked the dinner.

"How about..." Harry paused, thinking. "How about Ra?" he said, smiling.

"Ra?" the meowth asked, clearly unsure about the name. He'd gone by 'Meowth' for so long, after all. "What kinda name is 'Ra'?"

"Ra was an ancient Egyptian god," the Baron said. "God of the sun, I believe, though I could be mistaken. I think Bast would be better if you're thinking Egyptian gods though Harry. One of the forms of Bast was a cat."

Harry nodded. "Bast. That's cool. What do you think?" he asked, tying off the bandage around the pokemon's tail.

"Hmm, Bast sounds okay," he allowed, bringing his tail around to inspect the damage and the bandage. "I can learn to live with it."

"Then from now on, you're Bast."

"Char char!"

"Heh, thanks."

"What did Chav say?" Baron asked Harry.

"Chav welcomed Bast to the team," Harry answered with a smile.

~oOo~

Harry used some of the money that Bast could create from one of his attacks to join a poker game, and used his winnings from the game to purchase an eevee and a vulpix from a breeder. He was happy to be that much closer to his goal, and Alice – the eevee – seemed exited that her new owner wanted to have lots of eevees, even if it was just so that he could evolve them. The vulpix, who had liked best the name Fino, seemed to not care about company or evolving, just so long as Harry brushed her fur every night.

Harry was mostly happy to oblige, and did brush her fur, but he didn't do it every night. He had to make time for his other pokemon as well after all, though Bast objected that he wasn't a girl to be pampered. The meowth couldn't help but purr quietly under the gentle brush-stroke though. To make sure Chav wasn't left out, even though he had no fur, Harry gave his first pokemon a gentle massage with oils that were good for the charmander's skin.

"Hey Harry," Bast asked one night while they were eating. "I noticed you ain't been stoppin' at any of the pokemon gyms. Don't ya want no badges?"

Harry laughed. "No," he answered. "I'm really not interested in proving that I'm the best at something like that. I mean, sure, I'd like to think that I'm a good trainer, helping you guys get stronger and feeling good about yourselves because of that, but there's more to life than fighting with people."

"So, if we ain't aimin' for gyms, where are we goin'?"

"Evolution Mountain is our destination for now," Harry answered. "I need to get evolution stones, and if I find more pokemon along the way that I want to add to the team, well, that would be great too."

"You have to understand," Baron said, drawing the meowth's attention from Harry. "We aren't going to be in this world for long enough that Harry getting a few badges is going to make much of a difference. We just want to see as much of it as we can, and enjoy it as much as possible until we have another inter-dimensional jump."

Every pokemon around the fire looked up at that comment, and Bast asked the question they were waiting for.

"An' what's that when it's at home?"

Harry laughed. "An inter-dimensional jump is something that makes sure I don't have a home," he said.

"Vulp," Fino commiserated, standing up on her back legs in Harry's lap, her front paws on his chest to support her while she licked Harry's cheek, trying to comfort the boy.

"Thanks Fino," he answered, kissing her nose. "I love you too."

When they eventually reached Evolution Mountain, Harry had enough eevees to get one of every evolved form, while keeping Alice in the original eevee form. He really felt very lucky to have come upon that whole family of them like that. He'd also caught another vulpix, bought a ditto, and caught a ponyta that he could ride, rather than having to walk everywhere. The horse pokemon was also a lot faster than he was, so he got to enjoy the rush of wind through his hair when he was riding.

"You seem to have something of an affinity to finding fire pokemon," Baron observed with a smile as he leapt down from Silver's – the ponyta's – back.

Harry laughed. "I just got lucky then," he answered. "Or maybe it's Ryu," he suggested, turning to look at his little guardian.

Ryu laughed. "Not me Harry!" he answered happily. "But if you want, I can find a lapras? I know you've got that pokemon on your list, and it's pretty much the last one except for evolving the eevees."

Harry waved off the offer. "Let's do what can be done now first. We'll look for a lapras when we find a stretch of coast line."

They were lucky enough to have arrived in the area for someone's open-invitation evolution party, so he didn't even have to buy the stones that he would need to evolve his pokemon.

"Okay! Fino, Kou, you two find yourselves a fire stone. Umi, water stone. Lex, thunder stone. Alice, don't you go anywhere near those things. Tulie, try a grass stone, and Lulu a moonstone. They might work after all. Hang back here too Sven, unless you think they've got any glacier stones. No Lucy, you stay away from the stones too. Yes, you can all eat, just don't eat everything. Bast, Chav, you make sure you don't give yourselves stomach aches eating too much, alright? And keep Fey away from the buffet. Iggy, keep your tails out of the food! I'm going to make sure that Silver's got some food and water."

Baron laughed at his ward quietly as the boy gave instructions and bustled about, meeting the other people who were at the party politely.

"What are you thinking Baron?" Ryu asked.

"I was just watching Harry being such a guiding hand to his pokemon, that's all. If he turns out to be as good with people, he could someday become a great leader, given the chance," he answered quietly.

Ryu nodded.

When Harry and company left the pokemon world behind, Harry took with him all of the pokemon he'd wanted to 'catch', as well as a couple extra in the forms of Bast and Silver. He named his lapras Thor when he caught him.

Chapter Text

“Okay, where are we now?" Harry asked as he stepped out of the inter-dimensional 'path' and into a new world. He really was starting to get the hang of this, and he was only eight yet. It boded well for the future.

"You're in front of me," said a firm voice. "And I want to know where you just stepped out from to have just stepped out here."

"Another dimension Sir," Harry said, looking up at the somewhat grizzled looking armoured man to was looking down at him. "I'm Harry Potter, this is my guardian, Baron Humbert von Gikkingken. Where are we please Sir?"

"Just outside the Mended Drum, a pub of Ankh-Morpork. I'm Sam Vimes, commander of the City Watch. If you break the law, that's my business, but this dimension stuff... I should probably take you off to the wizards. That's their sort of nonsense."

"Don't do that," another voice said, almost literally cutting in. "The boy is still young enough to be taught how to actually think. He'd learn no such thing at the Unseen University."

Commander Vimes, Harry, the Baron, and the not introduced Ryu all turned to look at the new person in the conversation.

She was pale, and had white hair except for a black streak through it, and she wore clothing that was severe in a sort of way that said 'school teacher'. At least it did to Baron and Vimes. Harry's only normal school teacher had been his kindergarten teacher, then he'd been taught by a chuunin at the Academy, and last year he hadn't been in school at all.

"You are?" Vimes asked.

"Duchess of Sto Helit," she answered. "Your Grace," she added with a grin that showed a few teeth more than it maybe needed to. "I'm normally a teacher at the school just a few blocks over."

Vimes scowled at being called 'your grace'. He hated titles, and here he was faced with someone who was titled, but in their favour, they seemed to be holding a normal job as well.

"Normally?" Vimes asked.

"I have long-service leave this year," she answered simply. "As such, to make life easier for everybody involved, I'll take charge of the child until he leaves again. Are you satisfied with this arrangement Commander?"

Vimes nodded slowly. "Doesn't sound like it's making life easier for you," he pointed out.

"If I'm not kept busy, I get visitors," she answered. "I'm sure you know the type."

Vimes scowled again. "I do," he admitted. "Fine," he allowed. "It will keep him out of guild hands at least."

The duchess/teacher nodded firmly.

"Um, can I take a picture before I'm taken off?" Harry asked, looking up at the City Watch Commander, pulling out the polaroid camera. "Only, you're the first people I've met in a new world, and I like to take pictures and put them in my book so that I don't forget things," he explained.

Vimes frowned but nodded.

"Thank you!" Harry yipped, quickly held up his camera, then snapped it. He passed it to Baron even as the photo was coming out, and pulled both of his books from his bag, as well as a pen. He opened the new one to a fresh page. "Sir Samuel Vimes, Commander of the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork, right?" Harry asked, getting a nod. "How do you spell Ankh? For that matter, how do you spell Morpork?"

Vimes sighed and took the book from the child, writing his name in himself. He flipped to look at a few other pages, noticing that other people who had their pictures in this book had apparently written things for the boy. Advice and the like. He was fairly sure it was advice anyway, though he had no idea what some of them were talking about. He flipped back to the page he'd written his name on, and wrote down a couple of things that he'd found true for the boy – and not that million-to-one-chance rot either. He also wrote down how he could be contacted if the child, for some reason, ever needed assistance from the Watch.

"Thank you Mr Vimes!" Harry said, beaming up at the middle-aged man as he accepted his book back. "Thank you very much!"

Vimes nodded. "You're welcome Harry. Now, I'm on my patrol, so if you will excuse me?"

Harry nodded, the duchess/teacher bowed her head in farewell, and Baron bent at the waist. Ryu waved goodbye cheekily, knowing he couldn't be seen.

"Now introduce your little floating friend," the duchess said firmly.

Ryu nearly fell to the ground in surprise.

"This is Ryu. You can see him?" Harry asked, his eyes wide.

She nodded. "I can. You will call me Miss Susan for the duration of our time together, are we clear?"

Harry nodded. "Yes Miss Susan."

"Very good. Now, the first thing we are going to do is visit a few of my associates, and then we shall see what to do with ourselves."

~oOo~

Harry got to enjoy a year on the Disc travelling with Miss Susan, learning the things she had to teach, and a few of the things she hadn't meant to teach him, and a whole lot of other stuff that got taught to him by other people that they met. Uberwald, Four-Eks, the Ramtops, the Chalk, even the Rim and the Hub where he'd gotten to go to the top of Cori Celesti and meet the gods – and they were a very odd bunch! He'd been to Leshp and Quirm and Klatch and Djelibeybi and Ephebe and Omnia and Tsort. He'd gotten to see all those temples that were far away up in the mountains – and those time monks were really interesting, in their odd way. He saw Pseudopolois and Sto Lat where he got to meet Queen Kelly. He saw Borogravia and Zlobenia. He saw Llamendos and Koom Valley and everywhere. He'd been on the Spine for Hogswatch and gotten to meet the Hogfather, because apparently Susan and her grandfather had helped him out of a tough spot a few years back, and for Long-Night he went to Time's glass palace.

He had pictures of all of everywhere and everyone and lots of things had been written in his book. Even Granny Weatherwax had written something for him. Even the Nac Mac Feegles had written something for him! Probably the best parts of the Disc though, in his opinion, were that the Unseen University's Librarian was an orangutan, that on the Counterweight Continent it was possible to buy a magical Luggage that followed him around on its own feet, watching the Lancre Morris Dancers (he'd gotten to see them dance both versions, and that silent one to bring in the winter was just creepy), and getting to meet Miss Susan's grandfather – or more specifically, the rat and raven that came with him when they met.

Watching the Baron and Bast meeting Nanny Ogg's Greebo had been pretty interesting too, but Harry had a few extra pages dedicated to the time the Death of Rats, Quoth the Raven and Death himself had stopped by for a visit. He had a very nice picture of Binky and Silver standing together on a rocky out-cropping, having some kind of conversation. He had another one, taken just seconds after the first, of Silver after he'd evolved from a ponyta into a rapidash.

Even Death was impressed by that.

Harry was impressed when Quoth said that Binky was telling Silver how, exactly, he travelled between Death's parasite dimension to the Disc and casually ignored certain physical laws.

"I don't understand how he has fire for his mane and tail and, first of all, isn't in constant pain, and second, how you ride him without getting burned," Susan commented, even as she stroked Silver's nose after her grandfather had left on Binky.

Harry shrugged. "I don't question things like that," he said. "Silver just is the way that he is. You might as well ask how rock becomes sentient enough to become a troll, and how, no matter what kind of rock that troll is, it has diamonds for teeth."

Susan nodded silently. "Good point. I'll leave it alone for the sake of avoiding a headache."

~oOo~

They returned to Ankh-Morpork for Harry's birthday. Susan had no idea why the boy wanted to go back there to celebrate turning nine, especially when he'd clearly enjoyed Lancre a great deal more, but they were back, and headed for the Watch house, interestingly enough.

Suddenly, it made sense. Well, it made more sense anyway.

The members of the Watch who were in – Carrot, Angua, Nobby, Colin, Detritus, Reg, Cheery, the Watch's Igor and Buggy – didn't know the little boy, the cat-like gentleman or the woman who had knocked on the door asking for the Commander, but Nobby had gone up to convey the message.

When Nobby came back down with Vimes, it was to discover that Harry had brought a very large cake with him.

"It's my birthday," he explained. "And I wanted to have my birthday here."

It took Vimes a second to recognise the boy, suit-wearing cat, and the white-haired woman, but when he did he sighed in resignation. "Is it going to take long?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "Just cake, photos, and I want everybody to write something in my book!"

"What sort of something?" Carrot asked. "Just a 'happy birthday'?"

Harry shook his head firmly. "No sir. Everyone who writes in my book has to write something that means something. It doesn't have to be long. A bit of advice that you found useful or a story that you like, some people write recipes in my book, or a different alphabet for me to learn," Harry explained.

"I fink I'd better leave da writing to someone else," Detritus said. "I'm not too good with the station'ry."

Harry nodded his acceptance. "That's okay. You can tell me a bit of advice, and I'll write it down for you!" It wouldn't be the first time it had happened while he was on the Disc.

As the party wound down, Susan presented Harry with a large box of books as a gift. There were texts on mathematics from the simple to the extremely advanced, a couple of historical texts by a General Tactitus, and a bunch more. He'd have to store them in a seal scroll so that they'd all fit, even in his new awesome Luggage that had legs. Actually, he'd probably put most everything into the Luggage, then put the Luggage into a storage scroll, and then just carry the scroll in his backpack. The backpack really was the easiest way of carrying the things that he took out often.

Harry got a real surprise though when Carrot presented him with a gift from the Watch. Someone must have gone out during the little party to get it. It was a wind-up pocket-watch, with an inscription on the back that said: 'To Harry Potter, a watch from the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. Happy 9th Birthday.' It even had a chain so he wouldn't have to worry about it getting lost or stolen.

Harry just had time to stow everything into his Luggage and thank all of the Watch-men and -women for celebrating with him, and then it was another inter-dimensional slip.

"I wasn't even properly ready for it!" Harry complained as he vanished.

"Sorry Harry," Ryu said, hugging his boy tight.

Chapter Text

Wherever he was going to land this time, Harry realised was a very distant dimension from the one he'd just left. He could tell because it was taking a while.

"Gives me time to at least make sure I'm not going to land on my bum," he grumbled as he righted himself – just in time for exiting into the next world. He had to brace himself when he landed, but that was alright. It hadn't been a painful landing, and that was what counted.

"Soon I think you will be walking through the dimensions as you please Harry," the Baron commented with a gentle smile.

Harry smiled back. "Ryu's been a big help. He understands what's happening when we're in there, so he can explain it to me."

The Baron nodded and gave the small Ryu a smile as well, then they took to looking around.

"Baron, I'm not sure that this is really a safe place to be," Harry said quietly, looking around at all the people who were standing around. Some of them were really big and rough-looking. Not that he was scared of course, it was juts an observation. There was a little old woman with pink hair up on the verandah giving instructions, and Harry noticed that a lot of the people didn't seem to like what she was saying. Harry decided it was better to just go along with what everybody else was doing. Baron, on the other hand, decided that whatever this was, he wasn't taking part. He was Harry's guardian, nothing more.

"Hey, why aren't you taking one?" the old woman demanded when Harry came forward, Baron beside him.

"I'm only Harry's guardian," the Baron answered. "I'm not participating."

The old woman nodded, snorting. "Suit yourself."

Harry's drawn lot was red, which meant he advanced to whatever the next round was. Some people were more than a bit upset about having been told to get lost though, and the old woman – Genkai – blasted them away from her when they charged her.

"Hakkai would be impressed," Harry said. "She blasted them and she didn't have to use her hands to concentrate her chi. If that was chi of course." He'd seen three different energies so far after all. It was possible that the kind that Genkai used and was going to apparently teach to whoever won this 'contest' would be different as well.

Baron and Ryu nodded their agreement, and followed with Harry to see what the next set of tests would be. It turned out to be games.

Harry watched as two older boys went to the punching game, saw them get 129 and 155, and wondered what he would get, but decided to come back to it later, opting instead to follow them over to the paper-rock-scissors game, where the boy with orange hair who had scored 129 beat the boy with the slicked-back black hair who'd gotten 155, though only by ten points or so.

As they only had to pass two out of the three available games, these two boys didn't go over to the karaoke machine, so Harry headed back to the punching game, where the line had shortened. He waited behind a man who had green hair and scars on his face. The man got 175, which got a lot of people talking as it was the only score to beat the black-haired boy that Harry had been following before. Then it was Harry's turn.

He pulled on a glove and considered. Magic? Chi? Chakra? Just punch it? He sighed and went with the last option. He'd heard Master Genkai say that these were testing spirit energy. He knew that chi and chakra were both, in a way, spirit energy, but he figured that it was probably better to not channel anything, and just punch.

Of course, with the lessons in hand-to-hand he'd been given by Kougaiji, Lirin, and the chuunin instructors at the Academy (as well as a few pointers from Baron, Hyuuga Hizashi and his opponents when he had them), even though he had to jump to reach the punching bag, it was still a very respectable strike.

He scored 163, and was generally pleased with himself. He wasn't the toughest person here in whatever was getting measured, but he was in the top percentile – at least, that was the big word that Baron used to say that Harry was near the very top of the high-score listing on the game. Harry then moved on to the karaoke game. He'd have had a bit of difficulty reaching the pads he was supposed to thump in the paper-rock-scissors game, but the microphone stand could be adjusted to his height. Harry hadn't ever sung before, but he did his best, and when he stepped down with a score of 122, Baron told him that he had an angelic voice.

"When your hormones kick in and your voice breaks though, that will change," the cat figurine had said. "And you'll need to practice singing or you'll sound like that," he added, pointing to the man who had stepped up after him, and was singing terribly – though he got a fairly high score regardless.

The twenty people with the highest scores were taken out the back to a forest that Genkai had on her property. She told them they had two hours to reach a large tree on the other side, but a number of the other competitors ran, frightened, from the ominous woods.

Genkai laughed at their fear, telling them all that demons inhabited the forest and would not hesitate to tear them apart.

"Not a place for a little boy," commented the green-haired man.

"Speak for yourself!" the black-haired teenager retorted. "I'm not gonna get scared off by something hiding in Grandma's forest. You're just trying to scare me off so you'll have one less person to have to compete with!"

"I think he was talking about that little boy," the orange-haired youth said, pulling on his friend's jacket and pointing to Harry.

The black-haired boy blinked and calmed down. "Okay, now I agree that it's a valid point," he said, then squatted down to look Harry in the eye. "What are you doin' here kid?"
Harry shrugged. "I landed here, so here is where I'm supposed to be. I'm Harry Potter, by the way," he said, offering his hand.

"Yusuke Urameshi, an' this here's my pal Kazuma Kuwabara."

"Nice ta meetcha kid."

"Line up!" Genkai yelled. "Ready? Get set! Go!"

Harry watched everybody race off absently, checking his pokeballs for where he'd put Silver. He knew his limitations, and being able to go through a spooky, dangerous forest to reach a distant point in two hours... well, his legs were still kinda short.

"That could be constituted as cheating kid," Genkai said as she watched Harry mount the fire horse.

"You said it was a race," Harry answered, pulling Baron up with him. "You never said we had to run it on our own two feet."

Genkai smirked, and took off into the forest herself.

"No short cuts," Ryu said. "She's got to go through the forest herself to get there. Follow the old lady Silver!"

~oOo~

Silver really had learned a few things from Binky while they were on the Disc. His favourite thing seemed to be leaving hoof-prints burned into the air, and not running along the actual ground.

Harry laughed. "Okay, you want to show off, I get it," he said. "But now isn't the time."

Silver snorted, but returned to running normally through the forest. Not that this slowed him down any, and Harry wasn't exactly pulling on the reins so that he could help other people. Only giving a gentle tug to one side or another as Ryu guided them.

They arrived at the tree, where Genkai was waiting, shortly after she pulled out her watch.

"I really should disqualify you for not running it yourself," she said. "But you used your head and a resource nobody else knew you had, so I won't."

Harry nodded and, giving Silver a pat on his nose, returned him to his pokeball before sitting down to meditate while waiting for anybody else to arrive.

Kazuma reached them first, followed by the green-haired man and the bald man who had gone after Harry in the karaoke. They were all surprised to see him already there.

Harry smiled. "See?" he said. "You didn't need to worry about me at all!"

The last one to arrive was Yusuke, and he was a few seconds late, but when Genkai heard he'd come straight through and fought something called Baldark along the way, she let it slide and passed him as well, which meant that there were nine of them who had made it through to the next round.

The next round, Genkai announced was a no-holds-barred fight in the pitch black. They had to incapacitate or kill their opponent, and that was all. Whoever came out of it on top would be her student.

Harry heard Yusuke and Kazuma muttering about a heavy presence and a 'beast' called Rando, and then Genkai had them introduce themselves. He tried hard not to laugh at how serious they all were about this, even Yusuke and Kuwabara were serious about being 'the worst punks at Sariashki Junior High'.

"I'm Harry Potter, I'm nine, and I like red hair!" he announced. He wasn't about to give any hints about possible training. The only other person who had been kinda sensible about that was the tubby guy in the purple suit who'd only given his name, Chinpo, told them that he was a wanderer, and said it was nice to meet them all, which Harry thought was very polite.

"Now everyone pick up the arrow you think is pretty, that will decide the order," Genkai announced when a collection of shafts fell from the ceiling in front of them.

Harry and the Baron watched, despite the darkness, and didn't bother with Kazuma and Yusuke running off – then coming back with a girl with blue hair.

"Shouldn't you be even a little concerned about your ward watching things like this?" Botan – the blue haired girl – asked, having been introduced to Harry, the Baron,and Ryu upon having noticed that there was a genuine, under-ten kid present.

The Baron sighed. "He's been learning fighting techniques from all sorts of different people since he was four. Covering his eyes now would hardly be beneficial to his continued survival," the cat statue said, then shrugged. "I'm watching all the fights too, and have every intention of intervening in Harry's fight if his actual life is in danger."

"My fight's the last one before the second round too," Harry added. "Since I'm the ninth fighter you see," he said, not taking his eyes from the fight that was happening in the darkness beyond.

When Genkai announced the winner of the final fight ("The Dimwit"), Harry chuckled. She'd apparently already decided that Yusuke was too much of a bother for her to use his name. Then it was him against Kazumaro – the bodyguard ninja who'd been in the first fight. When one of them won, they'd move onto the semi-finals.

"That's fair," Harry said, standing up and brushing himself off. "I'm fresher than daisies and he's had time to recoup from his fight."

"I'm inclined to disagree," Botan said. "A trained adult fighter against a nine-year-old boy hardly seems like a fair match-up."

Harry laughed. "You're sweet," he told her, then skipped off into the darkness, not bothering to wait for his opponent. "You do realise," his voice called from the darkness, "if I win, then it looks like only the kids are left to be Master Genkai's apprentice."

"Don't be so cocky child," Kazumaro scolded. "You can't possibly expect to defeat someone who has been trained in stealth in a room where there is no light."

Harry didn't answer. There was only darkness waiting for the self-proclaimed ninja. A pale light flashed briefly, giving the man a direction to take in his pursuit. Then golden rings started glowing gently, moving in the darkness.

"That is spooky," Yusuke declared. "But kinda obvious as a target."

The Baron chuckled. "That isn't Harry," he said quietly, not wanting his words to reach the combatants.

"What is it then?" Kazuma asked.

Baron smiled. "If he wants to, Harry will tell you himself. This is a competition, you are his opponents and I am his guardian. I'm not about to spill secrets."

Five minutes later, there was a choking sound, the glowing rings disappeared with another small flash of light, and Harry re-emerged from the darkness, smiling.

"He's not dead," Harry told them. "But he won't be moving for a very long time, and he should probably see a doctor within the next twenty-four hours if he wants to regain all of his motor-functions within the year."

Yusuke, Kazuma and Botan stared at Harry openly, their jaws hanging slack.

"Winner: the Kid. We will now move on to the semi-finals. The first fight will be Kuwabara against Shorin. Follow me. We will be conducting these fights on a different battle ground."

Harry watched beside Yusuke and the others, deeply disturbed as he witnessed Shorin practically torturing Kazuma. It didn't help that Harry could hear Botan and Yusuke talking about the demon Rando. Not that he'd ever had any problem with demons before of course.

"I have to say that for candidates to be Rando, Shorin was the last on my list," Botan admitted, horrified.

"You mean I seemed more likely to be a dangerous demon than him?" Harry asked, pointing.

Botan laughed nervously. "Well, he was above you until your fight in the dark. That was creepy."

Harry pulled out a pokeball and released the pokemon inside. "It was just Lucy, my umbreon. His yellow markings glow in the dark as an intimidation thing."

"Hang on, you called him Lucy?" Yusuke asked.

Harry nodded. "Short for Lucifer," he said, patting him on the head before returning him to the pokeball. "Hey Baron, you'll give Kazuma some first-aid while I fight Yusuke, right?"

"Of course," the Baron answered, removing his top hat, jacket, gloves, and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

Harry stood up from the dirt and brushed himself off, just as he had back in the dark room, and walked forward.

"Go suck an egg," Harry advised, rapping his knuckles on Shorin's forehead. "It's someone else's turn to fight now. And gloating isn't attractive."

Shorin frowned, but exited the field all the same.

"So, what are you gonna do?" Yusuke asked, following Harry out. "Use Lucy again?"

Harry laughed. "You've seen Lucy. He's not surprising any more. Nope! I'm gonna use..." Harry pulled out a pair of bandages, and quickly wrapped them around his knuckles. "Just my fists. That's your kind of fight, right?"

Yusuke frowned. "Real thoughtful of ya," he said, "but I do have moral issues with fighting a nine-year-old kid."

Harry shrugged. "You have to get over that," he answered simply. "If you're fighting a girl, a boy, someone older, someone younger, it doesn't matter when it's you or them."

Baron sighed from the sidelines. "The only side he's on is his own," he said quietly.

"What?" Botan asked.

"Before Harry had the chance to make any friends his own age, that was the basic philosophy of the people who first taught Harry how to fight. He took it to heart," Baron explained. "He's a good boy and he cares for others, but if you ask him whose side he's on in a conflict, he'll say he's on his own side, and not anybody else's."

Botan nodded her understanding, and returned her attention to the fight. "It's not going to look good for Yusuke if he loses this."

Baron chuckled. "I think I know one way he'd be forgiven."

Harry made two strikes to Yusuke as he ran towards the older boy. One to the crux of his jeans where all the seams met – a solid punch – and one to the seat, with his fingers pointed.

Yusuke collapsed in pain, and Genkai laughed. "Winner: the Kid!" she declared.

"Harry," Baron scolded.

Harry shrugged. "I didn't do any permanent damage," he answered. "I wouldn't do that to someone who seemed as alright as Yusuke does." Harry turned his attention to Shorin. "Your turn," he called. "Get out here!"

"Are you going to do that to me too?" Shorin asked.

Harry shook his head. "Course not, that would be repetitive." He unrolled his sealing scroll until he reached the symbol that would release a kunai to him. Once he had the knife in hand, he rolled it up again.

They ran at each other, and when they got close, Harry swiped his weapon inside Shorin's mouth, causing an unintelligible scream to sound out. "Can't chant if you have no tongue," Harry pointed out. "I don't much feel like shrinking. I'm short enough as it is. Now," Harry spun his kunai around his finger once before gripping it again. "I'm not going to kill you, but I am going to show you all the hurt I'm sure that you've given to others." Harry cut into his opponent's arm, drawing blood. He cut into that arm three times, and then he did it to the other arm. Shorin was fighting back of course, weakly. He was already losing blood from his tongue having been cut off after all. Harry then attacked the legs, Shorin's back and chest, and finally put a great big line right across his face.

Shorin passed out from blood loss then, and Harry was a little bruised and slightly winded.

"You haven't done much to prove you'd be an interesting student," Genkai pointed out to the boy. "I mean apart from your strange animals."

Harry shrugged. "I wasn't sure what exactly you meant by spirit energy. I'm familiar with chi, chakra, and magical energies, but I've never heard it called just 'spirit energy' before," he explained.

"Focus a ball of chi in your left hand, and a ball of chakra in your right if you please. I will examine them and see which, if either, is spirit energy," Genkai instructed. When Harry obliged, Genkai huffed. "Chi is the pure form, the stuff that the dimwit fired from his gun. Chakra is the form that he used when he was punching people."

Harry nodded in understanding, reabsorbed the chakra, then fired the chi at Rando, vaporising him.

"I'm impressed that you could do that, by the way," Genkai said. "Now, you've won your fight, and the spirit detective and Botan can go and report to Koenma about Rando having been dealt with."

~oOo~

"Alright Kid, I want it all laid out on the table. I don't want you to leave me weaker because something you're already half-trained in got neglected," Genkai ordered. They'd rescued everybody from the forest, called a few ambulances, and Botan had taken off to report to Koenma while Yusuke had limped home under his own power, his tickets to the Tokyo-Dome burning a hole in his pocket, and his desire for a meal gnawing at his stomach, his pride only mostly recovered. There was actually a table in between them as well.

Harry dug out the two seal scrolls that he had in his backpack and unsealed everything.

A line of kunai and shuriken were placed on the table, as well as three different swords, the weapon that Harry had been able to commission that was modelled on Gojyo's shakujo, and the technique scrolls that he had from Konoha. He produced a whip, a few smoke bombs that earned him a raised eyebrow from Baron, and a crossbow. Harry also lined up the pokeballs.

"Those," Genkai said, pointing to the red-and-white orbs, "are the only things I don't recognise."

"I'm not surprised," Harry answered, and picked up the first one, releasing Chav from within.

"How the hell do you fit something that big into something that small?" Genkai demanded.

Harry shrugged. "Don't know," he answered. "I didn't come up with it. It's just what people had and did in the world where I got them."

"And there's something in every one of these balls?"

Harry nodded.

"Let's see them all. I'm sure they can train while I'm teaching you my technique," Genkai said.

When they were all lined up, Genkai blinked. "That one," she said, pointing to Fino, Harry's ninetails, "looks like a demon. For that matter, so does your horse. I'm not sure what to make of your blob of jelly."

"Fey, transform," Harry instructed his ditto.

"Ditto!" the pokemon chirped, then warped into a copy of Chav.

Genkai blinked. "Well, that's handy I'm sure. Alright Kid, you're in for at least six months of hard training."

Harry shrugged. "I'm probably only in this dimension for a year," he answered. "I will study hard."

Genkai smirked. "Damn right you will," she said with grim satisfaction.

~oOo~

Harry had been studying under Genkai for nearly eight months when someone new showed up. Yusuke and Kazuma had come to visit now and then, wanting to keep an eye on the little kid and occasionally getting pointers on refining their techniques, but this time the visitors were in sharp suits.

"What do you want?" Genkai demanded, not looking up from her tea to address the intruders. Harry was doing push-ups in front of her, she'd assigned five-hundred, and a lot of his pokemon were doing their own approximation of the same exercise along side of him.

"Your apprentice is being invited to participate in the Dark Tournament," the female said, while her hulking companion loomed behind her. "And you, Master Genkai, are invited to watch from the VIP booth," she added, holding out an envelope, a small smirk on her very red lips.

"Who else is on the team?" Genkai asked, frowning.

"The spirit detective Urameshi and his friend Kuwabara, as well as two demons, Hiei and Kurama."

"I want a copy of the rule book," Harry said, not breaking his rhythm of up-hold-down-hold. "And a VIP ticket for my guardian as well. After all, I'm only nine. You can't expect me to go anywhere without my guardian."

The woman frowned, but produced another envelope and a thick little book.

"Thank you."

The woman and her unattractive shadow left with a scowl.

"Alright Harry," Genkai said. "Looks like we've got something we'll be working towards. Don't stop, but mould your chi while you work. When you're done with this I'm going to have you running."

"Yes Master Genkai."

"I'm still not pleased that you took the snakes so easily," she said, holding out her teacup for Baron to refill. He'd been doing almost all the cooking since Harry had become her student, and she had discovered that the feline made excellent tea.

"I didn't know I could speak to them so they'd understand," Harry said for the fifth time.

"Hmph."

~oOo~

"They roped you into this too?" Yusuke asked.

Genkai shook her head. "Not me," she said, jerking her thumb behind her, where Baron and Harry were just emerging from the darkness. "My student. I'm babysitting the kid."

"What!" Kazuma yelled. "They got a little kid involved in this?"

Harry shoved a finger in the ear that was nearest the large carrot-top and twiddled it around. "Yes Kazuma, they did," he answered calmly. "How've you been? You haven't come to visit me up at Mater Genkai's temple for ages."

"Training," Kazuma answered. "They're serious task-masters," he added, jerking his own thumb at the two in the group that Harry hadn't met yet.

Harry's eyes lit up as they landed on the red-head. He loved meeting new red-heads. They were always the most interesting people. Botan – who'd taken away Rando's ghost – said that his original demon form had red hair, but Harry hadn't altered his theory. He claimed that they were awesome, not necessarily good or nice.

"I'm Harry Potter," he said, holding his hand out to the red-head. "Nice to meet you."

"Kurama," the older boy answered, placing his hand in Harry's and shaking it. "And this is Hiei."

"You will want to be very careful," Hiei instructed, glaring down at Harry. "I don't want you to be slowing the team down."

Harry smiled. "I won't, I promise, but maybe while we're having to work together, you could teach me a few things?"

The Baron groaned hearing the question.

"Kid, the Dark Tournament isn't a time to ask for new fighting lessons," Genkai scolded, and then they were all getting onto the boat.

The battle royal was announced to decide the team that would enter the Tournament, and Harry stepped up before anybody could stop him.

"Kid has no fear, does he?" Kazuma said weakly. "What if he loses? These demons don't seem the kind to go easy on him, even if he is just a little kid."
"Then we kill everybody else and when we land no one will disagree with us being the right team," Hiei answered simply.

When Harry blasted the competition away with a simple chi-ball the way Hakkai had taught him, they learned that everyone else on the ship had no qualms about stealing Hiei's idea. The demon was not best pleased, and the mass-slaughter began while Harry just sat on the edge of the raised battle platform and kicked his heels and absently blasting any of the ugly demons that came at him with fangs and claws bared.

"Harry, will you come down now please?" the Baron called up when the last of the demons had been killed.

"How about you all come up instead?" Harry answered. "There's less dead bodies up here."

"I'm for that," Yusuke said, and headed for the stairs.

"That whip you used was awesome!" Harry said, his green eyes bright when he looked up at Kurama. "I knew all red-heads were awesome!" he turned to Hiei. "And I haven't seen someone that good with a sword since – since – since I was on the Journey West!"

The two demons stiffened slightly. "The Journey West?" Kurama asked. "You mean the legend about the Buddhist monk, the monkey king and -"

Harry held up his hand to cut off Kurama's commentary. "There are lots of different versions of the story," he said. "But yes, there was a monk and a monkey," he added with a smile. "So now you know something about me, tell me something about you."

Kurama chuckled. "I used to be a spirit fox, but I got hurt running from a hunter, and I took refuge in the womb of a human woman, so now I'm a demon with a human body."

Harry nodded and turned to Hiei.

"Fire demon born of ice apparitions," Hiei said shortly.

"Cool," Harry declared, smiling, then he pulled out his pokeballs. "Come on out you guys go and stretch your legs," he said, releasing all of his pokemon. Thor immediately let himself over the side of the boat and into the water where he kept up easily with the ship, and the others went to play around the dead bodies, frequently blasting them out of the way, but Bast went to the Baron and didn't even bother to watch the others. He'd evolved from a meowth into a persian just a couple of days ago, and he had to re-learn how to walk on his hind legs now that they'd changed shape, and his words needed to be practised again since the shape of his mouth had changed.

~oOo~

In the hotel room that first night, after their unexpected visitors – Rinku and Zeru, who they would be fighting the next day – had left, Harry released Fino again and got out the brush to groom her.

"She's beautiful," Baron complimented. "Don't stay up late grooming her, alright Harry? And don't forget to do your meditations."

Harry nodded and returned to brushing Fino's white coat.

"I had a pelt like that once," Kurama commented, sitting down on the couch behind Harry. "I was silver though, rather than that creamy white."

"Fino is my beauty," Harry said. "I love all of them, but Fino is my beautiful one."

"Nine!"

"You're not fighting with them in this Tournament are you?" Yusuke asked. "I remember you set one of them on your opponent in Genkai's competition."

Harry shook his head. "No, this Tournament is probably too dangerous to risk my pokemon in. I'll be fighting with normal weapons and energy attacks."

"It's too dangerous for them, but not for you?" Hiei asked, an eyebrow raised sceptically. "I saw what they did to those dead demons back on the ship."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know what sort of things our opponents can do. I barely know what my team mates can do. So no, unless I feel that it is the only way out of a situation, I won't be calling on my pokemon for help in the fights," he said, finally putting the brush away. "All done Fino."

"Nine!" she cooed, turning and licking his face.

"You're welcome," he laughed, pulling out her pokeball. "Back in, or would you like to stand guard tonight?"

"Nine!" Fino insisted, sitting back down firmly where she was.

Harry put the ball away again, but got out the rule book for the Dark Tournament. He'd read it once through already, but it couldn't hurt to read it again. There were quite a few clauses in there.

"What's that?" Kurama asked.

"The rule book," Harry answered. "You want to read it?" he offered, closing it and holding it out to the red-head.

"Thank you."

Without the book to read, Harry rearranged himself on the floor and began his meditation. Three hours later, Fino nudged him to remind him to go to bed.

~oOo~

Harry didn't fight the first round. He'd wanted to fight with Rinku, but Kazuma had gotten up first, and then was the dirty-looking demon who Kurama faced, and then Hiei fought Zeru – and Harry had applied chi to the demon's arm the way one of his medical jutsu scrolls said to apply healing chakra, badgering Hiei about why didn't you use your sword? – and Yusuke fought against Chu, who Harry decided he wanted to introduce to Hawkeye or Gojyo so that they could all go drinking together. Not that he could. But the fight was over, their team had won, and Harry hadn't fought yet.

"They're gonna think I'm some kind of accessory if you don't let me fight," Harry grumbled as they headed back to the hotel. "A weak accessory that they can kill off whenever they feel like it."

"And they would be in for a rude awakening from such a misconception," Kurama soothed.

"Think of yourself as a secret weapon," Yusuke offered. "The only people who saw you kick ass on the ship are on your team or taught you, so we ain't gonna tell anyone."

"And you're so small and cute that you'll be underestimated," Kuwabara added.

"More accurately, because he is small and human he will be underestimated," Hiei corrected.

Harry enjoyed meeting Yusuke's girlfriend Keiko and Kazuma's sister Shizuru, as well as Hiei's sister Yukina, when they invaded the room that night to celebrate the victory, Botan leading the way. He took photos with all of them, naturally, and they wrote things in his book for him that he would have to get to another time, but he was sure they were brilliant.

The morning of the second round of fights, Hiei and Kurama went out for a walk early, and Harry was just making breakfast with Baron when Kazuma woke up in a cold sweat from a dream that was more like a vision of someone else's memory.

"If you want, I can have Lulu take a look at that," Harry offered. "I'm sure she'd be able to help close off the part of your mind that picks up stuff like that."

"Uh, no thanks," Kazuma said, holding his hands up as a sort of barrier between himself and the idea. "I like cats, but I don't think I really want a purple one pokin' around in my head like that, no matter how smart it is."

Harry had just shrugged, deciding not to be insulted by the slur on Lulu. He was fairly sure most people would feel the same way, even if eevees and all their evolved forms were much more fox- or dog-like than cat-like generally.

Kurama and Hiei weren't back when they left their hotel room for the fight, and weren't at the arena when it was go-time. Harry grinned, anticipating being allowed to fight this time. It looked like two members of the opposing team were missing as well. Harry got the funny feeling that they were in the same place as their missing team mates.

"All-on-all!" Harry declared, getting terms in before his Yusuke or Kazuma could say anything. "Last one standing wins."

"Agreed," the opposing team's manager, one Dr Ichigaki, answered, a greedy look on his face.

"Begin!" Koto declared.

Harry skipped out of the way of things easily and waited for Yusuke and Kazuma to create an opportunity for him to land a hit. They fought well together, but they had no idea of his style or skills, so they couldn't really factor him in. That was fine. He could factor himself in, and he'd even do it using one of Master Genkai's tricks... but without the chanting.

"One!" Harry counted, poking his shirtless opponent in the chest and moving on when he fell over. "Two!" he continued, doing the same to the orange-haired boy. "Three!" he finished, poking the guy wearing the ugly purple jacket.

"Don't hit your TV sets, home viewers, that really did just happen! Harry Potter, the little kid from Team Urameshi, just poked all of his opponents in the chest and laid them out!" Koto said, staring for a moment before she began the ten-count.

Kazuma wasn't very impressed that they might be dead, especially when Kurama and Hiei showed up with their manipulated opponent's master, but once the ten-count was finished and Harry was sick of listening to the older boy complain, he walked over to the nearest of the incapacitated men and kicked them, gently, in the side. A groan was his answer.

"See?" Harry demanded. "They're fine."

They had their next battle immediately, which was annoying for most of them, but actually bad for Kuwabara, since he'd gotten beaten up somewhat seriously in that last fight.

Team Mahjo were their next opponents, and Harry was very impressed with their entrance. Then one of them took off his concealing robes and stepped up to make terms. Harry couldn't help but grin. Another red-head!

"One-to-one-to-one 'til I'm a tower on me feet 'oldin' the five," the demon said.

"I wanna talk like that!" Harry cheered, tugging on Kurama's sleeve excitedly. "Think he'll teach me when the fights are over?"

Kurama honestly had no response to that. Hiei, on the other hand, suggested that Harry had been dropped on his head as a baby.

Just as Yusuke got back to where they were waiting for the first fight, a medical exam was called for – as per the rules of the Tournament. Hiei and Kuwabara both got confined to the medical tent, and Harry couldn't think of a harsher punishment for the small demon, since he couldn't stand the large human boy's company or conversation, at least, if his only calling Kazuma 'Oaf' was anything to go by. It made Harry feel better about not having an answer for Hiei's little insult though.

Jin – the big red-haired guy that Harry wanted lessons in talking from – apparently didn't like the idea of people interfering with the fight by removing opponents, and had sat down at the wall in a bit of a pout. So another of his team mates fought first.

It was not a very good fight, by Harry's estimation. Kurama won, though he had to kill his opponent, but at the same time, Kurama was covered in 'paint' that meant he couldn't get to his energy and all his limbs were weighed down.

"Kurama, move," Harry yelled.

"I can't move!" Kurama yelled back.

"Bullshit!"

Heads from every point in the stadium snapped around to look at the boy in disbelief.

"What a potty-mouth," Kazuma commented.

"One word for you Kurama: inertia. Now get over the weight and get moving!" Harry yelled.

Kurama wasn't able to move fast enough however, and the next opponent was in the ring, ready to fight him. Kurama lost, just, because he couldn't get up from being knocked down. He'd managed to frustrate Touya despite his difficulty with moving and his inability to access his energy, which was quite the accomplishment.

Harry stepped up next to face the ice master.

"Do not think I will go easy on you just because you are a child, little human," Touya said.

Harry smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it!" he answered. "But, I think our lovely hostess -" he gestured to Koto "- is starting to feel the chill. You don't mind if I turn up the heat, do you?" Harry asked, bringing his hands together in a seal that Itachi had taught him, then he breathed fire.

Just for fun and dramatic effect – and because it had been way too long since he'd changed his hair from black to a more interesting look – Harry shifted his hair so that it was bright, bright red with streaks of orange and yellow through it, so that it looked like his head was on fire as well.

Harry winked at Koto. "Warmer now?" he asked. He was too young to be flirting, really, but he'd learned from Gojyo how, and he'd flirted with Yukina last night too, and Koto was a red-head!

"Much warmer, thanks," she answered.

Harry smiled and turned to his opponent. "How about you, Touya? How are you doing?"

Touya had erected a thick barrier of ice between himself and the fire ball Harry had sent at him, but while he wasn't burned, his ice wall had turned into a small puddle at his feet. The demon himself looked a bit steamed too.

"I don't know what that was," Touya said. "But I did not enjoy it."

"Okay then, how about this?" Harry suggested, whipping his hands through three different shapes then punching the battle-stage floor. A ripple flowed up and out in the stone, and when it met Touya, it wrapped around his legs. When it passed and went down again, it pulled him down too. Harry punched the ground again, and another wave of earth moved out, reaching higher on Touya and pulling him further in. Touya started to really panic when he was up to his chest, but even though he blew ice needles at Harry, the boy didn't stop until Touya was up to his neck and couldn't bring his hands around to his face to blow those needles.

Koto declared Harry the winner.

"I should let him out now, shouldn't I?" Harry said.

"If you could," Koto said. "Wouldn't want him in the way for the next fight after all."

Harry nodded and walked up to where one of Touya's hands was sticking out. "No attacking me when I get you out," Harry ordered, smiling before he formed another shape with his fingers, grabbed Touya's hand, and pulled him out.

"Don't do that again," Touya said, frowning.

"Smile more," Harry answered, just as seriously. "And come visit our hotel room before the Tournament is over. I want us to have a photo together so that I can put it in my book."

Touya gave Harry a confused look, but nodded and left the arena. Jin bounced up with a happy grin on his face.

"That was a bit interesin'," he said, grinning. "You've gotten me all excited too. Look see, me ears are all wigglin'."

Harry smiled. "I want to talk like you do," he said, then closed his eyes tight. His ears were suddenly as long and pointy as Jin's. "But this will have to do."

"Hoo-wee! That's quite a trick! But we be fightin' now little man Harry Potter," Jin said, grinning.

Harry lost that fight, but he fell down with a smile on his face, talking about having Jin come to the hotel room with Touya, making it a party. He'd also done some truly credible damage to the red-head, which meant that Yusuke, the only fighter left for their side, only needed to land one good, solid punch to Jin's face that sent him crashing into the stands rather forcefully, and the free-spirited shinobi of the winds was out for the count. Yusuke's fight with the largest member of the team was embarrassing – embarrassingly easy. Then was Rishou, but by then, Yusuke was all nicely warmed up and hadn't even gotten to use his spirit gun yet. That fight was as much of a crowd pleaser as Jin's against Harry, with the exception of the crowd not being happy that a human had won.

It really was a party in the hotel room that night too. Harry explained to Jin and Touya about his life, got a couple of pictures with them, and they wrote some stuff into his book – then had to teach him how to read it, because it was demon scrawl rather than any human language. A game of mah-jong got going, and Harry was able to claim a favour from Botan when he won. He had her write out a translation of what Jin and Touya had written in his book, as well as the complete demon scrawl alphabet.

They had a bit of a chance to kick back and relax after that, while other teams fought each other. They'd won the fights that they needed to, Team Urameshi just needed to get passed one more team before the final match against the famous Team Toguro.

Harry got to fight against the pink-wearing samurai-wannabe with an obsession for fame, and the old guy who was actually a clown underneath and had obsessions with being beautiful. After that fight, Genkai called Harry to receive what she claimed would be the last thing she had to pass on to him. He honestly didn't like the sound of that, but followed her anyway. He'd been training with her for a little over nine months now, so following her directions, however distasteful, was something he'd learned to do.

Baron, as he always did when the training was potentially highly dangerous to his ward, followed them.

Genkai led them to a cave, and instructed Harry about the power that she was giving him: her spirit orb. It was a painful transition, but thankfully not a long one. Genkai smiled at her panting apprentice as he slowly forced himself to stand.

"Now, if you will excuse me Harry," she said, "It's time for me to go and face Toguro. It's time the two of us finished things."

"Master," Harry said, bowing. He'd known it was coming. He wasn't stupid, but he wasn't happy about it. "I want to watch."

~oOo~

Harry watched, frustrated, as Yusuke fought Toguro. The older boy didn't have the training that he did, though it seemed that the large ex-human was certainly putting the punk teen through a very cruel training session in the form of the Dark Tournament, and now the final battle. Harry knew, knew, that he could beat the large demon, he was the one who'd gotten the training for that sort of thing after all, but Torugo had chosen Yusuke to be his opponent. His apprentice even, in a twisted way. For this battle, Harry was practically filling the same place as Sakyo – an extra, to just make sure that the rest of the team could compete.

Kurama had lost his fight, just, though he'd killed his opponent, and Hiei had torched the whole arena while winning his. Kazuma had wanted to show off his new sword and taken on the elder of the two Toguro brothers. Harry was amazed, quietly, that the big softy had won his fight as well, and wondered what kind of a chewing out he'd get from Shizuru for having come close to dying so many times.

If Yusuke lost the fight, then Harry would fight Sakyo. The black-marketeer had tried suggesting that Toguro's fight be a two-for-one, as he wouldn't want to have to beat up a little kid. Harry had turned him down flat, snarling that the only way Harry wouldn't fight was if Yusuke won and he didn't need to. Sakyo had actually been somewhat taken aback by that declaration. The man looked just as concerned that Toguro seemed to be leading up to getting Yusuke to break through some mental wall and kill him, rather than him killing Yusuke.

Toguro's faking killing Kuwabara – on Genkai's advice when she used Yusuke's cute little spirit beast as an avatar – seemed to finally do it. Everyone in the stadium knew Yusuke's feelings of loss, and Harry watched Yusuke's aura flare in awe. It was, to him, a beautiful thing.

Harry didn't need to fight Sakyo. The man decided to go and kill himself anyway, taking the whole stadium with him.

"Bring Master Genkai back," Harry said to Koenma, making his request as a winner of the Tournament.

Koenma nodded solemnly. "I will," he promised.

The old psychic was back with them before they left the island, and on the boat trip back Harry asked her to teach Yusuke and Kazuma.

"They need it," he said. "And you won't have me around to pick on any more soon, 'cause I'm leaving."

Ryu sat on Harry's shoulder quietly when the boy said that. It was proof that the boy was getting better at controlling his inter-dimensional travel, that he could tell for himself now, when it had always been Baron knowing the when, and only because he was a Creation.

"Where are you leaving to?" Genkai asked.

Harry shrugged. "I'll find out when I get there," he said. "I'll miss you Master Genkai."

He got to have one more group photo with everyone he'd made friends with here – his team, their friends and family, Master Genkai, Koenma and Botan, and the demons he'd fought against in the Tournament, though how Chu and Rinku ended up joining them Harry wasn't sure, not that he was going to object. They all wrote something in his book, then Harry had to sling his backpack over his shoulder, and with a wave to everybody, he, Ryu and the Baron disappeared.

Chapter Text

Harry looked around at the people he'd appeared in font of, all three of them with weapons suddenly pointed at him, and with a decisive nod grew his black hair out so that it looked like Goku's when he'd lost his limiter that one time. The suspicious eyes were all suddenly surprised and curious.

"I'm Harry Potter, inter-dimensional traveller. Pleased to meet you!" he said, smiling.

Baron sighed and, covering half of his face with his gloved hand, hung his head and shook it tiredly.

"I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingken, the child's guardian. I apologise for our sudden appearance here, but could you tell us where we are?" he asked.

"My private room in the only inn in Nibelheim," the silver-haired man answered. "In what was supposed to be a private meeting with my lieutenant and one of the soldiers under my command who is local to the area."

Harry blushed. "Sorry," he said. "I can sort of pick where I land now, but I'm not exactly what you'd call a master at inter-dimensional travel."

"Soon," Ryu promised, patting Harry on the cheek.

"Inter-dimensional travel?" the silver-haired man repeated, incredulous, or at least sceptical.

Harry nodded. "So, we've introduced ourselves, and I get that you're military of some kind, but who are you?" he asked.

"You don't know who General Sephiroth is?" the blonde one asked, his blue eyes going wide.

"I only just arrived in this world, of course I don't!" Harry answered.

"I think you can relax Cloud," the black-haired man said, smiling and putting his weapon away. "I'm Zack Fair, nice to meetcha kid," he said, extending his hand for Harry to shake.

"Pleasure's all mine," Harry answered, smiling back as he took Zack's hand. "I get the feeling that if I ask to get a photo with all of you for my book you wouldn't like that."

The silver-haired Sephiroth scowled.

"Why would you want a photo if you haven't ever heard of the General?" the blonde, Cloud, asked.

"Because you're the first people I've met in this world!" Harry declared, and pulled his backpack off his shoulders so that he could show them the books he'd been collecting pictures and stories in. "I do it everywhere I go. I don't want to ever forget the people I've met."

Sephiroth gave a long-suffering sigh, but nodded. "Very well," he allowed. "But I think that I would like to look through these two books of yours more thoroughly as well."

Harry nodded. "Of course!" he said, pulling out the camera and handing it to the Baron so that his guardian could take the picture.

After the picture was taken, Zack and Cloud engaged Harry and the Baron in conversation while Sephiroth read through Harry's books – a task which didn't take long, even if it was ten years of Harry's life with other people recorded there.

"I'm concerned by some of the 'recipes' you have in these books," Sephiroth as he handed them back to Harry at last.

"Baron hasn't let me mix anything that involves what he called a 'potentially dangerous substance'," Harry said, then his eyes lit up. "Baron, I'm ten now! You said that when I was ten I'd be allowed to start doing things like mixing Yaone's recipes!"

Baron groaned, slamming his hand to his face once more before peering out between his fingers at the men standing around them. "Harry is a product of the various different people who have had a hand in raising him. I have been a constant in his life, but clearly not influential enough."

Zack laughed. "Well, I vote we get the kid set up with one of the local families in the morning, and he can spend the night with us!"

~oOo~

Harry followed them to the ShinRa Mansion, rather than staying to 'get settled' with any of the people who lived in Nibelheim. It didn't really take a genius to figure out that this town was so back-water that everybody knew everybody, were all probably related, and weren't very keen on there being new people showing up.

While the two Soldiers and the Grunt – they'd explained to him about their ranks and such – went down to one part of the building, Harry decided that he would go up to another. This decision was helped by Ryu, who said he'd sort-of found something that Harry might be interested in.

It was a coffin.

"Ryu?" Harry asked, unsure about his little floating guardian's decision to show him this.

"Open it Harry!" Ryu insisted, his white and black eyes smiling at him beneath that technicolour hair.

"It's not like it's a birthday present Ryu," Harry countered. "It's a coffin."

"It doesn't have a dead body in it Harry," Ryu answered, pouting.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Ryu. "I bet it does have a body in it though, one that's not dead, or you wouldn't be so excited."

Ryu grinned.

Harry sighed, and pulled up the lid on the long wooden box.

"Okay," he breathed, his green eyes wide, "that's cool," he said in awe.

"Told ya!" Ryu said, smiling proudly and sticking his chest out.

"Hey, Mister?" Harry called, nudging at the man's shoulder above an arm that was covered in a golden-bright gauntlet. "What are you doing here Mister?"

"I was sleeping," the man answered, not opening his eyes as he rumbled his response.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter. Who are you Mister?"

"Vincent Valentine," the man answered, opening his eyes at last.

Harry grinned. He hadn't met any people with red hair in this world yet, but this man had red eyes. That was pretty cool too.

"Why are you sleeping in a coffin?" Harry asked.

"I'm a monster," the man answered. "Where else should I sleep, but in a coffin in an abandoned building?"

"You don't look like a monster," Harry answered. "And I bet Sephiroth or Zack have a better idea of where you could stay, or Cloud, if you want to stay in Nibelheim. He grew up here."

"Sephiroth," Vincent mused quietly. "No. That child is dead."

Harry laughed. "Well, I found you in a coffin Vincent," he pointed out. "Why don't you come out and meet him. Maybe he's not dead the same way you're not."

Vincent frowned, but nodded and got up.

"They're this way!" Harry said, smiling as he led the way down the hallways and stairs to where Sephiroth had taken Zack and Cloud.

~oOo~

Harry found them just as Sephiroth was about to shut Zack and Cloud out of the library. He stopped when he saw the child – and the very tall, imposing man walking behind him with the metal claw on his hand and a slightly tattered red cloak hanging over his shoulders.

"Harry, what are you doing here? Who is that?" Sephiroth demanded, his eyes taking in the stranger.

"This is Vincent Valentine!" Harry said happily. "I found him in a coffin upstairs."

"He is a very persistent child," Vincent supplied. "I'm not even sure now how he convinced me to let him take my picture."

Zack laughed. "He talked Seph here into it too!" the black-haired man declared.

Vincent's ruby gaze zeroed in on Sephiroth and seemed to study his face. "I was told you had died in childbirth," Vincent said quietly. "I would have fought harder if I'd known you had lived."

All three of the uniformed men startled. Vincent, honestly, didn't look old enough to have been any older than Harry was now when Sephiroth was born. Sephiroth came out of the library door and narrowed his eyes at Vincent.

"How do you know anything about me?" Sephiroth demanded. "What do you know about me?"

"I was the Turk assigned to be your mother's bodyguard," Vincent said.

The silence that followed that statement was so full of unasked questions that Harry was tempted to see if he could slice it with one of the weapons he'd gotten in Konoha.

"I think," Harry said, carefully, "that maybe we should adjourn to somewhere we can sit comfortably and talk at length?" he suggested, doing his best impersonation of the Baron.

"Yes," Sephiroth said firmly. "I think that would be a very good idea."

Well, they adjourned, but Harry wasn't all that sure that it was somewhere comfortable, even if they could all sit down. Vincent led them to the mansion's drawing room. He shot the monster that was sitting in the middle of the room and tossed it out the window without any fuss, then gestured for everybody to take a seat.

"You were a Turk?" Sephiroth asked.

Vincent nodded. "I was assigned as the security for a group of scientists; Gast, Hojo, and Lucretia. Gast and Hojo were researching what they believed to be an Ancient, but Gast discovered that it was something else when he found a real Ancient, and he left. Hojo continued the original research. Lucretia was researching... something else. Lucretia became pregnant during this time, and Hojo... Hojo did something. I'm not completely sure what, but Lucretia was crying for days afterwards. Not long after I was told you were dead, Hojo tried to kill me. Lucretia used what she had discovered and theorised with her research to save me. It could be said to have worked."

"Why were you told of my supposed death?" Sephiroth asked. "Who told you?"

"Hojo told me," Vincent answered, "and it is generally considered a courtesy to tell the father the state of his child."

The silence was heavy again. Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud were staring at Vincent, but Zack and Cloud had both dropped their jaws in shock.

"Hojo is my father," Sephiroth said.

"You don't look like him," Vincent pointed out. "You have the same build as my father and myself. I don't care what horrible experiments Hojo did to you except that I will kill him for them. He is not your father Sephiroth. If he had been your father, he would not have had a," Vincent sneered, and his voice dripped venom, "a 'superior genetic sample' to build from. Lucretia had the greater mind, I the greater physical strength. Hojo claims to be superior, but he knows that his genetic stock is weak."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. "You sound like a scientist rather than a Turk."

Vincent snorted. "I didn't just breed with your mother," he said, recalling some of the things Hojo had said when attempting to kill him. "I loved her. I took an interest in her work. I learned about her and the things she was interested in."

Sephiroth nodded his understanding and sat back in his chair. "It is a little late in my life to need a father-figure any more," he pointed out. "I have won the war with Wutai and achieved the rank of General in ShinRa. I have lost the only two people who were up to the same level as myself to insanity caused by genetic manipulation and, thank you, am sometimes still worried about it happening to me as well. As you can see, I do not need a parent."

"One less thing tying you to Hojo isn't a bad thing though," Zack pointed out.

Even Harry, who had never met Hojo, agreed with that. By that time he'd heard an awful lot about the man and had a very low opinion of him.

~oOo~

Harry and Vincent decided that, while going to ShinRa wasn't exactly appealing, staying in Nibelhiem was vaguely abhorrent.

"Harry!"

The boy flinched at the yell that sounded through the mansion.

Baron rounded the door frame and, even at only a couple of feet tall, the ginger was still an intimidating prospect, considering the furious look in his green eyes.

"You disappeared without saying where you were going," he said, marching into the room. "Never do that again!"

Harry looked down at his feet and apologised. "I'm sorry Baron," he said. "I found Vincent though and woke him up. That's a good thing, right?"

The Baron sighed and looked up at the men who were also present. "I assume that you are Vincent?" he asked, looking at the red-eyed man.

"I am. It was well that the child woke me," he answered. "It would seem that I have slept for nearly thirty years."

"Twenty-five," Sephiroth said. "I'm twenty-five, and if you have been... 'sleeping' since you were told I didn't survive childbirth, then you have slept for twenty-five years."

Vincent nodded.

The Baron sighed in frustration with his charge. "I assume that we will not be staying in Nibelheim."

Heads shook.

"We were going to be going back to ShinRa HQ next week anyway," Zack supplied. "Not sure what's gonna happen to Harry once we get there though. He's a bit young for cadet training."

"Not for Turk training," Vincent put in. "Unless the standards have changed since I was there. Turks don't care about the age of the applicant. If they're younger, then it just means they have more time to learn things before they can officially join a team."

"Harry and I will only be staying a year," Baron pointed out. "Would this 'Turk' organisation be bothered by us disappearing without notice like that?"

Vincent shook his head. "Not if I do it right," he answered. "Turks get sent on undercover assignments often enough, and the trainees get their experience in the field just as often as a training ground. It's possible to make sure no one asks questions about Harry vanishing."

Harry nodded. "I'll do that then," the ten-year-old said.

It was decided.

~oOo~

Harry grinned. He'd found someone in this world with red hair, and true to his theory of people with red hair, they were awesome. His name was Reno, and he had a weapon that Harry had never seen the likes of before. It was a sort of nightstick, it consertina'd up into something small and extended with a flick, but the thing that was interesting and original about it was that it was electrically charged. Reno called it an EMR, and said that it stood for Electro-Magnetic Rod. It was a good blunt weapon normally, but when he pushed a little button near the insulated grip, then it became a sparky weapon of fry-you-extra-crispy.

Reno was also a lot like Gojyo. He smoked, he drank, and he womanised when he could. He also liked to play poker, and Harry didn't mind at all setting up a game in the coffee lounge at knock-off time. Reno wasn't the only person who joined the games of course. Vincent would sometimes drop in, though he wasn't officially a Turk any more, and Reno's partner Rude was a regular player. Interestingly, the current head of the Turk division of ShinRa played as well – only on the Saturday nights though, and Harry suspected that was because he always took Sunday mornings off, so it didn't matter if he was involved in a game that ran until midnight or later.

Harry was learning things every day too, and before long had accumulated a respectable collection of materia – one of each element, a stop, and three different types of healing ones. He also got to learn about scaling buildings with his bare hands and shoe-covered feet from Reno, and how to shoot from the coolest of the female Turks, a blonde called Elena. Vincent supplemented that learning though of course. The Baron took photos of Harry while he was training and wrote down all the instructions that he was given by his teachers, and quietly approached said instructors to write a little in the book themselves. Life advice, rather than technical instruction, tended to be what they wrote for the boy.

Vincent pulled Harry from the Turk program with still two months before Harry was due to disappear on his own.

"Why? I only just got my materia technique perfected!" Harry complained. "And I was gonna ask Tseng if he knew how to play mah-jong."

Baron frowned. "Because there is more to this world than just Nibelheim and the ShinRa building, and Vincent thought that you might like to see some more of it."

Harry's pout disappeared and his eyes lit up.

They went to the Golden Saucer, Junon, Gongaga, and did a covert tour of Wutai where they somehow got to meet the princess – who was happy to play a game of mah-jong with Harry over an animated conversation about the ninja arts and the benefits of over-sized shuriken – before Vincent took them to Rocket Town.

"Can I meet the man who was going to fly in this?" Harry asked as they stood at the base of the rocket. The one that had never launched, the one that gave the town its name.

Vincent and the Baron just looked at Harry, unsure, but Ryu just smiled and a compass on a choker appeared about his neck, and then Harry was bouncing off towards a house on the edge of the town with a large paddock out back, with a shed taking up one end completely and what looked like a runway down the middle of its length.

Harry knocked on the door politely just as the compass disappeared from around his neck.

"What?" demanded a gruff voice from inside, and the sound of boots stomping on a wooden floor drew closer. The door was wrenched open just as Vincent and the Baron reached Harry.

"I apologise for my ward intruding on your time," the Baron said, glaring up at Harry slightly. "He wanted to meet the person who was going to fly in the rocket, and then he ran off before I could catch him."

"Well, you found him," the blonde man said, calmed a little. "I'm the man who was going to fly in that rocket." The man must have noticed the excited look in Harry's eyes. "M'name's Cid Highwind. Come on in. I was just about to have some tea. I don't mind tellin' the kid 'bout how it was built if he wants to hear it."

"Yes please Mr Highwind!" Harry exclaimed, rocking up onto his toes.

Quite accidentally, they ended up staying with Cid for the rest of Harry's time there. Harry got taught about mechanics from the master, as well as received many stories, instructions and diagrams for his book from the gruff pilot. He even got to take a picture of Cid flying in his plane the Tiny Bronco from the passenger seat. Cid sparred with him as well, and since the man was so skilled with his spear, Harry had a few interesting fights – and lessons when Cid dumped him on his bum.

But then it was that time again.

"Happy birthday Harry," Cid said when the boy arrived in the kitchen in the morning. "Eleven I hear, and likely to vanish off to another dimension. Well, I reckon I owe ya a few thanks for lettin' me look through ya books and finding instructions on how those two, Hawkeye and BJ, built their own distillery. That's what the yeller parcel is fer. Go ahead an' open it."

Harry moved to the table where three presents were waiting for him. A yellow one, a red one and a blue one. As instructed, Harry opened the yellow gift. It was an engineer and mechanic's guide book to building and maintaining engines of pretty much every kind. Cid was the author.

"Thank you Cid," Harry said, hugging the book tight.

Cid nodded and flipped the pancake that he was cooking. "My pleasure. Now, that red one's from me as well. That's a thanks for bringin' Vincent inta me life. I don't know how I managed without havin' that man around to talk to about stuff, an' I reckon he's just as glad for some company that's good at listenin' sometimes and don't mind bein' woke up in the night for screaming."

Harry nodded. He'd heard the screams as well, nearly every night since they'd left ShinRa. Baron had explained to him that since Vincent had missed twenty-five years of history, and also found out that the one thing he'd never completely gotten over – the loss of Lucretia and Sephiroth – had been in part a lie, that it was a lot of stress on Vincent's mind. He also said that because of the experiments that had been conducted upon Vincent, he sometimes didn't feel like he was human, which added more stress. The result of all the stress was nightmares, and only time and having someone around who could handle Vincent's physical strength when he was thrashing in his sleep and then the emotional neediness when he woke was going to help. Harry had gone off to read passages of psychologist-theories left to him by Harley, and understood it eventually. It was a role that Cid seemed to not mind filling at all.

Harry reached for the red present. It squished softly under his hands, and when he opened the package he discovered that it was a headband and cape like Vincent wore, as well as a jacket and scarf like Cid wore. He grinned and immediately tied the headband around his head, letting his short black hair grow out under and over it so that the band couldn't be seen around at the back of his head. He picked up the jacket and examined it, then determined that it would probably be a couple of years before he'd grown enough to fill it out properly.

Cid chuckled and shook his head at the kid's antics. "Birthday pancakes," he declared, setting the plate down before the birthday boy. There was already butter, syrup and jam on the table. Harry didn't bother reaching for any of them. He liked his pancakes just the way that they were when they came out of the pan. They only needed something extra if they weren't fresh or had been cooked using oil or lard instead of butter to grease the pan.

"Thanks Cid."

Cid smiled and turned back to the pan and batter.

"Good morning Harry, Cid," Baron greeted, moving passed Harry to make the morning tea and noticing the gifts. "You said thank you I hope."

Harry grinned and looked over at Cid.

"The smile conveyed the thanks fairly clear," Cid said with a smile. "But yes, he said thanks as well."

Baron nodded in acceptance and pulled the dried leaves down to make the pot.

"Morning," Vincent greeted. "Cid, Harry, Baron."

"Morning Vin," Cid answered. "How many pancakes do you want?"

"If you're cooking them? I'll take three to start," Vincent answered, smiling slightly as he slid into his chair at the kitchen table.

Cid made great pancakes. Harry hoped he could make pancakes as good someday. Cid had put the recipe he used into Harry's book, but Harry was sure that there was something in the man's technique – either the beating of the batter, or the flipping – that he'd need to get right before he could get his pancakes as good.

"Happy birthday Harry," Vincent said, pushing the blue package closer to the boy. "Finish your pancake, then open that."

Harry only had one mouthful of his last birthday pancake left, so that didn't take long.

"I hope you don't think I was prying, but I noticed that it was the only weapon you gained proficiency in that you didn't actually own one of," Vincent said. "It's' also a little thank you for waking me up."

Harry smiled. "I don't mind, and I think it worked out well for everyone involved," he said, then picked the gun up out of its box. "It's beautiful."

Vincent returned the boy's smile. "You will take care of it, won't you?" the gunner pressed.

Harry nodded. "I promise."

"Three pancakes for Vin," Cid said, setting the plate down. "Any more for the birthday boy, or shall I get on with my own now?"

"No one makes pancakes like you Cid," Harry said. "But I can wait for you to have yours before I ask for more."

Cid chuckled. "Thanks Harry. You're a good kid," he said, ruffling Harry's hair and causing the bandanna to shift with the action.

"Tea is ready," the Baron called, bringing the pot to the table carefully.

"I'm going to miss that blend of yours when you two disappear on us," Cid said, pouring batter for his own breakfast into the pan. "You wrote out the recipe for your blend, right?"

"I did," the Baron agreed with a smile. "It is nice to meet someone else who appreciates tea as much as I do."

Harry waited until Cid and Vincent had finished their pancakes before he went to fetch his pack and put his birthday presents away in their appropriate parts of his Luggage. When he came back down with everything put away and his backpack on his back, the boy gave the two men a dedicated hug each. He hoped they stayed like this after he left. He could tell that they went well together.

"Ready Baron?" Harry asked.

The feline finished his tea and nodded.

They disappeared into the inter-dimensional highway, this time with deliberation.

"Hey Vin?" Cid asked.

"Yes Cid?"

"D'you have somewhere else you want to be too? 'Cause if you don't, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you like," the pilot offered.

Vincent smiled softly. "Thank you Cid. I think I'll take you up on that offer."

Chapter Text

Ryu smiled. "I think he's ready," he said quietly.

Harry turned his eyes on Ryu. "You're not leaving me," Harry said. "You have to stay at least until I get to see Ikuto again! I still have no idea about direction in here! I may not even have properly figured out how to travel when I want to!"

Ryu blushed. "Okay Harry," he said. "I promise. It will be proof that you really know what you're doing and don't need me any more."

Harry nodded slowly and they all stepped out into their next world. It turned out to be somebody's living room.

"Oops, sorry about that," Harry said, blushing. "I really have little to no control over where I appear still."

"I think that's proof that magic exists," commented the man who was sitting on the couch. The woman beside him nodded, and the girl who was probably their daughter was staring at Harry with wide eyes. So was the older woman who was standing before them with a stick in her hand.

"We do apologise for the intrusion," the Baron said, stepping forward, removing his hat and bowing to the people. "I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingken, this is my ward Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter?" the older woman breathed in shock, her eyes going even wider.

Harry blinked. "I'm guessing that this was probably the dimension that I was born in then," Harry said. A smile slowly crept across his face. "I can find out who my parents were and fill in that year of my life!" he cheered.

"Harry," Baron scolded. "You know something bad happened to them," he reminded. Harry had the letter that he'd been found with in his book after all. It wasn't a very informative letter, 'Petunia, your sister and her husband were killed by Voldemort. This is their son, Harry Potter, who miraculously survived. Please care for him.'

"Yes Baron, but now I can find out what."

"If I may," the older woman said. "Those are things you can learn in Diagon Alley or from your godfather, Sirius Black."

Harry looked back to the older woman. "Thank you Ma'am."

"We have introduced ourselves," Baron reminded quietly, pointedly.

"I'm Jake Granger and this is my wife Helen, and our daughter Hermione," the man on the couch said.

"Pleased to meet you!" Harry chirped, taking Jake's hand and shaking it firmly before going on to take each of the Granger women's hands and kiss them on the knuckles, making Helen laugh and Hermione blush bright red.

"I am Minerva McGonagall, the transfiguration professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the older woman said.

Harry stepped up, took her hand, and kissed her knuckles as well. "An honour then," he said. "Am I correct in guessing that you knew my parents Professor?"

She nodded, and though her mouth was stern, her cheeks were a little bit rosier than they had been before. "I did. Your mother was an excellent student at Hogwarts. I am never sure how she ended up marrying your father. He was a smart boy, but a terrible prankster."

Harry nodded in thanks for the information.

"Will we be going to Diagon Alley now?" asked the girl, Hermione.

McGonagall nodded firmly. "It might be advisable for," she looked at the Baron.

"Just call me Baron," he said easily, knowing what she was fishing for. "Everybody else does."

"It might be advisable for me to put a spell over you Baron, so that non-magical people don't notice you," she said.

Baron shrugged. "Harry, if you would please carry me?" he asked, then turned into his wooden statue form when the boy nodded.

"How did he do that?" Hermione asked.

"Baron was carved by an artisan a long time ago, and that person put so much of their heart into making him that Baron was granted a soul. That's about as much as I know really, but it means that Baron can switch between his original form, this one, and being, well, alive like he was when we arrived," Harry explained.

~oOo~

McGonagall led them through the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley straight to Gringotts, the bank that was used by the wizarding population. She walked up to an available goblin – that is, one who didn't have another witch or wizard standing in front of them – and waited for him to look up.

"Mr Harry Potter would like to speak to somebody about his accounts. No, he does not have his key. The Granger family would like to enquire if they have inherited from any dead lines and if not then will need to convert muggle currency."

The goblin sniffed, but nodded. Two more goblins were summoned, and Harry was taken by one into an office, while the Grangers were taken down a hallway by the other.

"It will be necessary, as you do not have your key, to prove your identity," the goblin stated, and indicated a feather quill. "Write your name with that. It is enchanted so that you cannot write otherwise but your full and correct name."

Harry nodded and took up the quill. He'd never written with a quill before, but decided to treat it like the fountain pen he'd used a couple of times.

The name Harrison James Potter was written out on the sheet of parchment that the goblin had slid before the boy, followed by the words 'son of James and Lily Potter'.

The goblin nodded in satisfaction.

"Your godfather, Sirius Black, has been managing your family's accounts in conjunction with myself as the goblin in charge of the Potter vaults, though Albus Dumbledore did a few things while Mr Black was facing trial for the murder of your parents. You will be pleased to know he was found innocent."

Harry nodded, but "What did this Dumbledore person do?" Harry asked.

"He set up a monthly allowance to be paid from your account to a Petunia Dursley and a Molly Weasley, as well as for an annual deposit into an account labelled 'Future Mrs Potter'," the goblin answered. "Your godfather was dubious about these when he learned of them, but the following week had clearly forgotten about them, possibly through use of a spell. We thought it better to not inform him again for the sake of his mind. Repeated memory charms are very detrimental."

Harry thought. "Well, Petunia Dursley is probably the aunt that Dumbledore intended to raise me, and that allowance would have gone to my care. Since she hasn't been caring for me, and provided that she has other means, I think that those payments can stop, and I won't be asking for reparations because she's still family, even if I've never met her. I fully approve of there being an account for my future, but I'm not sure about my future wife. As such, please desist these payments as well, and transfer the funds from that account into a trust that can be for any future children instead. I don't like the idea of someone marrying me for money. Now, who is Molly Weasley?"

"A distant cousin of yours and mother to seven children, the eldest of whom is recently employed as a curse-breaker for this bank," the goblin answered. "The youngest, however, is due to begin Hogwarts next year."

Harry nodded. "Then as long as the money that she has been paid has gone to providing the things her family needs, I see no problem. As I seem able to continue making these payments, I will continue to do so, though I would like an accounting to make sure that the money is being spent responsibly."

The goblin nodded, made a few notes, and then took Harry down to his vault to withdraw some money to shop with.

"We will inform your godfather that you have returned to the magical world Mr Potter," the goblin informed Harry when they returned to the main foyer of Gringotts, where McGonagall had waited for him and the Grangers. It looked like they'd concluded their business faster than he had, but then, they had the advantage of being able to split up and do two things at once. "I am certain that he will want to see you."

Harry nodded. "Thank you," he said, then went to rejoin McGonagall and the Grangers.

~oOo~

They went to the trunk shop first, and Harry wandered around looking at all of the options, but came to the conclusion that really, between his backpack, his scrolls, and his Luggage, he didn't really need a trunk from these people. He decided that to satisfy McGonagall that he really didn't need to buy a trunk however, it would probably be a good idea to show her why. He hadn't counted on the owner of the shop going completely to pieces over his Luggage, wanting to know what spells had gone into making it. He was terribly disappointed that not only did Harry not know, he refused to leave the many-legged chest for the man to examine.

The book shop was their next stop, and Harry got to see Hermione clearly enjoying herself. She bought everything on the book-list that had come with the letter McGonagall had given to her. Harry's method for choosing books was a little different. He actually looked at what was on the shelves, rather than just the list. Of course, he'd only looked at the list over Hermione's shoulder once. Still, he bought all of the grades of the Standard Book of Spells, and then set himself to picking out which books he thought looked the most useful or interesting. In his life, that meant he had a lot of different books to Hermione. In his pile were titles such as 'Moste Potente Potions', 'Apothecary', 'Alchemy', 'Meditation and Mind Arts', 'Ancient, Medieval and Modern Runes', 'Script and Scriptures of Times Past', 'Healing by Elixer and Enchantment', and numerous new titles that had been brought out by muggle-borns who were trying to integrate modern discoveries with the 'ancient arts', and more difficult, with the traditions of the wizarding world, as well as a primer on said traditions, so that he'd know all the things that the other snooty purebloods did.

"You're not purchasing the standard texts?" McGonagall asked, raising an eyebrow disapprovingly.

Harry shook his head. "There will be hundreds of students who have all of these books," he explained. "I'm sure that the friends I make and will study with won't mind sharing. Right Hermione?" Harry asked, turning to the girl with a smile.

She blinked. "Friends?" she asked.

Harry nodded, still smiling. "I certainly hope so," he said.

He wasn't prepared for the hug she practically tackled him with, but didn't stumble under the added weight of the bushy-haired girl.

"She's never had any real friends before," Helen explained quietly. "The children at her school teased her for having buck-teeth and being bookish."

McGonagall silently nodded her understanding. She'd keep an eye on the girl if she was sorted into Gryffindor, and advise the other Heads of House to do likewise should they get her.

"Well, if you have chosen your books then we should continue on our way. You still have to buy robes, scales, an astronomy kit, some protective wear for the more volatile subjects and your potions kits, and of course your wands," McGonagall said, waving the two children to stop the hugging and move along.

~oOo~

"So, you only found out about magic today?" Harry asked Hermione as they followed her parents and McGonagall down the street.

She nodded. "I mean, I've made odd things happen before, like getting a book off the top shelf to float down to me, and a girl's long braid came undone once when she was teasing me about my hair, but I'd never thought it was real magic," Hermione explained.

Harry nodded. "Could you tell me about the world then? I've been going from one dimension to another for the last ten years and I have really no idea about what's been going on here."

Hermione blushed. "I can't tell you what's been happening in the magical world," she reminded him.

Harry nodded. "That's fine. I get the feeling that these people shut themselves off and hide from everyone else, so they're probably a minority. Just tell me everything you can."

Hermione got a glint in her eye then, and Harry discovered that she could tell him a lot, though she insisted that he tell her about himself in return. She told him about the wars; Harry countered by saying he'd been in the Korean conflict, though it was good to know about all the others, and how the Korean conflict had turned out. Hermione talked about the politics of the country and the governmental system; Harry told her about his time in Gotham, which drew her to talk about the comic books and movies about Batman. Harry talked about the time he'd spent at Winding Circle, where he learned about magic. Hermione told him about the different religious groups around the world, to which Harry replied that he was glad that there were Buddhists in this world, and told her about the time he'd journeyed westward with the Monkey Sage. Hermione told him about the lunar landing; Harry told her about Cid and Vincent. She talked about science fiction and fantasy books and movies, he talked about the Discworld, which seemed to have elements of all those things riddled through it. The subject of sports and computer games was met with explanations about pokemon, the Ninja Academy of Konoha, and participating in the Dark Tournament.

Then they reached the shop where they were to buy their astronomy kits, and Harry noticed that the Grangers looked unimpressed.

"Professor," Harry asked. "Is the magical world aware that the non-magical world landed on the moon? I'm sure we'd be able to find a superior telescope in London somewhere," he suggested, remembering that Hermione had told him about that, and expounded upon the scientific advancements that the space-race had caused.

McGonagall looked surprised at the boy, then turned to the Grangers for confirmation. They both nodded solemnly.

"Very well," she said. "I suppose scales can also be purchased beyond Diagon?" Nodding heads were her answer once again. "Then we'll get your potions kits at the apothecary next."

Harry's eyes lit up at the word 'apothecary', and Baron – who had returned to his 'living' form groaned.

"Did I say something wrong?" McGonagall asked the ginger gentleman.

"Harry made friends with a lovely lady some, oh, six or seven years ago now, and she was an apothecary. She gave him a number of recipes before we left as well, and I had to forbid him from potentially dangerous substances until he was ten. Thankfully, last year none of the things on Miss Yaone's lists were available to him. He's been looking forward to this for a long time," Baron explained, and he seemed to age several years, suddenly radiating weariness under McGonagall's gaze.

McGonagall wondered if she should worry or laugh. Harry had obviously needed to be kept from this, but the idea that the son of James Potter would love potions – a subject now taught by his long-time rival... well, she was very tempted to laugh at that. She would have to warn Severus when she got back to the castle that night.

The apothecary who ran the shop was impressed with the way Harry fluttered over certain items and then stared longingly at others, collecting up a sample of everything that he had on the shelves himself and completely ignoring the fancy cauldrons. He was so delighted, in fact, that he gave Harry and the Grangers a discount on their purchases, and Harry his card.

"I suppose that it's just Madam Malkin's for robes, and then for your wands," McGonagall said at last, when they'd gotten everything else.

"Professor," Harry said, looking speculatively at the robe shop. "Is there a place where I could get my Hogwarts uniform second hand?"

"You are hardly in want of money, Mr Potter," she pointed out.

"No," Harry said. "But I grow a lot, and I really don't see the point in buying clothes brand new when I'll grow out of them before long, especially since second hand clothes perform their service just as well."

"Maybe I could get second-hand robes too?" Hermione suggested.

"No," McGonagall said firmly. "Miss Granger, you are a witch coming from a non-magical family. Yes, today your mother discovered that she was the many-times great-granddaughter of a wizard who had only a squib child, but your peers will look at you as a muggle-born and as such some of them will treat you with contempt. Mr Potter is from a well known family and can escape such scathing treatment from his peers. You cannot. You will do better if your clothes are new."

Hermione bowed her head to this superior knowledge.

"I'm saying this to you now, Miss Granger, so that later in your life you will be able to do whatever it is you put your mind to. If you work hard, you could become the Minister of Magic, but you will also need to show a good front. Starting in second-hand robes is not the way to do that," McGonagall said kindly.

Harry snorted.

"Mr Potter?" the teacher asked.

"I get what you're saying about the snobs," Harry said, "they're everywhere and will always have something to say, but you shouldn't tell tales Professor. How many female Ministers have there been in the last hundred years?" he asked.

"None," she admitted with a sigh. "It isn't impossible," she countered the boy. "Just... A male-dominated society. Amelia Bones, the head for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, is the most senior witch at the Ministry apart from the matriarchs on the Wizengamot, which is a separate entity."

Harry nodded. "Thank you for your honesty Professor."

~oOo~

When they went to get their wands from Ollivander's, there were two men waiting outside. One had dark curly hair, a well-groomed moustache that went all the way down to his chin, and a little goatee beneath his lip. He looked like he'd been crying too, if the red rims around his dark eyes were any indication. The other man was sandy-blonde with a smaller moustache and a clean-shaven chin, but he looked tired and like he'd been through a wringer as well.

"Mr Black, Mr Lupin," McGonagall greeted. "What a surprise."

"The goblins contacted me that Harry had been to see them," the man with the curly hair said. "I figured that it would be better to wait somewhere I knew he'd have to go, rather than tracking him through Diagon Alley."

"And when I saw Sirius bolting out of his office crying, I wasn't about to let him get away without an explanation," the blonde man added.

"Mr Potter, this man," McGonagall indicated the dark-haired man that the blonde had called Sirius.

"Is my godfather," Harry finished. "The goblins told me that my godfather was Sirius Black, and that they'd contacted him," he said, smiling a little up at the stern woman.

"Oh Harry," Sirius choked, getting down on his knees and holding out his arms.

Harry didn't hesitate. This man obviously loved him, even if he didn't know him yet. Harry ran to those arms and wrapped his arms about the man's neck.

"I hope this doesn't mean he won't need me any more," the Baron said quietly.

The blonde man, Lupin, looked up from the reunion to see who had said that, and strode forward to meet the cat. "You've been looking after him?" he asked.

Baron nodded. "I have," he answered. "Since he was given into my care almost ten years ago."

"Thank you," Lupin said, with heart-wrenchingly genuine emotion.

"Well Harry," Sirius said, sniffing and releasing his godson from his hold. "Let's get you and your friend your wands."

Hermione smiled to have been included like that, and Harry just grinned.

It took two tries before Hermione found her right wand – vine, ten-and-three-quarter-inch, dragon heartstring. Harry, however, was proving to be a challenge.

"I'll bet it's because of my travels," Harry whispered to Hermione with a smile.

"Travels?" Ollivander asked. "Where have you been, Mr Potter? Do you have anything from these places that I might be able to use that will allow me to make a wand for you, so that we do not waste our time going through every wand in the shop fruitlessly?" The old man knew that he had already given the boy the wand that Dumbledore was so interested in, the one that was brother to Voldemort. It had been no better for the boy than the rest.

Harry frowned and looked over to where the Grangers were standing. His Luggage hiding behind them. "Luggage," he called. "Think the old man could have a bit of your wood?"

The chest trundled itself over and opened its lid, showing off a little lump of wood resting on a cushion.

"That's hardly more than will be needed for just a handle," Harry scolded, but took it anyway. "But it's better than carving you up, so thank you," he added, patting it on the lid when it closed. The boy thought some more while Ollivander, Sirius and Remus stared at the box in surprise.

"Harry, what about a hair from one of your pokemon?" Hermione suggested.

"That's fur," Harry countered. "Even if that -" he gestured to the six-inch long bit of wood "- were as long as my wand is going to be, that's still going to mean giving one of my pokemon a bald patch. I assure you, they wouldn't appreciate it."

"Harry," Baron said. "Might I suggest getting a little more wood from Tulie?"

Harry smiled crookedly. "Worth a try" he said, pulling the appropriate pokeball from his pocket and releasing the plant evolutionary form of eevee. "Hey Tulie," he greeted, squatting down and giving her a pat. "I need a length of wood, think you can help me out?"

"Leaf!" Tulie objected, shaking her head sadly.

Harry smiled. "That's okay. I knew it wasn't really your thing, I just had to ask."

"Leaf!" she said, raising her front paws to rest against Harry's knee and giving him a lick on the cheek, making Harry laugh.

"Okay," he said, then returned her to her pokeball. All eyes were fixed on him now. "What?" he asked.

"What was that?" McGonagall asked.

"I have been going to different dimensions," Harry reminded her. "Tulie is a leafeon, a pokemon, I caught her and several others back when I was seven. I believe we're still working on finding, or now making my wand?" Harry straightened suddenly and eyed his Luggage. "Do you have any hair from the people we met in the world before last?" he asked it. He would have asked about having some of Goku's, or Kougaiji's hair, but he'd only gotten the Luggage just a couple of worlds ago.

The lid opened, showing a wooden case with a few hairs pinned in place under a glass lid, names written below. There was one each from Jin, Yukina, Genkai and Chu, three from Kurama, and two each from Yusuke and Hiei. Harry grinned and pulled one of his own hairs out, then took those hairs and braided them together. When he was done, he laid the new chord beside the piece of wood.

"That should work for a core," he said, grinning.

Ollivander bent to examine the hairs, slipping on gold-rimmed glasses with many extra lenses hanging off the sides that he could – and did – flip over the first pair of lenses. Behind those glasses, his watery grey eyes widened.

"Ten of these hairs are from demons!" Ollivander exclaimed.

Harry nodded pleasantly. "Nice folks," he said. "Though Chu, that's the darker blue hair, was quite fond of his drink, and Hiei, the black hairs that aren't mine, he's a bit short-tempered. Now, I still need a bit more wood for this wand, don't I?"

Ollivander nodded, deciding that it would be pointless commenting on the use of demon hair in a wand as ill-advised – particularly mixing them with human hair as well, even if those humans were very powerful. He looked again. Yes, even the hair that Harry had plucked from his own head was saturated with power. Likely from that dimensional travelling the boy talked of.

"Very well. Since you have such a core, and your odd wood for the handle," Ollivander said, his large grey eyebrows coming to meet each other over as he furrowed his brow.

"Sapient pearwood," Harry supplied.

Ollivander nodded. "Perhaps another odd wood to go with it," he suggested, then headed into the back of his shop where he made the wands. He returned a moment later with a red coloured wood.

Harry grinned. His favourite colour. "What kind of wood is it Mr Ollivander?" he asked.

The old man sighed. "Australian red gum, a eucalyptus tree. Yes, I think that will do it. I will need some time to craft this wand. Perhaps after you've all gone to enjoy some lunch?"

The adults nodded their understanding, and ushered the children out of the shop.

When they came back and Harry picked up his wand, Ollivander remarked that he'd never seen such a perfect fit before, and was surprised at the boy's affinity considering the demon hairs.

"Well, they were friends," Harry explained with a shrug, as though it were obvious.

~oOo~

Sirius invited everybody to the Black manor once they'd concluded their shopping – including the bits they'd gone to a regular London mall for, where Sirius and Remus had managed to stand out less than McGonagall, and Baron, completely himself and without any concealment spells on him, had been generally ignored.

McGonagall had declined the invitation, stating her need to return to Hogwarts as her reason, though Harry suspected that she was a little miffed at having been proven wrong about the 'muggles creating a fuss if they see the Baron'. Really, she had made more fuss than anybody else had.

"Harry, you're mentioned in three of my books!" Hermione yelped at him when the two of them had sat down together with their books after dinner – letting the adults and Baron all talk about adult-y things.

"I should look into that," Harry said absently. "What do they say?"

"That you defeated someone called 'he-who-must-not-be-named'," Hermione answered. "Reputedly the most rotten wizard since someone called Grindelwald, who apparently helped Hitler out."

Harry hummed. "So I'm famous for something I don't remember," he summed up. "Think I'm gonna get mobbed?" he asked. "Will people recognise me?"

Hermione blinked at Harry. "You weren't today," she pointed out, then went back to her books. "There is a picture of your parents in this one, so people would probably recognise that you look kinda like them," she said. "But all of the books talk about a distinctive scar on your forehead where this evil wizard's curse supposedly bounced off of you."

Harry frowned. "Well I haven't got a scar there any more," he said. "And I think it's right daft of whoever published those books to include information like that if there's a possibility that some of that evil guy's followers are feeling vengeful. Bad enough they know my name, really."

Hermione nodded slowly as Harry's logic settled into her mind. "You don't have the lightning-bolt shaped scar?" she asked.

Harry pulled off his bandanna. "Clear," he said. "Baron told me once that I'd been brought by fate to the doorstep of a space-time witch called Youko, and she took my scar as payment to send me off travelling through the dimensions with Baron as my guardian. I thought it was a dumb price at the time, but now I know it's something that makes me famous, well, I guess it makes more sense now." Then Harry grinned. "I still think I got the better deal though," he said.

Hermione laughed. "What's in the books you're reading?" she asked, deciding that it was time to change the subject.

"Oh, this one has some curses from Ancient Egypt, and this one's got how to create spells using runes, and this one has stuff about meditation techniques so that you can organise your mind and keep out people who might try to read your thoughts or search your memories," Harry answered. "I think that third one will probably be really useful for study and tests."

Hermione nodded. "Perfect recall..." she breathed, her eyes wide.

~oOo~

The Black Manor where Sirius and Remus lived was, very conveniently, only a few blocks away from the Granger household, which meant that Harry could live with his godfather – and the man's best friend still living – and learn about them and his parents, getting new photos for his book and new stories, and still see Hermione whenever he felt like it.

On the first of September, Sirius took the two children to the platform. Baron would be staying at the house with him and Remus, and letters would be exchanged regularly between the two students and their respective adults through the use of the owl that Harry had bought for Hermione as an early birthday gift.

They waved farewell to Sirius from the train compartment, and the train was moving.

"Robe please," Harry said to his Luggage brightly.

"Harry!" Hermione objected, eyes wide. "You're going to get changed with me in the compartment?" she asked.

Harry laughed as he picked up the robe that the lid had opened to reveal. "It goes over your clothes Hermione," he said, then proceeded to show her by tugging the large black robe over his Chinese-style, matching navy shirt and pants. When his head came out of the top, his black hair was red.

Hermione stared. "Harry," she said carefully. "How did your hair change like that?"

"I've been able to do it since I was three," he said. "Sirius called it the metamorphagus gene. I can literally look like anything or anyone that I want to!"

Hermione was impressed, and just a tad jealous. "Wish I could," she said, gesturing to her bushy hair helplessly.

Harry grinned. "I can fix that for you if you like," he offered.

"How?" Hermione asked, hope glistening in her eyes.

"Two options," he said, holding up his fingers. "One: I can temporarily magic it to look however you want. I do mean temporary though. I'd have to re-do it every other day. Option two is I give you a haircut, and I'm actually not too bad at it, if I do say so myself."

Hermione sighed, but smiled. "I'd like to have a big dramatic change in seconds like you have," she said, "but if it won't last... Do you have scissors?"

The Luggage opened itself up to reveal a full grooming kit. Scissors, combs, brushes, misters so that the hair was wet enough to react to handling differently, two mirrors, and then there was the stuff to care for nails, hands, feet, teeth, ears and general skin care. There were shampoos and conditioners, hair spray, mousse, gel, hair lotions, massage oils, everything. Even hair dye and make up, though Harry never needed the former for himself, and really had little to no inclination to the latter.

"Harry, why do you have all this stuff?" Hermione asked, impressed but suspicious, even as she moved as Harry directed and he started to calm her hair down with the mister and a comb.

The boy grinned. "You think I look this good without working at it?" he asked, preening dramatically as he put the comb down and picked up the scissors, getting a laugh out of the girl for his little show. "No, seriously, all this really does help, though I don't go for the full spa-treatment that often. Mostly I have this stuff for my pokemon. It's soothing to take time out and pamper them now and then, and they really like it too."

"When, and where, did you learn about this stuff?" Hermione asked.

"I learned some from Rosethorn and Gojyo, and Tris taught me how to read the things that Pam, Selina and Harley had put in my book about hygiene and make up. Then there were the things that Tsunade came up with which were different altogether but very interesting." Harry put the scissors down and picked up a leave-in hair conditioner and a comb. "There! Done," he declared. "You now look like the princess of Wutai when she's not being forced to wear ceremonial headdresses, but without the headband she loves so much," he said as he packed everything up again and collected Hermione's chopped off hair together.

"What are you going to do with that?" she asked.

"Burn it," Harry answered as he drew a circle of protection around the mound, then formed a seal with his hands and spat a small fire-ball at the hair. It burned quickly, leaving only the horrible smell of singed hair behind.

Hermione opened a window to get rid of the smell, and Harry got a bottle of water out of his Luggage. "It always leaves my mouth feeling dry," he explained.

The door slammed open at that moment. "I heard that Harry Potter is on the train," said the boy who stood there, a slight sneer on his perfectly pale face, but then he noticed Hermione. "Excuse me," he said, politely. "My name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," he said, holding his hand out for her to lay hers in so that he could kiss her knuckles, just as Harry had done, but he was doing it because he was a very proper sort of snobbish noble-boy.

Hermione bit her lip and slid her hand into his while Harry snorted in amusement.

Draco bent over Hermione's hand before turning to Harry. "Think my name's funny do you?" he demanded. "No need to ask who you are. My father's told me all about the Weasleys, with their red hair and more children than they can afford." Draco cast a sneering gaze over Harry's second-hand robes.

Harry laughed more, which truly offended the white-blonde boy, then stood up. "If the Weasleys have red hair, then I really shall have to meet them," he said. "This lovely lady is my friend Hermione, and I'm Harry," he paused. "Potter. You were looking for me? And I wasn't laughing at your name," he corrected with a smirk of his own. "Just the way you introduced yourself."

Malfoy frowned, only slightly mollified, but even more put-out that it seemed he had just insulted the Boy-Who-Lived while at the same time sending him in the direction of the Weasleys.

"Why would Harry Potter be wearing a robe like that?" Malfoy asked, still not liking this.

"Because I'm not going to waste money on a robe that won't fit me next year," Harry said calmly. "I maintain that there are two kinds of rich people: the ones who spend rich, and the ones who stay rich. But come in Mr Malfoy, I've been away from the wizarding world for the past ten years, and my godfather has been educating me furiously since he found me, and Hermione only discovered that her maternal line was magical on the same day that I and my godfather were reunited. Please," Harry said, flashing his very green eyes at the pale boy, "tell us whatever you can of magical society."

~oOo~

"What house do you think you'll be in?" Malfoy asked as the train pulled to a halt. "I'll be a Slytherin of course."

"Oh, of course," Harry agreed, edging on sarcastically insulting in his tone, not that he meant it or that the other boy noticed. Hermione did though, and she did her best not to giggle. "I think it's Hufflepuff for me though," Harry continued, more honestly. "There's something about them that just appeals to me."

"They're a bunch of duffers," Malfoy objected, horrified.

Harry shrugged. "I sincerely doubt it. What about you Hermione? A bright and shining Ravenclaw? Or will you be joining me in Hufflepuff because of your work-ethic? Sirius tells me they're all for hard work."

Hermione beamed. "You think I'm bright enough for Ravenclaw?" she asked.

Harry nodded.

"Still, I think I like the idea of being around a lot of other hard workers, especially if I get to be with my best friend too," Hermione said with a smile.

Then they were getting off the train and following the bellow for first years, clambering into boats, and floating up to a pair of doors that probably only got used once a year, where they were let in by Professor McGonagall.

Once they had been brought into the Great Hall and the Sorting Hat had sung it's piece, McGonagall started calling out names. When she reached Hermione Granger, she as a little surprised to see that the girl had apparently undergone a make-over. It was probably for the best. If the girl was going to be bookish, then she ought to have something to counterbalance it. The new haircut would probably do that for her. Then again, as she walked over to the Hufflepuff table, it probably wouldn't be a problem.

"Potter, Harry," she called, and a hush fell over the Hall that was deep with whispering.

Harry walked up to the stool as though he didn't hear it. Sirius had told him about the couple of times he'd had to sue authors for writing Harry Potter books – immediately after he'd taken him to the Department of Mysteries so that Harry could hear the prophecy that had left him orphaned. He refused to let it bother him.

"I must say," the Hat whispered in Harry's ear, "I don't think I've seen such an interesting collection of memories before, and behind such excellent shields for your age too. If I weren't magicked specifically to read the experiences of children to know the place they would be happiest in their time here, why, I dare say I would have a great deal of trouble with you. There's only one place for you of course Mr Potter, though I think your father would be disappointed you're not following in his footsteps, your mother would appreciate you joining your friend Miss Granger in Hufflepuff."

Harry smiled and took the Hat off, walking over to sit beside Hermione, who introduced him to the two girls who had already been sorted into Hufflepuff; Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones.

"I'm glad we're not in the same house as Malfoy," Hermione confided.
Harry nodded. "He's not a bad sort, not completely," he amended quickly, "but very pompous."

~oOo~

"Welcome to the Sett," Pomona Sprout, Herbology Professor and Head of Hufflepuff greeted her new first year students. "Boys' dens are to the left, girls' to the right. I trust you all to appreciate the consequences of your actions should you think to spend the night somewhere other than your own bed, but there are no spells to keep you out. Hufflepuff is famous as a bunch of duffers to those who weren't sorted into it. To those of you who have been, you will find that this is not true, but the magical world has a long-standing habit of not seeing what they don't care to. You will find your timetables on your bed-side tables, along with a little gift from me to help you keep yourselves organised. You will also find the name of the sixth-year who I have assigned as your mentor from now until Christmas break. There will be games in the evenings after dinner for the first week, before the homework starts to pile on. These games do serve a purpose, so I ask that all of you participate. For tonight, that's all. I will see you all tomorrow, now go and get settled in and get some rest."

A small creature appeared at the woman's side and tugged on the hem of her robe. Pomona bent to hear what the creature had to say and nodded. The creature popped away.

"For those of you who do not know, that was a house elf. They live and work here in the castle, and their greatest joys are cleaning and cooking. Clothing for some reason offends them however, so please don't leave your laundry lying around, but put it into the hampers so that it can be cleaned magically and returned to you. Mr Potter, I have been informed that we need to have a word about your trunk."

"It didn't eat a house elf did it?" Harry asked worriedly.

"It did, though I don't know how, and I'm not sure I want to. I would like for you to retrieve the poor creature however," she said.

Harry nodded and ran off to the area indicated as the sleeping quarters for the boys, searching until he found the room with his name on the door.

"You'd better not have killed that little thing I hear you ate," Harry said firmly to his Luggage. "Let it out. It works here."

The Luggage shuffled its many feet and seemed reluctant, but opened its lid all the same.

"Are you alright in there?" Harry asked, seeing the cowering elf curled up inside.

The elf looked up timidly.

"I'm sorry about that. I'd suggest you and yours stay away from my Luggage. It's somewhat protective of its contents, and generally knows where it's supposed to go," Harry said, reaching in and picking up the elf, putting it down again on the floor. "There, out of my Luggage and safe again."

"Thank you Sir," the elf whispered. "Gerty will tell the other elves to avoid Sir's walking trunk." And with that, she disappeared.

The following week, Harry looked to Ryu for help a lot for help navigating his way around the castle so that he got to his classes on time, and he made sure that Hermione never got lost as well.

~oOo~

The games were fun, getting-to-know-you sorts where everybody got asked the same question, or the invading-your-personal-space kind like Twister, or the trust games where a person fell and another caught them before pushing them back to another person. There was a game of whispers as well, to demonstrate how easy it was for gossip to be little more than lies, and that lies were not good.

Harry and Hermione were sitting together listening to Hannah answer the question that was going around the circle. Then it was Harry's turn.

"What do you think of our Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore?" the seventh-year, a girl called Nymphadora Tonks, asked.

"I think he's off his nut," Harry answered promptly.

"Harry!" Hermione breathed, scandalised. "He's recorded as the greatest wizard of our age."

"Of his age, Hermione dear," Harry corrected, tapping her nose. "I think the greatest wizard of our age is probably someone in this room." That got him a cheer from all who heard. "But the Headmaster? Off his nut. 'Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak' indeed! I believe that it says rather a lot about the man. And I'm not even going to start on warning everybody to stay away from a section of the school unless they want to die a painful death."

A few of the boys snorted laughter into their hands, while girls giggled.

"What about you Miss Granger?" Tonks asked. "What do you think of Headmaster Dumbledore?"

Hermione thought for a moment, looking from her lap up to Harry and then to Tonks. "I think he made his mark on history," she said, "and should be respected for it, but like Harry said, he doesn't seem to be all-there any more."

The next question to go around was "What is one thing about yourself that you really like?"

Ernie liked that his skin was the same colour as chocolate, and Susan liked that she had been sorted into the same house as her aunt. Harry just grinned and turned his red hair – as it had been since the sorting – back to its natural black, but also grew it so that it was long again, rather than the short-back-and-sides it had been before.

"Now you look like you did when I met you," Hermione said, tugging a lock of his hair that was hanging down by his ear. "I like my nose," she supplied.

Tonks grinned. "I like your nose too Hermione," she said, and changed her own nose to look like Hermione's. "Well, would you look at that?" she asked, poking her own nose, then grinned at Harry. "Snap, Mr Potter."

"Snap," he agreed. "Cousin Tonks."

That comment then had to be explained, and the two metamorphmagai changed their hair, noses and ears a few times before the question game continued.

~oOo~

The class that Harry had been hearing the most negative press for was, to his disappointment, the class that he was looking forward to the most. He'd bought at least five different books that pertained to his Potions class in some way, as well as the assigned books for the the entire seven years. After all, he wouldn't know until after the coming summer break, when he intended to go back to the dimension where he'd met Ikuto, if he could control his inter-dimensional travels properly to the point of he'd be able to go on adventures during holidays and be back here for the school term – and considering that this was apparently the world where he'd been born, he felt like going to school here was probably important.

The professor paused over Harry's name, sneering. "Our resident celebrity," he sneered. "I'd tell you to take off the ridiculous headband and own up to the mark of your fame, but having your ridiculous amounts of hair tied back is actually sensible," he commented before moving onto the next name on the list, seemingly not noticing that the hair that had been short and red the last time he'd seen him was now long and black.

Snape continued to criticise every student whose name he read as he went down the list. Harry hadn't been a special case, which was something at least, he supposed. But Snape came back to him as soon as he'd finished the roll.

"Mr Potter, what are the two most important ingredients for the Draught of Living Death?"

"Asphodel and wormwood are Sir," Harry answered. He'd read ahead, and remembered that one from a fifth year text book. Sleeping drugs stuck in his head because Yaone had told him she'd used one on the Sanzo party when she'd first met them, but Hakkai hadn't breathed in, and the rest of the group had woken up annoyingly quickly.

"What is the purpose of a beozar?" Snape continued.

"General poison cure," Harry answered. "I bought one at the apothecary when we went shopping when I found out it worked for allergic reactions to foods as well."

Snape raised an eyebrow at that, apparently his interest piqued. "What are the common names for aconite?"

"Wolfsbane and monkshood," Harry answered promptly. Pamela and Rosethorn both had grown three different varieties of the plants in their gardens. With a smile he added, "but one gardener I know calls is 'a wretched nuisance that they wouldn't bother with if it wasn't so damn useful', Sir."

"Congratulations, Mr Potter, you appear to have a functioning mind beneath that ridiculous thing you wear on your head. If you can continue to use the brain I have no doubt you did not inherit from your father, then you may not be a complete incompetent in my class."

Harry just beamed at the compliment to him, rather than scowling at the slur on his father. He'd never known James Potter after all, though Sirius and Remus were working on that.

Hermione was confused how, throughout the class, Harry could just seem to take the man's not-so-subtle abuse, but waited until they had left for lunch to ask him about it.

"He was complimenting me," Harry answered with a small smile.

"How?" Hermione demanded.

"I'll paraphrase, okay? Basically he was saying 'I am pleased to tell you, Mr Potter, that you are nothing like your father', and from what Sirius and Remus have told me, my father was a prankster with a penchant for picking on Slytherin students," Harry explained. "I don't want to be remembered by anybody as a bully. Prankster, maybe, making people laugh is a noble ambition, but not at the expense of another."

"Did we hear someone declaring laughter as a noble ambition Fred?" a voice asked from behind Harry and Hermione.

"I do believe that we did, George," answered another voice that was almost identical to the first.

Harry and Hermione turned to see an identical pair of red-heads. Harry grinned. He had just found his awesome red-heads for the dimension.

"Gred and Forge Weasley," presented one of them happily.

"Pleased to meet you," the other added, holding out a hand to shake.

"Hermione Potter and Harry Granger," Harry said with a grin, taking the extended hand.

Hermione blushed at the switching of their last names, and the older boys laughed.

"Careful Mr Potter," said one.

"That's tantamount to flirting," the other finished.

Hermione blushed deeper, and a small smile slipped onto her face.

"Well, that's alright," Harry said. "Hermione needs all the practice at resisting flirts that she can get. In a couple of years she's going to be so flooded with admirers that she'll forget about her old friend Harry."

"I'd never Harry," she promised.

"Well, let's the four of us get something to eat and then discuss making laughter ring richly through the school," the twins said in stereo.

~oOo~

Harry was most pleased to discover that, despite Hermione's assertion that 'muggle technology' didn't work at Hogwarts – because of the high magic density – Harry's polaroid camera worked just fine. Hermione was somewhat frustrated by this, as it proved that the books were wrong.
"I don't think anything else is going to work without a very high-level and specialised shielding charm around it Hermione," Harry mollified. "It probably only works because it's been through different dimensions as well, and is saturated with magic itself."

Hermione had sighed and stopped her huffing and sulking. After all, it was a camera in Hogwarts. There were obviously wizarding cameras, she'd seen the moving pictures in the newspaper after all, but the frozen moment on that little square that Harry stuck into his book was, somehow, just a little more special.

Then again, introducing the Weasley Twins to Harry's pokemon had been a pretty special moment all on its own. Especially when Chav had decided to just pick them both up and put them on Thor's back so that the lapras could take them for a ride out across the lake.

"You know Chav," Harry commented to the charmeleon, "you're gonna be huge when you evolve into a charizard if your size now is anything to go by."

"Char?"

Harry grinned. "Think you can take me for a fly when you get wings?"

"Char!" Chav laughed, nodding and ruffling Harry's currently short green hair with his claws.

"Harry, mate, that was wicked!" the twins yelled when Thor returned to the part of the lake shore where Harry, Hermione, and all of Harry's other pokemon were.

Harry brought up his camera to take a photo of Thor with a grinning Weasley hanging off each side of his neck before they jumped off.

~oOo~

For Christmas, Harry returned to Sirius, Remus and the Baron with Hermione. His godfather had insisted in the letters that were carried by Tobe – Hermione's grey owl – and was also talking about introducing Harry to 'the boring political arena' that Harry was apparently going to be part of when he reached his majority. Harry had insisted that Hermione be brought along on such excursions if he was being forced to go, as she would benefit a great deal from understanding how the magical government worked, not to mention that she might even have some sort of inherited standing as well that she wasn't aware of. Long line of squibs and all that. Sirius agreed, even after the Grangers put paid to the idea. They had no such inheritance. Just some gold that had accumulated a lot of interest.

The Grangers were there with Remus to collect the children from the train station, and stared at their daughter when she got off the train.

"Hermione!" Helen exclaimed, her eyes wide. "What happened to your hair?"

Hermione ducked her head. "It looks good, doesn't it?" she asked nervously.

"Yes," her mother affirmed. "I just want to know what happened. Did someone stick gum in it or something? You didn't say anything about a haircut in your letters."

Hermione shook her head. "Harry cut it for me, that's all," she said. "I like it."

"I like it too," Jake said with a smile. "It makes my little girl look more like a young lady, not that I want you growing up faster than you are already, mind."

Remus looked speculatively from Hermione to Harry. "You are talented in more ways than we know it seems," he said with a sigh. "Well, that is an advantage. I just wish I knew more of these talents of yours. The Baron talks of little else but your adventures, and still..."

Harry smiled comfortingly at the werewolf. "It's okay Remus," he said. "We can work on it," he promised. "And we can start by going shopping before going home. I have to buy Christmas presents for everybody after all!"

"Harry!" two voices called from a little further back.

"Over here Fred, George!" Harry called back. He'd decided it would be fun to invite his favourite friends from another house to Christmas with him. He might have invited Draco as well, but the pale boy had become a bit distant since Harry had been sorted into Hufflepuff, and said that he would be going to his own family's manor for Christmas anyway, and therefore couldn't join them.

"Are these the famous Weasley Twins?" Remus asked, smiling as the twin mops of flaming orange came into view.

"We're famous?" asked Fred with a smile.

"Of course Fred," George answered. "Just last week I heard McGonagall comparing us to our heroes the Marauders."

Fred nodded. "That's fame," he agreed with finality.

Remus nodded as well. "It is," he agreed, then grinned. "Padfoot will be thrilled to meet you."

Fred and George both dropped their jaws, their eyes bugging out.

"Padfoot? As in Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs?" Fred asked.

"The very same," Remus nodded. "He only pretends to be grown up when there are other adults around."

"Don't tease them Moony," Harry scolded with a smile that said quite clearly he was barely holding off laughter.

Remus, Harry, Hermione and her parents all laughed freely however as the twins did a double-take and then rushed to start kissing Remus' feet, begging to be taught and spouting his praises.

~oOo~

Harry's favourite Christmas gift was by far the set of cameras that he got. There was a wizarding camera, a digital camera, a regular muggle film camera, two bags worth of different lenses, and a small portable computer that was loaded with image software so that he could tweak his digital photos. The computer and the cameras had been tweaked by Sirius as well so that they ran off of Harry's magic, rather than needing batteries or a power chord, so he didn't have to worry about the electronics or them not working in Hogwarts.

The pile of chocolates was pretty good too, and getting his father's invisibility cloak ranked pretty up there.

Harry took a lot of pictures over the Christmas break of Sirius and Remus trading prank stories with the Twins, and was also always very careful to document every story, and every talk about spell or potion theory. He had the story – and the process – of the Marauders becoming animagi, and what Sirius did when Wormtail betrayed the Potters, and Harry had been taken away. Apparently, the rat was in a special cell at Azkaban, one with no windows and only big enough to hold him in his rat form. Harry had every intention of teaching himself how to become at least one animal himself after all, so it was an important lesson to listen in on, though Sirius and Remus were happy to tell him all about it without him having to eavesdrop.

About the only dampener on the holiday was Ryu talking about Harry not needing him any more, and how he'd disappear when that happened. Harry had scolded the floating boy again that he wasn't allowed to leave until Harry had taken himself back to the dimension where they'd met, and found Ikuto again. Ryu wasn't going anywhere until they'd done that together.

Then it was back to school again.

~oOo~

Something was wrong. Apart from the troll that had somehow gotten into the school before Christmas, though that probably had something to do with it actually. The school year was coming to a close, and Harry had decided that it was time to give into his curiosity – he'd been diligently fighting against it all year, distracting himself with other things and not talking about it – and investigate that messy death that the Headmaster had promised. Of course, he wasn't about to go in defenceless. Fey, his ditto, would be entering the corridor before him. Of all his pokemon, Fey was really the best for facing an unknown, as he could himself just copy what he faced and be on relatively equal footing.

There was a moment where Harry worried, and then the door was opened by his gloopy pink Fey, revealing a very large three-headed dog who was sitting well back down the hall, all six of its eyes focused on the ditto.

Harry chuckled and patted Fey happily. "You scared him huh? That's my Fey!"

"Ditto!"

Harry smiled, then spotted the trap door. "I'm sorry, trap door on the third floor?" he demanded. "I stand corrected. Magic really doesn't just defy logic. It walks all over and ignores logic, forgets that it exists, and then looks down its nose at anybody who suggests its implementation. This world needs work." Harry sighed, recalling Fey to his pokeball, then pulled open the trap door. "Blackness. Not surprising. Well, we have a way to fix that," he said, pulling on the power of his fire materia to light up what lay below.

Soon there was a fire-ball at the bottom of the pit, and a smell that Harry recognised easily as wet plant on fire. It was a very unique smell, and one he'd hoped to never have to encounter again, but if there was one thing he'd learned by now, it was that no one ever got what they wanted just because they wanted it. When the fire died down enough that Harry felt confident he wouldn't be jumping onto a bonfire, but was still lively enough that he could see what he'd be doing. Harry released Chav and slid down his tail before recalling the large red lizard to his pokeball. It had the double-benefit of getting him down there, and the flaming tail showed what he was landing on before he touched down.

"So, what other stupidities am I going to be facing so that I can stop feeling like everything is screwy?" Harry asked.

"You could start by opening the door," Ryu suggested with a chuckle.

"You're going to have to move fast to make all the jokes you want you know Ryu, if you're not going to be here much longer," Harry said with a sad smile as he walked towards the door Ryu was floating beside.

Ryu nodded. "I know," he said. "And I want to say hello to Yoru again too, so I'll be hanging around that long at least."

Harry nodded. "Good. You can help me find Ikuto when we land."

"Of course!" Ryu agreed with a smile.

Harry pushed the door open.

The room was full of flying keys.

"This really is dumb," he said. "They're practically asking somebody to just come and steal whatever they're hiding. Okay, the dog is scary, but that's been it so far really," Harry said, scanning the flying keys for one that looked right, then pulled out one of his seal scrolls, released a small shuriken and some wire, and took careful aim. The struggling key was in his hand within seconds, and then Harry was through the next door. Of course, he could have used the summoning charm, but he wasn't supposed to know that yet, and even if nobody was watching, Harry didn't feel like using this world's magic for this little expedition.

"Well, now we know why there was a troll in what is supposed to be the safest place in magical Britain besides Gringotts," Harry commented dryly, giving the obviously knocked-out troll a wide berth just in case it woke up. It was his first time seeing a troll. He'd gone with Hermione and the rest of his house straight to the safety of the Sett. He heard that one of the first year Gryffindors had had a close encounter though.

In the next room, as soon as he closed the door behind him, flames sprung up between Harry and both of the doors, revealing the table of potions lined up behind a riddle.

Harry snorted. "Basic logic," he said. "This one probably would challenge most magical people," he added, picking up a bottle and bringing it to his nose to check that the whole thing wasn't a farce.

"But smart people wouldn't have put the way through in here at all," he finished with a shake of his head, "and a smart foe would have at least mixed them up." Harry drank the contents of the bottle, picked up the bottle that could get him out again so he didn't have to worry about it later, and walked through the flames that were between himself and the next door without any difficulty.

Beyond the door, Professor Quirrel was wringing his hands in front of a mirror. A mirror that had words written backwards and with the spaces in the wrong places across the top. Words that explained perfectly the way the mirror worked. Harry considered pulling out a pokeball as he snorted. Wizards as a breed seemed to be generally rather stupid. He hoped he could do something to change that.

"Hello Potter," Quirrel said with a sneer. "Didn't expect me?"

"Harry Potter," a second, more sinister voice echoed in a hiss around the room, though the origin of the sound came from beneath the professor's purple turban.

"Didn't expect anybody, honestly. I just decided to sate my curiosity before the holidays," Harry answered, then popped the pokeball open. "However, I'm inclined to believe that whatever you're up to isn't good for the health of the general population, so, as I'm here and have the means, I'll be stopping you."

"Char!"

"Flame him Chav," Harry said quietly. "Don't even leave dust behind."

"W-wait!" Quirrel yelped, backing away.

Harry shook his head, and Chav let loose. There was, for a moment, a magical shield between the professor and the fire, but the fire won in the end, and Quirrel disappeared within the flames. Harry coughed. "Okay, that really does smell horrible," he commented, pulling the collar of his robe up over his nose.

A second scream rang out in that other voice, and a cloud of black smoke formed before it was also torn apart by Chav's flames.

"Char!"

Harry blinked in surprise as Chav evolved, then had to crouch until he was practically lying down so that his head didn't bang on the ceiling.

"I knew you were gonna be impressive," Harry said, patting Chav's neck happily. "I'll let you out to have a proper fly around with your new wings as soon as we get out of here and back to Sirius' place," he promised, pulling Chav's pokeball out. "For now though, you'd probably be more comfortable in here, even if I still have no idea how these things work."

"Char," Chav agreed. It didn't sound like it had when Chav was just a little charmander, there was a lot more of a roar in the large orange dragon's voice, but it was still a 'char' all the same.

Harry sidled up to the mirror, wondering what Quirrel had been trying to get. His reflection held up a red stone and dropped it into his pocket, and Harry was surprised to feel a real weight suddenly in his pocket.

"Well, what do you think of that?" he asked quietly.

"I think it's something you should take away from this place," Ryu said firmly.

Harry nodded and sealed the mirror and the odd red stone both into one of his scrolls, then looked around for an alternative way out. If the only way to get here was through a trap door in the third floor... Well, he didn't buy it for a second. Harry smirked when he saw the door, and let himself out after checking through the sliver he'd opened that the space beyond was clear.

"Opposite the Runes classroom," Harry observed with a sigh. He didn't have the class yet, but he planned on taking it – ever since he'd seen demon scrawl in one of the rune books he'd bought, he'd wanted to take the class just so that he could laugh and tell them why – so he knew where the class was.

Ryu shrugged. "At least you know it's there now," the small guardian said, turning back to where Harry had stepped out from. "You close that door, you'd never even know it was there."

Harry turned and looked for himself. Indeed, it looked just like a part of the wall rather than any kind of door. Not even a portrait with a password to protect it.

That would probably come in useful to know some time.

~oOo~

"I can't come?" Sirius asked, sad.

Harry shook his head. "Sorry Sirius," he said. "At the moment I can only really take myself, and Baron knows how to stick with me. If I don't go now then I'd probably be wrenched away on my birthday. I've got the choice of leaving on my own or being taken. If I do it on my own, then I should be able to come back easier and sooner."

Sirius sighed and nodded his head in resignation. Baron had actually decided that, for Harry's summer holiday inter-dimensional jaunt, he'd be staying with Sirius. Neither of them had bothered to explain to the man how that worked, or why, or that Silver actually could carry him with his godson if he wanted to go that badly.

Harry smiled sadly. He was lying to his godfather. He didn't want to, but he didn't want to take the time explaining everything that Ryu had taken so long to explain to him. "We can have a big birthday bash when I get back if you like," Harry promised.

Sirius grinned at that. "Done," he said. "And since you won't be here, I'll do all the planning."

Harry laughed. "I'll see you in a couple of months," he said, and waved before opening his cupboard door – he'd gotten the idea from one of Hermione's novels – and stepped through.

When Sirius checked, Harry was gone.

"He'll be back Padfoot," Remus reminded. "And like you said, you get to plot his birthday party while he's gone."

Sirius chuckled humourlessly, nodded, and closed the cupboard door before following his friend out of Harry's bedroom.

Chapter Text

Harry looked around himself and grinned. He recognised these buildings. He'd made it!

"Yes!" he yelled, pumping his fist into the air.

Ryu laughed and cheered. "Well done Harry!"

"Now we just have to find Ikuto. I wonder if he'll remember us," Harry said, Ryu's compass appearing around the boy's neck as he sprinted off towards the park where he'd played with Ikuto when he'd been here last.

What they found when they got there was Ikuto, dressed in a slightly ridiculous coat with a collar that looked like it was made of purple feathers, with cat ears on his head, playing his violin like a man hypnotised, whole lot of black eggs with white X's hovering around, and a girl with pink hair in an equally pink outfit looking at him like she was ready to cry. What was even stranger to Harry's mind was that Yoru was floating beside her, tears in his big golden eyes as well.

"Yoru," Harry called, running up to the cat-like guardian of his friend.

Yoru blinked in surprise. "Harry!" he cried, flying at him. "Ikuto's in trouble, he can't hear me!"

Harry patted Yoru's head gently.

"U-um," the pink-haired girl stuttered.

"Potter Harry," he introduced quickly. "Old friend."

"Hinamori Amu," she answered. "Can you help? I don't know what to do!"

Harry nodded and reached out to pat her on the head as well. "You have somewhere we can take him after?" he asked.

Amu looked over at Ikuto, her brow scrunched in thought for a moment, then she nodded.

"Okay then," Harry said, then walked up to Ikuto calmly, silently, not even alerting his old friend to his presence until he bopped Ikuto on the head and snatched his violin from him. "Ikuto, wake up! It's me, Harry!"

"Huh? Ha-Harry?" Ikuto asked, looking around in surprise before he saw the other boy. "Harry?" he asked again, only to pass out after seeing Harry nod. The coat and ears disappeared when Ikuto passed out.

Harry picked up Ikuto's bow and put it into the white violin case, along with the violin, then slung Ikuto onto his back before picking up the case. A flash of light made him look up, and all the black eggs were gone, and the girl, Amu, was looking like a normal kid again, though she had three little guardian characters floating at her shoulders apart from Yoru.

"Lead the way," Harry said.

Amu nodded and started walking. Three blocks later and she let Harry carry Ikuto through the front door of her house.

"Amu!" her mother cried. "What's all this?"

"Mama, this is my friend Ikuto," Amu said, gesturing to the unconscious boy on Harry's back, "and his friend Harry. They need a place to stay for a while."

Mrs Hinamori didn't look too certain about taking two strange boys in, even if one of them clearly needed help.

"I can cook, clean and babysit if you need me to Mrs Hinamori," Harry offered. "And I know enough about taking care of hurt people that you won't be at all burdened by taking care of Ikuto, I promise."

"What about your parents?" Mrs Hinamori asked.

"Ikuto's home life isn't exactly..." Harry hesitated to say more. His friend hadn't exactly been happy at home when they were five, but he really had no idea of what it was like now. Thankfully, it seemed from the expression on her face that Mrs Hinamori didn't need him to go into detail. "And my guardian trusts me to be able to take care of myself. He won't mind as long as I call him," he added, holding up a mobile phone. It was Ikuto's, and he couldn't call across dimensions, but Mrs Hinamori didn't need to know that.

"Alright," she allowed, nodding slowly. "I'll set up the guest room for you two boys. If you don't mind sharing that is."

Harry shook his head. "I wouldn't want Ikuto to be left alone just now anyway," he said. "I think he's got a bit of a fever, and I'd like to keep an eye on him."

Mrs Hinamori nodded her understanding. "And for school?" she asked. "Do you go to the same school as Amu?"

Harry shook his head. "Ikuto goes to a different school, and I'm home schooled," he answered, remembering that school here continued for longer than the Hogwarts term. "I'll call Ikuto's teachers in the morning though, to let them know he's sick and won't be able to come to class."

Mrs Hinamori nodded again. "Very well," she said. "The guest room is this way."

Harry heard Amu sigh in relief behind him as he followed her mother up the stairs.

~oOo~

As he'd promised, Harry was up and cooking breakfast for the Hinamori family early the next morning. He'd gotten the basic description of the family from Amu when she'd helped him with Ikuto the previous night, so he knew that he needed to make breakfast for four Hinamori's as well as himself and Ikuto – though Ikuto would probably not be taking anything more substantial than a thin chicken and vegetable soup for a while.

"Who are you?" asked the man that Harry guessed had to be Amu's father, Mr Hinamori.

"My name is Potter Harry," he greeted. "I've made you breakfast," he added with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" Mr Hinamori continued to demand. "Are you after the virtue of one of my daughters?"

Harry chuckled. "No sir," he answered. "A mutual friend of mine and Amu-chan's is ill and a refugee from his home in your guest room. I'm taking care of him so that he will not be a burden on your family in any way."

Mr Hinamori grumbled, but sat down at the table to eat the omelette that Harry had set in his spot at the table. There was one in every spot, all piping hot and full of finely sliced vegetables, rather than just plain.

"Who are you?" asked a curious voice from about Harry's knee-hight.

Harry suppressed the urge to laugh at being asked the same question again so soon. "I'm Potter Harry," he said, kneeling down to be on eye level with the little girl. "Are you Ami-chan? Amu-chan said that she had a little sister, but we got in rather late last night, so I didn't get to meet everyone."

"I'm Ami!" the little girl affirmed with a smile. "Why were you late out with Onee-chan?"

"Well, I was looking for a friend of mine, and when I found him he was sick and lying in the park, and Amu-chan was trying to wake him up, because sleeping in the park when you're sick isn't a good thing to do."

Ami nodded solemnly. "Onee-chan is great," Ami said fiercely.

Harry chuckled. "Yes," he agreed. "I'm sure she is. Are you going to be like your onee-chan when you grow up?"

Ami clenched her fists in front of her chest and nodded with a serious expression on her face. "But like Utau too!"

"Utau?" Harry asked, surprised. "Is this Utau blonde, with pretty purple eyes?" he asked.

Ami nodded. "She's a super singing star!" she declared. "And Onee-chan knows her!"

Harry laughed. "She always loved to sing when she was little," he said. "If she's a super star, then she must have learned how to sing in tune by now."

Ami's eyes bugged. "You know Utau?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "But she might not remember me," he admitted. "The last time I saw her she was only three. She's my friend's little sister."
"The friend Onee-chan helped?" Ami asked.

Harry nodded again. "Now, would you like tomato sauce on your omelette Ami-chan?"

"Yes!"

Harry smiled and helped the little girl into her chair, only to see Mr Hinamori almost in tears.

"Mr Hinamori, are you alright?" Harry asked.

"You are stealing the heart of my little girl!" Mr Hinamori cried.

Harry shook his head. "You papa needs a hug I think," he said to Ami, picking her up, chair and all, and moving her around to sit beside her father.

"Good morning Harry-kun," Amu greeted with a yawn as she stepped off the bottom stair, giving her weeping father and Ami a wide berth.

"Good morning Amu-chan. Did you sleep well?" Harry asked.

Amu nodded. "Alright," she answered. "How's Ikuto?"

Harry sighed. "Not too good," he admitted, returning to the kitchen to finish making the thin soup for his friend, washing up the things he'd finished using at the same time. "But I'll be taking care of him all day, so you don't have to worry, alright?"

Amu nodded.

"Ah!" Mrs Hinamori exclaimed when she entered the kitchen. "Harry! I didn't expect such a lavish breakfast when you said I could sleep in a little this morning!"

Harry smiled. "I've made packed lunches for everybody too," he said. "And I've almost finished all the washing up as well."

"Such a good boy," Mrs Hinamori said wonderingly as she sat down at the table to eat her breakfast.

Harry took a bowl and spooned out the soup he'd made, as well as setting a slice of bread on a plate and pouring a glass of orange juice and setting it all on a tray. Seeing Amu and Mrs Hinamori watching him, he explained. "This is for Ikuto. He needs to eat, even if he's not feeling well."

Amu nodded her understaning.

"You're not having breakfast?" Mrs Hinamori asked.

"I ate while I cooked," Harry answered. "How else would I know it tasted good?" It got him a laugh, and he took the tray upstairs to the guest room, where Yoru and Ryu were changing the cloth on Ikuto's forehead while Amu's guardians hung used cloths to dry over the wire drying rack that had been in the cupboard.

"Harry's back!" Ryu announced, though he didn't leave his task of helping Yoru.

"I brought Ikuto breakfast," Harry said, setting the tray down on the desk at the foot of the bed, since the bedside table was already taken up with the bowl of water that the clothes were rinsed in between uses. "That means he needs to wake up so that he can eat."

Yoru was visibly torn at the suggestion. Ikuto needed to eat, but he needed to sleep too.

"He can go back to sleep once he's had something," Harry promised gently, then sat down on the bed beside his friend and shook the other boy awake gently. "Ikuto," he called. "Ikuto, it's Harry. You need to wake up Ikuto. You have to eat something."

Ikuto stirred, his face scrunching in pain before he opened his eyes slowly. "Harry?" he asked, confused.

Harry smiled. "Welcome back to the land of the living," he said. "You need to eat something. Can you sit up on your own?"

Ikuto nodded weakly and pushed himself up off the mattress. He didn't get far, but Harry caught him before he collapsed, and helped him sit up, the pillow acting as a buffer between Ikuto and the wall, as the bed didn't have a headboard.

"Where -?" Ikuto asked as Harry got up and brought over the tray.

"Hinamori Amu's house," Harry answered.

As if hearing her name, the pink-haired girl knocked and stuck her head through the door.

"I'm off to school," she said. "Do you have my phone number if you need anything?" she asked.

Harry picked up Ikuto's phone. "If Ikuto does, then yes," he answered.

Amu blushed. "He does," she said, grumbling a little. "I'll see you later, alright?"

Harry nodded. "Be safe," he wished her with a wave. An action that Ikuto copied weakly. When the door shut, Harry turned to his friend. "What have you been getting into Ikuto?" he asked worriedly.

"It's Easter," Ikuto answered. "They..."

The explanation took ten minutes, and at the end of it, Harry was both very unimpressed and thought he had an answer to Ikuto's problem. The stone that he'd gotten at the end of the school year. He'd done a couple of experiments with it before coming here, so that he knew what exactly all the fuss was about. Turned out to be a rather legendary bit of rock, able to turn other, normal rocks into lumps of high-quality gold, as well as create something called the elixir of life. If Ikuto was being held responsible for debt, then Harry would help his friend to pay it off.

Ikuto's eyes went wide at the suggestion. "But, Harry..."

Harry shook his head. "It's what I'm willing to do as your friend. If Easter wants this Embryo, then they can find some other way to get it. They shouldn't be abusing you to get it."

Ikuto hung his head and nodded.

"Before that though," Harry declared, picking up the spoon, "you need to get well again. You really haven't been taking care of yourself since I saw you last Ikuto, and it looks like no one else has either. Not properly."

"Amu has..." Ikuto mumbled before taking the spoon.

"Provided refuge and worried much," Harry said. "She told me while you were passed out last night. Really Ikuto, invading her bedroom from her balcony late at night?" he asked, shaking his head with a smile. "You've got it bad."

Ikuto blushed. "I told her once," he said. "She didn't believe me."

Harry sighed. "Why?" he asked, certain that he wouldn't like the answer.

"She said that she couldn't take anything I said seriously," Ikuto admitted. "Said I was always teasing her."

Harry sighed. "You not only have it bad," he said, "you need help!"

~oOo~

Mr Hinamori came back to the house not long after lunch, and he headed straight up to the guest room where Harry was simultaneously feeding Ikuto and tutoring him in what looked like a mixture of mathematics and chemistry.

He knocked on the partially-open door.

Harry looked up and smiled. "Hello Mr Hinamori, how has your day been?" he asked.

Mr Hinamori opened the door the rest of the way, stepped into the room, and took the chair that wasn't being used to sit on, as Harry as sitting on the bed to tutor Ikuto. "It has been going well," he answered. "But I have questions for you two."

Harry nodded, and Ikuto hesitantly followed suit.

"Potter-kun, you have indicated that you hold no romantic interest in either of my daughters," Mr Hinamori began.

Harry smiled, seeing where this as going, and nodded again.

Ikuto, on the other hand, began to grow pale, as he could see it too, and had already heard from Harry about how Mr Hinamori reacted to the idea of someone 'stealing away the love of his daughters'.

Harry stepped in before the questioning got a chance to begin.

"Ikuto is in love with Amu-chan though," he said, grinning. "Of course, he was hoping to be healthy before he asked you about being allowed to date her, marry her, and take her away."

Ikuto glared at his friend.

Mr Hinamori started to wail at those last three words. "I won't allow it!" he cried.

Harry laughed. "Mr Hinamori, it is going to be a long time before that happens. You have time to get to know Ikuto, and see that he would be a very good son, and cares about Amu a great deal."

Ikuto blushed under his friend's words and Mr Hinamori's ferocious, watery gaze.

The inquisition began. It was still going, though on far more amicable and friendly terms by the time that Amu got home from school. Harry smiled hen Miki showed up ahead of the pink-haired girl to see what was going on, only to rush back out yelling Amu's name.

She came running. "Papa!" she yelled when she got to the door. "What's going on?"

"I'm getting to know Ikuto-kun," he answered with a smile. "It is particularly funny when Harry-kun has to give answers because Ikuto-kun is too shy to do so, and then Ikuto-kun yells at Harry-kun for answering wrong."

Harry shrugged. "I have been gone for a few years," he said easily. "I'd of course get a few things wrong."

"Why?" Amu asked warily.

"Because I love you Amu," Ikuto said quietly, looking her in the eyes as he said it. "And if I want to marry you some day, then I should get to know your family."

Amu blushed darkly. "Don't joke about that when my father is in the room," she said, scolding.

Ikuto sighed sadly and looked away from her focusing on the pattern of the quilt over his lap. "I'm not joking," he said.

"You're always joking!" Amu objected, the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

"He's not joking Amu-chan," Harry said gently. "Ikuto jokes a lot so that he doesn't get hurt, but he doesn't joke about this."

Amu sniffed and looked at her father, wanting him to put an end to the cruel joke the two older boys were playing on her.

"I've spent a lot of today questioning him," Mr Hinamori said, standing from his chair to put an arm around his eldest daughter's shoulders. "He's sincere, and I approve of him for my son-in-law."

Amu blinked in shock. She'd have never believed that her father would ever approve of anybody, especially someone like Ikuto... She might have to review her opinion of Ikuto, if he'd convinced her papa.

~oOo~

When Ikuto was well again, Harry took him to Easter with Amu and the support of Mr Hinamori, who had found out some of Ikuto's situation during the 'inquisition'. Mr Hinamori was present as a sort of insurance to make sure that the people in charge of Easter didn't get out of line, as they'd already abused Ikuto and probably would do so again with little concern.

They got an appointment with Ikuto's 'step-father' easily, though Harry and Ikuto were the only ones to actually go into the man's office. They came out again half an hour later, Harry looking smug and Ikuto looking stunned, relieved, and like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Well?" Amu asked.

Ikuto smiled. It was a smile that Amu had never seen on Ikuto's face before, and one that Harry had only seen a couple of times back when they were five. "I'm free from Easter," he said. The smile spread into a grin. "I'm free of Easter!" he yelled happily, sweeping Amu up in his arms and swinging her around in his joy.

The rest of Harry's time was spent meeting and getting to know all of Amu's friends, catching up with Utau, and sometimes babysitting Ami. He also spent some time with Ikuto of course, mostly playing peace-keeper between him and Tadase, but away from Amu's friends the two of them sometimes ran around the city, and other times went to the park where Ikuto played his new violin. Harry had bought him a new one to replace the one his father had given him and Easter had tampered with. It wasn't the same of course, but Ikuto smiled anyway.

Harry discovered early on that he and Mr Hinamori had something in common: photography. The difference was that Harry took pictures of people and places, collecting memories of his life, and while Mr Hinamori took photos of the people in his life as well, the adult's main, serious photographic focus was birds. They would still enjoy talking about light, focus, camera lenses and the joys of the polaroid for capturing those special, candid moments.

Then it was Harry's birthday, and Ikuto found his friend packing his things away in the room that they were still sharing at the Hinamori house.

"You're leaving," Ikuto said, frowning.

Harry nodded silently. "I'm afraid so," he said. "I've figured out how to travel through the dimensions, Ryu said last night that I've realised my potential. He's gone now, and I figured that leaving on my birthday was as good a tradition as any to keep up," Harry said, sniffing a little.

"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?" Ikuto demanded.

Harry looked up at his friend in shock. "Never," he answered. "I'd never do that. I heard Amu-chan planning with her friends to throw me a birthday party today. I was going to say goodbye to everybody then."

Ikuto nodded and helped his friend pack up.

"Will you come back again?" Ikuto asked quietly.

Harry shrugged. "Maybe," he said, then smiled. "I'll come back when we're twenty and you're officially engaged to Amu-chan," Harry promised with a grin.

Ikuto smiled at that. "That's a long time," he said, "but I guess I can wait. I know that you're coming back this time after all."

Harry nodded.

When they got to his birthday party, everybody asked where Ryu was, and Harry had to explain to them about how guardians didn't stay forever. A number of the younger kids had actually looked frightened at that, though Nagihiko nodded sadly like he already knew. There was cake to be had though, and Harry enjoyed watching Utau and Kukai have an eating competition, and then Harry said goodbye to everyone.

"See you again soon?" Kukai asked.

Harry shook his head. "I've promised Ikuto I'll come back when we're twenty, but I don't think I'll see anybody here again before that."

That had stunned them even more than Harry's explanation of why Ryu wasn't with him.

Chapter Text

“Well shit," Harry said when he saw the crowd at the bookshop.

"Harry!" Hermione scolded, her brown eyes blazing.

"What?"

"Language!"

"I do believe that I just used some, yes. What's the problem?" Harry asked.

Baron sighed. "Cuff him up the back of the head Hermione," he suggested. "He will use expressive words to express himself, but if you cuff him he'll know you don't appreciate it."

Hermione did exactly as the cat suggested. "Where did you pick up such a filthy habit anyway?" she demanded.

"Hermione, swearing isn't a filthy habit," Harry said. "It is a way of expressing myself in a direct and concise fashion. Leaving your dirty laundry lying around for innocents to trip over is a filthy habit. Leaving the rubbish bin un-emptied for a month is a filthy habit. Dropping cigarette ash into an only half-empty beer-can is a filthy habit. Swearing is just fine."

Hermione blushed, and while a little of it might be in embarrassment or shame, a lot of it was in indignation.

Harry just gave the bookshop another long look before turning around and declaring that they'd find a second-hand bookshop instead.

"Only second-hand bookshop is in Knockturn Alley Harry," Sirius said carefully. "And Knockturn isn't exactly a place for kids."

Harry rolled his eyes and held up his arm to show his godfather his materia bracelet. Since he'd been 'home', he'd enjoyed pranking Sirius with judicial use of the ice materia, and had lit a bonfire out the back of the house with his fire materia, which everybody – his pokemon included – had enjoyed roasting marshmallows at and listening to Sirius and Remus tell stories.

"I've got this, you've got your wand, and I'm sure that between us both we can make sure nobody attacks Hermione either," Harry said, dropping his arm. "Come on Sirius, you're a Black and a Marauder. You can't be scared to walk down Knockturn in broad daylight, surely!"

The man sighed, looked over at Baron – who shrugged but nodded – and then gave in, letting a sardonic grin slide onto his face.

"Well, as a Black and a Marauder, I suppose when you put it like that Harry, it's also my duty to prank everybody in the street I walk down, isn't it?" Sirius said, taking Hermione's left hand in his right, and Harry's right hand in his left, and taking off down Knockturn with a purposeful, joyful stride. Something not seen by those who slunk, slithered and scuttled around the 'dark' district. Even when Malfoy walked down this street, he was the kind to project a sort of slither, even if he did stride proudly down Diagon as though he owned it.

When they found the second-hand bookshop and entered, Harry, once again, essentially ignored the mailed-out book list, and let Hermione ask about the large number of books by Lockhart that were on it. The wizard behind the register snorted in contempt.

"We try to sell quality books here," the wizard said, pointing to the 'one knut for five' shelf. "That ninny's aren't that. Regardless, there are a number of wizards who want nothing more than to be rid of them."

Almost all of the books on Hermione's list – the ones by Lockhart anyway – were on that shelf. All of the books had been 'defaced' in some way as well; their previous owners going through and correcting the books where they were wrong before they'd decided that it wasn't worth keeping.

Harry noticed this shelf and sighed. "The Weasleys would do their bank account a service to suck it up and shop here," he commented quietly, which reminded him that he had to go speak with the goblins about the accounting of what Molly Weasley was spending her allowance on – and his final decision of if he should cut it off or not, as well as if Petunia had enough other funds to survive without her allowance.

~oOo~

"I'm sorry," Harry said, blinking rapidly as he took in what the goblin – he'd learned his name was Rotjar at some point – had told him. "Molly Weasley is spending all of her monthly allowance of fifteen galleons on ready-made potions that make people more passive and open to suggestion? I have heard her howlers, Goblin Rotjar, if they were calming draughts I could understand. Not this. Cease the payments to her at once, and instead create accounts for each of her children where an allowance of four galleons a month shall be paid from my holdings until the youngest of them is completed at Hogwarts."

"The eldest two have accounts of their own already," Rotjar pointed out. "Shall I pay this allowance to those vaults instead?"

Harry nodded. "Also, I reserve the right to cancel these payments to any one of the accounts at any time and for any length of time, depending on the behaviour exhibited by the individual, or in the case of all but those of Weasleys who have graduated, to have the account closed and the monies therein given to another sibling or their father. Your reports have him as being a possible victim of these potions as well?"

Rotjar nodded. "Likely most of them, as her children are away at school throughout the year."

"The trouble is that throughout their childhoods they will have been having them every day, detox at school, and then likely just get more of them over the summer. The mind of a child is an open and malleable thing in the hands of an adult already, adding this potion to it..." Harry was hard-pressed to not growl. "Also, do not send the younger children keys to their new accounts. It can be a little nest-egg for when they get out of school, and if I judge them unworthy to have this money then they will never know about it."

Rotjar nodded. "Will there be anything else today Mr Potter?" They'd already concluded that Petunia wouldn't suffer for lack of the stipend she had been needlessly receiving.

Harry considered telling Rotjar about having Mr Flamel's rock, but decided that he could just as easily owl it to the man himself, if he was still living. Was there anything else that he needed to discuss with his bank manager?

"Ah, yes. Next year I will need to have chosen my elective subjects. For those employed by Gringotts as curse-breakers, what subjects are required?" Harry asked.

"You are thinking of employment with us Mr Potter?" Rotjar asked, surprised but hiding it fairly well.

"I am considering many options, Goblin Rotjar, and feel that it is best to know what sort of jobs require what sort of courses, that way I shall know which courses will serve me best in the greatest number of jobs. Closing doors at a young age is not wise," Harry pointed out, knowing that if Baron could hear him, he'd be chuckling politely – or have taken himself off to somewhere private so that he could howl with laughter. Harry was sounding like a blend of Miss Susan, Master Genkai, Vincent when he was feeling philosophic, and the Baron himself.

Too much time travelling maybe? Nah. No such thing.

Rotjar proceeded to give Harry a run-down of the skills that they looked for in their human employees and the subjects that would be the most likely to teach him those skills. The latter list was considerably shorter than the former – which was explained by most curse-breakers apprenticing for their first year to someone who was already a master curse-breaker.

Harry nodded his thanks.

~oOo~

Harry shared a compartment with the Weasley Twins, Hermione, and Susan Bones on the train that was taking them to the new year at Hogwarts. It had been a bit awkward getting onto the platform, as for some reason the barrier had been barred, but Sirius had fixed it after hitting it with a few discrete spells. At the moment, Fred and George were complaining about Hermione having gotten Lockhart's books so cheap – exactly what they were worth, according to both of them – and about how the ponce was apparently to be their Defence instructor for the year.

Harry snorted. "Defenceless, more like it," he commented. "Hermione let me read through the most interesting looking of Lockhart's books, and I found so many corrections in it by the previous owner I'd have been splitting my sides if it wasn't an assigned text. We'd be better off if we were self-taught."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the very idea. "Give him a chance Harry," she said. "If he proves as incompetent in person as Mr T's notes make him out to be, then by all means approach one of the teachers about forming a defence club."
Mr T – or Thelozynophyloxys, as was actually written on the inside cover as the person who had previously owned the books Hermione had bought – had been extremely comprehensive, derogatory, and informative in the notes he'd made in the margins of the books. Harry suspected that the only reason the man hadn't burned the books was because that would have rendered the time he'd spent correcting them all completely wasted. As opposed to just mostly.

"Besides," Hermione said, "you could have found them just as cheap as I did. There were five shelves of them going at one knut for five books. There are more bookshops in existence than just Flourish and Blott's you know."

"Tell us where!" the twins begged.

Harry smirked. "Knockturn," he answered. "The place is called Thesaurus," he added, giving the word it's classical Latin pronunciation, so that the 'au' was more of an 'ow' sound, and the 'u' was like in pussy-cat rather than up.

The Twins sighed heavily and Susan stared at Harry in shock.

"Knockturn?" she asked, frightened by just its mention. "But that's a place of Dark witches and wizards."

"Mum wouldn't let us anywhere near the place," Fred added.

"For exactly that reason," George finished.

"Weren't you scared to go down there?" Susan asked, looking from Harry to Hermione and back again.

"So help me, I swear I will teach you to either look beyond those labels or I will help you get up to such a standard that you don't have to be scared of them any more," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "It isn't like it was just the two of us," Harry pointed out. "And even if it was just me, I'd have been fine."

Fred and George chuckled. "Yeah," said one. "You've got all those interesting tricks and those animals -"

"- that you picked up when you were travelling all over the place. A distinct advantage," the other finished.

Harry grinned, got up from his chair, and knocked on the lid of his Luggage. "Weapons please," he said. "Just the ones that can be concealed."

The lid opened to reveal one of all the different weapons that Harry had learned how to use and carry hidden on his person, all resting, all shining, and many of them sharp, on a red velvet cushion.

"There are more ways to do something than magically," Harry said, picking up the small hand gun and checking to see if it was loaded. Finding that it wasn't, Harry handed it over for his pure-blooded, muggle-ignorant friends to examine. While they turned it every which way and fiddled with it, Harry explained what it was, how it worked, and what it was capable of.

"Don't think it will work around Hogwarts," Susan said, even as she nervously handed the weapon back to Harry. She hadn't at all liked the description of its capabilities. "Muggle things don't as a general rule."

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "The mechanism is simple," he reminded her, "and the explosive force comes from a mineral and chemical compound. There's nothing for the magical field to short out like there is with electrically maintained technology, and even those can be converted to run in a magical field."

"Like the wireless," Hermione said. "That was a muggle invention."

The simple sentence completely stunned the three pure-bloods. Clearly, they'd thought wizards had invented it.

~oOo~

It didn't take long for a defence club to be generated, sponsored and initiated. Only long enough for everybody to have had a week with Lockhart as a professor and for Fred and George to convince Flitwick – who was a great dueller and quite fond of their experimental charms – to sponsor the club.

It took place in an otherwise empty classroom, and used animated wooden dummies as the targets that the students practised casting their spells on. Every other meeting, Flitwick would join them and talk about a situation where one spell would be a better choice than another, and then create theoretical scenarios for the students to suggest what spells they would use to keep themselves and those with them safe from possible harm.

A month after the Christmas holidays – for which Harry and Hermione returned to Black Manor to celebrate with Sirius, Remus, Baron, and Jake and Helen Granger – the group were just leaving the classroom with Professor Flitwik when a distressed wail came from just up the hall. Naturally curious and fresh from a defence club session, all of them ran to see what it was, though Flitwick ran in his capacity as a Professor and therefore responsible for the students.

Filch was crying over his petrified cat, Mrs Norris, at the same time as screaming about young vandals writing in blood on the walls.

Which drew their attention from him to the writing.

"I'll offer a reward of one-hundred galleons to the first person to figure out what did this," he said with a gesture to the petrified cat, "and where whatever it was is hiding."

"We'll open a betting pool on who wins that reward," Fred and George said, trying to smile despite the rather intimidating situation.

"Well, the second part is somewhat obvious Harry," Hermione pointed out, gesturing to the bloody writing. "Whatever did this is hiding in the Chamber of Secrets. The real question is how it isn't being noticed."

Harry nodded. "Change it to that then," he said. "Figure out what it is, and how no one saw it happen."

Flitwick chuckled. "That's one way to solve a mystery," he said. "Will they have to compete against you Mr Potter?"

Harry nodded. "Absolutely," he said. "I may have the money, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try and keep it. The winner will need evidence too, or they won't get paid. I'm not shelling out a hundred galleons for a wild theory."

"Very sensible Mr Potter," Flitwick said happily. "Will teachers be permitted to try for your prize? We aren't the most well-paid."

Harry grinned. "If you can find the time between dealing with your students every day and our homework every night, then I wish you all the best Professor," he said happily.

Fred and George shared a look.

"Good odds on the Professor."

"Yes, but Harry and Hermione will be looking as well."

"Not to mention all the Ravenclaws with enough time to enjoy a puzzle."

"We'll have to create a sign-up sheet for all those intending to go for Harry's money."

"That way we can make better odds."

It was agreed upon.

~oOo~

The incentive of a hundred galleons did drive quite a few of the students into a frenzy, but the ones with their Ordinary Wizarding Levels and their Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests backed out. Which left the ignorant first years, the slightly better off second years, the keen third and fourth years, and the sixth years with more knowledge and more spare time – since they could drop the classes that were compulsory up until fifth year if they wanted to focus on just a few subjects.

Apart from Harry, Hermione and Professor Flitwick, there were four sixth years competing, seven fourth years and three third years. Nobody else. It allowed for easily calculable odds for Fred and George, who were doing a roaring business as bookies.

A month into the research, a student had been petrified and Harry altered the second part of his challenge to finding where the Chamber of Secrets was, as the original second part of his challenge he had figured out himself. Whatever it was, it was travelling through the pipes in the walls – he made sure that this was put up as a public notice to the whole school.

It was two days after a second student and one of the ghosts had been petrified that Hermione announced that it was a basilisk, and explained her reasoning to Harry. He awarded her fifty galleons and scratched that part of the challenge off, while listing the discovery and the precautions that the students could take so that they didn't find themselves suddenly dead. It only left finding out where the Chamber of Secrets was, and that had been a mystery for decades if not centuries.

Then Flitwick came through and won the other fifty galleons. He'd been teaching at Hogwarts for a long time, and could remember the Chamber being opened once before – a girl died that time – and he'd gone to see her ghost about what she remembered. She'd been a Ravenclaw, one of his, and they sometimes talked about things during holiday breaks, so she was fairly amenable to his questioning.

"The entrance is in the girl's bathroom," Flitwick said, frowning. "Myrtle could still recall her death with perfect clarity, though she has no idea what the boy was saying, or who it was – didn't see them or recognise the voice. That's where the way in is though."

Harry nodded. "So now someone can go down and deal with it?" he suggested, handing over the bag of coins to his teacher.

Flitwick shook his head. "I'm afraid not," he said. "Salazar would have protected it with a password, likely in pastletongue – the language of snakes. I don't know about you, but I for one don't have that particular gift."

"I do," Harry said simply. "Found out when I was nine. Right useful I think, prefer to keep it under my hat though, since I've met more people who think snakes are creepy and a symbol of evil than just legless reptiles who like a good sunny spot and hate having their tails stepped on."

~oOo~

To Harry's amusement, Lockhart was elected to be the teacher to meet Harry at Myrtle's bathroom and go down to face the basilisk. At the appointed time, Harry found himself the only one there. He even waited an extra half-hour, but the man didn't show.
"Shocking," Harry drawled before he headed in alone.

"What are you doing in my toilet?" Myrtle asked when she spotted Harry.

"Not much," he answered. "Passing through mostly. Came to clean out the basilisk that's apparently down a secret passageway from," he paused to consult the notes that Flitwik had given him. "A sink?" he asked, just to make sure.

Myrtle nodded. "That one," she said, pointing.

Harry hissed at the sink to open, and sighed, turning to the ghostly girl. "You know, last year it was a trap door in the third floor. This year it's a slimy chute in the second," he commented.

Myrtle giggled. "Wizards are rarely logical," she pointed out.

"Witches are better?" Harry asked hopefully.

Myrtle shook her head sadly.

Harry sighed. "Well, first things first, I'm not sliding down on slime if I can help it," he said, pulling a pokeball from his pocket, releasing his glaceon. "Sven, feel like obliging me with an ice slide? Maybe one that glows in the dark?" Snakes didn't like the cold either after all, however big they were.

"Glace!" Sven chirped, then moved to the hole and blew down it, creating an icy chute rather than a slimy one. As an added bonus, this would be as smooth as it could be, where as who knew what kind of protruding rocks, unexpected dips, or sharp edges there would have been otherwise?

"Thanks pal," Harry said, petting Sven on the head before returning him to his pokeball, and then, carefully, with his wand held out before him to light the way and using a kunai as drag to slow his descent, he slid down. When he reached the bottom, he put away the kunai and summoned his shakujo – the way Gojyo and Goku had taught him.

Carefully, cautiously, Harry walked down the passageway, keeping an ear out for the basilisk. He didn't want to become a petrified – or dead – victim himself after all. He'd just reached another door when a yell, thud, and muffled cursing came from behind him. That meant either Lockhart had finally shown up, another professor had noticed the man wasn't coming and had come themselves, or the person who was responsible for setting the basilisk on everyone in the first place had just arrived.

Harry put his light out and decided to wait, shakujo out and leaning casually against the only clean surface available to him – the door. It wasn't exactly a concealed spot, but he wasn't exactly hiding either. He only had to wait a couple of minutes before an ever-so-slightly-see-through boy came around the corner, a girl with red hair walking beside him like someone hypnotised.

"Who are you?" the boy hissed – in English, Harry noted. He didn't doubt that this boy would also be able to speak snake.

"Just a current student," Harry answered, "which is more than can be said for you I think," he added, looking the boy up and down. "You're the one who killed Myrtle, aren't you?"

The boy sneered. "I did," he said. "And soon this foolish girl will rot down here forever, as will you."

"Now now," Harry said. "I get the feeling that, even if my name isn't important, and her name isn't important, yours is. So introduce yourself if you please."

The boy sneered, shoving the red-haired girl at Harry, and withdrawing his wand, writing Tom Malvolo Riddle in the air, the letters rearranging to spell I am Lord Voldemort as Harry watched.

"Ah, you're that one," Harry said, not the least intimidated by the older, dead and apparently resurrected male. "But now I'm curious how you've done this," he said, gesturing to the boy's almost-solid body.

"My diary, the foolish girl has been feeding me her soul through my diary, it was only a matter of time, and the girl is such a dedicated diary writer that it took even less time than I anticipated," he said with a triumphant sneer.

Harry raised an eyebrow at that, then looked down to see that the girl was, in fact, clutching an old-looking black book. He carefully peeled her fingers off it and opened it. The pages were blank.

"This?" he asked, just to make sure.

"That."

Harry nodded his understanding and checked his materia bracelet – he'd put it on while Sven had been icing the chute down. He wasn't going to risk his pokemon to a basilisk, but the idea of having some serious fire-power on hand was a far from idle one. Selecting the correct materia, Harry tossed the book in the air and cast a fire spell at it. He could breathe fire, sure, but this way he didn't get that dry feeling in his mouth. He needed to practice more to get it perfect. Itachi had never had a problem with it after all. Tom screamed and faded away as the book fell, little more than a few scraps of scorched page, bits of black cover and lots of white ash when it landed again.

"That just leaves the snake then," Harry said to himself.

"Huh?" It appeared that the girl had come to.

"Head that way," Harry told her, pointing. "You don't want to be down here."

"Who are -?" she started to ask, but Harry cut her off with a shake of the head and gave her a gentle shove back towards the entrance.

"If you can't get up the ice, just wait there and I'll help you out when I get back," he instructed.

The girl nodded and left.

Harry turned to the large doors and quietly bid them open.

~oOo~

"Mr Potter?" Flitwick called down the chute. "Mr Potter?"

"I'm here Professor," Harry answered. "If you could step back, I'm levitating a girl up the chute."

"Ah, you found Miss Weasley," Flitwick said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Her family are frantic."

"A Weasley?" Harry asked in surprise, even as the red-headed girl floated out of the hole. "Didn't know that," he said.

"I've got her now," Flitwick called, taking Ginny's arm and tugging her away from the hole. "Can you bring yourself up?"

In answer to his question, a rope shot out of the hole and wound itself securely around one of the sinks.

"Yeah," Harry called, his echoing voice closer than it had been before. "But I couldn't do this with a passenger. She'd have gotten a concussion banging her head on the way up, or just fallen off along the way." His head emerged from the hole just as he finished speaking.

"Mr Potter, what happened?" Flitwick asked.

Harry smiled. "Well, Lockhart didn't show, so I went down myself. If you don't mind Professor, I'm sure that there are others who will want to hear the full story, and I'd prefer to tell it as few times as possible, as well as write the story down in my book. Maybe even go back down and take some photos for it."

Flitwick nodded his understanding and led the two students to the Headmaster's office, where Molly Weasley was crying and wailing at the loss of her only daughter, her husband was trying to comfort her, and all seven of her sons were sitting and looking very pale and more than just a little bit broken.

"May this sight be a lesson to you to never trust a diary that responds to what you write," Harry said to Ginny as Flitwick opened the door. He'd gotten her story before he'd sent her up the chute.

"Ginny!" cried all the Weasleys, rushing the girl. The oldest of the children got to her first and wrapped his arms around her. Others wrapped their arms around both of them. It was quite the impressive group-hug in Harry's mind, and just maybe the most emotional thing he'd ever seen in his life. He wanted his books to check.

"Now Mr Potter, if you would please explain the events of this evening?" Professor Sprout asked. Flitwick had called her as Harry's House Head. While his guardians were not present, yet, she would act in their stead. Before she had come running herself, she'd put a fire-call through to Sirius, who was on his way up from Hogsmeade at that very moment, as Hogwarts had a closed floo system and he wasn't able to come through that way, even if he could be called.

"Anybody else we're waiting for?" Harry asked first. "I just want to make sure."

"I'm here!" Sirius yelled, bursting into the room at that moment, having clearly run all the way from Hogsmeade.

Professor Sprout smiled. "We're all here now Mr Potter," she said.

Harry nodded. "Alright then..."

~oOo~

"You're what?" Sirius asked flatly, not at all impressed with his godson's announcement.

"Going to Egypt," Harry repeated. "Or some version of Egypt anyway. Fred and George mentioned having won tickets for a summer trip and were going to Egypt because Bill – their eldest brother – works there. I'm curious, so I'm going to go to Egypt too. Not with them, I wouldn't want to intrude on their family time, especially after what almost happened to Ginny, but the idea wormed its way into my brain and I don't think I'll be dislodging it until I've seen the place for myself," Harry explained as he packed up his things into his trunk and checked over the other things that he would be carrying on his person.

Sirius sighed in resignation. "You're gone all school year, come for Christmas, and then disappear off into another dimension during the summer," he complained.

Harry smiled at his godfather. "Go ask Remus and Baron, and if they say it's alright, I'll take you with me," he said.

Sirius sat up with a grin. "Really?" he asked, practically panting in anticipation.

"Be packed in half an hour and make sure they have enough authority to be able to keep things running while we're gone," Harry said, sounding more like the guardian than the ward.

Sirius bolted for the door.

"Is that everything?" Harry asked his Luggage.

The lid snapped itself shut.

"Guess so. Well, into the scroll with you. It's easier than you following me under your own power and you know it. Besides, Sirius and I will be on Silver, and as fast as you go you'd have a hard time keeping pace with a rapidash," Harry ordered, shuffling the reluctant trunk towards the open scroll. Once it was in place, he activated the seal and his Luggage vanished, visible now only as an ink-line picture on the creamy silk of the scroll.

When Sirius returned to Harry's room, he found the large closet open and Harry standing in the middle of the room grooming a very different looking unicorn than the man was used to. He was also not used to the idea that a unicorn would be so comfortable with a boy petting it. Unicorns were notoriously selective of their company, and were famous for preferring 'maidens'. To the best of his knowledge, Harry wasn't one.

"Sirius, this is Silver. I don't think you really got to meet each other the last time I let out my pokemon here, but he'll be giving us a ride through the dimensions until we reach an Egypt," Harry said, turning to his godfather with a smile.

"That safe?" Sirius asked. "With the fire and all?"

Harry laughed. "Perfectly safe," he assured. "If Silver lets you ride him, you won't get burned, and he's already agreed to taking an extra passenger as long as you don't wriggle or kick."

"I promise," Sirius said quickly.

"Then hop on!" Harry said, swinging himself up onto the quite large animal's back with surprising ease, just behind the flaming mane.

Sirius gave 'Silver' one more cautious eye-balling, then hopped up behind his godson.

"Alright Silver," Harry said, turning the pokemon towards the closet. "We'll be using this doorway. Let's go!" he urged.

Silver whinnied and leapt forward into the cupboard, leaving hung-up clothing behind, undisturbed, as he headed for the inter-dimensional pathway.

"Good boy," Harry encouraged quietly, then urged the rapidash into a full-out gallop towards their destination.

Chapter Text

“No, I only want four! Not a whole bloody herd!"

Harry chuckled and drew Silver to a stop. "First floor," he said, turning to his godfather behind him. "Sun, pyramids, and all the sand you can eat."

Sirius laughed and hopped off the pokemon. "I'm betting I can get a regular ride here, if that man is anything to go by," Sirius said, indicating the slightly pinch-faced man attempting to haggle with another man over some camels, his taller, more impressive companion rolling his eyes and visibly restraining himself from ordering his friend to just pay the man.

"You help with the haggling, I'll ask if we can travel with them," Harry said, swinging off of Silver's back.

"You want a camel?" Sirius asked. He'd come prepared with a money pouch, specially enchanted by the goblins to draw from his account in whatever currency was applicable to his location. He'd gotten it years ago so that he could shop in the muggle world as well without having to stop by Gringotts to get his money changed.

Harry patted Silver's flank and nodded. "Not to ride though," he said thoughtfully. "For carrying stuff. If Silver starts to over-heat in the desert, I can ride the camel then, but otherwise just for carrying loads."

Sirius nodded took the lead over to where the three men were already standing and the shorter two were arguing about price.

"Make it six and I'll throw in an extra fifty," Sirius said, laying a hand on the shoulder of the clearly-not-Egyptian man with the slightly-pinched face.

"Deal!" the camel trader said happily.

Sirius pulled out his money pouch and, having heard the price that they had been yelling about, counted out that much plus the extra fifty (British Pounds in this case, he was pleased to recognise the currency) into the man's hand.

"Who are you, and why did you just do that?" asked the taller of the two men.

Sirius smiled. "You need camels, and my godson and I -" he indicated Harry, who waved from beside him, "- wanted a bit of adventure."

"We're not exactly going somewhere that's safe for a little kid," the taller man said. His accent was American, rather than the British one of his shorter companion.

Sirius chuckled.

Harry grinned. "You can't stop us from following you," he pointed out happily. "Not when we just paid for your camels."

"And are quite happy to pay for anything else you think you might need," Sirius added happily. "So, where are we going? Oh, sorry, I'm Sirius Black, and my godson is Harry Potter, pleasure making your acquaintance," he said, sticking his hand out to shake.

"Rick O'Connell," stated the tall American answered, shaking the outstretched hand quickly and firmly before releasing it again.

"Jonathan Carnahan, and my sister Evelyn is around here somewhere," supplied the smaller man, taking his turn to shake Sirius by the hand.

"Did somebody say my name?"

"Now why is it that she looks kind of Egyptian, and you really don't?" Harry asked, pointing from the woman who was almost definitely Evelyn, to Jonathan.

"Part of that would be the wardrobe Harry," Sirius said with a chuckle.

"She gets her looks from our mother, whereas I take after Dad," Jonathan answered.

Evelyn stared at the two new people, one of them a child, and asked, tentatively, "Did I miss something?"

"We're coming with you on your adventure!" Harry cheered. "Where are you going?" he asked, tugging gently on Evelyn's dress. "Will there be mummies and curses and long-lost treasures?"

"Harry," Sirius scolded fondly, pulling him away from tugging on Evelyn's dress. "This is Egypt you're in. There's long-lost treasure under every tenth dune, and don't go wishing for curses and mummies in the same breath. You'll get cursed mummies and that's never a good thing."

"Sorry Sirius."

"Curses?" Evelyn repeated, scepticism clear in her voice and on her face.

Harry and Sirius nodded solemnly.

"You really believe in that hokum fiddle-faddle?" Evelyn clarified.

"Comes with being a wizard," Sirius answered with a smirk. Harry had told him as they travelled that they really didn't have to worry about exposing magic to people they met, as they could easily explain it as they had come from an alternative world where it existed – which was true – and it really didn't matter if magic didn't exist where they landed.

When all three of them suddenly bore almost-identical expressions of shock, it was all Sirius could do not to laugh at them.

Rick was the first to recover. "Okay, provided that you're telling the truth, I'm sure you'll be someone useful to have along. Considering where we're going."

"Where are we going?" Harry asked again.

"The lost city of Hamunaptra," Evelyn said in an excited whisper.

"Looks like you'll get all of those three things you wanted Harry," Sirius said, paling slightly. "If I remember my lessons, that's where a number of Egyptian kings were buried, along with their treasure, and they were – and are – somewhat famous for their curses and booby-traps."

Harry cheered.

Sirius got down on one knee and took Harry's shoulders firmly in his hands, making his godson look him in the eye.

"Which means I want you to be very careful Harry," he cautioned. "No reading the writing on the walls out loud unless you know exactly what it will cause to happen. No reading anything out loud at all in fact, unless you're going to read it in English so the spells don't work. Do you understand me?"

Harry nodded solemnly.

"Taking this rather seriously, isn't he?" Jonathan commented nervously.

"Better cautious than a carcass," Sirius said, standing up again. "Take it from a dedicated prankster. Need or want anything else from these people, or do we go now?"

"We can go," Rick answered. "Just have to saddle up and find our smelly friend."

At that moment, a fat-ish man in a fez was bullied out of a tent.

"Oh, found him."

"Wish we hadn't," Evelyn commented quietly.

Harry just pulled out his camera and smiled. This, he decided quickly, was going to be a very enjoyable summer vacation. While everybody else was readying the camels, Harry took pictures. He took one of everybody that he would be travelling with to Hamunaptra, as well as the camel that Sirius had designated as Harry's. Just when he'd finished taking the last of his pictures, Rick approached Harry to help him get on his camel.

"I'm not riding him Mr O'Connell," Harry answered, even as Sirius tied the lead-rein of the camel to the saddle of the one he'd be riding.

Rick was visibly confused. It was in the way his brow furrowed down and he pursed his lips like he wanted to ask 'why'.

Harry took out Silver's pokeball and released the rapidash. "I'll ride Silver," he explained.

Rick stared, shock and awe mingled in his gaze, and then he snapped out of it. "Really magic huh?" he said, then shrugged. "Okay," he allowed, then went to mount his own camel.

Everyone else in the group – except for Sirius – was staring too.

"What's the hold up?" Harry asked once he was on Silver's back. "I thought we were going?"

"Where did you get a horse like that?" asked the fat, smelly man, a hint of greed in his voice and eyes.

"Somewhere that you cannot go," Harry answered firmly, while still doing a credible job at being mysterious.

~oOo~

Harry had been giving Silver a rest when their party met up with another.

"You picked up some strays O'Connell?" asked one of the men on horseback. His American twang was even thicker than Rick's.

"They decided to join us," Rick answered.

"Whatever. Five hundred bucks for the party that gets to Hamunaprta first remember. An' Beni, hundred of that is yours if you win it for us."

"Oh my pleasure," answered a pale, weedy man, who sounded like he'd grown up in the Middle Eastern colonies.

Harry giggled and hopped down from his camel, giving the lead back to Sirius.

"What are we waiting for?" Evelyn asked.

"We're about to be shown the way," Rick answered.

Harry released Silver and mounted him. "Five hundred for the winner of the race?" he asked with a grin, just as the city shimmered into view. "See you there!" he yelled, and the rapidash took off.

When Evelyn arrived – the first of everybody else – Harry already had a camp set up, and was giving Silver a drink, courtesy of Umi, his vaporeon. He'd set his eevee, Alice, to digging a fire pit, and Bast was looking around for possible ways to get into the ruins with Kou, Harry's flareon – he justified that Bast would communicate better what they'd found, and Kou would be able to fry anything nasty they found, like spiders or scorpions or the like.

"What are they?" Evelyn asked, stunned to see the eevee and the vaporeon as well as the rapidash.

"Pokemon," Harry answered simply. "I found them on another world, in another dimension. There are all sorts of pokemon there, but I only brought fifteen back with me. You've already met Silver," he said, giving the rapidash another pat. "Would you like to meet Alice and Umi?" he offered, gesturing to the other two pokemon still in the camp.

Evelyn nodded. "Yes, please."

When the last of their group arrived at the camp – the smelly fat man, even though Sirius had been racing with two camels, he'd still come in ahead of him – Harry returned his pokemon to their balls. Bast and Kou had returned about the same time as Sirius had joined them, and Bast had grinned as he explained where the easiest way into the treasure room was located. Conveniently, this news had been imparted in its entirety before the smelly fat man – Harry still hadn't learned his name – arrived. They agreed not to tell him, and for Harry to drag Jonathan off to explore while Sirius helped Rick and Evelyn (and the fat man) explore another area that Bast had said was full of mirrors.

"Ancient Egyptian trick," Evelyn said with a smile. "That will be fun to investigate in the morning."

Rick was sceptical, but it was her dig, he was just the guide and extra muscle.

Two hours after they'd gone to sleep, the camp was suddenly alive with the sounds of hoof beats and gunshots.

Harry peeked an eye open, chose one of the pokeballs he'd gone to sleep with strapped at his waist, and released whoever was inside it. He didn't much care. Any of them could handle the situation, though Alice would have a slightly tough time of it, and Thor would be well out of his element.

"Char!"

Harry chuckled. Chav would make them all behave. Silence had certainly followed after Chav's roar of greeting as Harry pulled himself up to look around at who and what-all was going on. Of course, that could have been in part because no one really knew how to react to a seven-metre tall orange dragon suddenly appearing out of nowhere and roaring at them, breathing fire into the night air.

"Thanks Chav," Harry said, patting the charizard as high as he could reach. "I think they aren't going to start trying to kill each other again in a hurry, and we should be able to talk things out now."

A man with markings on his face and dressed in the robes of a desert dweller stepped forward.

"If you have command of a monster like this, then maybe we needn't fear the creature beneath the sands," he said quietly as he stared up at Chav, and Harry, who was nearest him, almost didn't hear. Then he shook his head. "No, you should leave this place. Come first light or even before then, leave," he commanded, then quickly mounted his horse. "Leave or die," he added, before leaving himself, his fellows with him.

Harry gave Chav another pat, returned him to his pokeball, and then went back to his sleeping bag, heedless of the discussions going on around him about treasure and sharing resources at night, only wondering about the man with the tattoos on his face, what his name was, and if he might write something in his book if he asked.

~oOo~

It was very early when Harry woke up Jonathan to take him exploring, and he did it just loud enough that everybody heard him, groaned, and rolled back over to get another hour's sleep – except Jonathan of course, because Harry was taking him to find treasure, and he remembered this even in his sleep-addled mind, and managed to pass off his waking despite a desire for sleep as knowing that the near-teen would not relent.

With the rising of Jonathan, Evelyn got up as well, pulling Rick and Sirius with her, and kicking the smelly man into wakefulness, saying that they were going to start digging, and if he didn't come help he'd get no cut at all.

Harry laughed and dragged Jonathan along. When they were out of sight of the Americans – who hadn't heard about Bast's discoveries because, at the time, they'd been camped separately – Harry released the cat pokemon and had him lead the way.

"Here ya go Harry!" Bast declared proudly, gesturing to the hole.

"How am I going to fit through that?" Jonathan asked, just a little outraged, but a great deal more disappointed that he wouldn't be able to get into where the treasure was.

Harry and Bast chuckled at the man's reaction.

"What's blocking the hole?" Harry asked with a smile.

"Sand," Jonathan answered. "Obviously."

"Is sand hard to move?" Bast asked, smirking in a way only a feline can.

"Oh."

Harry chuckled and released crew of evolved eevee, as well as Alice. Their sudden appearance stunned Jonathan, but he managed to not yelp too loudly.

"If we work together, the way will be cleared quickly, and it won't be long before we're all inside," Harry said, getting down on his own knees to start shifting the sand along with his pokemon.

Jonathan stared for a couple of seconds before he caught on and joined the excavation crew. The sand was out of the way and the entrance cleared before even the most heavily furred of Harry's pokemon had started to sweat.

"We're gonna have to have a nice long grooming session to get all the sand out of your fur," Harry said, smiling at his pokemon, who called their own cheers at the idea, then gestured for Bast to lead the way with Kou, since they'd already been here.

"On the left we got a whole bunch of hieroglyphics," Bast said, playing tour-guide as he walked just behind Kou down the passageway. "And on the other left we got some ancient art, a story that, as best I can tell, is about how some guy slept with the king's wife and got caught."

"Doubt that ended well for him," Jonathan commented.

"I agree," Bast said, gesturing to a bit of the picture-story where jackal-headed men were putting a number of struggling men into sarcophagi, pouring scarabs in on top of one of them.

Jonathan swallowed. "This is the sort of thing that Evy is more interested in than me," he commented.

"Eevee?" Alice asked.

Harry chuckled and patted her on the head. "Not you Alice," he said. "Jon was talking about his sister Evelyn."

"Eevee!"

Harry took out his camera and started taking pictures of the story and the hieroglyphics. He'd like to study them later, and as Jonathan said, Evelyn would probably be fascinated.

"Bast, you and Lex take Jonathan ahead to the treasure room okay? I'm going to take a few more pictures, and I think he deserves a bit of his own kind of fun. Kou, you stay with me. I want to be able to find them again when I've finished here," Harry directed. "Everyone else? You choose who you're going with, but I'd like a couple more of you to keep Jon company, just in case."

Jonathan smiled as Tulie and Sven joined Lex and Bast at his side. "Thanks Harry," he said. "I don't think I could stomach even looking at that story much longer," he added, gesturing at the section where the brains were being removed from live people.

Harry twitched a half-smile. "I think that counts as having been a bad day," he said. "I'll catch up to you later."

So saying, he turned back to his picture-taking, methodically working his way along the story on the wall, and Jon left with Bast and the others. When Harry had finished with the illustrated wall, he turned to the wall covered in the famous picture-writing of the Ancient Egyptians, and started taking pictures of that.

"Vaporeon!" Umi called, tapping at a lower part of the wall, drawing Harry's attention.

"What have you found girl?" he asked, kneeling down. "Oh! A different writing system. Well spotted," he congratulated, giving her a pat on the head before he started taking more pictures.

"Well," Harry declared, standing straight and stretching, letting his camera hang on its strap around his neck. "I think that's all of everything documented," he said. "Let's catch up with Jonathan, Bast and the others. Kou? Lead the way!"

"Flare!"

It was a couple of unadorned corridors, a left-turn and a trick-door later that Harry caught up with Jonathan, and laughed when he saw him.

The man looked like he was attempting to swim through the piles of gold.

"Oh, Harry," Jonathan said, sitting up. "You're done then? I was just, er..."
"I saw," Harry said, grinning. "And I won't tell. Now, I want to take a picture of this place before we really start moving anything out, alright?"

Jonathan nodded. "Good idea," he agreed. "If we can't get everything out, at least we'll know about how much there is to come back for."

Harry chuckled, shaking his head, and raised his camera to his face again. He'd probably take a few more pictures in here, of the more interesting looking artefacts, but for now it was time to get out the bags and start loading up with treasure.

"Alright crew!" Harry said happily, unsealing his Luggage. "We'll be collecting coins into Luggage, putting the gems in a pile on the left, and the pieces in a pile on the right. I don't expect we'll make much of a dent, but we should be able to find a few things to take up so Evelyn can impress those Bembridge Scholars of hers."

Bast raised a paw in eagerness. "You got it Harry!" he declared, grabbing a small sack and rushing to fill it with treasure.

"You're putting all the coins in..." Jonathan trailed off, staring at the Luggage.

Harry shrugged. "Luggage can sort the coins and put them into sacks based on their value as soon as we drop them in," he said. "That's a lot faster than us doing it. It's not like I intend to keep them all."

Jonathan nodded as Alice returned with a sceptre, dropping it at Harry's feet, before she rushed off again to find something else.

An hour later, Harry decided that it was probably time they went back to join the others. Jonathan was reluctant, but Harry cited lunch, and before Jonathan could object again his stomach growled, loudly.

The pile of precious stones was bagged and put into Harry's Luggage for sorting, and the pile of pieces were bagged, but Jonathan insisted on carrying them himself. Harry sealed his Luggage into his scroll so that the American group wouldn't see it, and then they headed back to camp.

"Where's smelly?" Harry asked when they got there, and saw everybody but the fat man.

"He got eaten alive by bugs," Sirius answered flatly. "Scarabs."

Harry nodded his understanding, then frowned and went into his tent, where he unsealed his Luggage again. "Develop these for me?" he asked, taking his film out of his camera and dropping it in.

The lid shut, and five seconds later opened again, the pile of photographs sorted neatly into a folder for easy perusal.

"Thanks," Harry said, taking the folder and patting the lid when it closed, then sealed it up again before he headed out.

"Harry?" Evelyn asked. "What have you got there?"

"I took some photos of a bunch of hieroglyphics and a picture-story on a couple of the walls. I was just going to look through them and have a go at translating. Sirius mentioning scarabs reminded me."

"Why would scarabs remind you of a story on a wall?" Rick asked. "No, wait, do I even want to know?"

"The story had someone being mummified alive with scarabs," Harry answered.

"No, I didn't want to know that," Rick decided.

Harry chuckled. "There was a whole lot more to the story than just that," he said. "But that's why it reminded me."

"These are very good," Evelyn observed, looking over Harry's shoulder at the pictures he had taken.

"Thank you," Harry said. "I like taking photos."

Rick chuckled at that. "I think we all noticed that," he said, reaching over to ruffle the boy's hair.

"Let me see the glyphs Harry," Sirius said, holding out his hand for the folder.

Harry handed over the first five pictures of the hieroglyphics he'd taken. "There's more, but that's the beginning," he said.

Sirius nodded and started going over them.

"I figured that it would help you with the Bembridge Scholars if you had photos of discoveries," Harry said to Evelyn, earning a smile from the woman. "I've got the film, but you can have these copies."

"Thank you Harry," Evelyn said, giving him a hug.

"So, apart from Smelly dying," Harry said, "what did you find?"

"An unnamed sarcophagus," Evelyn said excitedly. "Buried at the feet of Anubis. We're going to open it after lunch."

Harry flicked through his photos. "Buried at the feet of Anubis?" he asked.

"He must have been someone very important to be buried there," Evelyn said. "Or else, very naughty."

"I'd go with naughty," Harry said, stopping his flicking. "This guy who was in the picture-story was buried at the feet of Anubis," he explained. "And he'd slept with the wife of the Pharaoh."

"Very naughty," Sirius said with a smirk. "Even I know better than to sleep with someone else's wife."

Harry snorted. "Yeah, because your husband would kill you."

Sirius laughed. "Well, there's that too," he admitted happily, garnering unsure looks from the Carnahans and O'Connell.

"Don't you mean, er, their husband would kill him?" Jonathan asked cautiously.

"Oh, they might," Harry said, "but they'd still have to beat Remus to him to get a shot in."

Sirius sat up and seemed to remember that he and Harry were in a time and place before men were openly in same-sex relationships. "My best friend Remus, who lives with me at my house," Sirius explained. "We're not married, or even exactly in that kind of relationship. We're so close though, and have been for so long that we almost might as well be. Now," he said, handing the photos of the hieroglyphics back to Harry. "Are we going to crack open that sarcophagus, or has this discovery -" he indicated Harry's pictures "- changed our minds?"

"Well, it looks like whoever he was, he was sentenced to suffer the Hom-Dai, the most feared of the Ancient Egyptian curses," Evelyn said, still pouring over Harry's pictures, "said to bring about the plagues that the Egyptians suffered under the hand of God and Moses."

"Will this be a problem if we just open him up?" Rick asked. "Because I don't want to have to deal with that."

"If it were real, it would only be a problem if he's resurrected," Evelyn said, then waved her hand. "Which he can't be, because it's all hokum fiddle-faddle anyway," she dismissed.

"Is having a dragon show up something that would be regarded as hokum fiddle-faddle?" Harry asked carefully.

Evelyn frowned. "You said you found them in another world," she defended cautiously.

Harry nodded.

"And I can transform myself into a large black dog, something I learned in my home world. Evelyn, please don't dismiss something like a curse or magic, just in case, please?" Sirius appealed.

Evelyn sighed. "Very well," she allowed. "But really, if he's not resurrected then he isn't a problem, and we'd need to read a specific passage from the Book of the Dead to bring him back to life anyway."

"And what would we need to banish him again in case he does rise?" Sirius asked, probing. "I learned back in school that it's important to have your escape rout ready just in case."

"The Book of the Living," Evelyn answered promptly.

"And where are these books located?" Sirius asked. "If we have them both we can make sure one doesn't get read from and the other is on hand if we need it," he pointed out.

"Well, the Book of the Living is supposed to be buried at the feet of Anubis," Evelyn said, "where the Americans are digging. The Book of the Dead is supposedly buried at the feet of Horus."

"Right, well then, Harry and I will go and get the book from beneath Horus so we can make sure no one decides to give an oration from it," Sirius said.

"I'll take lots of pictures for you Evelyn," Harry promised.

Evelyn smiled her gratitude.

~oOo~

"We hear you found yourselves a nice juicy mummy," one of the Americans said, coming to sit at the group campfire.

"We did," Rick confirmed. "Did you have any better luck?"

"Got ourselves a set of canopic jars and our expert friend is all keen on having found the Book of the Dead. Don't see why. If it were the Book of the Living at least it'd be made outa gold," another American answered.
"I heard you found yourselves a curse as well," Sirius commented.

The third American sneered. "Superstition," he answered. "Yeah, the box had some kinda curse on it. Don't believe a word of it though."

"Beni here ran screaming like the locals before we opened it though," added the last of the Americans, giving the nasty little man a gentle shove.

"Sensible of you," Sirius commented quietly.

"Don't tell me you believe that stuff too!" the first American yelled.

"I'd have thought about breaking the curse before breaking the seal, at any rate," Sirius answered with a shrug. "Of course, the book that Harry and I found today, well, it was just in a plain wooden box and wrapped in a bit of rag. Surprised the rag survived, but there you go," he added with a shrug.

It got everybody's attention though.

"So wait a minute," Rick said, "Evelyn said that the Book of the Living was supposed to be buried at Anubis' feet, but the Book of the Dead was there, and you went to look where the Book of the Dead was supposed to be..." his blue eyes went wide as Sirius' grin grew.

"I don't know what you're talking about really," Sirius answered, making a display of his best politician's airs. "I do know however, that a book made out of gold is damn heavy," he added.

Rick laughed and clapped Sirius on the shoulder, shaking his head in amazement. "What about all that stuff Harry found when he dragged Jonathan off exploring?" he asked, happy to rub salt into the wounds of his fellow Americans.

"Gold, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, diamonds, riches, jewellery and junk. The only thing he found that wasn't of any worth was the sand beneath it all," Sirius answered with a grin.

"Where?" the Americans demanded.

Sirius laughed and shook his head. "I wouldn't dream of giving up my godson's secrets."

The Americans all stormed off back to their own part of the camp, huffing quietly about kids finding their way into places grown men probably couldn't fit.

Evelyn joined them moments later, the Book of the Dead in her hands.

"You know, that's called stealing," Rick said quietly as he watched her use the box he'd found last time he was here to open the book.

"According to you and my brother," Evelyn answered, "it's called borrowing."

"We did give the man back his tool kit," Sirius pointed out. He'd been able to duplicate it with a spell and it had been returned to its original owner. "And Rick has, more or less, got that box of his back by proxy."

Jonathan had discovered the smelly man's stash of booze and had been enjoying himself quietly off to the side, but sat up and crawled over to them to see what was going on. Then he spotted the book and, like a drunken fool, asked the question.
"What's it say Evy?"

Sirius groaned. "You're going to completely ignore my warnings about not reading it out loud in Egyptian, aren't you?" he asked quietly before standing up. "I'm going to check on Harry," he announced, and left them.

"What's up Sirius?" Harry asked, as his godfather stepped into the tent where he'd been sorting out photos into folders – there were too many to reasonably put in his book, but with a little magic he could attach a filled folder to one of the pages and it wouldn't make the book any fatter – and discovered treasure into equal shares.

"She's reading some of the black book," Sirius said with a frown. "Where's the gold one?"

Harry indicated his Luggage, which opened its lid to reveal the golden-bright book on a red cushion. "Safest place I could think of," Harry answered with a smile.

The Luggage shifted its feet in pleased embarrassment.

Sirius chuckled. "Fair enough," he agreed. "We'll probably need to read a passage from it soon, but I'll bet we're gonna need the key that Evelyn just used to open the Book of the Dead to get into this one as well."

"Unlocking charm won't work?" Harry asked.

Sirius chuckled. "I'll check," he said, and withdrew his wand. With a wave and a muttered incantation, there came a click from the book, and when Sirius reached out, the cover opened with relative ease. "Okay, you win. Unlocking charm worked."

Harry nodded. "Always good to know you've got a skeleton key for important things like this."

It was barely an hour later when the screaming started and the men who had attacked the previous night returned.

"We told you to leave," said the same man from the previous night. "You didn't listen. Now you may have killed us all."

Harry tugged on the man's robe. "What's your name?" he asked. "I'm Harry Potter."

"It is hardly the time for pleasantries," the man said.

Harry stuck out his lip.

"Ardeth Bay," he answered.

Harry grinned. "Well Mr Bay, would it make you feel better if I told you I've got the Book of the Living handy?" Harry asked.

Ardeth's eyes widened. "Yes," he admitted. "This creature, without that book... As he is he will never eat, he will never sleep and he will never stop, but with that book we can send his soul back to the underworld."

"Good thing we've got the other book then," Sirius commented dryly, then looked over at Evelyn briefly before turning back to Harry. "Now do you know why I said what I said when we joined up with these people?"

"Don't wish for curses and mummies in the same breath or you'll get cursed mummies," Harry answered.

"And don't read Ancient Egyptian out loud in Ancient Egyptian unless you're certain that it's safe to do so, and even then, triple check in case it isn't," Sirius added firmly. "However, I'd say that right now, we've got an Ancient Egyptian spell that needs reading," he added with a tired sigh.

~oOo~

Harry and Sirius spent the time after that until Harry's birthday getting to know more about Ardeth, going to Rick and Evelyn's wedding. They'd gone on quite the adventure keeping Imhotep busy while Sirius, Ardeth and Harry had looked for the best of the spells available in the golden book, shame about those other Americans dying though. It seemed that Imhotep could and would still consummate the curse, even when he was mortal again. There was also the enjoyable task of dealing out certain treasures to the museum in Cairo. The ones that Ardeth said were safe for the public to see. Sirius even used a bit of magic to straighten out the mess that Evelyn had caused in the library of the museum and not gotten around to fixing properly.

Harry also got a couple of good photos of Ardeth for his book and a few lessons in how to use the wavy sword that the Egyptian was so deadly with.

"Take care of yourself Ardeth," Harry said, giving the man a hug. It was Harry's birthday again, and his traditional day of moving on from somewhere. "It was really great to meet you."

"You as well Harry," Ardeth said to the boy before turning to Sirius. "And thank you as well for your advice on how to prevent Imhotep from ever fully rising again."

Sirius chuckled. "If he's limited to the people that opened that box, the answer is destroy the box," he said. "Fairly basic I thought."

Ardeth chuckled as well. "We shall continue to guard this place, just in case," he said.

"You do that," Sirius said. "And keep an eye on the new O'Connell family as well for us, will you? I think that Evelyn has a nose for finding things that shouldn't be found."

The woman in question huffed indignantly behind him while all the men – including her new husband – laughed.

Harry moved on from Ardeth to hug the others goodbye.

"Thank you again Harry," Evelyn said. "The Bembridge Scholars have been begging me to join them since I sent them your pictures."

Harry smiled. "That's what you get for discovering Hamunaptra and thinking to bring a photographer with you," he said. "You're welcome."

"Take care kid," Rick said, messing Harry's hair.

"Keep your guns clean," Harry answered. "Your nose too while you're at it, and try and keep Jonathan away from any cards, dice, money or alcohol." It barely took knowing the man two days before Harry had been made aware of the man's vices.

Rick chuckled. "Gotcha."

Harry released Silver and mounted up.

"He is a beautiful animal," Ardeth admired, stroking Silver's neck reverently.

"I don't think he'd breed well with the horses your tribe rides," Harry said with a chuckle.

Ardeth laughed as well. "No, he probably wouldn't. Safe journeys my young friend."

Sirius swung up behind Harry then, and with a last wave to everybody, they rode between two of the pillars in the courtyard. They did not reappear on the other side of the stone as would normally be expected.

Chapter Text

“Harry!" Hermione greeted, throwing her arms around his neck the instant he dismounted. "Remus and Baron said you'd taken Sirius to Egypt!"

"I did," Harry said.

"I'll leave you two to catch up," Sirius said, swinging off Silver's back and heading into his house, since they'd appeared in the backyard.

"Why didn't you take me with you?" Hermione demanded.

"Apart from the fact that I know your parents were taking you to France?" Harry asked.

Hermione had the grace to look sheepish, but nodded anyway.

Harry sighed. "This time was just for me and Sirius to get to know each other a bit better," Harry explained, just a little bit defensively. "I brought back gifts though. Do you forgive me for not asking you to come too?"

Hermione huffed, crossed her arms, and relented. The excited smile on her face at the thought of gifts from Egypt helped to give the impression that Harry was, indeed, forgiven.

"It's a little tacky," Harry warned, "but I think that's just the Ancient Egyptian style," he added, unsealing Luggage from the sealing scroll and tapping on the lid – which opened to reveal a wide and an ornate gold necklace. It was very much in the Ancient Egyptian style.

"Oh Harry," Hermione breathed, staring at the items. "Wherever did you get these? If that's real gold, then they must have cost you a fortune!"

Harry chuckled and moved to put the necklace on around Hermione's neck, doing up the catch at the back for her. "Not at all," he answered. "I found them buried in the sands at Hamunaptra. They're really real Hermione. The last person to wear these might well have been Nefertiti."

"Hamunaptra!" Hermione nearly yelped. "Queen Nefertiti!"

"Well, I don't know that," Harry soothed, "but I did find it in Hamunaptra, so it's possible. The ibis heads are representative of Thoth, the Ancient Egyptian god of wisdom, among other things. When I saw it I just knew I had to give it to you."

"But Harry, if you found this in Hamunaptra then..."
Harry held up a hand to quiet her. "Hermione. If you like, you can put it in your vault at Gringotts, I'm sure that there are a lot of treasures kept there and probably half of them forgotten about. If you don't like that idea, then you can take it to a museum or an auction house and sell it, but really Hermione, I dug it up, I documented it, I gave the documentation to an archaeologist, they've got it recorded as found and existing and belonging to a private party. There is nothing to worry about," he assured her kindly. "Thoth isn't the most attractive of Ancient Egyptian gods, I'll give you that, but his story is a good one and it suits you, even if the jewellery itself is tacky."

Hermione laughed and hugged him.

"It is hideous," she said, smiling. "I'll keep it in my vault. Maybe some day I'll change my mind or have something appropriate to where it to, or with, so that it won't be as obvious. I do love it though, for its symbolism."

Harry nodded. "I'm glad. So, how was France, and what have I missed here?"

"France was alright," Hermione said. "As for around here, Remus is going to be our new DADA professor. Dumbledore offered him the job a couple of weeks ago. Remus has been negotiating for Sirius to be his co-teacher so that full moons aren't a problem."

"Perfectly reasonable," Harry agreed.

"Happy Birthday Harry," Hermione said with a smile.

Harry grinned. "Just remembered did you?" he asked cheekily.

~oOo~

That school year was as peaceful for the students as Harry's first year had been, though without the threat of death on the third floor, so it was even more peaceful. Remus and Sirius were rapidly elevated to the most popular teachers in the school, and most informative DADA teachers in the past five years (Harry wondered what the ones before he'd come had been like when he learned that, but decided not to ask). They both also joined Professor Flitwick in helping out the Defence Club that had been set up the previous year. It wasn't as vital as it had been, but with a duellist and a quality defence teacher supervising and helping out the students, the members of the club were all doing excellently in their practical spell work.

Remus tutored the students that were having trouble, helping them to work through the spell until they got it right, and then could cast it easily. Sirius taught them new spells that they wouldn't have gotten to yet, or possibly at all unless they went into a specific career.

Though occasionally they did a change up.

"Today," Remus said when the last of the club members entered the room, "I'm going to teach you a defensive spell that, honestly, I wish I'd known when I was younger, but didn't find out about until one of my best friends joined the Aurora training program and then taught it to me. Then again, there was a war going on then, and there isn't now, for which you should all be grateful. It isn't hard to cast," he assured everybody, "but it isn't commonly known. Before I teach any of you this spell, however, know that if I catch it being cast in the halls, hear of it being cast in the dormitories, or used offensively against another student, you will have detention with with myself and Sirius. If I see it being used during a quidditch match," Remus continued, "then it will be with Sirius only."

That was a powerful threat. Detentions with the defence teachers didn't happen often, they were too easy-going and friendly in general, but there were a few students who had been given detentions. They never talked about it, and they never got another. Harry suspected that it either involved the boggart that he and his year-mates had faced in their first DADA of the year, or a prank of some kind. Possibly both. Students who were given detentions with Sirius alone were recorded as being on their very best behaviour, turning in exemplary essays, for at least a month before letting themselves take it easy again – but they never got another detention either.

The spell that Remus taught them caused a powerful wind to strike up and blow one's opponent away, literally, a slightly violent and more powerful version of the banishing charm. Remus instructed them in the incantation and the wand movement, then had everybody go outside to practice it against buckets of fish that he'd set up on the lake-shore. If they got it to the other side of the lake – which was quite a distance – Remus was prepared to award house points. If they didn't make it across the lake, then the giant squid got a snack.

The week after that had Sirius teaching everybody the patronus charm, and explaining that, despite it's obvious goodness, it was still a 'dark' spell, because it depended on an unmeasurable emotion rather than measurable magical exertion.

~oOo~

Harry had decided to take Runes and Care of Magical Creatures for his electives in his third year. It was sensible, as far as he was concerned. He had a few different languages in his books, and he had pokemon to care for. Okay, so pokemon weren't exactly 'magical creatures', but they were close enough.

His first Runes class, however, had him laughing in his chair until he fell out of it, and then he just kept going. He'd known this was coming, and he was so glad it hadn't been a let-down at all. In fact, it was even better than he'd hoped for.

"Mr Potter, what is it that you find so hilarious?" demanded Professor Babbling. "Please, share it with the rest of the class."

"I'm sorry Professor," Harry said, trying to pull himself together. "It's just the 'rune' array that you wrote on the board."

Babbling narrowed her eyes at the boy. "What about it? It is an array of protection, not a laughing matter."

"Oh, but it is Professor! It's literal translation is 'mine, bitch' with an implied 'keep your mitts off or die'. It's demon scrawl, I have a full translation guide in one of my books," Harry said. Not one of his schoolbooks of course, but she didn't need to know that.

Babbling had frozen up at the word 'demon'. It couldn't be. This child had to be wrong. Was there some way to prove his claim? To disprove it?

"Very well Mr Potter," Babbling said, pulling herself together. "If the runes are, as you say, demon scrawl, and I do not for one instant believe that they are, and if you are familiar with them already, would you please show the class how to write each of the four basic elemental runes?"

Harry pulled himself up off the floor and took the chalk that Babbling was holding out to him.

"Active or stasis?" Harry asked. "Harming or warning?"

"As they would be written into a shield or ward Mr Potter," Babbling said. "To protect something."

"Active it is," Harry affirmed, then wrote out 'burn baby, burn!', 'meet your grave, do you like it?', 'no more bubbles', and 'what's that? Can't breathe?' on the board in demon scrawl, with the appropriate 'fire', 'earth', 'water' and 'air' underneath – as well as their literal translations, which Babbling wasn't too pleased with, but she could see that he had written all of them correctly.

"Very well Mr Potter," Babbling said stiffly. "You may read ahead for when we begin Norse runes. I assume that you do not also know that runic language?" she asked.

Harry shook his head happily. "No Professor. I'll study hard," he promised.

"Good."

Hagrid was the new Care of Magical Creatures professor, and for their first lesson he introduced them to Hippogriffs. Harry's comment, after having bowed to one and been permitted to pet it, that the name wasn't elegant enough for the beautiful creatures had him instantly in their favour. When he asked if he could brush their coats on the equine hind-quarters, and then proved to be good at it, he was practically adopted by the herd.

Hagrid kept with the theme of things that were capable of flight until he ran out of animals that he could physically bring in to show to the class, and after that turned to water-dwelling creatures. Some of the creatures the students learned about caring for, others Hagrid taught them how to defend against. He knew that, just because he didn't have a problem with something, didn't mean other people wouldn't.

"Hagrid?" Harry asked one class as he was waiting his turn to feed a water-cow (the kind, non-carnivorous version of the water-horse that they were currently being taught to recognise before they moved onto the identifying factors of its dangerous cousin – which Hagrid wasn't allowed to bring in), "I heard that the Gryffindor-Slytherin class was doing something different."

Hagrid nodded. "The ones same year as you? Yeah. They didn't respect the Hippogriffs Harry," Hagrid answered. "So they're startin' at the very bottom of the food-chain an' workin' their way up. Teach 'em patience, I hope. They're studyin' things that fit onna table inna classroom, exclusively, where you're learning 'bout lotsa different critters by studyin' somethin' higher up on the food-chain. Here's a question," Hagrid said, raising his voice. "Who here can tell me two creatures we've covered as eat another magical creature?"

Hermione's hand shot straight up, but it wasn't the only one. That was another difference between the Gryffindor-Slytherin class and the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff class. Harry's hand was in the air too, proud to have this knowledge, and proud to be a Hufflepuff. In fact, every single person in the class not feeding a water-cow at that moment had a hand in the air.

Hagrid grinned. "Two points each, I don't need to hear your answers now. Your homework due Monday is to write me three food-chains, starting with a high-order magical creature that we've studied at the top, and working your way down. Include everything that each creature eats, whether it's magical or non-magical, creature, plant or bug. Full lists. An' there'll be bonus points for if you can tell me what effect such a diet has on each of the creatures in that food-chain. Now, move aside for the next people to feed the water-cows."

~oOo~

It was Harry's first Christmas spent at Hogwarts. The only people back at Black Manor were the Baron and Hermione's parents down the road. Hermione's parents had decided that they'd go to the family Christmas party that year, and Hermione could stay at Hogwarts with her friends. Sirius went to Hogsmeade to apparate out, collect the Baron, and bring the gentleman cat to Hogwarts for the holiday.

It was, quite simply put, excessively impressive.

Harry went out with his pokemon to enjoy the snow – leaving Chav in his pokeball since he wasn't fond of the cold, and Harry didn't feel like drawing the attention of all of his professors by releasing a dragon on school property where everybody could see and panic – and fought a snow war against the Twins and Marauders, with Hermione to referee between Harry's 'Team Pokemon' and the older 'Team Prank'.

Sirius grumbled good-naturedly about being humiliated by his godson, but Harry did have the benefit of having enough fire pokemon on his side to melt anything coming close to him, and having two pokemon who specialised in ice. Not to mention perfect aim and a good throwing arm.

After the war, Sven froze a portion of the lake surface for ice-skating while Thor gave rides on the rest of the lake that wasn't frozen.

The younger Weasley siblings came out around that time, along with Neville Longbottom and a girl from Ravenclaw – Luna Lovegood. Luna had clapped her hands happily, conjured some ice skates, and immediately started skating, while the Ron, Ginny and Neville just stared at the pokemon in shock for a while before hesitantly joining in the fun.

~oOo~

When the end of the year rolled around, Remus' status as a werewolf somehow leaked out – Snape denied it under oath when Sirius asked him – and not even every student in the school pleading that he was a great teacher (and not all of them did) could get him to stay after that got out. Remus packed up his bags immediately. Sirius finished up the term, and then followed. If the school was going to be ashamed of a great teacher because he had a little furry problem once a month, he would wash his hands of the place – except for as Harry, Hermione and the Twins needed him, and the Twins only needed him to bounce prank ideas off, though mostly he found himself awed by their creativity, which always made them preen a little.

Sirius made his last classes about werewolves in order to educate all of the students on exactly what the situation was for Remus and other werewolves like him.

"Most werewolves," Sirius lectured, "are normal people. Once every lunar cycle, between moon-rise and dawn, this otherwise normal witch or wizard will turn into a crazed wolf with a diseased bite. If they have access to a potion that has been named for its primary ingredient, wolf's bane, then they can keep their minds intact despite the change and generally keep themselves shut away from others. This potion is expensive to purchase and difficult to brew however, therefore a number of werewolves have installed a cage in their homes, or reinforced their basements so that they act as secure dungeons, or they will find some other, similar variant, where they can lock themselves up – or have a family member lock them up – on the night of the full moon. This second option is far more commonly used, and not just because of the expense of the wolf's bane potion. The potion also poisons the werewolf, the person who is diseased with lycanthropy, and they age faster. Some of you may have noticed that Professor Lupin looked increasingly tired as the year wore on, that is because he elected to take the potion for the duration of his time as your teacher. He did not want to risk any of you meeting an adult werewolf on the full moon with only instincts to guide his motions. There is a great deal more that I will tell you about werewolves before the term is over, but now I will start with any questions you have."

Hermione raised her hand.

"Yes Miss Granger?"

"Professor Black, is there any way to escape the bite of a transformed werewolf?" she asked.

Sirius chuckled humourlessly. "Oh yes," he answered. "If you are an animagus, then your animal form will not be infected if you are bitten by the transformed werewolf. The danger with that however is that your animagus form, should you have one, might be small enough to be swallowed whole or easily killed by a hungry werewolf. That is how I have been housing Professor Lupin in my own home safely all these years," Sirius said, transforming into a large black dog, then back again. "I happen to be a wolfhound, for those of you who have little to no idea about dogs," he said. "I am a large enough animal, with sharp enough teeth of my own, that I can keep a transformed werewolf in line should we decide to go out to a deserted forest for a full moon. It is healthy for a werewolf to be able to run during the full moon, to wear themselves out. The person that they are the rest of the month will be a healthier person if they can run on the night of the full moon."

Another hand raised.

"Yes Mr McMillan?"

"Who bit Professor Lupin?"

Sirius frowned. "Ah. That was a werewolf by the name of Fenrir Greyback. Fenrir Greyback is almost the entire reason that werewolves are feared. He's what is known as a feral werewolf. Even when he is human, his thought processes, as much as the Auroros who had been hunting him can understand, are like the wolf. Most werewolves do not want to be werewolves. I would like to stress that point. Most werewolves enjoy leading normal lives, as much as they can with all the laws limiting their freedom at the moment. They think of themselves as human except for that one night, and then they take themselves far away from human society. I have heard that on the full moon it is possible to see whole packs of werewolves running together through deserted woodlands. Possible, but not advisable to anybody not an animagus of the sort to be safe from being dinner," he added as a caution. "Fenrir Greyback is of the other variety, the minority, but the small bad portion that everybody's minds seem to jump to. A normal werewolf, when human, might gain a few bonuses like an advanced sense of smell, being a little bit stronger than average, or being able to run better. Might. A feral werewolf, on the other hand, tends to develop elongated canine teeth, claw-like fingernails, and will definitely have those advantages I already mentioned. They will only be able to infect another during their transformation on the full moon, but if they scratch or bite you at any time, you will develop what is beginning to be called lycananthy, rather than lycanthropy, which is to be a werewolf. Lycananthy is to be like the werewolf is any normal time of the month. All those mights I mentioned? You might get them too. There won't be any transformation on the full moon, but the scar that you will definitely get from the encounter will never fade, and you will suddenly find yourselves being just as restricted from getting a job as a regular werewolf, even if the only thing you have to show for the attack is a scar and a preference to have your steaks not as well cooked any more."

There were only a very few, very weak laughs at Sirius' perceived joke about raw steak.

Homework from that class was to research an aspect of government legislation about werewolves and give a ten-inch essay back when he had them again the following week.

Harry rode back to the station with Sirius and Hermione sharing his compartment.

"You're taking me with you on this next adventure, right?" Hermione demanded.

"If your parents agree," Harry reminded her. "They might want to see you and spend time with you after all. You have been gone all year."

"We'll be back by your birthday right?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded.

"Then I'd still have all of August," Hermione pointed out.

Chapter Text

“Where are we Harry?" Hermione asked, letting him help her down off of Silver's back.

"England still," Harry answered. "But a different one," he gave Silver a pat on the flank and returned him to his pokeball. "One with more vampires and possibly a few different rules. I don't know how I let you talk me into letting you come on this inter-dimensional visit. You could get hurt."

"So could you," Hermione pointed out.

"I have more experience with weapons besides a wand Hermione," Harry countered.

"I'm glad to hear it," said another, more imperious female voice from a few feet away from where they were.

"Oh, sorry Ma'am," Harry said, bowing respectfully. "Did we land somewhere inconvenient?"

"My lawn. You set off my new intruder alarms and my butler reported seeing a very strange horse on the security monitor," the woman answered, the small cigar bobbing slightly in her mouth. "Now, who are you, and why should I refrain from having you shot?"

"Harrison James Potter," Harry answered. "And my best friend Hermione Jane Granger. I'm an inter-dimensional traveller on summer holiday from the school we both attend. Call me Harry."

"Inter-dimensional traveller?" the woman repeated, then sighed out a cloud of smoke. "You are not vampires?" she checked.

"No Ma'am!" Hermione objected.

"I don't know Hermione," Harry said with a smile. "I think you're beautiful enough to be mistaken for one of those Hollywood vampire temptresses."

"Hush you!" Hermione said, blushing. "Like you couldn't pull of that look yourself!"

"Come in then, and give a pint of blood for analysis and verification," the woman ordered. Her long blonde hair swishing behind her as she turned abruptly on the spot before re-entering her mansion.

Half an hour later, the two teens had done their bleeding and were seated in the woman's office, waiting for confirmation of their word.

"That was human blood," a voice confirmed. "Virginal human blood," it – he – added with some measure of dark glee.

"That does not give you permission to turn the girl or have Seras turn the boy," the woman snapped shortly.

"She still isn't drinking her blood regularly. And as I already have the police girl, I wouldn't dream of adding a second," the male voice answered, as its owner stepped out of the shadows. He wore a suit that was the same black as his hair underneath a coat and hat that were the same red as his eyes. "My Master."

"Mind yourself Alucard," the woman said. "Where is Seras? I have to introduce a bunch of mercenaries to the idea that vampires exist and I really don't want you to be their first impression."

"Mercenaries?" the apparent vampire, Alucard asked.

"Since the recent decimation of our forces, hiring an outside force to escort you to your target in South America was really the only option," the woman snapped. "I am not pleased, by the way, that you simply let them find you, rather than being pro-active and preventing the deaths of all my people."

Alucard bowed and disappeared.

The woman turned her attention to the two teenagers still sitting in her office. "I am Sir Integra Fairbrooks Windgates Hellsing. You have arrived at a very bad time all things considered. I do not have the time or the resources to look after children," she stated.

"Hellsing," Hermione breathed in awe. "As in Bram Stoker's -" she cut herself off and her eyes grew wide.

Harry chuckled. "Caught that did you Hermione?" he asked. "That Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards?"

Hermione nodded numbly. "Vlad Tepes, Vlad the Impaler, Count Dragulia, Dracula. And Hellsing, as in Abraham van Hellsing. All I'm waiting for now is a Harker."

"That line is long dead," Integra answered, rising from her seat. "You may follow and observe if you wish, but I would prefer you to not be seen, if you can manage that. I have to meet these mercenaries."

Harry pulled his backpack into his lap and shifted the upper items aside until he reached his father's invisibility cloak and pulled it out. "We can manage that," Harry promised.

~oOo~

While most of the mercenaries known as the Wild Geese had taken off to South America with Alucard and Seras, Harry and Hermione took to helping around Hellsing Manor. When Harry pointed out to Hermione that, really, the Ministry of Magic couldn't monitor their use in an alternative dimension, the girl had happily gone wild with the charm for repairing things, fixing up furniture, walls, art, and even some of the technology could be repaired. The helicopter only needed a qualified mechanic to give it a once-over to approve it for flight when Hermione was finished with it.

Walter, the butler, was impressed.

Harry, on the other hand, had taken to looking at the security features of the property with the few Wild Geese who had remained. He created and planted bombs in the lawn that would cause minimal damage to the property, but maximum damage to the 'artificial vampires' as Integra had explained them and their weaknesses. He spent a little time with Walter, learning how to slice up opponents with wires that came from spools around his fingers. It was hard, but Harry was a fast and determined study. He scribed runes on the walls for sunlight on command – the demon scrawl strictly read 'yes it does shine out my ass, now burn baby!' - and linked it to Integra so that she could give the order, or share the ability to give the order as needed. The precaution would do no good if no future generations could activate it after all, and her pet vampires would be annoyed as hell if they couldn't turn it off when it had been left on and they were walking through the halls.

Integra had been impressed, particularly as Harry was able to make it look like delicate new scrolling on the eaves. Until she got the literal translation. Then she'd scowled for an hour.

As if all that wasn't enough, Alucard had gotten on the news and Integra had become deeply, deeply unimpressed. Especially when he called her, asking for permission to kill, when she'd already told him before he left.

Harry and Hermione had just watched the TV that was broadcasting the massacre as it happened, taking notes. Within the hour, Hermione had collated her notes with what Integra and Walter had already found, taken over researching, and had a pile of information a foot high that would probably be useful. In that same amount of time, Harry had a new plan for fighting the vampires.

When Her Majesty called a meeting of the Round Table, as well as inviting the Iscariot Organisation to share any information that they had, Integra allowed Harry and Hermione to tag along. Alucard, Seras and Pip – the leader of the Wild Geese – arrived just in time to catch the beginning of the meeting.

It wasn't long after that before Hermione was taking notes again, as 'Warrant Officer Schrödinger' appeared and introduced the man who was leading the enemy.

"Shoot him," Integra ordered, once the message was finished.

Then the Queen started giving orders.

"Something's bothering you Harry," Hermione observed as they walked out of the Round Table meeting behind Integra and Walter. "What is it?"

"That Schrödinger chap," Harry answered. "Seemed awfully non-plussed about having a gun shoved into his mouth."

"It might be because he is in some way related to Schrödinger's cat," Hermione suggested. "The theory was that you can't know if a cat inside a closed box is alive or dead – unless it is observed. Can't even know if it's really there. If the Schrödinger that we just met exists like that, then only he can kill himself, because he can always 'observe' himself as being somewhere else."

"That's how the body disappeared then?" Harry guessed.

Hermione nodded, but shrugged as well. "That's my theory, for what it's worth."

~oOo~

"London Bridge is falling down," Harry sang quietly as he flew on Chav's back towards where the airships were dropping vampire soldiers. "Falling down." Chav landed on a roof. "Falling down." He took a deep breath. "London Bridge is falling down," Harry sang as Chav released a gout of flame at the descending undead, re-dead-ing them before they hit the ground as little more than ash and the metal of their weapons and helmets. "My fair lady."

"Char!"

Harry chuckled. "Let's save London Chav," he whispered up to his charizard. "What do you suppose would happen if you fried those balloons while they're over the river?"

"Char!"

"Well, let's find out if you're right," Harry said.

"Harry, we've got some troubles back at Hellsing Manor, how are you doing?" Hermione's voice called over the intercom Harry had around his neck.

"What kind of troubles?" Harry asked as Chav took to the sky once more. "We're about to turn a balloon into a memory."

"The huge and terrifying but I'm not one-hundred percent sure is real kind," Hermione answered nervously.

"Have you tried the patronus charm? Remember Remus and Sirius taught us last year in the Defence Club," Harry said.

"Only way I'm talking to you now," Hermione answered. "It works some, but not much."

"How's Kou holding up?" Harry asked. "I left him with you right?"

"Kou's fine," Hermione answered. "Breathing fire out the window at the enemy, and it's dealing with the normal ones, so we aren't flooded with vampires, but there's still the huge terrifying one, and I think she's up the back where Kou's fire won't hit her."

"Char!" Chav roared as he made the first balloon explode and crash into the river, all its passengers dying on the way down or dead at the moment of explosion.

"What about the vampire in residence?" Harry asked. "I seem to recall she has a rather impressive weapon that works for a longer range than Kou's fire."

"She's..." Hermione paused. Harry guessed to look around her. "Ah! She's just fired! No more giant crazy lady staring through the windows."

"There you go then," Harry said, as Chav blasted the next balloon. "Glad that talking to me helped your panic. How's the rest of the fight going on your end?"

"Well, since none of the vampires got close enough to get in and all of the Wild Geese are sensible again, we're doing fine. The lawn will need to be re-laid though," Hermione answered. "Sir Integra might need to hire a landscaper, actually."

Harry chuckled. "As long as she's alive to do it," he answered. "A few of the bad guys have landed in the streets, but Chav and I are focusing on where they're coming from for now. Once all the balloons are down I'll land and see what I can do on the ground."

"Don't die Harry," Hermione said.

"Roger that," Harry answered. "Over and out."

"Ditto," Hermione answered with a chuckle, then the connection closed.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Now there's a thought," he said to himself quietly.

"Char!" Another balloon went down.

Harry took out Fey's pokeball and released the ditto onto Chav's shoulders right in front of him.

"Ditto!" Fey said happily. In the situation, any other ditto would probably be quivering like jelly on top of a washing machine going through its spin cycle. Not Fey, not after everything they'd been through already.

"Want to play with us?" Harry asked. "We're setting balloons on fire."

"Ditto!" Fey chirped, looked Chav up and down, then jumped off, transforming as he fell until he was held aloft by his own wings.

"Alright boys!" Harry yelled. "Let's see if we can make them all crispy before Alucard gets here!"

"Char!"

Harry chuckled. Fey didn't go half way. He'd even gotten the roar the same as Chav's, and roared at exactly the same time.

"Build it up with sticks and stones," Harry sung quietly, continuing his song as the next balloon was burned into nothingness. "Sticks and stones." No one fell out of that one. Just more ash. "Sticks and stones." The two pokemon moved onto the next balloon. "Build it up with sticks and stones," Harry sung, "my good gentry."

There were still a good ten balloons left, but as Chav and Ditto blasted into them, they were quickly falling as nothing more than ash and twisted metal into the Thames below.

"Sticks and stones will bend and break, bend and break, bend and break," Harry sung as the fire reflected in his green eyes. Maybe he'd change them later. He'd not been playing with his looks for far too long. "Sticks and stones will bend and break, my dear lady."

"Are such sentiments really in good taste at this time, Mr Potter?" Integra's voice demanded over the intercom.

"At a time like this, Sir Integra," Harry answered, "any sentiment at all should be welcomed. How are you?"

"Could be better," she admitted. "National security has been compromised, and I've been separated from Walter."

"Great Fire of London number two it is then," Harry said. "People can survive fires, they won't survive being eaten. Want me to pick you up?"

"I'm afraid so, as for picking me up, Seras has just arrived, so I'll be fine, and if you would kindly turn your attention to where you've been dropping the enemy's air ships, I think you will notice something," Integra answered. "It's just as well some of the vampires survived your blasting, or he'd complain of being bored again."

Harry chuckled as he looked over Chav's shoulder and spotted the ship that Alucard had gone to recapture a few hours before the battle had begun.

"Roger that Sir Integra. Over and out. Build it up with iron bars, iron bars, iron bars. Build it up with iron bars, my good gentry," Harry sung. "Let's see if we can beat Alucard to the last airship lads!"
"Char!"

"Iron bars will rust and fail, rust and fail, rust and fail. Iron bars will rust and fail, my fair lady. Build it up with blood and bone, blood and bone, flesh and bone. Build it up with blood and bone, my good gentry. Flesh and bone must have a soul, have a soul, have a soul. Blood and bone must have a soul, my dear lady. London bridge may then have mine, then have mine, then have mine. London bridge may then have mine, my good gentry. London bridge is rising up, rising up, rising up. London bridge is rising up, dear sweet lady."

That was when Harry spotted Schrödinger. "Fey!" he yelled out. "Confront that cat-boy! As him!"

"Char!" Fey answered, diving, shrinking, changing as he went.

"Everywhere and nowhere, but two places at once?" the Schrödinger said, turning pale.

"I see you," Fey answered in Schrödinger's voice, adding a little bit of sing-song to it like a teasing child. "And do you want to know what I see?"
Schrödinger shook his head.

Fey laughed. "Go ahead, you were just about to, I can see how dead you are."

Schrödinger cried and shoved the knife into his left eye, piercing his brain, dying and bleeding out.

Fey watched until the Schrödinger was dead, then morphed into Iggy and fried the boy so that none of his flesh or blood were left. That done, he jumped, returning to the air and as a copy of Chav rejoined the aerial battle against the last of the balloons.

"Harry, cancel the London Fire," Integra's voice sounded. "Alucard and Seras have ground under control."

"Roger that," Harry answered. The last balloon went down. "Skies are clear. Returning to the Mansion. Hope you find Walter."

"Roger that, over and out."

~oOo~

It took a few tries, but Harry was finally able to tweak his wizard's camera the right way so that he could take photos of the two vampires for his book, and a lot of wheedling to get them to both write something in it – Seras was a lot more inclined to agree, but she had no idea what to write, and Alucard flat out refused until Harry thought to offer him a pint of blood in exchange. Even then, he'd written it in Romanian, rather than English. Harry had just laughed and promised to learn how to read Romanian so that he could find out what Alucard had written for him.

Integra was pleased enough to write in his book some of her family history, as well as advice or personal decisions that had served her well through the years. She even wrote about how she'd taken over the family business when she was young and had to kill her uncle to keep it.

"A lesson that sometimes not even those who say they're looking out for you really are, and that allies can sometimes be found in unexpected places," she had written at the end of the story, and repeated to him as she handed Harry his book back.

"You're going to need a new one of those again soon," Hermione pointed out when they were packing up to leave back to their England. "Maybe I should get you one for your birthday, hmm?"

Harry smiled. "I'd like that," he answered as he shoved the last of his things into his backpack. "Are you ready to go?"

Hermione nodded.

"Leaving already?" Alucard asked from the door, Seras beside him.

"We are," Harry answered. "We had intended to say goodbye before actually leaving though."

"So say it," Integra said shortly, stepping out from behind the wall and into the doorway as well, lighting her cigar. "Though I will thank you both for helping get everything fixed up again," she added, more gently. "I'm going to have to actually hire a new butler now that you're leaving."

Walter had been found dead on the battlefield. Harry had been filling the position as far as bringing tea and cooking meals, while Hermione had dealt with researching, filing and keeping things clean. Integra had been looking for a new butler, but between Harry and Hermione, she hadn't felt the need to follow through with hiring someone new yet.

"Thank you for having us," Hermione said. "It's been an education."

Harry grinned. "Thank you, all," he said simply, releasing Silver. "May the grace of God go with you," he intoned, then swung up onto Silver's back, pulling Hermione up behind him.

"Amen," Integra answered, stepping out of the doorway.

Alucard and Seras followed her example.

Silver trotted towards the door, through it, but not out into the hallway. They were gone.

"What are you doing awake at this hour?" Integra asked her vampires.

"Just about to go to sleep Master," Alucard answered. "Seras just needed to be reminded of where she sleeps now."

Integra raised an eyebrow above her glasses in silent question.

Seras smiled sheepishly, and Alucard grinned.

"My coffin," he stated, his arm around her waist possessively.

Integra snorted. "Be gone with you two," she said, smiling and shaking her head. "You will have work tonight."

"Yes Master."

Chapter Text

Being back at the Black Manor in time for his birthday meant that Harry was also back in time to go to the Quidditch World Cup Grand Final. Not exactly his thing. If there was going to be flying involved after all, he'd much rather be doing it himself than watching someone else flying. On the other hand, Sirius and Remus were big fans, and had already bought tickets to go – for Hermione's parents as well, since they'd missed out on getting to interact with more of the magical world while Hermione was at school last year due to both Sirius and Remus teaching at said school. Even the Baron was coming along.

Harry decided to make his hair so green that it matched his eyes for the occasion. They were supporting Ireland after all.

They found their camping site – and the Weasleys as their neighbours, which was a treat for Harry much more than the Quidditch. All except for Percy (who had graduated before Harry realised he was a ponce, and therefore had his money, though the allowance had stopped) and Molly were present, and Harry really wanted a chance to get to know Bill and Charlie. He knew Fred and George were fun, and Ron was okay as long as he kept his mouth shut (but mostly an idiot otherwise. Harry had decided to cut his allowance in half, rather than remove it completely), and Ginny... Harry had cancelled her allowance almost immediately after he'd gotten to speak to her the first time. After the Chamber of Secrets incidence of course. That counted as a bad day for anybody. He suspected that she was all of what Molly had spent any of the extra money on apart from the potions to dose up her family, and who Dumbledore had had in mind when he set up that 'Future Mrs Potter' account that Harry had re-purposed.

Harry had only gotten to meet Bill and Charlie briefly when he'd rescued Ginny from becoming a corpse in the Chamber of Secrets. Now, he was going to take the opportunity presented to him to get to know more about the curse-breaker and the dragon-handler.

As Harry enjoyed hearing stories from the two men, a dicta-quill recording them into his book for him, Harry sighed in relief that his theory of red-haired people being awesome was once again on solid ground. It had been a bit shaky with Percy (who was only an awesome prick), Ron (who had an awesome appetite) and Ginny (who was awesome at hexing people). All awesome, none cool. Bill and Charlie were cool. Bill most especially, but he seemed to almost do it on purpose.

Harry decided that he was going to wear the jacket that Cid had given him for his eleventh birthday, and the Luggage had obliged by presenting it, clean and pressed, on top of his clothes pile. Cid had apparently given Harry one of his own jackets from when he was younger, as it had Cid's name on the tag above where Luggage had applied Harry's name in careful stitching. It was still just a little big for Harry, but as it was a jacket and Harry was only fourteen, that was just fine.

"Harry, I didn't think Bill would be that big of an influence on you," Sirius said, grinning. "Where did you get that jacket on such short notice, and out here where there aren't any proper shops?"

"It was a present from when I turned eleven," Harry answered. "It belonged to a friend of mine, and he gave it to me as a thank you. Gave me this headband too," he added.

"You wear that headband practically all the time," Hermione observed, smiling with sinister intent – intent to tease. "Good friend?"

Harry laughed and shook his head. "Great gift," he countered. "In Konoha, getting a headband is a sign that they've graduated from their Academy. They don't always wear it around their heads of course, but it's the usual place. Not that this headband came from there," he added.

After the game – which Ireland won despite Krum catching the snitch – Harry went with Fred and George to collect their winnings from Bagman, who they'd made a bet with.

"That's leprechaun gold," Harry said shrewdly. "The real deal, if you please sir."

Bagman gulped and counted the money out again.

"You should really know better than to make bets if you can't cover them," Harry said before leaving with two very happy and considerably richer red-heads. They were that much closer to their dream of owning their own joke shop.

When they got back to the camp, Harry went straight for the tent and started packing up. It wasn't like he'd really unpacked in the first place, the wizarding world was a very safe one really. He checked that his weapons were all clean, primed or sharpened depending on their needs, his wand got a polish as well – it was a weapon too after all, even if it could also be used to clean places and turn buttons into bottle caps. He groomed the pokemon who would fit inside his tent, fed them, and returned them to their pokeballs. Then Harry read through the technique scrolls, getting all the way to the last technique each of them listed, and he looked through his books to see what his 'teachers' had written. Last of all, Harry settled down to meditate.

He concentrated his chakra in his right hand, his chi in his left, deliberately making the balls of energy grow or shrink in size as he exercised them like they were muscles. The meditation was his nightly routine, just like the Turk callisthenic program was his morning routine, and that one only because it was almost as hard as Genkai's entire daily regime fit into half-an-hour and the space of his bed rather than needing cliffs and bonfires and tightropes over ravines and ten-pound iron balls chained to his ankles.

Harry sighed when, after only getting half an hour of meditation in, screaming interrupted. Harry pulled on the clothes he'd set out for the morning, wrapped his pyjamas up in his bedroll and sealed it into one of his scrolls. With another thought he sealed the tent as well, then shoved the two scrolls that held all of his worldly goods – including his wand, he'd put it away after polishing it – into a pocket in the lining of his jacket so no one could steal them.

"Been a bit of a while since I've actually fought only using my fists, chakra or chi," Harry commented to himself when he spotted the people floating up in the air, clearly being manipulated by wands. "I think it's past time to check that I still can."

"Harry no!" Sirius yelled.

Harry turned. His godfather must have heard the comment.

"If they recognise you, they'll kill you! They're the Dark Lord's men, Death Eaters!" Sirius hissed, grabbing Harry's arm and pushing him in the opposite direction of the wizards who were causing mayhem. "Please Harry. Just stay with Remus, Baron and the Grangers, alright? The Weasleys too if you find them."

Harry looked over at his friend and her parents, then back to his godfather. When he nodded, Sirius gripped his shoulder quickly before running off to face the foe.

Harry looked at Hermione and her parents again. The Grangers would be in trouble if they got caught by those people after all. Actually... Harry pulled out his two scrolls and held them in one hand, his other hand out beside it, empty. He hadn't tried this before, but it was close enough to the summoning trick that Gojyo and Goku had taught him that he was fairly sure it would work. A red-and-white ball appeared in Harry's hand, and Silver erupted from it.

"Hey boy," Harry greeted, petting his nose. "I need you to take Hermione and her parents back to their home. I need you to not be seen on the way too, can you do that?"

Silver nodded his head.

Harry smiled happily. "I knew Binky taught you that trick. You go wait at Black Manor when they're home safe alright?"

Silver nodded again.

"Hermione," Harry called.

"Here Harry," she answered, stepping up. "Mum, Dad, we're getting out of here. It's not safe for you."

Jake and Helen Granger just nodded in agreement and mounted up onto the – they supposed – magic horse behind their daughter. Muscles bunched beneath them, and then Silver had leapt into the sky and was running over nothingness at high speeds, invisible to those below as he left the camping grounds behind and headed back to London.

"That's them safe," Harry commented to Remus.

"Don't suppose you've got another one for us to ride," the werewolf commented.

Harry shook his head and put his scrolls back in the hidden pocket. "Fey can imitate Silver in appearance and fire-power, but Silver hasn't told any of my other pokemon how to do what Binky taught him to do, and Thor only carries over water," Harry answered. With a small smile he added, "and I don't think you really want to ride Chav out of here."

Remus chuckled weakly in agreement. "No," he admitted. "A dragon suddenly appearing here would cause even more panic. Come on, we'd better see who we can find," Remus said, tugging Harry towards the little bit of wooded cover that was nearby.

"Mr Potter," greeted a voice, causing Harry to pause and look around.

"Oh, hello Draco, I haven't seen you for ages," Harry greeted, smiling. "How have you been?"

Draco shrugged. "Well enough," he answered. "You running and hiding?"

Harry smiled and walked over to the paler boy. "Death Eaters make Remus nervous," Harry answered, indicating that he wasn't alone.

Draco nodded a greeting to the man. "Good to see you Professor," he greeted. "Sorry to have lost you as a teacher, but you seem to be healthier now."

Remus smiled. "Thank you Mr Malfoy," he answered. "And yes, I have been feeling much better since I retired from teaching and got off the potion again. It is truly foul stuff."

"Why have I hardly seen you since our Sorting, Potter?" Draco asked. "Apart from you being a Hufflepuff?"

Harry chuckled. "I think that's just it," he answered. "Hufflepuff and Syltherin don't have any classes together, and that's it. Though I did think that you were avoiding me there. You should come to the Defence Club this year."

Draco chuckled. "It's got Weasleys in it, doesn't it?" he asked, shaking his head.

"Yeah, but Fred and George can keep Ron civil, and Ginny sticks to the regulated duels to fling hexes as people. As long as you don't get partnered with her you'll be fine," Harry offered.

Draco nodded. "I'll think about it," he said, shrugging and turning to look back at where the Death Eaters were being subdued at last. "I'd probably suffer for it though."

"So don't tell your father you're joining," Harry suggested simply. "It's your life Draco, not his. Make your own decisions."

"Yeah," Draco said quietly. "Maybe."

"I hate to break this up," Remus said, "but I'd still feel better if we weren't quite so visible."

"Some Weasleys went that way -" Draco jerked his thumb over his shoulder, "- about two minutes before you got here."

"Thanks Draco," Harry said with a smile. "Got to take care of the extended family."

Draco's spine went rigid. "What?" he asked. "You're related to the Weasleys? How?"

Harry chuckled. "Same way you are," he answered. "Through the Blacks."

Draco blinked in shock. "Okay, I think I can probably make it to the Defence Club this year," he said, a smile slowly creeping over his face. "But I will definitely not be telling my Father about this."

~oOo~

Harry chuckled when Dumbledore announced the cancellation of quidditch for the year. All of the team captains were just about up in arms. The announcement of the Tri-Wizard Tournament only made Harry laugh more, when a lot of students started complaining about the age restriction.

It was rather impressive when the two schools who would be visiting for the Tournament arrived, with the French school arriving by air in a carriage pulled by horses twice as big as Silver and blessed with wings, and the 'unplottable' school – which Harry could only guess was somewhere in the deep European countries where the USSR had once been in power – arriving by boat up through the middle of the lake. That had to have been a truly interesting experience. He hoped he could get the details at some point.

Beauxbaton and Durmstrang. He would look forward to discussing differences between curriculum with the students, provided they would talk to a student three years younger than themselves of course. What was really getting him curious though was if this Tri-Wizard Tournament would be anything at all like the Dark Tournament. Unlikely, but he could hope.

When Dumbledore announced that any student wishing to participate were to put their names into a cup, which would then select the single student to represent their school, giving the best chance to win that each school had, and that these three 'champions' would compete against each other, Harry snorted at how simple it seemed to be.

"The Champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum!" Dumbledore announced on Halloween night when the cup released the first name. The cheers only died down when the cup flared again and released the second name. "The Champion for Beauxbaton will be Fleur Delacour!" There were not as many cheers this time, as a number of the girls in their pretty blue uniforms broke down crying. Still, this calmed down as well when the cup flared again. "The Champion for Hogwarts will be Cedric Diggory!"

Harry cheered with the rest of his house, but then he noticed that the cup was flaring again and he silenced himself. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Harry Potter," Dumbledore announced.

No one cheered. It was possible to hear the Beauxbaton horses beyond the thick stone walls.

Harry stood slowly. "I swear upon my magic," he said, "that I did not put my name into the Goblet of Fire." He held up his wand and flared a light at its tip. "I swear on my magic that I do not know how my name came to be in the Goblet of Fire." He made his wand tip flare again, and then he put his wand away and looked up at the head table. "Headmaster Dumbledore, was a school listed beside my name?"

"No Mr Potter," Dumbledore answered.

"Then, if I must compete, I will do so without using the lessons that I have gained from Hogwarts classes," Harry declared. "As an independent person, and not as a Hogwarts student. After all, Cedric Diggory is the Hogwarts Champion."

That announcement caused an uproar, with students and teachers alike horrified by the idea of Harry Potter disowning their lessons for the Tournament, though proud of him affirming Cedric as Hogwart's true Champion. Though Fred and George were smiling a little, guessing that Harry had left out clubs so that he could use the stuff he'd learned in the Defence Club, and Hermione was trying to hold in her giggles, as she knew that Harry had other ways of doing things that these witches and wizards had never seen before.

"Just go join the other Champions," Hermione said, jabbing Harry in the ribs gently once she was certain of not bursting out laughing any more.

"Of course milady, as you wish," he announced, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles, just as he had when he met her, then left the Great Hall behind.

In the room out the back of the Great Hall, where the other Champions were waiting, Harry bowed in greeting to the three older students.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Cedric asked, confused.

"Someone put my name in the cup," Harry answered. "I don't know who, I don't know how, I don't know why, but I fully intent to remove some body part I find out. As it is, I'm a fourth Champion, but there was no school listed with my name, so I'm only Champion of myself, and I won't be using what I've learned in class here to help." The only side I'm on is mine, that was the philosophy he'd learned from Goku and the others.

All three of the older students looked increasingly more horrified as Harry spoke. Fleur swayed on her feet until she leant back against the wall, and Krum had gone pale.

"Harry," Cedric said laying a hand on his house-mate's shoulder. "You don't have to do that."

Harry shook his head. "Nah," he answered easily. "I'll be just fine so long as I haven't gone soft with all this regular school stuff. Hogwarts is kind of pathetic on the physical exercise front, apart from running up and down stairs."

Cedric forced a laugh. "But you're up earlier than I am every morning doing laps around the school building, and I've heard you in your room doing some kind of fitness routine."

Harry raised a curious eyebrow at that.

"You're den is directly below mine," the older Hufflepuff explained with a half-smile, using the house's names for their rooms in the Sett.

Harry nodded his acceptance. "Still, I suspect that I'm quite rusty. I'm going to skip out History of Magic this year, find somewhere to train properly."

"Well, you'll pass it anyway, perks of being a Champion," Cedric pointed out.

Harry nodded. "I'm also a legal adult as a Champion as well," he said. "Sirius will be shattered, but as only a legally adult witch or wizard may compete, and I'm competing, I'm now an adult. I'll need to write a letter when we get back to the Sett, if Hermione hasn't written it for me already." Privately, Harry hoped that Sirius could still be his legal proxy for where it was required. He'd been reading all of Sirius' letters about manners, expected conduct, and explanations of politics and such, and was fairly certain that he knew what was what, he just also knew that he wasn't interested in taking up that particular mantle just yet.

"Well, this is highly irregular," stated a politician's voice from the door.

The students all turned from their conversation to see their school Heads, a few of the other Hogwarts teachers, and the two Ministry men who had come to assist in judging the competition – supposedly as impartial judges.

"You have been selected to compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament," the politician said. "You are bound by magical contract. Good luck."

"The first challenge you will face," announced the other Minstry man – and Harry recognised him as Bagman, "will be a surprise and will test your daring. It will take place on the fourteenth of November."

"There will be a weighing of wands in two days," Dumbledore added, "and a press conference. This is a very public event."

Harry prevented himself from snorting in contempt at the announcements. It was an event that had been banned for the past hundred or so years after all. Of course the whole wizarding world would be curious.

"Mr Potter," Snape said, stepping forward. "Your magical oaths were most enlightening, but I hope that you will continue to attend your regular classes this year."

Harry smiled. He'd managed to get on Snape's good side by learning his 'student consultation hours' and taking his books to share with him. Snape had been very curious about Yaone's recipes when Harry had shown him, and Harry's enthusiasm for potions – as well as the skill he had developed with surprising speed, and not having been sorted into Gryffindor – had smoothed over the rest. "I was only going to take History of Magic off for extra training Professor," Harry answered. "I enjoy all of my other classes too much to want to miss them."

Snape nodded, a small smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. "Then I will see you in class tomorrow morning."

"Yes Sir," Harry answered.

"Come on Harry," Cedric said, returning his hand to Harry's shoulder – it had dropped off when they'd turned to see the adults. "Let's get back to the Sett," he added, directing the younger boy out past the teachers and down the hallways.

~oOo~

"If I could just have a private word with each of the Champions?" Rita Skeeta, the reporter who was covering the event, asked ingratiatingly.

Harry looked up at Sirius, who had come with Ollivander after getting Harry's letter about the event. He'd come bearing paperwork.

"If you want Harry," Sirius said. "You're a recognised adult now after all."

Harry nodded silently, but indicated quickly that he would prefer to go last. After all, he'd been the fourth name out of the cup, an accidental Champion.

A photographer set up and took a photo of each Champion, as well as each of the school heads, Sirius, Bagman and Crouch (who was the other politician involved), then ushered them all to stand together for a group photo. The Skeeter woman kept trying to tug Harry to the front of the picture, while the photographer seemed to want Fluer in the foreground. Both of these problems were solved by Harry standing resolutely beside his godfather, and Fleur not budging from Madame Maxine's side.

Krum's wand was examined first, then Cedric's, and both were fairly standard wands. Fleur's wand next and Harry was interested to hear that she had a hair from her grandmother – a veela – as the core of her wand.

"Ah, Mr Potter," Ollivander greeted. "I remember your wand."

Harry chuckled as he drew the length of wood from the holster he'd made for it. "I would have been surprised if you hadn't sir," he answered. "It's been an excellent wand, despite your misgivings about the core."

Ollivander chuckled at that. "Yes, well, I'd never used hairs like those before. I'm glad it works for you though," he said, taking the offered wand and creating rainbow with a gentle flick. "Yes, yes, very good."

"And, the materials?" Rita asked, her quill poised over a parchment to write it down.

"I found the core, and its nature is private," Harry said, "as for the wood, the main one is an Australian eucalyptus tree."

"Fourteen inches exactly," Ollivander added as he handed Harry's wand back to him, "an almost oddly long wand."

Harry shrugged and took his wand back. "It hasn't bothered me yet," he said.

Rita had taken her 'interviews' immediately after each wand was weighed, slowing the process slightly, but it let her keep her notes together – and as Crouch had said, it really did help to be accommodating with the press.

"Mr Potter, how do you feel about being the fourth competitor in the Tri-Wizard Tournament?" Rita asked, quill poised eagerly.

"I have already expressed to my fellow Champions that when I find out who put my name in the Goblet of Fire, I will remove a body part from that person. Maybe the left eyeball," Harry answered, adding the last a little whimsically.

Rita flinched, looking horrified. "Why?" she asked, hesitantly.

"Losing an eyeball won't kill them, but it's still a punishment. Whoever did this probably expects me to be killed by the tasks, and if not expecting it, then certainly hoping for it," Harry explained. "I think losing their depth perception will suffice as punishment for intent to see me dead."

"Right," the reporter answered, turning a little bit green. "There's a rumour that you declared that you would not represent your school or the teaching you received here as you participate in this Tournament. Could you confirm or deny that Mr Potter?"

"Only my name came out of that cup," Harry said. "Not Hogwarts. Cedric Diggory is the Hogwarts Champion, not me. I am my own Champion; the only side I'm on is my own. Therefore, I'm not going to use what was taught to me in my classes."

"Does that mean that you won't be using your wand?" Rita asked, driving onward, having recovered from Harry's talk of removing eyeballs.

Harry shrugged. "Probably won't," he agreed. "But then, just because I'm not going to use any of the magic taught to me in my classes doesn't mean I won't be using any magic. I'm a Hufflepuff, I work hard, and for me that means that I've learned more spells in my private study time than anywhere else," he finished with a smile. "Now, if you will excuse me, I would like to return to Runes class. We're covering Aramaic runes at the moment."

Well, he was anyway. The rest of the class were still doing Nordic, because demon scrawl had taken them all so long to understand.

~oOo~

Harry knew that Sirius, Remus and the Baron were all sitting up in the stands with Flitwick, Hermione, Fred, George and Draco – who had joined the Defence Club, and very carefully avoided ever being partnered with either Ron or Ginny for duelling practice. Sprout was up there too, with the Diggory's. He also knew that, after all the drills he'd gone through during his skipped History classes, he was as ready as he was going to be for an unknown challenge.

"Right, please reach into this bag and draw out one of the items you find there. These will decide your order," Bagman said, grinning, "and which variety you will be facing. Ladies first?" he offered, holding the bag out to a very poised Fleur.

When she drew her hand out, revealing a miniature dragon with a pearly hide and a tag with '3' written on it hanging from the little dragon's neck, Harry raised an eyebrow.

Cedric had come to him a week ago saying he'd spotted what looked like their first challenge on his morning run, if Harry wanted to know. He'd refused then, and he had refused every morning since.

"I'm your competition Ced," Harry had reminded him. Now, well, Harry decided that he'd have some fun frightening everybody.

Viktor's dragon had a '1' on it, and Cedric got number '2'. Which left Harry for lucky-last again. He obviously was going fourth, but he figured he could at least play with the little dragon figure while he waited his turn. It was magically animated after all. Very cool.

"You are not nervous?" Fleur asked once Viktor had exited the tent. "Zat is a 'ungarian 'orntail. Zey are ze most ferocious breed of dragon."

Harry shook his head. "Not really," he answered. "A little annoyed that I don't get to watch, but that's the way it goes. Are you?"

Fleur froze, then nodded. "Oui," she admitted. "I 'ave a plan, but I am fearful of it not working."

"I wonder if they can smell our fear," Harry said, raising an eyebrow at Cedric.

The older Hufflepuff boy laughed weakly. "Oh, don't say that Harry! You'll turn me into a nervous wreck before I get out there, and then I'll be dragon-fodder!"

Harry shook his head. "Not allowed," he said. "I want you both to watch me face my dragon, if I can't get to watch you both."

"You're really not going to use your wand?" Cedric asked. "Hermione said at breakfast that you'd left it in the Sett."

Harry nodded. "It's in my den," he agreed. "I don't really think I'll need it though, it's just dragons after all."

Fleur gasped at such a cavalier statement, and was up from her seat with her hands fisting Harry's shirt in moments, unaware of Cedric being called and his leaving behind her. "How can you be so calm?" she demanded. "You are just a little boy! You could die out zere!"

Harry lay his hands over Fleur's and looked calmly into her eyes. "Miss Delacour, I am calm because I know something that you don't. After this task is over, I would be honoured to introduce you to my friends and family, and tell you enough about myself that you will understand exactly makes me so confident to take these tasks with my wand back in the den. Until then, would you like me to call Madame Pomfrey so that she can give you a calming draught?"

Fleur shuddered and sat back in her seat. "Non, merci. Your English potions taste 'orrible."

Harry chuckled. "That they do," he admitted, and they sat in silence for a short while after that.

"Miss Delacour? Your turn," Bagman called.

The two of them blinked and looked around the tent. Neither one of them had noticed the older Hufflepuff boy's absence, nor been aware that so much time had passed, and then Harry was alone in the tent, playing with his little dragon toy until it was his turn.

"Mr Potter," Bagman called.

Harry got up and left the tent. The real dragon was quite a bit larger than the toy, but that was to be expected. He held out his empty hand and summoned the pokeball he needed. All that practice paid off when it appeared gently on his palm, then opened to release Chav.

"Distract her for me?" Harry asked, getting a nod in answer.

The horntail roared at the appearance of another dragon, but Chav roared back and lunged, latching his teeth around the nesting mother's neck and dragging her away from the nest slightly, putting his body between her and her nest. The horntail was a lean dragon, ferocious, but Chav had more mass and pinned her down while Harry calmly walked up to the nest, grabbed the golden egg, and then walked away.

"Thanks Chav!" he called out. "Let her back to her babies."

Chav released his hold on the other dragon's neck snuffed a little fire in her face and then got up. The horntail shook its head and picked herself up slowly before stalking back to her eggs, very unhappy and very protective, but far from recovered from being held to the ground by a heavier dragon.

Harry recalled Chav to his pokeball and dismissed the pokeball back to his bedroom in the Sett, absently tossing the golden egg up into the air and catching it again. "Well," he said, as his friends and guardians ran down to congratulate him, or yell at him for terrifying them, "that wasn't too difficult."

Sirius laughed as he scooped Harry up into his arms and swung him around. "I think you terrified the judges kid," he said. "Congratulations."

"Well done Harry," Baron said, smiling. "I took pictures for you, of all the confrontations," he added.

"Thanks Baron."

"They're putting your score up Harry," Hermione said, pointing.

They were too. A perfect ten from every single one of them.

"I'd be surprised about Karkaroff giving you a ten," Fred commented, "since he only gave a good score to Krum before, and he caused his dragon to break some of the eggs."

"Which he wasn't supposed to do," George added. "Dragon eggs are valuable after all."

"But having your own dragon at your beck and call probably scared them all into not daring to give you anything less that perfect," Fred finished.

Harry laughed.

"Mr Potter!"

"Ah, Miss Delacour, how are you?" he answered, turning to find the blonde running towards him.

Fleur gestured to her slightly burned dress. "I am mostly fine," she said. "I was most impressed with your approach to such a task."

"Introductions Harry," Baron scolded gently. "Not all of us have had the chance to meet your friend."

"Ah, forgive me," Harry said, smiling as he introduced Fleur to everybody. "So, time for a party?" he asked.

"All your pokemon invited?" Hermione asked with a smile.

"Pokemon?" Fleur asked.

"Harry's dragon isn't the only pet he's got," Sirius said with a sardonic grin. "Just the biggest."

"Yes Hermione, the pokemon are invited, and so are Cedric and Viktor," Harry answered, spotting the other two champions heading their way. "And Susan and Neville and Luna as well."

Before the day was out, Fleur had fallen in love with Iggy and decided to become very protective of Luna. Hermione had decided that it was nice to see the 'French Princess' in a more friendly situation. It made her more approachable.

~oOo~

"Shut it Harry, please!" Hermione yelled over the screeching from his golden egg.

Harry waited a little longer before he closed it.

"That was horrible," Hermione said, shuddering.

"That was mermish," Harry answered.

Hermione blinked once, twice, then stared at Harry. "How do you know that?" she asked. "We didn't cover them in Care of Magical Creatures, did we?"

Harry shook his head. "Only as part of learning about grindylows, because mermaids are rumoured to domesticate them. Back when we were looking for the Chamber of Secrets, I found a book about it in the restricted section of the library. Lockhart signed the pass. Idiot was useful for some things anyway. I'm gonna have to listen to this underwater to figure out what it actually says," he explained.

"Harry!" Cedric called, jogging up to them where they were sitting in the Sett. "Did you hear?"

"Do I need to have?" Harry asked cautiously. "Because I just opened my golden egg and it screamed like blue murder."

Cedric chuckled. "Yeah? I haven't tried it yet. No, I was talking about how there's going to be a Yule Ball, and the Champions are required to open the dancing," the older boy said.

"Ah, no," Harry answered. "That I hadn't heard. But I know what to do about it."

"You do?" Cedric and Hermione asked at the same time as Harry stood up from his chair.

Harry nodded, walked around the small table his egg had been sitting on, and got down on one knee in front of the still-seated Hermione.

"Radiant Hermione, would you do me the honour of being my date for the Yule Ball?" he asked, taking one of her hands in both of his and plastering a pleading look on his face.

Hermione laughed. "It would be my pleasure," she answered. "This ball explains why students were required to have 'dress robes' this year," she added.

Harry joined in with her laughter. "And I'm glad that we could convince Sirius and Remus to take us into regular London to do that bit of shopping," he said.

"You'll help me with my hair?" Hermione asked. It had grown a bit since Harry had cut it in their first year, but thanks to the hair-care products that Harry had supplied her with, it hadn't ever gotten bushy again.

"Of course," he answered.

"Well, you're sorted, aren't you Harry?" Cedric said with a smile. "I guess I'd better go and get myself sorted out."

"You have an official girlfriend," Harry reminded the older boy.

"Good point."

~oOo~

After the dance was the second task. Not immediately of course, but it followed, and Harry had puzzled out his mermish riddle well enough that he was deeply unimpressed. The people in charge were either going to be taking the books of his life and stash them at the bottom of the lake, ruining them forever, or they might put a person down there. Considering that he kept his books inside his Luggage when he was at Hogwarts, the likelihood of any of the teachers getting to them to put at the bottom of the lake were slim, so he theorised that it would probably be a person.

Probably a person that he'd be roughly the same size as or bigger than. Probably someone the teachers had easy access to. Probably Hermione.

He warned her, and when they had Herbology next, Professor Sprout asked for Hermione to stay back for a moment.

"Professor," Harry said pausing at the door of the greenhouse. "Are Jake and Helen Granger here, or have sent their consent for Hermione to be used as the bait for the next test?"

Sprout laughed. "Well done Mr Potter!" she declared happily. "Yes, they're here. Sirius was kind enough to bring them."

Harry nodded and left.

Again, he'd left his wand back in his den in the Sett on the morning of a Tournament task, but when they were given permission to start, Harry just started running across the surface of the lake, shocking everybody watching. Even with magic, none of them expected for him to walk on water, or to not sink when he stopped and stood still upon reaching the middle of the lake.

Harry summoned two pokeballs. Umi's, and Thor's. The vaporeon Harry sent down to fetch Hermione, Thor would hold her safely for Harry, as he wasn't sure he could carry Hermione all the way back to shore himself.

When Fleur re-surfaced near him, gasping, sobbing, and having trouble fighting grindylows, Harry grabbed her hand and helped her onto Thor's back while he waited for Umi to return with Hermione.

"My sister, Gabrielle," Fleur wept. "Veela are fire-affiliated, and we are part veela. We do not do well under water."

Harry nodded his understanding, and when Umi returned with Hermione, he asked her to go back down for the girl who looked like Fleur. Umi was back even faster with the second hostage, not having to seek out where the hostages were this time and the child being lighter than Hermione had been. Besides, the merpeople had learned that she wasn't to be trifled with the first time.

"Oh, Gabrielle! Merci 'Arry, merci!" Fleur said, giving Harry a kiss on the cheek before pulling her little sister tight to her chest and sobbing over her.

"Should I worry?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. "Not you, my pearl of the deep," he answered with a teasing smile before kissing her hand. "Thor, back to shore for the lovely ladies, please."

Thor nodded, and Harry knelt down to pet Umi. "Thanks girl," he said. "You did great."

"Vaporeon," Umi cooed with a smile.

Harry returned her to her pokeball and banished it back to his bedroom before running after Thor, jumping onto his back when he was close enough.

"Full speed ahead Thor!" Harry yelled happily. "We've got to get these delicate flowers back on dry land and wrap them up in warm, fluffy towels before they all catch cold!"

Thor laughed and, with a splash, accelerated.

Harry was just helping the girls off of Thor's back when Cedric surfaced a short way out and started swimming back to shore with his girlfriend Cho Chang, and had thanked Thor, returned him back to his pokeball and sent that back to his room when Viktor and his hostage – probably his own girlfriend from back in Bulgaria – reached fresh air again.

Harry was awarded bonus points for rescuing another Champion and her hostage as well as his own – and still getting back first. His running on water wouldn't be fast forgotten by anybody either.

~oOo~

Harry watched as, for the last DADA class before the final task, Professor Moody placed the Imperious Curse upon the students one at a time, with the instruction to try and throw it off. He was working alphabetically, so Hermione was up fairly early in the class, while Harry watched more and more of his classmates go before him.

Susan danced like a professional ballerina, Hermione got down on all fours and purred like a cat, others jumped around like monkeys, but Moody stuck to those three sorts of actions. Then it was Harry's turn.

"Jump on the desk like a monkey." The command echoed in the incantation.

Harry ignored it. He had been meditating every day since he was three, and he knew his mind better than anybody else had a chance to. One of the books in he'd bought back when he'd met Hermione had talked about occlumency, and Harry had factored that study into his meditation immediately after he'd found it. Satisfied that he wasn't obeying any outside orders and was viewing the world through his own eyes exactly as it was, Harry blinked once and walked back to his own seat.

Moody didn't shut up about his ability to throw off the curse for five minutes before he moved on to the next student.

The next morning was the final task. Hermione grabbed him before he left the Sett.

"I know you decided to do this without your wand Harry," she said, "but please, please take your wand for this one?" she asked. "You don't have to use it, but have it with you?"

"Hermione, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself without it," Harry reminded her.

"I know," she said. "But this time it's a maze, you've seen it growing out there on the quidditch pitch, and it's possible that one of the other Champions will get into trouble in there. If they do, and you run across them, then you'll have your wand to send sparks up with and alert the teachers. Please Harry?" Hermione begged.

Harry rolled his eyes and sighed. "As you wish," he answered, hugging her shoulders and going back up to his room. When he came back down, he was visibly slipping his wand into his wrist holster.

"Thank you Harry," Hermione said, kissing his cheek and walking out with him to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Harry, having a perfect score plus a few bonus points, was given a head start into the maze. The hedges had been grown so that they were three metres high. Harry had had the joy of his voice breaking on the night of the Yule Ball, which caused Hermione to laugh, but his growth-spurt wasn't exactly spurting just yet. He wasn't short, but he still only had the promise of shooting up to the same height as Cedric – possibly taller, according to Sirius and Remus.

He didn't really need the head start though. With all the lessons Ryu had given him, Harry was never lost unless someone else was doing the leading, and even then he knew the exact way back to where they'd started. The maze was practically a piece of cake. Except for the sphinx that was suddenly barring his way.

"Greetings, great and noble one," Harry said, bowing deeply to her. Hagrid would have kittens if he knew there was a sphinx in here. He hadn't been given permission to bring one to class. The closest any of the students had gotten was Hagrid's assignment about manners towards winged creatures. Harry's stipulation had been 'in class learning'. Homework didn't count, and this was very important or he'd find his head separated from his neck.

"Little runner," the sphinx returned. "You may raise your head."

Harry straightened. "You know my purpose?" he asked.

She nodded. "The goal you seek is beyond me. There are other approaches, if you wish to turn and find them."

Harry shook his head. "This is the most direct," he answered. "Running backwards does not bring me forward."

The sphinx laughed. "Wisely spoken," she said. "But you must surely be familiar with the lore of my kind? To pass me safely, you must answer my riddle."

Harry nodded.

"This thing all things devours: birds, beasts, trees, and flowers. It gnaws iron, bites steel, and grinds hard stones to meal. It slays kings, ruins towns, and beats the highest mountain down. What is it?" the sphinx asked.

Harry thought back to the times he'd read through the riddles that Edward Nigma had put in his first book. There had been a lot of them after all. "Something that effects everything," Harry mused quietly. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers. "Time!" he declared.

The sphinx smiled at him. "Well done," she said and stepped aside for him to pass.

"Thank you, great and noble one," Harry said, bowing before walking past her.

Harry's fingers closed around the trophy cup as a pained scream sounded behind him. Harry looked over his shoulder and fired off a small blast of chi at the giant spider that was attacking Cedric just as he felt a tugging sensation behind his navel.

Then he landed somewhere that was most definitely not Hogwarts.

"Well shit," Harry grumbled, standing up and looking around. "Where the fuck am I now?" It had been a long time since he'd gotten to swear properly. He'd been in company with people who didn't appreciate it, so he'd curbed the habit, but he always swore very colourfully in his mind when he was not allowed to vocalise it.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you shall renew your son," a voice from the shadows said, and Harry could just make out the slight glow of a fire beneath a very large cauldron. "Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you shall revive your master," the voice continued. "Blood of the enemy, forcefully taken, you shall resurrect your foe," the voice continued. Harry felt the burn of a sharp edge digging into his skin and lashed out against whoever was harming him.

The mist cleared enough that Harry was able to see a dark-robed figure dropping a bloody knife into the cauldron, and then a figure rising out of it.

"Damn and shit," Harry said, backing up away from the ritual site, towards where he'd dropped the trophy cup.

"You did well, LeStrange," said the figure who was standing in the middle of the cauldron, accepting a robe from the other man. "Thank Bellatrix for remembering the spell for me will you? So very good of you all to break out of Azkaban for me. Now, we must see who comes when called."

Harry watched silently, backing up the whole time, as dark-robed figures popped into being around the body who had stepped out of the cauldron. Three guesses who it was really, and Harry only needed one. When people stopped appearing, Harry formed a seal with his hands, took a deep breath, and blew out.

It was really a rush now that he wasn't always thirsty afterwards, getting to breathe the fire himself rather than watching one of his pokemon do it. He should really do it more often now that he'd perfected the technique.

He heard spells being yelled and decided to chance luck and see if grabbing onto the cup would take him back. It worked.

"Shit," Harry said again as he landed on the grass at the entrance to the maze. "That was really quite foul, now that I have a chance to actually think about it."

Moody rushed up to him, somehow beating his friends, and ushered him away once Dumbledore had seen him and gotten to declare him winner of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

"What happened?" Moody demanded once they were alone.

"Creepy bastard crawling out of a bloody cauldron is what happened," Harry answered shortly.

"You saw the Dark Lord?" Moody asked, and something in his voice changed just a little bit. "What did he look like? Was he powerful?"

"Creepy, as I said, and I didn't exactly stick around long enough to find out. So you're the one who put my name in the damned cup," Harry said, watching the man.

"Yes, yes," Moody dismissed. "Of course I did. My Lord bid you be the one he used in the ritual to grant himself new life, so I arranged it all."

"Did you get that Sirius?" Harry called over his shoulder.

"I did," Sirius answered, transforming into his dog form and leaping at Moody, pinning him down and snarling in his face.

Remus reached them not long after that and took Moody's wand. "Don't worry Harry, Sirius will make sure he gets tried and imprisoned."

"Might want to pick somewhere besides Azkaban though, wherever that is. I hear a bunch of people broke out recently," Harry said easily. "But I'm not worried about the man. I want that body-part I mentioned to the reporter."

Remus chuckled, and even Sirius seemed to laugh in his canine form. Then Moody's form started changing beneath Sirius.

"Barty Crouch Junior," Remus said. "That would explain finding Barty Crouch Senior dead recently, raving about his son and his wife just before he bit the dust."

"Did the other Champions make it out alright?" Harry asked, changing the subject as Sirius returned to his human form, stunned Crouch then shackled him.

"Yes," Hermione supplied, running up to the group. "Krum has a little post-imperious stress, and Fleur wasn't at all prepared to face a blast-ended skrewt, even with her slight affinity for fire, but they're otherwise fine, and Cedric is going to be okay too, though he'll probably have a phobia of spiders after this."

Harry nodded. "Do I get my body part now?" he asked.

Sirius chuckled. "You'll have to wait until after he's been tried Harry," he said. "After that, I'm sure I can arrange something."

Harry nodded. "Okay."

Fudge, the Minister of Magic, still did his very best to bury his head in the sand and deny the return of You-Know-Who, but with Sirius leading the push to not be unprepared, as well as the recent breakout from Azkaban, most families were taking precautions. Precautions like increasing their wards, practising their offensive and defensive spells, and in some cases just leaving the country.

Hermione managed to convince her parents to take that last precaution. As non-magical people, they had few defences against magic, and it was safer for them to just be in a different country where the Dark Lord wasn't going just yet. Hermione herself would live at the Black Manor until it was safe for them to come home or she was through with her schooling and could join them in Australia. Whichever came first.

Chapter Text

Harry didn't say goodbye to anybody this time. He didn't tell them where he was going either. Just packed up quietly, left a note, and then disappeared onto the inter-dimensional highway. He stepped out at his destination just in time to hear the beginning of a lecture.

"There are three classes of magic. Three stages of progression to full wizard status," instructed a pale man with grey hair and a mortarboard on his head. "The first and lowest stage is wizard by incantation. Abracadabra der van chot," he stated, and a small red flower appeared in the bowl of a golden cup. "The second stage wizards are hand wizards, whose magic is performed by gestures of the hands and fingers." The man waved his hand at the flower, making it wilt away into nothing. "The third and highest stage of wizard, the supreme exponents, are wizards of pure thought, who need no word or gesture, but by their will alone pierce the heavens."

The woman who had been watching the grey-haired man amble about as he lectured rose from her chair, picked up the cup and threw it out, sending the water that was inside out at the man who had been lecturing, only for the water to stop, to freeze in the air mid-flight while the man looked distinctly nervous.

"Of course, only the most supremely gifted ever become wizards of the third stage," the man stammered, looking nervously from the suspended water to Merlin and back.

"Oh get on with it!" the woman hissed, planting the cup upside-down on top of a pile of books.

The water splashed into the man's face at the same time, and since his mouth was open, he got a mouthful of it.

"Yes Madam," the man answered once he'd spat out the water, then blinked and noticed Harry. "We have a guest we did not expect," he said.

The boy he was lecturing to and the woman who had been watching the lecture turned and saw Harry then as well.

"Harry Potter," he greeted. "Nice to meet you."

"How did you come to be here?" the woman asked, appearing in front of him and bending so that she was looking into his eyes from mere inches away.

"I walked," Harry answered. "From my world to this one. From my time to this one," he added.

The woman straightened and stepped back, surprised, then frowned. "Do you know who I am, where you are?" she asked.

Harry cocked his head and examined her. "I am in the presence of someone great," he said at last. "Someone great, but who time has forgotten... or maybe just my history teacher," he amended with a rueful smile. "Seems rather stuck on the subject of goblin wars. Doesn't even teach about the origins of magic or any of the great magical figures of history. Just goblin wars."

"This is Queen Mab," said the pale man with reverence.

Harry's green eyes widened, and he bowed low to her. "Mother Mab," he genuflected.

She blinked. "Why do you call me that?" she asked.

"Because you are the first mother of wizards and witches," Harry answered, not rising. "There are other names in the dusty history books that I found, other people, but you are considered the first."

Mab smiled. "You are a wizard?" she asked.

"I am," Harry answered. "I came to this world seeking further guidance. School's out for the summer," he added. "Merlin is legend among the wizards and witches of my world, I travelled with the intention of learning from the one who taught him."

Mab's eyes danced in delight. This boy was proof that they were not forgotten. Not completely. That Merlin would draw people back to the Old Ways. "Then you may stay," she said. "Frick, you will teach this boy as well as Merlin."

"Yes Madam," answered the grey-haired man, and ushered Harry to sit beside the other boy.

"So you're Merlin?" Harry asked.

The other boy nodded. "I'm just fifteen," he said. "What about you?"

"Fifteen in a couple of months," Harry answered.

"I'm glad you're here," Merlin said. "I don't think I would have been able to enjoy this at all if it were just me studying under Master Frick."

"Glad to be of assistance then," Harry said with a smile.

"We shall begin with incantations," Frick said, and the tutoring began.

~oOo~

Harry studied hard. That was the way he studied everything. When he wasn't studying the lessons Frick gave him, he was meditating or making sure that he could still remember all of his old lessons – like how to throw a kunai or shuriken at the centre of a target and hit it, or how to use a sword or his shakujo, or even how to manipulate his chi and chakra.

Merlin, he noticed, wasn't as hard a study. The slightly older teen thought more often of his home, the girl he'd just met – Nimueh, Merlin himself had told him – and the woman who had raised him, Ambrosia. Merlin did not want to be studying magic under Frick. The legendary wizard was surprisingly disenchanted with magic, actually.

That was the difference between them. Why Frick was so pleased with Harry and so frustrated with Merlin. Why Harry was gifted with extra time to make sure his other skills were not neglected, and why Merlin was still up with Frick late into the night lighting and dousing candles with a gesture and making the wax splash everywhere.

Harry took his photos subtly, and made many notes in his book rather than asking Frick or Merlin to write them. He'd ask when it came to be his time to leave. He didn't expect for Merlin to leave before then.

"Master Harry," Frick greeted that morning. "I'm afraid that Master Merlin has run off, and will not be returning to us."

Harry nodded. "He's a teenager and he's angry about something," he answered. He gently turned the water-filled bowl before him and gazed into its depths. "He may take years to come around, but he's the most legendary wizard of all time in my world, so I suspect that Mother Mab will make him come around eventually."

Frick chuckled. "Yes, well, for now and for us, all it means is that we may advance your own studies faster."

Harry studied another week under Frick before he asked the goblin – and he was very surprised to hear that, he was used to goblins being only two feet tall – to write a tale in his book. He didn't dare ask Mab, though he had a collection of subtly taken photos of her in his book, and he didn't care to ask the Lady of the Lake. She was too... wishy-washy and vague and loose-tongued when it suited her to be, while incredibly close-lipped at other times.

"Well Master Harry, I am pleased to announce that you truly are a master now," Frick declared with a proud smile.

"That might make things awkward when I go back to school in a month," Harry answered with a happy laugh. He didn't even need a hand movement to do magic any more, and had, with help from Frick of course, learned how to turn himself into an animal – any animal he chose, though Frick had only allowed Harry to practice the one form. Harry thought he made a very handsome raven too. He'd even learned the basics of the language of the dragons. There was very little left that Hogwarts would be able to teach him that would be new. How to write different wards and new runic languages properly, new potions and new plants, maybe some new creatures. Frick mostly focused on spells and communicating with the animals and earth.

"Indeed," Frick answered with a smile. "Her Majesty and I shall miss you when you go."

Harry nodded, his laughter calming. "I'll miss you too," he said. "But there's one other person I'm going to miss."

"Master Merlin."

Harry nodded. "I'm going leave the day after tomorrow, so I want to find Merlin and say goodbye, make sure he's doing okay where ever he's at."

"I'll take you," Mab said appearing behind him. "Merlin won't want to see me yet, but I'll take you." They'd had an altercation the day Merlin had left them, at Ambrosia's house. Harry hadn't gone, but Frick had told him about it quietly.

"Thank you Mother Mab," Harry said, bowing to her.

Mab patted his hair and flickered them both to the house where Merlin had been raised, where he lived now.

"You will never forget me, will you Harry?" Mab asked.

Harry shook his head. "Never," he promised.

"That is all I want," she said. "If we are forgotten, then we disappear and die." Mab looked over to where Merlin was sitting before the grave of the woman who raised him. "I will go now. Do not mention me to him Harry. I have patience, and the time will come when Merlin and I see each other again."

Harry nodded and walked over to his friend, knowing that if he turned back, Mab would not be there.

"I wasn't expecting you," Merlin said, not looking up at Harry.

Harry laughed. "You see the future and your fortune?" he asked. "You always hated those lessons with Frick."

Merlin chuckled humourlessly. "I did," he admitted, getting up from the ground. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to say goodbye," Harry said with a shrug. "Time for me to be going home."

Merlin nodded his understanding.

"Write something in my book for me before I go," Harry insisted with a smile, clapping his hand on Merlin's shoulder.

Merlin laughed and nodded, leading Harry into his small house.

Harry took out his camera while Merlin wrote, and carefully set it up to take a picture. The first click was just Merlin in the shot, writing in Harry's book. The second, when Merlin looked up in surprise as the sound, was of the two of them together, as Harry had set the timer and quickly sat himself down beside his friend.

"What was that?" Merlin asked, chuckling in amused confusion.

"This little device creates pictures on a small piece of film, I then take the film to somebody who likes mixing the elements, and they give me back the picture on a sheet. They're called photographs. I've got lots more in my books already. Have a look through and see for yourself," Harry answered happily as, content, he packed up his camera once more.

Merlin looked through the book once he'd finished writing his little message to his friend, and stared in awe.

"There is more than can be known," Merlin said as he passed Harry's book back to him.

Harry nodded. "There is," he agreed. "Time for me to go," he said with a sigh and a smile, shoving his book back into his bag. "Good luck with Nimueh."

Merlin smiled and shook his head. "I'll probably never see her again," he said.

"Nonsense!" Harry objected with a smile. "You love her don't you?"

"Yes," Merlin answered.

"Then you will see her again," Harry said. "So I say good luck with your lady love."

Merlin laughed. "Go on with you Harry! You have your own lady love to conquer I'm sure."

"Ah yes," Harry said wistfully. "Radiant Hermione," he sighed. "She'll grow out of me one day, decide she's sick of my flirting, and find herself a proper man to love. She may well decide to never talk to me again just for coming here without her."

Merlin shook his head at his friend. "You only now tell me about the girl in your life."

"She's my best friend!" Harry objected. "Not my girlfriend! I flirt with her so that she knows how to handle it when others catch on how gorgeous she is. If I need a female partner for something, I ask her first, but we aren't a couple. Hermione knows that."

"How?" Merlin asked.

Harry blushed. "Told me so herself," he admitted, then smirked. "Well, bye Merlin. Maybe I'll drop by again when you're old and have a long white beard, and bouncing baby grandchildren."

Merlin laughed and pushed his friend out the door. When he followed, Harry was gone.

~oOo~

"Harrison James Potter!" Sirius yelled when Harry appeared in the kitchen of the Black Manor. "I have been worried sick about you! How could you just leave without saying goodbye? A note Harry?"

"Sorry," Harry said quietly, shuffling his feet. "I thought it would be better if I wasn't here for a while. How have things been?"

Remus lay a hand on Sirius' shoulder and gently pushed the man back into his chair. "Messy," Remus answered. "Everybody is on alert for Death Eaters, but Fudge is refusing to believe that the Dark Lord was resurrected, and is therefore only allowing a small amount to be done. He's been doing his best to run your name through the mud as well Harry, but Sirius put a stop to it."

Harry nodded, moving to give his godfather a hug. "Thank you Sirius," he said. "You do so much for me and I don't say thank you anywhere near enough."

Sirius wrapped his arms tightly around Harry and squeezed, perhaps a little desperately.

"Hermione is mad at you," Baron commented. "When you left her behind she was forgiving, but when she found out where you'd gone," he said with a shrug.

Harry winced. "I knew she would be. Where is she?"

"Out back, learning how to not be scared of flying and heights from Draco," Remus said. "But I don't think you're going to be joining them any time soon."

Sirius shook his head firmly and pulled Harry a little tighter.

"Has he kissed her yet?" Harry asked, giving Sirius just as much squeeze as he was getting.

Remus and Baron laughed, and even Sirius chuckled a little.

"How did you know?" Baron asked with a smile. "How do you always seem to know those sorts of things?"
Harry did his best to shrug. "It's a gift. When?"

"About a week ago," Remus answered. "After that though, Draco's held off making any further advances. Hermione mentioned him wanting your permission, or blessing, or something. Though she isn't very forthcoming about why that is, and Draco is even more close-lipped."

Harry chuckled. "I took her to the Yule Ball," Harry explained. "So as her first and best friend, as well as the boy who took her on her first date, Draco needs to make sure I'm okay with him moving in on her. I suspect that when everything is safe again he'll ask her parents for permission to date her as well."

"I sent them an owl already," Draco said from the door.

Harry laughed, raising an arm from hugging his godfather to wave at the boy behind him. "Hey Draco. I'd greet you properly, but I'm a little, er..."

Sirius huffed, gave Harry one more squeeze, then released him.

Harry smiled and turned to greet Draco – and Hermione beside him – properly.

"It's very simple Draco," Harry said as he shook the other boy's hand. "If you ever do or say anything to make Hermione cry, I will use you to practice my castration hex on. Okay?" he asked pleasantly.

Draco smiled weakly. "Understood," he said.

"Hermione, beautiful, radiant, wonderful, brilliant Hermione, will you forgive me for not taking you with me?" Harry asked, kissing her hand and looking up at her with his most imploring green eyes.

Hermione huffed. "If you share your notes," she grumbled. "I assume you did take notes."

"I did, and of course I will," Harry answered. "Now, do you accept Draco's romantic advances? I won't have him pestering you that way if you aren't interested," Harry continued.

Hermione blushed, looked over at Draco quickly, smiled, and nodded. "He's promised that he's not going to be a Death Eater like his father," she said. "Even reported some of the things in his house to the Auroras."

Harry nodded in approval. "Alright then. As long as you don't make Draco cry either," Harry teased, tweaking Hermione's nose fondly, "you both have my blessing and support."

Hermione tackled Harry with a hug and kissed his cheek. "Thank you Harry," she said. "I was so worried you wouldn't!"

Draco laughed nervously. "I was worse," he admitted. "Thank you Harry."

"You're welcome. So I'm out of the loop, what's been going on lately in the political playground?"

Everybody laughed.

"What?" Harry defended with a smile. "Politicians are like so many little kids bickering over petty rules, they just happen to be able to make their rules impact on a lot more people."

Chapter Text

Harry was horrified as he sat and listened to the new DADA teacher talk about blind faith in the Ministry, doing one's best to be a mindless sheep, and reporting on anybody who might try to change things for the better, because any change would never be better than tradition. She even looked amphibious, and not in any kind of flattering way. Very much the toady, and in an absolutely horrific shade of pink with far too much lace and even more poorly arrange ruffles.

"The woman needs an image consultant," Harry grumbled to himself. "Pink is a difficult colour to wear, and she doesn't have the right skin tone for it."

"Harry," Hermione whispered out the side of her mouth. "You'll make it obvious if you keep going like that."

Harry frowned. "Maybe I want to be," he whispered back.

"With her here?"

"Good point."

Umbridge did seem the sort to hold it against a person if they were even the slightest bit different from her perceived norm. He wouldn't be surprised if she was against half-bloods and muggle-borns as well, for not being pure-blooded. He'd call her a bitch, but that would be offensive to dogs, and really, it was impossible to insult her by calling her a witch in these circumstances. Hell, calling her a squib would be more insulting to them than her – and he was pretty sure the foul woman would blow a gasket.

After her first class, the Defence Club doubled in size. It had tripled by the end of the second week, which meant that they needed a larger room. The older students, the ones who had been in the club longer, took groups of newer members and tutored them in their best spells. Draco dragged along all the first and second year Slytherin students to the first meeting of October when he saw how poorly they were all doing.

The disguised Crouch had done a number on his first year classes, teaching them about all the things they should be frightened of, but not telling them how to defend themselves at all, just feeding them horror stories until they were jumping at their own shadows. The first years this year would be just as poorly off if Umbridge had her way, only reading their books all year.

Then the horrible woman gave herself an early Christmas present in November, appointing herself as High Inquisitor of Hogwarts and declaring that all clubs would be disbanded, and would need to file a petition with her to form or re-form. When it was noted that she meant the school's quidditch teams as well, the team captains were almost up in arms. She had no idea about or control over what happened in the privacy of the common rooms of the houses though, so the Hufflepuff games continued, as did within house study groups, but the inter-house and public groups were somewhat screwed, to put it nicely.

"I'm just glad that she can't take prefect badges away," Hermione said, straightening the one on Harry's chest before she moved on to Draco's. They'd decided to meet for a miniature Defence Club meeting in the old classroom and had sparred for a little, which had made them untidy. "Or at least Harry and I would probably have lost ours already."

Draco nodded sadly. "She's nice to me," he said, shuddering. "It's disgusting. I don't know if she thinks being chummy with me will help her with father, or if she's watching me because he asked her to."

Hermione gave her boyfriend a comforting peck on the cheek. "We'll find a way to get rid of her," she offered. "I'm sure we will."

Harry nodded. "No DADA teacher has lasted the full year before after all," he pointed out. "Sirius was officially Remus' assistant," he added, pre-empting their suggestion. "I'm going to start pranking her," Harry declared just as Draco finished straightening Hermione's robes and badge.

"Harry!" Hermione whispered, shocked at him.

"I'll make sure Fred and George don't get suspected," he added, "and I won't get caught. I'm just going to alter her wardrobe every time I see her."

"And how will you not get caught if it's every time you see her?" Draco asked.

"Watch her at breakfast tomorrow morning," Harry answered, then opened the classroom door and took the lead out into the hallway. They were supposed to be patrolling after all.

~oOo~

The Great Hall was silent. Completely. Even the plate that had just been dropped over on the Gryffindor table made no sound as it shattered on the stone floor. Students opened and closed their mouths, but no sound came out.

And Dolores Umbridge was wearing orange. Her filly and lacy and ruffled pink robe and cardigan had transformed the instant she stepped behind the head table. It lost the lace, the bows, the frills, the ruffles, and was just plain orange. Plain, glaring orange. Then the purple stripes slithered over her shoulders and down, and the green polka-dots scattered themselves over the entire thing. Fluorescent purple and neon green.

It was terrifying. Even more terrifying was that it was an improvement.

Hermione turned to stare at Harry, wanting answers.

Harry, as unable to actually speak as everybody else in the vaulted room, just smiled and patted her hand, a silent promise of an explanation – but later.

By lunchtime there was a betting pool on who the mysterious prank-worker was, run by Fred and George, because they wanted to know, so that they could recruit them. Umbridge gave them a detention – no gambling in the school was the excuse.

Next morning, Harry noticed that his two favourite Weasleys had bandages around their hands. It was something he felt compelled to investigate, and he felt no qualms at all about going over to their table and pulling the bandages off their hands to inspect the injury beneath.

The words I will not be disrespectful were carved there in angry red lines, on the back of both of their right hands.

"Blood quills," Fred supplied quietly.

"We've already written a letter for Dad," George added.

"You think she'll let that owl be sent?" Harry asked, gathering healing chakra in his hands and applying it to the horrible marks. When he withdrew his hands, the angry red marks had faded to spidery silver lines, like scars decades old. With just another thought, they were gone completely.

"Harry mate," George said, staring at his hand and Fred's.

"You never cease to surprise us," Fred completed, just as impressed as his brother.

"You're welcome," Harry said quietly. "I'll ask Draco to send a letter about this to Sirius. That should get through without any problems."

Fred and George nodded. "We'll still send our letter to Dad," they said.

Harry changed Umbridge's clothing again every morning. It always looked better when he was done, even when he used the most atrocious colour combinations, but the woman obviously didn't appreciate it.

During the holidays, Harry passed notes around every student that he could – bespelled so that no one over eighteen could read them – with basic lessons on becoming a hand wizard according to his notes from his time with Frick. Hermione dragged him under the mistletoe that Sirius had hung in the middle of the lounge room and snogged him something impressive when he gave her a copy of one of the books that Frick had given him when he'd finished his studies under the goblin.

Draco had asked if he should be worried.

"No," Harry answered easily when Hermione released him. "I love Hermione, adore her, and delight in her very presence, but as enjoyable as that kiss was, we tried that after the Yule Ball already, and agreed that we don't work as more than friends."

"And 'friends with benefits' isn't something we're really detached enough to be able to appreciate," Hermione put in, returning to Draco's side and contentedly snuggling down next to him on the couch.

Umbridge was conducting efficiency tests of the other teachers in her role as High Inquisitor after the Christmas break. Sirius had apologised to Harry about not being able to get her removed yet, she was too much in Fudge's pocket, but promised that by the end of the year he'd find enough on the horrible woman to get her removed, not only from Hogwarts, but from as many of her positions as possible. The horrible woman made herself Headmistress of Hogwarts before that though, sacked a couple of the teachers, and had many more students writing lines with blood quills.

Ultimately, it was her venture into the Forbidden Forest that got her out of the school. The centaurs weren't all that keen on being invaded like that, or being ordered around by someone as pathetic as her. She suffered for it, and Sirius was able to add 'mental instability' to all the other reasons for her to be removed.

Hermione supplied the Hogwarts Charter – she'd found it in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library – to help Sirius make sure that Fudge didn't try the same trick again with someone else. The Charter specifically forbade the interference of the Ministry in the school, and cited that should it occur, then the Headmaster or Headmistress were within their rights to activate the magics to remove the Hogwarts building from the British Isles altogether – a right that would remain valid until the interfering Minister was replaced.

~oOo~

"If I thought I had any power left to forbid you to do anything," Sirius said flatly, "I'd be using it now."

Harry grinned innocently.

"What does Molly have to say about it?" the man asked, sighing in resignation.

"She agreed," Harry answered. "It's keeping the Twins out of her hair and out of trouble," he explained. "I'm not sure she completely understood about where we'll be going, but she agreed."

Sirius sighed again. "Very well," he allowed. "There really is no reason for me to be worrying about you after all, is there?"

Harry shook his head firmly. "Not the kid who stuck to his studies under Frick for longer than Merlin did," he chirped. It was a good trump card to play really, even if only so many people would believe Harry when he said it.

"Fine, go, but be back for your birthday. It's your sweet sixteen after all," Sirius added, trying to get a tease in.

Harry winced. "Does that mean a débutante ball where I'm going to be introduced to eligible young men and women?" he asked.

"You can dance," Sirius answered with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

Harry couldn't argue that.

"It will be the day after you get back, so you'll have time to get some rest in between," Sirius promised.

"Harry!" two voices rang out. "We're here!"

"In the kitchen!" Harry answered, releasing Silver from his pokeball. "Think you can carry three this time?"

Silver eye-balled Harry a moment, as if asking if the boy truly doubted him so much, then nodded.

"Thanks pal. You remember Forge and Gred, right?" he asked, patting Silver's neck and gesturing to the two red-heads who had just entered the kitchen. "We're gonna take them with us on an inter-dimensional field trip." Harry could have sworn Silver smiled at that. He turned to the Twins. "You packed?" he asked.

They held up their shared trunk. Since they didn't need school stuff, and Harry had promised they'd be too busy to do any in-depth experiments, they'd stuck with just clothes, snacks, their wands, and the pens and notebooks Harry had gotten them for the previous Christmas.

Harry smiled and, for their sake, used his wand to shrink the trunk so they could put it away.

"Silver doesn't have anywhere for you to put something that big," he pointed out with a smile. "Now get on," he said, swinging up onto his pokemon's back.

The Twins saluted with a smile and clambered up behind him.

"See ya Sirius," Harry said, and then Silver disappeared through the kitchen door. "Okay, you really are showing off," Harry declared when Silver emerged from the inter-dimensional highway into the sky of the new world and just kept running levelly, not at all bothered by such trifles as gravity.

"We're impressed," Fred said. "Didn't know Silver could do this."

"An' that corridor place was wicked crazy," George added.

Harry laughed. "I wasn't scolding him," he said.

"Oi, what's that?" Fred asked, tugging on Harry's shirt and pointing over to something else that was flying. Descending towards a great heap of ruins actually.

"It's big whatever it is," George commented.

"All in favour of checking it out?" Harry asked.

Fred and George both grinned.

Chapter Text

“Maybe if we stay calm, we can figure a way out of this," said the boy with the scar over half of his face.

"I don't know, what do you think Fred?" George asked, grinning as they walked up to the two boys who were trapped in the sticky green stuff.

"I think they're not going anywhere without help George," Fred answered happily. "I also think we should really get some of this stuff to experiment with."

Harry laughed and hovered his hand over the green stuff, then pulled up. "One sample of impossibly sticky green guk," he announced. "Got something to put it in, or will I be providing that?"

"If you would please Harry," George answered, pulling their trunk out of Fred's pocket, tapping it with his wand to make it grow. "But just so that it doesn't get on everything."

Harry laughed again and created a box for the goo, then handed it over.

"Er, a little help please?" asked the boy with a blue arrow tattooed to his forehead.

Harry chuckled and nodded, raising the bars upwards with a gesture and vanishing the stuff off the two boys with a thought, dropping them onto the stone before returning the grate back to its original place, no harm done.

"So, I'm Harry, these two are Fred and George, who are you?"

"I'm Aang," said the bald boy.

"Zuko," supplied the scarred boy. "Thank you."

"What were you doing to get into that situation?" George asked.

"Get pranked by the wrong person?" Fred suggested happily.

"Come off it you two," Harry scolded lightly. "This is clearly an ancient civilisation. They set off a booby-trap. Bit dumb if you ask me, but why is still a good question."

"We came here hoping to learn something about fire bending," Aang said. "Zuko decided to pick up the golden egg."

"Fire bending?" Fred and George chorused, looking at each other in confusion.

"Don't display your ignorance," Harry said easily. "Just because you're new to inter-dimensional travel doesn't mean that you can go shouting it from the highest temple in the ruins."

The Twins snorted in laughter. "Got it," they said in unison.

"Er, did I just hear you right?" Aang asked.

"Unless I left some of the stuff in your ears," Harry said, walking around Aang so that he could peer into each ear. "Which I didn't," he decided. "Then yes, you heard me right."

"It explains the odd hair colour at least," Zuko commented. "So you don't know anything about fire bending?"

Fred and George shook their heads.

"Walk me through the theory," Harry said. "I've been to so many places I probably just know it by a different name."

"Um..." Zuko hesitated. "We came here because the theory that I know isn't working for us," he said. "I'm used to drawing on my anger to fuel my fire bending, and..."

"And now you're not angry any more," Harry finished. "Well, good for you!" he said with a smile, then drew his face down into a serious expression. "Show me anyway."

Zuko gulped, but obeyed, performing the punch that had been so pitiful the day before. It was no better now.

"Cool," Fred decided.

"You could light a torch," George offered.

Harry took the stance Zuko had just shown him, breathed deeply, focusing on his chakra the way he'd learned in the Ninja Academy, punched, and produced a jet stream of flame before he cut it off.

"Woah," the four other boys breathed, awed.

"How did you do that?" Aang asked, excited.

"Do you know anything about chakra?" Harry returned.

Aang blinked. "Yeah," he said, "I learned some from the Guru. What about it?"

Harry held up a finger, indicating for Aang to wait, then he took the stance again, punched again, and this time, wind rushed past them all.

Aang and Zuko both dropped their jaws.

"How can you air bend using a fire bending stance?" Aang demanded.

"Chakra," Harry answered. "So this world has people that 'bend' the elements, is that about right? Since you've said air bending and fire bending."

Zuko nodded. "The water benders talk about having learned how to bend water from watching the moon pull the tides in and out, earth benders learned from the badger-moles, the first air benders were the flying bison and the original fire benders were the dragons."

"I can understand why you didn't ask a dragon for fire bending tips," George said with a chuckle.

"Yeah," Fred added. "Wouldn't want to get too close to any of them."

"Different world guys," Harry reminded. "Probably a different reason. Besides, Chav's a dragon, you're not scared of him."

Fred and George nodded. "This is true," they agreed.

Aang looked excited at that. "You have a dragon?" he asked, his grey eyes all big and hopeful.

Harry laughed. "Yeah," he said. "Do you have a camp?" he asked, jerking his thumb at the setting sun.

"Yeah," Aang said, looking. "If you can teach us about fire bending, would you come back with us?"

"Got to do something while we're here," Fred and George said happily.

"And we can get the run down on what-all is going on here on our way to your camp, cause I'm guessing you wouldn't be looking around ruins for clues on how to bend if you could just find a regular teacher," Harry said.

Aang and Zuko nodded.

"So, the big furry thing...?" Fred asked as they walked down the outside of the building carefully.

"Six legs, big mouth, big horns, big tail," George added as a description.

"That's Appa," Aang answered. "My flying bison."

"I was getting to the big saddle," George said.

"How did you guys get here?" Zuko asked. "It's not like there's anything really near by."

"We spotted you guys heading down and decided to follow," Harry said. "That yours?" he asked, opening the doors magically and pointing to Aang's staff that had gotten stuck in the goo before Harry had vanished it all.

Aang rushed in and grabbed it. "Thank you! How did you know it was there?"

"Harry just knows," Fred and George said together, rolling their eyes and grinning.

Harry, Fred and George all rode with Zuko on Appa's saddle while Aang sat on the large animal's head, holding the reins.

~oOo~

"Who are these people?" demanded a girl who looked like she was made from chocolate, and dressed all in a blue that matched her eyes.

"Harry, Fred and George," Harry introduced quickly, pointing to himself and then the Twins, being decisive about which twin was which, since he could tell them apart. "We found these two in a rather sticky situation," he added, gesturing to Aang and Zuko.

"Where we'd probably still be if they hadn't come along," Aang added. Appa had flown through the night, the boys all falling asleep on his back, even Aang, and they'd only just returned now, after the sun had come up. "I think they can help Katara."

"I thought you were going to those ruins to find some clue about ancient fire bending techniques," the girl, Katara, said. "Not find more people."

"The other option was for Aang to find a new fire bending teacher," Zuko said. "We found one of those instead."

"Woah there!" Harry objected. "I don't know anything about your bending styles, I just know how to get results."

"Results?" Katara asked, suspicious.

Harry rolled his eyes, spotting the pool near by, glinting in the slight firelight. A gentle wave of his hand had it dumped over the girl's head, and a small puff of hot air in her direction had her dry again. "Results," he said simply. "My friends and I are from a different world, and I've been travelling through worlds pretty much all my life. I may not know your ways of doing things, but I still know how to get the same effect."

Katara frowned.

"I like this guy," another voice called out. "Let him stay Katara. It's a weird story but somehow true."

"Or he could be like Azula," Katara snapped.

"I don't know," another girl said, "so far he's coming across as another Avatar, even if he is from another world."

"You can't seriously believe that!" Katara objected.

"And who might you be, oh diminutive beauty in green?" Harry asked, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles quickly.

"Toph," she answered. "And cut that out," she added, jerking her hand away. She was blushing though.

"As you wish," Harry said.

"So, can you earth bend as well?" Toph asked. "If you can water bend, air bend, and were brought here to help Twinkle Toes with his fire bending."

Harry tapped his left foot twice, a rod of earth rising, then falling with each tap. "No," he said, "I can't earth bend. I can fake it pretty good though."

Toph laughed. "I'll teach you if you like," she offered.

Harry grinned. "I'd like that."

"Hey, what about teaching me fire bending?" Aang asked.

"You wanted to learn from dragons right?" Harry asked, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a ball. "Meet mine."

"Char!" Chav roared, stretching his wings once he was released onto the plateau.

"That's not the kind of dragon we had around here," Zuko said, staring. He was definitely impressed though.

Harry shrugged. "Hey Chav, this place has a different kind of dragon hiding somewhere. Want to see if you can find them? They might be able to teach you a new technique."

"Char!" Chav cheered, grinning.

"Oh, and Aang here would like some lessons as well if you find 'em, so could you take him with you?" Harry suggested.

"Me too?" Zuko asked hopefully.

Chav bent down to look at the two boys, then nodded.

"He'll take care of you," Harry said to the two as Chav picked them up and settled them on his back between his wings and turned to take off. "And Chav?" Harry called quickly.

The charizard looked back.

"Can you have them back by dinner time?"

Chav grinned. "Char!" he answered, and took off.

"So was that a yes or a no?" Toph asked.

"A yes," Harry answered. "So, what's the run down of what-all is happening?"

A boy stepped up, was introduced as Sokka, and proceeded to explain. When he was done, the twins were right on-side and helping him to plan the next potential attack, while Harry looked to Toph and Katara to teach him how, exactly, they did their bending thing.

Toph was very pleased at how quick a study Harry was, and Katara, though dubious and suspicious still, was also impressed at how quickly Harry caught on to the style of water bending.

Aang and Zuko were practically glowing when Chav brought them back that night. Chav was looking pretty pleased with himself as well.

"You found the locals then pal?" Harry asked, 'air bending' himself to be up on Chav's neck so that he could rub him behind his horns.

"Char!"

Harry laughed. "Well, I'm happy for you."

~oOo~

"Not planning anything huh?" Zuko asked Sokka from Appa's saddle.

Sokka yelped as he fell back to the earth.

Harry groaned and poked Fred and George in the side. "Told you," he said. "Wake up."

"At least it's not 'pay up'," Fred commented, sitting up and yawning.

"Even if Harry did invest all of his Tournament winnings in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," George added.

"We'll take my war balloon," Zuko was saying.

"Better idea," Harry said, interrupting both of the boys. "We take Chav."

"If you're gonna break your dad out of prison, we're comin' too," George said.

"Ultimate prank on people in power," Fred added with a grin.

Harry released Chav, and raised a finger to his lips before the largest of his pokemon could roar his usual greeting. "Midnight rescue mission Chav," Harry said. "Give us a lift? Zuko knows where we're going."

Chav nodded and lay down so that the four boys could climb onto his shoulders.

"So," Fred began, leaning back comfortably as Chav flew through the cool night air. "Tell us about this prison we're rescuing people from."

"Boiling Rock," Zuko said. "An island in the middle of a volcano that's filled with boiling water. Fire Nation's highest security prison."

"That means high security prisoners," Harry pointed out. "Which means that they could, potentially, overpower their guards if given the chance."

"That's assuming that high security doesn't just mean the people who pissed off the people in charge. Could be more brawn than brains after all, or all brains and no brawn" Fred pointed out.

"Now now Fred," George said. "Even brawn's got it's high points."

"The only reason I brought you two along for this was your brains," Harry put in with a smile. "You have no brawn at all. Spell work is good though."

"Our spell work -" Fred started.

"- is very good," George finished.

Harry laughed, then noticed that the other two boys weren't joining in. "Okay, I get why Sokka's serious," he said, "since it's his dad we're going for. What's bothering you Zuko?"

"I'm a liability if I'm recognised," Zuko said. "And because of this -" he raised a hand to the scar on his face, "- I'm very recognisable."

"I could get rid of it for you," Harry offered. "Can you even see out of that eye?"

"It's not the best," Zuko admitted. "But it's a scar that I earned for speaking up for the people against my father."

Harry shrugged. "You'll always bear that scar on your soul," he said. "No need for it to be on your face as well." Harry twitched his hand over Zuko's face, and with a twirl of a finger was able to hand the golden-eyed boy a mirror.

Zuko stared. "It's gone."

Harry nodded. "I do good work."

"Char!"

Harry looked forward again. "That the place?" he asked, tugging on Zuko's shoulder.

"Yeah," Zuko answered, stunned again. "We got here fast."

Harry was busy studying the prison, and more importantly to him, the cable cars. "Think you could carry one of those full of people Chav?" he asked quietly. "It would be a bit crowded even on your back if we got too many more people."

"Char," Chav answered in a quiet roar, nodding.

"We'll use one of those if we free lots of people then," Harry decided.

It was ironic to Harry's mind that they got to the prison the day before Sokka's father was due to arrive. Gave them time to find Sokka's girlfriend though, which Fred and George teased the boy about happily.

"Anybody else we should bust out while we can?" Harry asked the warrior girl. He'd be asking her for a spar when they got back to the Western Air Temple.

Suki shook her head. "I know my warriors aren't here," she said, "and most everyone else is a criminal of some kind. I'm one of exactly three war prisoners, and the other two..." Suki trailed off.

"Not nice customers?" Harry suggested.

Suki shook her head. "One of them is actually very nice," she said. "Old guy though. I'd guess he's been here since almost the beginning of the war. Probably wouldn't adjust well to being free is the problem. The other is, well, he's such a hot head that he spends more time in the coolers than anywhere else. Very closely watched. Also has a habit of pinching the butt of every female who walks past him when he's not in the coolers."

"Both of them are a no-go then," Sokka summarised.

"We'll get you out now, and come back tomorrow to get Sokka's dad," Harry decided, looking to Fred and George. "You two can apparate, right?"

The Twins grinned.

"We'll take one person each then," Harry said, laying a hand on Zuko's shoulder and popping out.

"Okay, please don't do that again," Sokka begged when he appeared with Fred.

"Ooh, I second that," Suki said, clutching her stomach beside George.

Harry sighed. "Go fishing or something for a while," he suggested, pointing to the river they'd landed beside. "I'll be taking you back in tomorrow for your father Sokka. I don't think he'd appreciate a complete stranger approaching him about escape."

Sokka chuckled. "Yeah, that's true."

The next day, Harry and Sokka rode Silver into the prison. Sokka was confused about how no one spotted them, but Harry waved it off as a trick that Silver could do, and something best not questioned. It wasn't hard to find Sokka's father, and Silver was very gracious about not complaining, considering he was carrying a full-grown man and two mostly-grown teenagers.

For the journey back to the temple, Harry rode Silver with George, while Chav carried the rest on his back. After all, with only two extra people in the group, they didn't need to take a whole gondola to carry them.

~oOo~

The explosions woke them up, and Toph and Haku were fast to make a tunnel for escape. Harry didn't budge.

"Fred, George, wands out," he commanded. "Time for some real-life practice."

The Twins grinned.

"Wands? Practice? What are you talking about?" Katara demanded. "We have to get out of here!"

"No," Harry said, "we have to survive. We could do that by attacking."

Zuko frowned. "I think this is a family visit," he commented.

"All the more reason," Fred commented easily.

"Since it's your family who's tryin' to kill everyone," George added.

"If we can remove one of them, then that's one less person to fight later," Harry finished decisively, pulling out three pokeballs and releasing them. "Umi, Lex, Sven, I want it too wet and too cold for fire to work, but that's perfect conditions for a good jolt."

The vaporeon, jolteon and glaceon agreed.

"Blasting hexes you think Harry?" Fred asked, pulling out his wand.

Harry nodded. "Or, you know, get creative."

George fired off the first spell, ripping a good chunk out nearest of the war balloons that were attacking them.

"We're actually attacking that many war balloons?" Katara demanded.

"Looks like it," Sokka answered.

"Must be a last act of desperation," commented a cold voice from the top of one of the balloons.

"Azula," Zuko growled. "What are you doing here?"

"Why Zuzu, isn't it obvious? I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child!" the girl answered, then she paused and blinked, peering at Zuko more intently. "Found someone who was not only willing to take away your scar, but actually able, Zuzu?" she asked. "I'm impressed."

"The scar isn't gone," Zuko answered. "It just got moved to where it can't be seen any more. It's etched into my soul."

Azula laughed contemptuously.

Harry whistled, gaining the princess' attention. "You might want to look behind you," he suggested, smirking.

During the little exchange, Fred and George had been quite liberal with the spells of explode-y doom, and Umi, Lex and Sven had been working as an excellent team to flood and electrocute the others, or turn them into large blocks of ice.

"Suddenly, I feel a whole lot better about having to face Ozai," Aang said quietly, staring in awe at the amount of destruction that had happened so quickly. "Not about killing him," Aang added quickly, "but fighting him might be possible."

"Uh, focus on the fire bitch now!" Toph reminded, just a little frantically, even as she sent a boulder flying out into the air where she could only guess the balloons were.

Umi heard the blind girl and obliged, sending a water jet to soak Azula where she stood.

"Okay, what is that thing? I'm gonna barbecue it!" Azula yelled.

Harry returned Umi to her pokeball, while Lex sent a little bit of electricity at the wet girl, just enough to make her jump, pained. Harry then recalled Lex. Sven blew an icy wind at Azula, which Harry was absolutely certain would make her clothing uncomfortable, and then he recalled his last pokemon to his ball.

"You're turn Zuko," Harry offered. "She's your brat sister after all."

Zuko nodded, breathed deeply, and unleashed a stream of fire at Azula's face.

She dodged and finally returned fire.

"Blue flames," Harry noted.

"The dragons, when they bent fire, had so many different colours," Aang said quietly.

Harry nodded, then proceeded to ignore the siblings fighting, instead levitating everybody up onto Appa's saddle.

"We're not hanging around here," he explained, "and we're not separating." He hadn't gotten enough photos or stories in his book from these people yet after all. Soon everybody but himself and Zuko were loaded up. "You nearly finished with her?" he asked, picking out a new pokeball.

"Easy for you to say!" Zuko answered, dodging another stream of blue fire.

"Yes, because I was never lied to growing up," Harry said. "Lies that I have a sister that is better at things that me, lies that I'm a failure, lies that I am weak, all lies Zuko. What did you learn just the other day?" Harry demanded, releasing Chav. "What did you learn?" he asked, more kindly, to his charizard.

"Char!" Chav roared, breathing flames of green and purple.

Harry chuckled. "Now you can show off too," he said, hopping up onto Chav's shoulders.

"A dragon?" Azula stuttered in awe and shock, staring up at those blue eyes in that orange face.

Zuko breathed deeply once more. A ribbon of green fire slashed across Azula's face. "Let's see how our father feels about you now that you're marked the way that he marked me," Zuko said.

Chav scooped the boy up and took off, destroying the last of the war balloon's with a swipe of his tail, making the way completely clear for Appa to fly out behind him.

"So, where are we going now?" Aang asked, drawing Appa alongside Chav so that he could talk to Harry – and so that Zuko could hop across to the slightly more comfortable ride of Appa's saddle, rather than on Chav's shoulder.

Zuko offered up the cottage on Ember Island that his family owned but never went to any more. It was promised to be safe, secluded enough for training and near enough a town to buy things like food if they needed to.

It was decided.

~oOo~

"Appreciating that it's a very bad play," Harry said at the first interval, "how many of those events are accurately portrayed?"

"Because it looks like you guys nearly die or lose a lot," Fred quipped.

"Though of course we understand that you're on the side of good and all that," George added.

Katara sighed. "The events are fairly accurate," she admitted.

Harry held out his hand and twitched his fingers.

"What?" Katara asked.

"Give it up," he said. "Water bending scroll, now."

"What makes you think I've still got it? Or would have it on me right now if I did?" she demanded.

"Harry -"

"- knows," stated the twins, each resting an elbow on one of Harry's shoulders when they spoke.

Katara grumbled, but pulled it out of a fold of her dress and shoved it into Harry's hand.

"Be glad that your father decided to listen to Zuko's critique of the players," Harry said, unrolling the scroll and giving it a once over. "Imagine if he found out all the stuff you've been up to," he added, then rolled up the scroll again and handed it back. "Thank you."

"That's it?" Katara asked, taking the scroll back and putting it away again. "You're just giving it back like that?"

"What am I going to do with it?" Harry asked. "I've read it now, and I get it. No point in me keeping it."

"He's got a good point," Sokka said. "About that, and about Dad's possible reaction to the play."

"At least he isn't in the play," Aang said. "Who knows how he'd be represented? I'm being played by a woman!"

"The actor playing me is completely wrong too," Sokka said. "I do more than make bad jokes about meat all the time."

"Yeah, you make bad jokes about plenty of other topics too," Suki commented with a sly smile.

"I know!" Sokka agreed.

Fred and George laughed.

"Relax guys," Katara soothed, "they're not accurate portrayals. I mean, it's not like I'm some over-emotional cry-baby giving speeches about hope all the time."

"Right," Aang agreed, though he took very little comfort in it.

"I don't know," Toph commented. "From what I can tell, the play-write did his research. I know it must hurt, but what you're seeing up there on that stage is the truth."

In the next act, Toph's actor was revealed. A very large, overly muscled, guy. She was thrilled.

By the second intermission, Suki was making the same observation that Fred and George had made in the first one, and Zuko had fallen into a very serious sulk. Aang had disappeared too.

Sokka persuaded Suki to take him back stage so he could give joke tips to his actor-double, and Katara had gone in search of Aang. That left Fred, George, Harry and Toph with Zuko, who was feeling very down on himself.

"Geeze," Toph said, "everyone's getting so upset about their characters. Even you're more down than usual, and that's saying something."

"You don't get it, it's different for you," Zuko said to Toph. "You get a muscley version of yourself, who's taking out ten bad guys at once and making sassy remarks."

"Yeah, that's pretty great," Toph agreed.

"But for me, it takes all the mistakes of my life, and shoves them back in my face," Zuko pointed out. "My uncle, he's always been on my side, even when things were bad, he was there for me. He taught me so much, and how to I repay him? With a knife in his back! It's my greatest regret, and I may never get to redeem myself."

"You have redeemed yourself to your uncle," Toph said, sliding down from where she was standing next to him so that she was sitting with him instead. "You don't realise it, but you already have."

"How do you know?" Zuko asked.

"Because I once had a long conversation with the guy, and all he would talk about what you," Toph answered, smiling gently.

"Really?" Zuko asked, hope lacing his voice as he pulled back his hood so that he could see the younger girl better.

"Yeah, it was kind of annoying actually," Toph answered.

"Sorry."

"But it was also very sweet," Toph said, leaning into him just a little. "All your uncle wanted was for you to see the light and find your own path, and now you're here with us. He'd be proud."

There was a tender look developing on Zuko's face as he listened to Toph, but then whatever mood might have been developing was shattered by Toph punching Zuko rather firmly.

"Ow! What was that for?" Zuko demanded.

"That's how I show affection," Toph said easily.

"Aw," Harry complained, reminding the two that they weren't alone, but did have an audience. "Then why haven't you ever punched me, oh Toph of my heart?" he asked ingratiatingly.

Toph laughed. "Because you don't want my affection," she answered.

Harry sighed. "Some day I'll find the one for me," he said dramatically, then looked at Zuko. "Well? Are you going to return the affectionate gesture?" he asked. "In your own way of course."

"The Lady Toph did just give you her equivalent of a hug," Fred pointed out with a grin.

"Possibly a kiss on the cheek too, judging by how hard she appears to have hit you," George added.

Toph turned away slightly, blushing.

Zuko just blushed, deeply, then looked back at Toph, for the first time seeing her as someone who could be shy. Carefully, he leant over and kissed her cheek. "Thanks Toph," he said quietly.

After the play, Harry felt that there was one thing left to be said to everybody. "Please remember that this was a production of the Fire Nation, and therefore was inclined to favour them in regards to any possible endings. Don't let it bother you."

"Or we'll prank you," Fred and George added.

"It still wasn't a good play," Zuko said. Seeing the audience cheer at his death, and then go wild at the Avatar's, was not comforting.

"No," Harry agreed. "It wasn't."

"All the more reason to dismiss it," Fred and George said together.

"However," Harry added, laying a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I'm all for us going to find your uncle if you want us to. We have enough time between now and the comet arriving after all."

Toph slipped her hand into Zuko's. "I'd like to see him again before everything gets started," she said.

Zuko nodded. "I'm sure we could use his help in this too."

Aang was assigned homework – as well as told exactly why it was so urgent that he do it – and Harry helped Zuko and Toph onto Chav's back at dawn the next morning. For only the three of them, they could have ridden Silver, but this place had its own dragons and the people all knew about them. Harry wasn't going to miss a chance to let Chav stretch his wings freely without causing a massive panic.

Zuko directed them to a tavern where they could hire a tracker he's used before, and to whom he supplied one of his uncle's old, stinky sandals as a scent sample.

Toph thought that was sweet too, which made Zuko blush again.

The tracker led them to some ruins near Ba Sing Se, then took off with a casual smile and a wave. Harry was very glad he'd managed to take a picture of her while they were travelling. He wanted to talk about her style with Hermione, see if he could convince his best friend to give those sorts of long gloves a try. He felt certain that Draco would like them. Probably every other guy in Hogwarts as well. Hell, he was damn tempted to get a pair for himself they looked that good.

"I thought you told everybody you killed the last dragon Iroh," a voice said from just beyond the wall.

"I lied," another voice said, its owner stepping out into view. "But this is not a dragon like the ones I saw."

"You must be Iroh," Harry said, stepping forward to greet the man. "I'm Harry, and this is Chav. I believe you know my two friends."

"Uncle," Zuko said, tears forming in his eyes. "I'm so, so sorry and ashamed of what I did. I know I can never make it up to you -"

Iroh grabbed Zuko up in a fierce hug, and tears were running down both of their faces.

"How can you forgive me so easily?" Zuko asked, still crying. "I thought you would be furious with me."

"I was never angry with you," Iroh said. "I was sad, because I was afraid that you had lost your way."

"I did lose my way," Zuko admitted.

Iroh stepped back, holding Zuko at arm's length, pride shining in his eyes. "But you found it again," he said. "And you did it by yourself, and I am so happy you found your way here," Iroh said, pulling his nephew back into his embrace.

An hour later, the four of them were sitting together in the camp of the Order of the White Lotus, sharing hot soup and discussing the war.

"We should probably get back to everybody and make sure Aang is practising," Zuko said at last. They hadn't convinced Iroh to come with them, but they had been convinced of his needing to be where he was.

Harry held up a hand and produced a crystal ball. "I'm not exactly a fortune teller," Harry said, holding the ball out so Iroh and Zuko could see. "But I think I can draw up a vision of what's going on back on Ember Island."

He could too, with sound and everything.

"So Aang has disappeared," Zuko said quietly.

"Not surprised," Harry commented, vanishing the ball. "Killing the Fire Lord is in direct violation of his monk-type beliefs."

"So what do we do?" Toph asked. "Going to look for him this late in the game isn't going to help much."

"Aang will face his destiny, whether he wants to or not," Iroh said. "Zuko, you must go to the Fire Nation so that when Ozai falls, you can be crowned Fire Lord, but you must not go alone."

"Zuko will be just fine," Harry said, then scratched his chin in speculation. "Moral support is always good though, and there should be someone from our side to witness the whole thing."

"I'll go with him," Toph promised. "If the fire bitch tries to get me, I'll be able to earth bend my way out of it, and I can back Zuko up just fine."

Harry produced another pokeball. "Go on Silver," he ordered, releasing the fiery horse. "He'll get you there just as fast as Chav would, but you'll have a better chance of sneaking in. If something goes wrong, he can also come and get me."

"What are you gonna do?" Toph asked, reaching a tentative hand up to pat Silver's nose.

"I'm going to let the rest of the group know to get on with their parts, and then I'm going to join Aang," Harry said. "He's got issues with killing that I don't have, so I'd say a little friendly support for him wouldn't go astray either."

"Harry," Zuko said, then seemed to bite his tongue.

Harry sighed. "Spit it out Zuko."

"The Fire Lord is the only one who knows where my mother is," Zuko said. It was 'the Fire Lord' now, not his father.

Harry nodded. "I'll find out for you," he promised. "Now get going. Sozen's comet is due in just a couple of hours."

"Be careful Harry," Toph said, letting Zuko help her up onto Silver's back.

"Always," Harry answered with a smile, then, with a bow to Iroh, disappeared onto Chav's shoulders.

~oOo~

Chav landing was a good way of getting everybody to come running, and when Harry jumped off the dragon-type pokemon's shoulders, he had their full attention.

"Here's what's happening," Harry said, forestalling any questions. "Zuko and Toph have gone to the Fire Nation capital, they're gonna face Azula, make sure she doesn't get Fire Lorded. Iroh and the Order of the White Lotus are reclaiming Ba Sing Se, and as your nominated back-up Avatar," he said, raising an eyebrow at Sokka, who had dubbed him as such, "I'm going to go meet Ozai just in case Aang isn't there in time. Everybody else? You've got three guesses on where you'll be and what you'll be doing. Do you need more than one?"

Sokka frowned. "We're going to stop the air ships somehow," he said. "We need to prevent the Earth Kingdom from being turned into a big pile of ash."

Harry nodded. "Bingo."

"We'll take Appa," Katara said.

"You'll go on Chav, right?" Fred asked.

Harry nodded. "You guys want any of my other pokemon?"

"They'll listen to us?" George asked.

Harry chuckled. "Course they will. They do know you two."

"Then it might be an idea to take Umi and Sven," Fred suggested.

George nodded. "Keep us cool and keep us damp. Harder to get fried if we're wet."

Harry nodded and handed over the two pokeballs. "Push the button they come out, push the button they go back."

The red-heads nodded, accepted a pokeball each, saluted Harry, then climbed up after everybody else into Appa's saddle before the bison took off.

"Well Chav, just you and me now," Harry said, climbing onto Chav's shoulders again and creating another crystal ball. "Where's Aang?" he wondered, then stroked the ball, causing an image to appear. "Cliffs," Harry directed, then stroked the ball again, making it turn into a compass that would point him to the air bender.

Chav took off.

They arrived at the scene of the fight in time to see Aang re-direct lightning, which left Harry impressed enough that he was content to just sit and watch.

"Thanks for the ride Chav," Harry said, returning the large pokemon to his pokeball. He didn't want his friend to be hurt or spotted and he didn't think he'd need to intervene any time soon. After all, Aang hadn't entered the much talked about Avatar State yet.

When Aang started just hiding inside a big ball of rock, Harry began to worry, just a little, and then a lot when he was buried under a pile of rubble. Then he stopped worrying when he saw Aang appear again with the glowing eyes he'd heard about, with his tattoos all lit up, and he settled back to watch once more, safe within the magical bubble he'd erected around himself when he arrived.

"Fire Lord Ozai," Aang said, floating down over his now captive, every element spinning around him dangerously. It had been a complete turn-about when Aang had started glowing. The boy went from being pursued to being the pursuer.

Harry hopped over to the nearest rock tower. He wanted a better view, and they really had done a lot of flying around.

"You and your forefathers have devastated the balance of this world, and now you will pay the ultimate price!" Aang proclaimed.

Harry was surprised. He didn't think Aang had it in him. He bit his lip and whipped out his camera though. Ozai looked like he was going to wet himself. Someone would pay big money for this picture. Tucking the camera back into his pocket, Harry returned his attention to Aang.

The boy made a spire of all the elements, twisting around each other, and sent them rushing up, then down towards Ozai. A moment before it would have hit him though, Aang released it, and the Avatar-state, merely splashing water over Ozai's face. Apparently Harry had put his camera away too soon. The Twins would have appreciated that moment.

"No," Aang said, turning away, releasing the man from the bonds of earth that had been around his hands and feet. "I'm not going to end it like this."

"Even with all the power in the world," Ozai growled, up on his hands and knees. "You are still weak," he declared, and began to move to attack once more.

Aang blocked the first punch and trapped the arm, moved around to capture the second, then lowered the bonds backwards, forcing Ozai onto his knees. Harry watched as Aang lay a hand each on Ozai's forehead and chest, and started to glow again, in a different way this time. Interestingly, Ozai started glowing as well.

"Very impressive," Harry observed quietly, a small smile on his face.

"What- what did you do to me?" Ozai asked when he was released, having fallen backwards weakly.

"I took away your fire bending," Aang answered. "You can't use it to hurt or threaten anyone else ever again."

"Very impressive," Harry said, smiling, and stood to hop over to the same spire Aang stood on.

Aang didn't notice, he was a bit busy drawing up the waters to put the fires out.

Harry whistled in appreciation, finally getting the boy's attention.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Aang asked.

Harry smiled. "I'm your back-up, remember? I had to be here in case you either didn't show, didn't win, or didn't find that alternative you were looking for," Harry said, digging his knuckle gently into Aang's head. "I've also got a question for O'Shit over here," Harry added, jerking his thumb at Ozai. "By the way Aang," Harry said, looking down at the younger boy with a smile. "You did good kid."

Aang smiled.

"Now, Ozai," Harry said, kneeling down in front of the limp man. "A friend of mine wanted me to ask you a question. He wants to know where his mother is."

"And why would I know that?" Ozai asked.

"Because she was your wife," Harry answered, then stood and summoned his shakujo. "Aang is a very anti-violence sort," Harry told the man. "Doesn't like taking life to the point of not even eating meat. You can see then why he didn't kill you."

"He is weak," Ozai spat.

The sharp edge of the spade end of the shakujo was under Ozai's chin in an instant. "It is not weak to value life," Harry lectured. "It is easy to kill. I could kill you right now and not lose any sleep over it. I've killed before, I will probably kill again. Aang did the hard thing, he found an alternative. Now, you are going to tell me where your wife went, and then I'm going to let your brother and your son decide if you are worthy of a second chance of any kind."

"What!" Aang demanded. "You mean you could have dealt with it and I wouldn't have had to worry about this?"

Harry looked back at Aang and shook his head. "I'm only going to be here a month," he pointed out. "This is your world Aang, and you've been given a duty to care for it. If I'd stepped in, then it wouldn't have helped you, and it wouldn't have saved him. Do you understand this?" Harry asked gently, not moving the shakujo away from Ozai's neck.

Aang sighed and pouted, but nodded as well.

The solemn moment was ruined by an explosion from the direction of the war balloons, and Harry grinned to see fireworks going up declaring "Fizz-Bang Fireworks Half Off!" The Twins had apparently used one of their old advertising fireworks.

~oOo~

Harry made a quick trip to collect Zuko's mother and after that he, Fred and George, spent the rest of their time helping Zuko set the Fire Nation back in order, writing up treaties, healing the sick, organising festivals for the people of the four nations to share their cultures and become friends once more. Harry also had the joy of being able to help Mai realise that Zuko wasn't the one for her, since Toph, despite the age difference, was obviously going to be hanging around with the Fire Lord for quite some time. Besides, Ty Lee was joining the Kyoshi Warriors, so Mai might enjoy the same lifestyle, perhaps? When it was time to leave though, he wanted to do one last thing.

"A parting gift," he said, bending to kiss Toph lightly on each eyelid, then sliding a pair of sunglasses onto her face, before he rested a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "If you ever forget why you got that scar, it will come back until you remember again."

Zuko nodded.

"Um," Toph said, blinking behind her sunglasses. "Harry?" she asked.

Harry laughed. "To go from blind to being able to see bright daylight would hurt if it's a very sudden thing," he said patting her head. "These will help. You'll get used to it, I promise."

Zuko's jaw dropped. "You -?"

Harry smiled. "Time for us to go," he declared happily, swinging onto Silver's back, Fred and George jumping up behind him. "Live long and rule well."

"So that's what green eyes and red hair look like," Toph said softly when they'd gone.

"Toph?" Zuko asked, concerned. "Are you alright?"

Toph nodded. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Yeah, I'm fine Zuko." She smiled. "I can see."

Zuko smiled, bent down, and gently kissed her. "Then you'll be able to tell me if a big ugly scar ever shows up on my face again," he whispered against her lips.

Toph laughed, happily sliding her arms around Zuko's neck.

Chapter Text

“So, our lesson from our journey?" Harry asked when they landed back in the living room of Black Manor.

"There are greater injustices in the world than Umbridge."

"But none of them need to be suffered through."

Harry nodded. "See you again with the new school term?" he asked.

The Twins nodded and, with their trunk enlarged again and carried between them, headed for the fireplace.

Harry steeled himself to face the music – literally – of his 'sweet sixteen' party preparations. Damn débutante ball held in his honour. He may have been a slightly horny teenager, more than happy to kiss a pretty face and get his hands on a nicely shaped rear, but he wasn't really interested in dating right now.

~oOo~

Once the school year started, Harry was very disappointed to learn that Snape had been replaced as the potions instructor. Oh, he was happy for the man, he'd finally gotten the position he'd always wanted – DADA teacher, though for the life of him he couldn't think why anybody would want a position with a long history of nobody lasting quite the full year. Still, Slughorn was a slimy-friendly sort of guy. Very much the social climber, and didn't mind acting as the ladder for others if it was possible that they'd remember him for it.

The Defence Club was reinstated at least, and the students did benefit from Snape and Flitwick taking turns supervising. Flitwick guiding the students through anything they were having trouble with, and Snape teaching them more spells. Snape also taught all the students who came to the Defence Club exactly what they could expect from the Dark Lord now that he was out and about once more.

Harry was surprised to hear that. Apparently, while he'd been away, Voldemort had been seen in the Ministry of Magic, after a prophecy or some such nonsense. Not that Harry didn't believe in prophecy, but he was aware that they were generally self-fulfilling more than anything else. Far more reliable to scry the present or past than attempting the future.

Snape also told Harry, privately, that he had discovered how Voldemort had manage to come back – his soul was still attached to this world by workings of the worst sort of magic.

"Must have been what that diary was back in second year," Harry commented when he got this news. "Any idea how many he's got?"

"Seven is a magically significant number," Snape suggested dryly.

Harry nodded and conjured a crystal.

Snape blinked, then sneered. "Didn't take you for a believer in divination Mr Potter," he said.

"Not of the future," Harry answered. "But I'm looking into the past. Where he put each of these things and what happened to them after he left them, just in case they moved."

A vision of the diary was first. Harry brushed that one aside. He knew the answer to that inquiry. The second vision was of a locket, which later was removed from its hiding place by Sirius' younger brother and discovered by Sirius when Kreacher was struggling to destroy it. An explanation later and the locket was destroyed as well. Harry moved on. Two down, five to go.

The third was a ring, a ring that had rested on Voldemort's finger until he had left it, booby-trapped in his old house, just waiting for Dumbledore to find and end up cursed, if the man's mumbling and chuckling was anything to go by.

"It's still there, if you feel like getting rid of a senile old man," Harry offered innocently.

Snape snorted in barely suppressed amusement. "Tempting, Mr Potter," he answered.

The fourth item was given to Bellatrix LeStrange and put in her vault, guarded by a spell so that it couldn't be removed by just anybody. That one would have had to wait, but had been the one used to resurrect Voldemort, and so was no longer an issue. The fifth was...

"That's just down the hall," Harry observed. "How convenient."

"We will get to it later," Snape said firmly. "There are two others yet, though."

Harry nodded, returning his attention to the ball in his hand.

Sixth was Voldemort's snake, Nagini, and seventh...

"Well, that is interesting," Harry commented with a smirk, amused. "It will be good to finally meet her, and thank her for her generosity. Ah, but that one can wait. Riddle himself doesn't know where that one is."

Snape did not appreciate the lackadaisical attitude, but had to agree with the boy. Voldemort didn't know where that last piece of his soul was, so it could wait, and besides, Harry would need something to purchase it with.

"So, shall we deal with the one that's just down the hall now or tomorrow?" Harry asked, vanishing the ball and standing up.

"Now, Mr Potter," Snape answered curtly.

Once it was dealt with, Harry took Snape down to the Chamber of Secrets to gather some basilisk venom that he could slip the snake, and possibly the Dark Lord as well, which would leave only three, possibly two pieces of soul to eradicate.

Harry wouldn't find out until after the summer holidays if Snape had managed to poison only one or both, and he'd have the same wait to find out if the professor would let slip to Dumbledore about the ring. Until then, Harry wasn't going to think about Voldemort once.

Chapter Text

“Man, all that way west just to turn around at the end of it and head home again," Gojyo complained, leaning backwards over Hakuryu's spare tire. What he saw then made him blink. "Huh?" He turned around so that he could see it properly. "Shit!" he yelled.

"What's the matter now?" Sanzo demanded.

"There's a fucking horse on fire chasin' us!" Gojyo yelled.

"What?" Hakkai asked, looking into the rear-view mirror. "There's someone riding it!" he exclaimed, surprised.

"Well whoever it is, they're gaining on us," Goku said, staring.

"So do we let them catch up or floor it?" Hakkai asked.

Sanzo sighed. "Let's get it over with," he said, pulling out his gun and checking that it was fully loaded.

"Okay, stopping for confrontation it is," Hakkai said, moving his foot to the break pedal.

It was a kid, about sixteen or seventeen, and he was laughing as he jumped off the strange horse and walked up to them. "I thought for sure Sanzo would try to shoot at me before you guys actually pulled over," he said.

"Do we know you?" Sanzo asked.

"Aw, you forgot about me?" the kid asked, still grinning. "But you all laughed so hard when I turned Goku's hair purple, and then Gojyo's hair every colour in the rainbow!"

The four friends stared at the teenager, who's own short black hair suddenly grew to be a foot long and changed colour so that it was the same brown as Goku's.

"All that time of not being bothered by assassins because I could change your appearances, and you forgot about me," the teen said, chuckling even as he fake-sulked. "Then again, it has been twelve years, roughly. At least you're not still going west, but I thought for sure I'd find you guys back home already. How far away are we?"

"We're just hours away from a stretch that it will take us three days to walk through because the terrain is too rough to ride Hakuryu though, and then just a couple of weeks before we're home again," Hakkai answered, a little numbly.

"Awesome," the kid said. "I really want to see your homes, take pictures for my book."

Those words seemed to make all the little – or not so little – clues finally click into place for everybody.

"No way," Gojyo said, a smile beginning to tickle at his face.

"Way," Harry answered. "An' I got better at poker and mah-jong over the years too, but there's been nobody, and I mean nobody worth playing against for the last five years. Learned how to play a bunch of other games though. None of 'em any good for betting with though."

"Harry!" Goku yelled, tackling the teen in a hug.

Harry laughed and managed to stay upright. "Good to see you too Goku," he said, messing with Goku's hair and hugging him back.

"Where'd you get the horse?" Gojyo asked.

"He's actually a rapidash," Harry corrected, "and his name is Silver," he added, patting Silver's neck. "I got him a couple of worlds after I left you guys. He's not the only one I picked up though," Harry said, grinning as he pulled out another pokeball. "I have a friend here who can give Hakuryu a rest." He released the pokeball.

"Char!"

"Meet Chav," Harry said, smiling. "I've got a bunch more too, but these guys are the best for travelling quickly."

Hakuryu transformed out of his jeep form and into his little white dragon form, then flew up to perch on Chav's nose and chattered at the much larger dragon.

"Woah," Goku said, leaning back so that he could look up. "This guy's gotta eat even more than I do!"
"Nobody can eat more than you, you damn monkey," Gojyo said.

"No way man! I mean look at 'im! He's huge! He's got to eat more than I do," Goku objected.

"Actually," Harry cut in, "it's lunch time, so if you want, you can see for yourself just how much Chav eats."

"How?" Sanzo asked. "I doubt we have enough food and I don't exactly see a restaurant around here anywhere."

Harry smiled and pointed over Sanzo's shoulder.

The group turned and stared.

"That wasn't there a second ago," Hakkai said. "Could be a trap."

"Except that I just made it," Harry answered. "I've learned how to do a lot more than just change the colour of people's hair and eyes since I saw you last," he said, pulling out the rest of his pokeballs and releasing them all. "Lunch time boys and girls," he announced, gesturing them towards the very large table with the massive spread of food.

All fifteen of Harry's pokemon quickly moved towards the table – including Chav, who sat down happily at one end. None of them started eating though.

"What are they waiting for?" Goku asked.

"Us," Harry said. "It's good manners to wait for everybody before beginning to eat, and there are more places set than just for them," he explained, walking towards the table and taking a seat himself. "Come on guys," he called. "I've even got some of the Baron's tea here."

Sanzo was the first to join Harry at the table, holding out a cup for Harry to pour the promised tea into.

"And let me see if I remember right," Harry said. "Meat buns are Goku's favourite, and Hakkai can drink sake forever without getting drunk, and Gojyo likes Hi-Lites," as he spoke, a plate of buns, bottle of sake and a pack of the named cigarette brand appeared on the table in front of the three vacant spots left.

"You give Gojyo his pathetic cigarettes but forget about mine?" Sanzo asked.

Harry laughed and with a flick of his wrist sent a pack of Malboros at the priest's face.

"You've gotten to be quite tall Harry," Hakkai said, sitting down beside the teen at last.

"I should hope so!" Harry answered with a grin. "I'm just a couple of months away from being seventeen now, and I left you guys on my fifth birthday! Hakuryu, come on down from Chav's nose. There are fresh grapes waiting for you!"

The little white dragon chirped happily and swooped down to the full bowl.

"So who or what are all these things?" Gojyo asked, sitting a little nervously beside a cream cat that was eating with a pair of chopsticks.

"That's Bast you're sitting next to, he's a pursian," Harry said, then went around the table naming his pokemon until he got to Kou.

"Wait, you named him Kou?" Sanzo asked.

Harry nodded. "I'd have named more of them after people I'd met, but only Kou liked any of the names," he explained, "besides, for the others, they just didn't seem to fit either. Speaking of Kou though, how were Kou, Lirin, Yaone and Doku when you last saw 'em?"

"They're doin' alright," Gojyo answered. "My bro and I even patched it up once we got rid of Gyokumen Koshu and got Kougaiji's mother unsealed. She wasn't all that big on releasing her husband, which was a relief really."

Harry nodded. "Kou and Yaone makin' babies yet? Or did Doku make a move on the prince first?"

This, everybody found almost as uproariously funny as the time Harry had changed Goku's hair to match Sanzo's eyes.

"Oh, don't tell me Kou decided to get with Lirin, or his mum!" Harry said, grinning and sparking even more laughter.

Hakkai finally managed to choke out an answer. "Yaone," he gasped. "They're not up to babies yet, but they're together."

Harry nodded. "Good."

"So where's the Baron?" Gojyo asked. "I bet if he knew you could conjure smokes and booze like this he wouldn't let you out of his sight."

"He's staying at home with my godfather," Harry answered. "We found my home world just in time for me to go to this special school there that takes students from the age of eleven. My parents went there too. Since then, I've only been travelling like this during summer vacation." Harry smirked then. "And no, Baron doesn't know," he said, and with a gentle wave of his hand a lit cigarette appeared between his fingers, and he drew it to his mouth, inhaling slowly.

"That doesn't smell like your standard cigarette," Gojyo commented, sniffing lightly.
"It doesn't look like one either," Sanzo added. "I've never seen a black cigarette before."

Harry shook his head, exhaling blue smoke as he did so. "It isn't. Standard I mean. I tried every brand I could find – and all of them I only tried once. This one's got cloves in it rather than tobacco, plus a few extra ingredients. My own recipe." Harry smirked. "Want to try?" he asked, holding out two new, unlit cigarettes to Sanzo and Gojyo.

"I'll pass," Sanzo answered, tapping one of his Malboro's out and lighting it.

"Sure, why not?" Gojyo answered, plucking one of the little black sticks from Harry's hand.

"I believe that I will try the one that Sanzo passed up," Hakkai said before Harry could vanish the other one, surprising Harry and Gojyo both.

"Need a light Hakkai?" Gojyo offered.

"Vulp!" Iggy said, giving a little burst of flame.

"Yah!" Gojyo yelped, almost falling off his chair.

"Thank you," Hakkai said, patting the vulpix gratefully, if also a little nervously, before taking a short puff on the cigarette. Hakkai blinked in surprise, taking it away from his mouth and staring at it.

Harry laughed. "I soaked it in a potion that, when inhaled as smoke or vapour, actually heals the damage caused by smoke inhalation. It's practically good for me," Harry explained with a chuckle, taking another drag.

Gojyo blinked at that, then lit the smoke that Harry had given him and gave it a try. He pulled it away from his mouth and blinked at it too. "Damn," he said. "That's good. Could I get a few dozen packs of this before you go?"

Harry laughed and passed him a box. "That one won't ever run out," he promised, "just like that plate of meat buns," he added, seeing the fight about to break out over the last one. "As soon as the last one's gone, it will fill up again."

Goku blinked, picked up the meat bun, and then got all starry-eyed when the plate was piled high all over again.

"Harry, you're the best, can I keep this?" the monkey asked.

Harry shook his head. "It stays on the table," he answered. "I'll make you a lunch box that fills up with whatever you're hungry for though, whenever you're hungry. That should lighten everybody's food bills."

"Maybe it will even get him to shut up about being hungry all the time," Sanzo commented. "I just hope it won't lead to him being fat."

"You could always make the monkey run five times around the temple every time he goes for the lunch box," Gojyo suggested, grabbing a meat bun off the top of the pile.

"Char!"

Harry laughed when the Sanzo party jumped, staring at Chav then turning to look at Harry for an explanation.

"Chav's finished," Harry said, then picked up his bowl and drank the soup out of it. "For that matter, I am too," he added, putting his bowl down on the table. He turned to his pokemon. "Crew?" he asked.

"We're all done Harry," Bast answered.

Harry nodded. "Then you've got free time to play while these guys finish up," he said with a smile. With an extra wave of his hand, the small pool of water that Thor had been sitting in expanded to a comfortable lake. Umi smiled and joined the lapras in the water, using her tail to splash Alice and Fey, trying to tempt them in.

Goku blinked. "Seriously?" he asked. "That huge dragon finished eating before me?"

Harry nodded. "Pokemon don't need to eat all that much," Harry answered. "They enjoy it, but their bodies are remarkably efficient, so they don't have to do it often or in very large quantities, even the biggest of them. Pokemon that are more active need to eat more than pokemon that spend most of their time lying around, but they still really don't need much."

The group spent a leisurely lunch time catching up on Harry's life and how the quest had turned out, and when even Goku had finally had enough to eat, Harry packed up the table with a gentle folding motion with his hands, then recalled all of his pokemon again except for Chav. With a little more magic he created a large saddle for the dragon – much like Appa's actually, Harry hadn't ever thought to give Chav a saddle before then – and motioned for everybody to climb aboard. He brought their packs up himself.

"Char?"

"That's right Chav," Harry answered his dragon. "We're going east."

"Char?"

Harry chuckled. "I thought an arrangement like this would be better, no heels or desperate hands clinging to you in ways you don't like."

"Char!"

Chav took off. They were over, and then through the terrain that the group would have spent three days walking through in the time that it took for the sun to go down and the stars to come out.

Harry conjured comfortable beds for everybody to sleep on while Chav kept flying, only stopping himself to land, lie down, and go to sleep around midnight, nudging Harry awake to keep first watch now that they were landed. When Harry was falling asleep again, he released Lucy to take the second watch. Lucy woke Harry again at dawn.

"Wonder how far we got last night," Harry mused quietly, pulling the map out of Hakkai's pack and looking it over.

"Char," Chav answered quietly before he opened his mouth in a large yawn.

"Huh? What?" Goku asked, waking up.

"G'morning Goku," Harry said. "Good morning Hakkai, Gojyo, Sanzo," he added, smirking behind the map as the other three woke up as well.

"It just occurred to me," Sanzo said, holding his head in his hand. "Like Master Koumyo's paper air-planes, Chav is orange against a blue sky."

Harry chuckled. "I don't think he ever anticipated this Sanzo," he said fondly, knowing how much the dead priest meant to the living one. "But it does have a nice symmetry."

~oOo~

Chav set down again at lunch time to let the humans stretch their legs and eat on solid ground. After he had eaten, Harry conjured a set of targets and started laying out his weapons on another table while the rest of the Sanzo party finished eating.

Hakkai, who didn't eat much but ate it slowly, watched Harry curiously.

"You have quite the impressive collection there Harry," he commented. "Are they all conjured, like this table and the food?"

Harry shook his head. "Not one," he answered. "I conjure ammunition for my gun, and all the care tools I need I conjure now, but nearly all of my weapons are gifts from the people I met over the years."

Harry levelled the gun that Vincent had given to him at one of the targets and calmly shot. It hit the centre, and Harry nodded in satisfaction before taking the gun apart completely, cleaning it, putting it back together, and setting it down once more in its velvet-lined box.

Goku and Gojyo both froze at the sound of the gun shot before their heads slowly turned to see where the bullet had impacted. An ingrained reaction after so many incidences of Sanzo shooting at them when they squabbled over food.

"Nice shot," Gojyo admired.

"You take very good care of your weapons Harry," Hakkai admired. "But with so many, I wonder about the lessons we had."

Harry chuckled and gathered a bright ball of chi in his left hand. "I can practice this every night," he said. "I don't always get the chance to practice with my other weapons." He reabsorbed his chi, picked up the waved sword he'd learned from Ardeth Bay how to use, and conjured a polishing cloth.

"You're not sharpening it?" Gojyo asked.

Harry smirked, plucked a hair from his head and sliced it in half from end to end over the edge of the blade. "Not dull enough yet to need it," he answered.

Gojyo, the only person in the Sanzo party who actually had a blade on his weapon, gaped. "Wow," he said. "Could a lowly water sprite prevail on you to sharpen his shakujo?"

Harry laughed. "You have a go with mine," Harry said, pointing to where the weapon lay on the table, "and tell me what you think, and I'll sharpen yours."

Hakkai chuckled. "I see Gojyo made an impression."

"So did Yaone," Harry said, raising a hand and revealing a row of small, different coloured bombs held in the gaps between his fingers.

Hakkai laughed outright.

"Potentially dangerous substances permitted from age ten, and required as part of my schooling from age eleven," Harry said proudly. "I've been helping Professor Snape supply the hospital wing for the past three years, mixing remedies and such."

Gojyo produced his shakujo and picked up Harry's, testing the weight and giving it a twirl. "Not bad," he decided. "Mines longer, but -"

"But I got that made when I was six," Harry cut in, picking up Gojyo's weapon and conjuring a whetstone. "I've had it professionally extended twice. I was going to make it longer myself once I'd finished polishing my swords."

Gojyo nodded.

Harry looked over at where Hakkai and Sanzo were sipping their tea and Goku was still eating. He knew that there was something missing... He smiled and snapped his fingers. A newspaper appeared beside Sanzo, neatly folded.

"I have no idea what's in it," Harry said, as Sanzo picked it up slowly. "I just pulled it from the nearest paper boy, dropping the coins in his pocket so he'd come out even, even if he didn't know he'd sold the paper."

Sanzo nodded. "Thanks," he said shortly, and properly opened the paper.

A few minutes of comfortable silence passed. Alright, not silence. Goku was eating after all, and beneath that was the gentle hissing sound of Harry sharpening Gojyo's shakujo while Gojyo himself had returned Harry's to the table and was enjoying a smoke from the pack Harry had given him. Watching blue smoke curl above him was even better than watching the normal kind.

"Done," Harry declared, holding the weapon out to Gojyo.

"Thanks kid," the half-demon answered.

"Wow, what's all this?" a new, female, familiar voice asked.

"Lirin!" Harry cheered, bolting up and rushing the orange-haired demoness, picking her up and swinging her around. "Wow, it's been twelve years and you still look the same, only now I'm the taller one!"

"What?" Lirin demanded. She didn't know who this person was, but they clearly knew her, and she wanted to know what was going on.

"You remember Harry, don't you Lirin?" Hakkai said pleasantly, smiling at the scene.

"What? This is Harry?" Lirin demanded, blinking her huge green eyes. "No way! Harry's just a little kid!"

Harry laughed. "I'm seventeen soon Lirin," he pointed out, "and as a human, I age rather quickly."

"What are you doing here brat?" Sanzo asked, shuffling his paper in annoyance.

Lirin stuck out her tongue. "I was just coming to check on you," she said. "Kougaiji and Yaone are bein' all lovey-dovey. It's gross."

"When Kougaiji notices that you're gone, he'll panic and come after you again," Harry teased. "I swear, I've never met such an over-protective big brother, and I've met a lot of big brothers."

Lirin shook her head. "If he wants to know where I am, I told his mother and Dokugakuji, an' Kougaiji's okay with me dropping in on the Sanzo party these days."

Sanzo growled, the edges of his newspaper crumpling in his tightening grip. It seemed that Sanzo still found the demon girl annoying.

Harry chuckled quietly and packed up his weapons. "Well, it looks like Goku has finally finished eating, so we should get moving again."

"How much further is it to the next town?" Sanzo asked, looking over his paper at Harry before shifting his focus to Hakkai.

"There's a place about ten kilometres off," Harry said, gesturing to the east easily. "But flying, that's only a minute or two off, so we really ought to be able to get a lot further before nightfall."

"By that sort of estimation, we'd probably reach the town where Gojyo and I lived by breakfast the day after tomorrow, and Changan no later than lunch," Hakkai commented, a little surprised as he traced the map.

Harry looked over Hakkai's shoulder at the map, carefully memorising the dots that Hakkai denoted as home and temple. "We can fly through the night, not stop for meals, and get there by dinner time tomorrow," he offered.

Goku didn't like the idea of not stopping to eat, and objected loudly.

"I didn't mean we wouldn't eat," Harry consoled. "It would just be an in-flight meal."

Lirin sighed. "I'd better get back," she said, then smiled. "But I'll tell everyone that you're back Harry, so I'll bet Kou and Yaone and Doku will all come to visit soon! Ooh, and you gotta meet Kou's mother, she's great!"

Harry grinned. "I'd really like that," he said, giving the demoness one more hug before vanishing the table and hopping up into the large saddle on Chav's back behind the rest of the Sanzo party.

~oOo~

"So, this is the Palace of the Setting Sun," Harry said, looking around at the Temple of Changan. He whistled lowly. "Impressive," he admitted. "In a monkish kinda way."

"Wonder how much paperwork got backed up by you not being here Sanzo," Goku commented.

Sanzo groaned. "It had better be none," he said with a growl.

"This is a temple, not a business, don't see why there should be paperwork at all, especially for a high priest," Harry said. "I mean, someone to keep accounts and receipts for food and new robes I understand, but that's not any more complicated than what most people do," he said, then pulled a face. "Don't tell me they expand it into requests that need some kind of stamp on them."

Sanzo snorted. "They damn well try," he answered.

"I don't see why you don't quit the temple scene then," Harry said with a sigh. "I mean, yeah, you've got two holy, founding scriptures hanging over your shoulders, and some day you'll need to pass them on to somebody like your master gave them to you, but why do you have to hang around here to do that?"

Sanzo hummed thoughtfully and gestured for Harry to follow him into the temple.

"You have returned at last Genjo Sanzo," stated one of the three floating heads of the Sanbutsushin.

"Yes," Sanzo answered. "The resurrection of Gyumaoh has been stopped."

"Who is this you have brought before us?" asked the head on the right.

"This is Harry," Sanzo said, "he travelled with us for a time when we were going west, and assisted us greatly. I wish to name him as my heir to the Maten and Seiten scriptures that were given to me by my master."

Harry blinked in surprise from where he was kneeling respectfully behind the blonde.

"You have only just gotten the scriptures back," noted the central head. "You would give them up now so quickly?"

"And to someone who isn't even of this world?" asked another voice behind both of them.

Harry and Sanzo turned.

The former grinned, the latter frowned.

"It's nice to see you again Harry," the Merciful Goddess said with a smile. "You've grown up. How do you feel about this?"

"I'm not exactly a follower of Buddhism," Harry pointed out, "and as you said, I'm not from this world, and I'm not staying in it either."

"You may take one scripture from this world safely," the Merciful Goddess said. "But not two. I grant Harry Potter the Buddhist name Tenpou Sanzo, and permit him to take the Maten Scripture." Xe pushed his headband up, poked him in the middle of the forehead – leaving behind a little red dot – then patted Harry on the head fondly. "Just be sure to bring it back when you start getting old, okay? We'd like to keep it around for a while."

Harry nodded, awed by the entire situation.

Sanzo lay the named scripture over Harry's shoulders. "Come on," he said quietly, "you'll need some lessons in chanting."

Harry nodded again.

The Merciful Goddess followed them out. "You still taking pictures everywhere you go?" xe asked.

Harry grinned. "I am," he answered. "Would you do me the honour of a snapshot together?" he asked.

Xe smiled and nodded.

When xe was gone, Sanzo gave Harry a set of the scrolls he'd studied from when he was called Koryu, and his master was alive.

"You study those, you should be fine," Sanzo said. "But we'll run through the basic chants once each, and then I'll get you an official set of Sanzo robes."

Harry quirked a smile, but nodded and sat down opposite Sanzo on the floor. The lesson didn't take long, between Sanzo's impatience and Harry's ability to learn ... absorb new information quickly, and then it was a quick stop to collect a full set of robes and Harry walked out of the changing room looking very much like Sanzo. He'd even copied the blonde hair and droopy purple eyes.

Sanzo scowled. "Don't do that dammit," he said. "You're Tenpou Sanzo, not Genjo Sanzo."

Harry smiled, nodded serenely, and changed his hair back to black and made his eyes un-droopy and green once more.

"How much you want to bet the rest of the guys are gonna flip when they see me in this get up?" Harry asked. "Me with the holy spot on my head and everything."

Sanzo snorted. "One way to find out."

~oOo~

"No way," Gojyo said, staring at the robes, red dot and familiar sutra that Harry was wearing.

"I seem to be getting that a lot lately," Harry answered with a smile. "But I assure you, it's completely true. Merciful Goddess herself dotted me," he added, frowning as he rubbed the little red dot that was now central to his forehead.

"So, now you're a baldy just like Sanzo?" Gojyo asked.

Harry laughed, lifted off the hat, and vanished his hair. "I don't think being bald really suits me," he said, then re-grew his hair, red this time instead of black, and put the hat back on his head.

"You're right, the bald look doesn't suit you at all," Hakkai said. "This is rather shocking. May I ask what your new name is? I am given to understand that, along with the title of Sanzo, priests are given a new name."

"Tenpou," Harry answered. "I feel like it's a gag xe's making though, one xe's not sharing the punch line of."

Gojyo and Hakkai shared a look.

"That's what Homura kept calling you Hakkai," Gojyo said quietly.

Hakkai nodded.

"So I get the same name Hakkai had in a past life?" Harry asked.

"That's what it sounds like," Sanzo answered. "Good thing we won't ever be running into the bastard again, or it might get confusing."

"It's confusing enough seeing Harry in priest robes," Gojyo commented.

"When I came out from changing, I'd made my hair look like his too," Harry said, jerking his thumb at Sanzo. "Want me to go change?"

"Yeah, that would be good," Hakkai answered.

As Harry turned to go into Gojyo and Hakkai's guest room, he heard Goku finally make a comment.

"I thought when he left he said he wanted to grow up to be like Gojyo."

Sanzo struck Goku over the head with his paper fan.

"Knock knock," a voice called when Harry was coming out of the guest room, wearing his favourite grey jeans and blue Chinese-style shirt to emphasise his currently red hair. "Lirin told us Harry was back."

"Kougaiji," Harry greeted, striding out to the front door with a grin on his face. "It's good to see you again."

"You too kid," Kougaiji answered. "You sure have grown, Lirin was complaining about it."

Harry laughed. "Well I'm not," he said. "Oh!" Harry snapped his fingers, summoning on of his pokeballs and releasing the flareon inside. "Kougaiji, meet Kou. I caught him when I was seven."

"And named him after me?" Kougaiji asked, surprised. The demon prince knelt down to get a better look at the creature. "Why?"

"Because he's very much fire-affiliated," Harry answered fondly, "and he liked the name."

"Harry!"

"Doku!"

Harry was quickly ensconced in the firm embrace of Gojyo's older brother, and happily returned it.
"You been practising?" the large demon asked.

"As often as I can," Harry answered. "I want to see how long I can hold out against you in a sword fight before I go."

"Just a sword fight?" Dokugakuji asked.

Harry laughed. "Well, I've been learning so much stuff since I saw you last, I could just vanish your pants and beat you that way."

"Don't you dare."

"I second that," Gojyo added. "I don't ever want to see my brother's junk."

"Harry!"

"You keep announcing yourself before you tackle me Lirin, and you'll never get me to fall down," Harry told her as he caught her and swung her up onto his shoulders – her favourite perch on Sanzo.

"Huh? What did you do that for Harry?"

Harry tilted his head back and pulled his headband up, allowing Lirin to see the 'crimson chakra' of his new station.

"What? No way! When did that happen?" Lirin demanded.

"Earlier today," Harry answered. "The Merciful Goddess declared me to be Tenpou Sanzo and in charge of the Maten Scripture."

"That's very impressive," Yaone commented, finally joining them.

"Nice to see you again Yaone," Harry said, smiling.

"Back up," Lirin demanded. "You're a baldy now too?"

Harry laughed. "I tried the bald look," Harry answered. "We all agreed it wasn't a good one on me, so I'm keeping my hair. I'm also sticking with regular clothes most of the time too, since it's weird having me and Sanzo both wearing the same stuff. Weird that I'm also Sanzo actually."

"Maybe we could just call you Tenpou," Yaone suggested.

Harry shrugged, raising and lowering Lirin where she sat on his shoulders. "If you want to," he said. "I'll still answer to Harry though." He looked around the group then turned to Kougaiji. "I don't get to meet your mother?"

Kougaiji chuckled and shook his head. "She's a little busy at the moment," he answered. "Remodelling the palace so that it looks the way it did before Lirin's mother got to it. Besides, nice as she is, Mother isn't very interested in human company.

Harry nodded his understanding.

"Hey Harry!" Goku yelled. "Lunch time man! Come on, I'm starvin'!"

Harry laughed and swung Lirin off his shoulders. "Would you all like to join us?" he offered.

"Have Gojyo and Hakkai got enough food for that?" Kougaiji asked. "This is their house, right?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, this is their place, but I'm the one providing lunch," he answered, waving for them to follow him through the house to the kitchen.

"Oh, more guests," Hakkai said, then looked at the small kitchen table with some concern.

"How about we move outside?" Harry suggested. "It's a nice day and we'd be too crowded in here."

Hakkai smiled in relief. "Thank you Harry."

Harry waved his hand absently. "No biggie," he said. "I got it."

There was a long table set up for all nine of them when they exited the back door, and it was loaded with all sorts of food and plenty to drink, including meat buns, fried rice, sake, wine, juice, steaks, lobster, omelette, beef, three kinds of soup, four types of curry, and a great deal more.

"I know Goku's a bottomless pit," Gojyo said as he stared at the spread, "but do you really think we're gonna be able to eat all that?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You planning on being defeated by mere food, Gojyo?" he asked archly.

Doku laughed, clapping his brother on the back. "Sounds like a challenge."

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "What's a challenge is trying to drink Hakkai under the table."

Hakkai chuckled, embarrassed.

"And after lunch we can have a round of poker and a couple of games of mah-jong," Harry declared happily, gesturing to a second table that was all set up with cards and mah-jong tiles.

Everybody laughed, took a seat at the first table, and tucked in. Harry took photos of everybody throughout the meal, enjoyed making sure that no fights broke out over someone getting the last of some particular food, and took his turn sharing stories graciously between listening to new stories that could now be told even better with everybody around the table together.

Chapter Text

“I'm home!" Harry called, hopping off Silver's back and returning the pokemon to his ball. They'd appeared in the front hallway of the Black Manor, and Harry had fully expected someone to either come running, or to at least yell an answer. The house was silent though, and while part of Harry hoped it was just because everybody was waiting to surprise him in the kitchen or the lounge, the fact that Voldemort was at large last time he was here put a slight dampener on that idea. The possibility that everybody had died while he was away catching up with old friends was not an at all comfortable one.

Harry decided to try the lounge room first.

Professor Snape was sitting there, drinking coffee.

"Welcome back Mr Potter," Snape said dryly, "and 'happy birthday' as well, I believe."

"Hello Professor," Harry greeted. "Thank you. Would you happen to know where my godfather is? I'd expected him to be here."

Snape nodded. "He's in a meeting in the kitchen. Order of the Phoenix, or Order of the Flaming Turkey if you prefer. It might interest you to know that Headmaster Dumbledore found a very interesting ring a few weeks ago, and is now dead. Also, the Dark Lord is short his pet snake."

"That is interesting to know Sir," Harry answered.

"These incidences are also why I am here now, rather than taking part in that ridiculous meeting," Snape said. "I was ejected from the Dark Lord's presence, permanently, for killing his snake, and the Order as a whole are less inclined to give second chances than Dumbledore as an individual was. I may hide from the Dark Lord here for the rest of the summer vacation, but I am not welcome into their pow-wows. I'm actually surprised that Black let me stay."

"He had a lot of legal fights with Dumbledore," Harry explained. "Keeping my name out of the papers, out of books, making sure that Dumbledore wasn't my guardian, even put a restraining order up against him so I wasn't ever to be alone with the old man. I don't think Sirius is really going to miss Dumbledore all that much on a personal level."

Snape nodded his understanding. "Your peers have been relegated to the upper regions of the building so that they may not attempt to listen in. I am currently attached to this chair and so also could not eaves drop if I wanted to."

"Is there anybody I know in this group?" Harry asked.

"Your guardians of course, Nymphadora Tonks, the older Weasleys, though I've still no idea what Molly contributes except for her ability to cook, and Professor McGonagall are all members. There are others, but they are the only ones I believe that you would know," Snape answered.

"Thank you Professor," Harry said. "I'll go and see who's upstairs."

Snape nodded and returned to sipping his coffee and reading through a potions magazine.

Harry hesitated at the door and looked back. "Professor?"

"Yes, Mr Potter?"

"With Dumbledore dead, who will be the new Headmaster of Hogwarts?"

Snape sniffed disdainfully. "Professor McGonagall has been given that dubious honour," he answered. "And she is returning me to the potions classroom, bringing in an Aurora to teach the Defence Against the Dark Arts class."

Harry nodded. "Thank you Sir," he said, then smiled slightly. "I'm glad you're teaching potions again Sir. Slughorn was alright, but he was a right slimy character."

Snape snorted into his cup. "As opposed to a greasy git?" he asked. "I believe that is your godfather's favourite term for me."

"He's referring to your hair mostly I think," Harry said. "I meant that I disliked Professor Slughorn as a person."

"I thought you were leaving Mr Potter."

"Yes Sir. Enjoy your coffee Sir," Harry said, then left up the stairs.

Harry found his 'peers' upstairs, just as Snape had said, all of them together in Draco's room playing exploding snap. It seemed that a year or two of being in the Defence Club together had taught Ron and Ginny how to be civil with the Malfoy heir. That Hermione – a Hufflepuff and descendant of a squib – was his girlfriend, and present, probably helped as well.

"Wow," Harry said, leaning on the door frame. "Things must be real bad if you're all just playing exploding snap," he said, grinning.

"Harry!" Hermione yelped happily, running up to him and hugging him tight.

"You're alright with your girlfriend being all over Potter like that Malfoy?" Ron asked, clearly trying to rile the other boy up.

"He's her best friend," Malfoy answered, "and I'm her boyfriend. I can tell the difference between the two titles, and Hermione can tell the difference between Harry and myself. So yes, I'm perfectly fine with Hermione being 'all over Potter like that'."

Harry smiled easily as he wrapped an arm comfortably around Hermione's waist, now that she wasn't hugging him so hard. "What if I tried to look like you Draco?" Harry asked, changing his hair so that it looked just like the other boy's.

Hermione laughed. "Oh yes," she said, rolling her eyes. "Harry, even if you changed your entire physical structure -"

"I can you know," Harry said with a grin.

Hermione chuckled. "Even then, I'd still be able to tell you from my Draco."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the possessive. "Your Draco, Hermione love?" he asked.

Hermione blushed, but didn't back down. "That's right."

"Just like she's my Hermione," Draco added, standing up. "So, some-day best man, can I have her back now please?"

Harry laughed, wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist, spun her around once, then returned her to her boyfriend.

Ginny sighed wistfully, her eyes shining with daydreams.

Hermione noticed, despite being a little dizzy. "You're being mooned over Harry," she said quietly, pointing to Ginny.

Harry's smile disappeared. He liked girls, truly he did, he particularly enjoyed flirting with them, but he wasn't interested in being faced with a girl who, really, was just a fan girl with visions of being Mrs Potter some day. Harry shook his head silently, hoping that Hermione or Draco would catch that he didn't want to go that way in the conversation.

"So," Draco said, "where did you go this time? And for that matter, when are you going to take me on one of these adventures?"

Harry laughed, grateful to Draco for having changed the subject. "I went to catch up with some old friends," he answered. "And maybe never, or maybe I'll take you and Hermione to meet Merlin for your honeymoon."

Draco chuckled. "And what would you be doing while Hermione and I are enjoying our honeymoon?"

"Laughing about how you wanted to go to a place with no plumbing," Harry countered, then chuckled and actually gave his answer. "Probably catch up with Frick and Mab, track down Merlin and give him a good roasting about how things are going with Nimueh," he said casually.

The next instant he mentally slapped himself upside the head. Brilliant, brought things back to romance. Damn!

"On the other hand," Harry tried, "maybe I'll just disappear before I can take you anywhere Draco, and you and Hermione can manage my fortunes with Sirius." He winced again. That wasn't helping either.

Hermione giggled as she realised what Harry was failing so terribly at. "Just tell us where you were Harry," she said. "You danced around that question very neatly before you made a mess of yourself."

Harry chuckled weakly and was careful to summon his books inside the pack on his back before he drew them out. Since learning how to summon and banish things properly, he'd really only kept the backpack for instances like this, and it was easier to carry his seal scrolls – with his Luggage inside them – in the bag than it was to banish a scroll that was used for locking things up in. It got a little unstable if he did that over too many layers, according to Frick.

"Back when I was four, the Baron and I met up with this bunch of guys who were travelling west, some kind of quest, I didn't really understand it at the time, but they taught me how to play mah-jong, as well as a bunch of other things. I was really sad to leave them, and I felt like it was the right time to go back and visit them," Harry explained, showing only a couple of the pictures from when he was four – he really didn't want Ginny to go all soppy over him as a kid – before he put the first book away and pulled out his most recent book.

"Who are they Harry?" Hermione asked, her fingers dancing lightly, an inch or so above the photos.

"This is Genjo Sanzo, he's a Buddhist priest, very high ranking," Harry said, pointing to the blonde in the first picture before moving onto the brunette who was in the same frame. "And that's Goku. Son Goku, the Great Sage. I never got to see him with his hair let down, but Sanzo says that's a good thing." Harry moved on to the next picture. "Gojyo and Hakkai," he said. "Gojyo, the one with the red hair, is a ... half-breed," Harry decided not to use the word 'demon'. He really didn't want to know what the reactions would be. "And Hakkai, the guy with the monocle, is complicated. No, I'm not going to explain that. The little white dragon is Hakuryu, he turns into a jeep and we all rode in him on our way west. When I caught up with them more recently, Chav carried us the last few days until we were back at Gojyo's house and the temple where Sanzo and Goku lived."

"What about Hakkai?" Draco asked.

Harry smirked. "He's shacked up with Gojyo," he answered. "They got together the day I left them the first time."

"What about these people?" Ron asked, pointing to a picture on the next page. "And why do they have pointed ears?"

"Well that's Dokugakuji, Gojyo's older half-brother," Harry said, then sighed. "A full-blooded demon."

"Demon!" Ron and Ginny yelled, horrified.

Harry raised an eyebrow at them. "Yeah," he answered. "This is a different world," he reminded them. "Goku and Hakkai are demons too, and Gojyo is a half-demon. Half-water sprite specifically, which makes that he can't swim absolutely hilarious every time we fell into even the shallowest of rivers. Panicked every single time."

Hermione and Draco chuckled a little.

"So why aren't their ears pointed like Do- Dokuga-" Draco struggled.

"Dokugakuji," Harry said. "You can call him Doku, most everybody does. And Gojyo's only half demon, so he doesn't have them. Hakkai and Goku both wear power-limiters," Harry explained, gesturing to the ear-cuffs and the headband. "Which allows them to keep looking human. Moving on to the lovely lady with the purple hair and honey-red eyes," Harry decided, turning the page. "This is Yaone. She's an apothecary, and taught me about cutting and slicing and dicing and powdering and mixing long before I came to Hogwarts."

Ron snorted. "So that's why Snape doesn't hate you," he commented. "You came to that class already knowing stuff."

"You could have too if you'd read the assigned textbooks before going to his class," Harry said easily. "This," he pointed to the red-head in the picture with Yaone, "is Kougaiji, the prince of the demons. He and Yaone are dating." Harry turned the page again. He wasn't worried about any of his friends being able to read the stuff that was written there, since it was all in various combinations of Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and Hindi but he felt no need to linger.

A grin spread over his face as the next picture came into view.

"This gorgeous carrot top is Lirin," Harry said. "Kougaiji's little half-sister. Ah," Harry sighed happily, "ya gotta love Lirin," he said. "She drives you completely nuts otherwise," he added with a chuckle, indicating a photo where Lirin was sitting on Sanzo's shoulders, eating a meat bun, while Goku stood next to them, doing the same thing. Sanzo was clearly frustrated.

"Hakkai told me that the first time they'd met Lirin, he'd observed that Sanzo seemed to be a natural with kids, but really Sanzo just knows the type. Lirin and Goku are practically exactly the same in terms of personality and how easy it is to distract them with food, and Sanzo had a lot of practice with Goku," Harry said. "And from what I hear from Fred and George, Ron's stomach is almost in the same league," he added slyly.

Hermione, Draco and Ginny laughed, though Ron blushed in embarrassment.

"You like red-heads Harry?" Ginny asked, trying to be a bit seductive about it but not really succeeding, as she was also still a bit shy with Harry, despite having already had two Gryffindor boyfriends – if the rumour mill was to be believed.

"He likes red hair, I know that much," Draco quipped. "Likes it so much I mistook him for a Weasley when we first met."

Harry chuckled and turned his hair that same bright orange-red that Lirin's was in the photos, then darkening it down to match Kougaiji's before shifting the tint until it matched Gojyo's hair.

"Every red-head I've ever met has been awesome somehow," Harry said.

"Er," Ron said, "you have met my brother Percy, right?" he asked.

"Awesome prick," Harry answered. "With an awesome memory for rules. Didn't say every red-head was likeable, just awesome."

Hermione grinned. "What do Ron and Ginny have going for them?" she asked.

Harry coughed. "An awesome appetite," he admitted with a glance at Ron.

"I know it," Ron answered with a grin.

Harry smiled back. Ron was a tough one to predict when he'd be proud of something or offended, and there was no way he was going to say that either of these two had an awesome temper – even if they could blow a gasket like no one else.

"What about me Harry?" Ginny asked.

"I've never seen anybody cast a hex like you Ginny," Harry said.

Draco filled in the blank. "It is an awesome thing to behold," he said, then smirked. "So long as you're not on the receiving end."

Ginny chuckled, but was almost visibly let down. She'd hoped for more than that, obviously.

Hermione reached over and patted the younger girl's hand once as a sort of consolation, then turned back to Harry.

"You've got the books out," she said. "I want to see this princess of Wutai who's haircut you gave me."

Harry chuckled and picked up the second of his three books, skipping through the pages until he found the one he was looking for. "Here," he declared, laying it down and pointing to a picture.

"Yuffie Kisaragi, Princess of Wutai, the White Rose, a ninja and kleptomaniac," he said.

"Klepto-what?" Ginny asked.

Hermione's back had stiffened.

"Yuffie had itchy fingers for a particular type of gem stone in her world that, after the Wutai War, her country was supposed to be forbidden from having. If she saw one, she took it. About half the time, she'd give it back later, or pass it on to someone else if the person she'd stolen it from was particularly unpleasant or dead, but you didn't leave materia lying around near Yuffie," Harry said.

Hermione turned a glare on Harry.

He raised his hands in defence. "Now Hermione," he said. "Just because the princess couldn't be trusted with one thing doesn't mean she wasn't a fantastic person otherwise."

Hermione held the glare a moment longer, then sighed and relented. "Fine," she said. "The haircut does look good on me," she added.

"I completely agree," Draco said, nuzzling Hermione's ear fondly, and making her giggle.

"Alright kids, dinner time, you can come down now!"

"Who's that?" Harry asked.

"Our mum," Ron and Ginny answered, standing up.

Harry watched them leave the room, then vanished his books. Hermione he kept nearly no secrets from, and he was quite content to trust Draco with a number of those same secrets, but he'd pulled his funding of both Ron's and Ginny's accounts recently because of their behaviour, and he didn't trust them with more secrets than the single secret he announced every time he entered a new world.

"Has Molly been doing all of the cooking?" Harry asked as they walked down the hallway to the stairs.

"Yes," Hermione answered. "Why?"

"Has she been making suggestions of any kind?" Harry persisted, ignoring Hermione's question for the moment.

"Harry," she complained.

"Telling us to behave ourselves, keep out of the way of the Order, not start fights, clean our rooms," Draco listed off. "Standard parent-type stuff mostly."

Harry nodded. "As long as she hasn't been putting any persuasion potion in the food," he said.

Both of his friends stopped cold on the stairs, and he turned back to look up at them.

"Something I said?" Harry asked dryly.

"Harry, when you say 'persuasion potion'," Hermione began, her eyes going wide.

"You mean the sort of thing that might make her husband cowed and her children obedient?" Draco suggested.

Harry nodded. "Bingo," he answered. "The sort of thing that would make me look twice at Ginny as someone to be interested in romantically, while not actually being a love-potion."

Hermione and Draco went a little pale. They both knew Harry better than to believe that he'd fall for Ginny Weasley, but now that he'd warned them, they both made a mental note to keep an eye out for any behaviour that seemed to bend a person to Molly Weasley's whims more than they otherwise might.

"Or the sort of thing that would convince Sirius to let the Order hold their meetings in his house when he doesn't really care about them, or cause Snape to be caustic at Sirius and Remus when we already know they can be civil to each other, since they were for all of our third year at Hogwarts," Harry continued with a frown.

Draco and Hermione suddenly lost all colour in their faces.

"Or cause us to not bother to notice," Hermione whispered.

Harry nodded. "I won't be eating anything she's serving," he told them. "Want me to substitute out your food?"

His friends nodded firmly.

Harry had, of course, been over-stating the capabilities of the persuasion potion, making it sound more like a liquid version of the imperious curse, but all it really did was make people more open to suggestion. For example, if the person giving the potion said to two people "you really must fight at every opportunity, mustn't you?" and they were already pre-disposed or had a history of disliking each other, then the suggestion would take fairly easily, and would likely answer "of course" to the suggestion/question. On the other hand, if the suggestion was the same, but the two people were actually quite fond of each other, then the most that would happen would be some friendly teasing for a while before the suggestion wore off, if it took at all.

Of course, exposure to the potion for an extended time tended to make the receiver more malleable to whatever the giver said, which was the real danger.

Harry looked into the lounge room before heading to the kitchen.

"Sirius," he said as he entered the kitchen, "much as it's good to be home again, not getting any answer when I arrived was damn unnerving."

Sirius chuckled. "Sorry Harry," he answered. "We spent most of the meeting fighting, probably didn't hear you come in. Welcome home," Sirius said, wrapping his arms around Harry fondly. "And happy birthday."

Harry chuckled. "Thanks. Now, do you think you could release my favourite potions master from the couch in the lounge room? I don't know how long he's been there, but I'll bet he's hungry too, if he isn't in dire need of the bathroom first."

Sirius winced. "Forgot about that," he said. "I'll let him up and go apologise."

Harry smiled crookedly. "Probably a good idea," he said dryly. "And thanks for letting him stay here with us."

Sirius chuckled. "No problem Harry," he answered. "Not after everything that's happened."

At the dinner table, Harry surreptitiously vanished the food that Molly Weasley piled onto his plate and replaced it.

"You're so skinny Harry," Molly kept repeating every time she came around the table to him again. "You really should eat more."

"Madam," Harry said firmly after the fifth time she piled more food onto his plate. "I can assure you that I am not underweight. I am fit and healthy and could probably run rings around any of the witches or wizards at this table that you could care to name. I eat a balanced diet every day that supplies me with all of my nutritional needs. What you are attempting to put on my plate, on the other hand, is loaded with grease that I do not need, sugars and calories in excess of those I burn, and no offence meant to your cooking, but not at all to my tastes."

With that, Harry pushed back his chair and stood from the table.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to celebrate my birthday by doing a few exercises in the back yard," he said, "and then I'm going to turn in."

"No cake this year Harry?" Sirius asked. "You're seventeen now after all."

Harry shook his head. "I did actually have a party with friends before coming home," he said. "We had green tea, dango, mochi and rice balls."

"Never heard of those before," Ron said, confused. "The dango and the mochi." Of course, the boy mispronounced the words horribly.

"They are savoury treats," Harry explained, and excused himself from the room.

"Harry?" the Baron asked from the doorway as the teenager walked passed him.

"I'll just be in the garden," he said. "Practising. Care to join me Baron? We haven't really talked much for a while."

The Baron nodded and followed the young man, who had once been his charge, outside.

Half an hour later, Harry was alone in the garden, the Baron having decided to turn in after their conversation. Barely five minutes after the Baron had left, however, Harry was joined by another figure. This person was silent for a while, just watching, but when Harry paused, arm-outstretched, the weapon in his hand in the position of a decisive thrust that would end the life of another, they broke the silence that had previously been only filled with the swish of steel through air and the gentle ambience of the evening.

"That's quite the impressive, er, thing you've got there."

Harry pulled his shakujo back to his side. Gojyo had given him a few more lessons, and Harry wanted to make sure his body remembered them before he went to sleep.

"Hey Bill," Harry answered. "The guy who introduced me to this weapon called it shakujo, so I do too. Found out what everybody else calls it recently though," he added with a chuckle. "Gojyo would be spitting chips if he knew it was called a monk's spade, though he could probably live with crescent moon spade."

Bill didn't know anything about who Gojyo was, but he could appreciate that, from Harry's little mention, that they weren't big on the monk-type lifestyle, and chuckled along with the younger male.

"Speaking of spitting chips," Bill said, breaking off the chuckles, "you know, Mum wasn't too impressed with you saying all that back there in the kitchen. Especially about her cooking."

Harry shook his head. "Do you eat food like she cooks when you're away from home?" he asked.

Bill shook his head. "I prefer a good Egyptian curry these days," he answered. "Less heavy in the stomach and more flavours from the different spices they use."

"Exactly," Harry answered. "I have no problem with having a good roast now and then, but whatever that was, it was swimming. The only reason for food to be that wet is if there is soup involved, but I could see the fats and oils floating on top. Not appetising."

Bill chuckled and nodded. "I get it," he said. "But do eat some, just to appease her?"

Harry shook his head resolutely. "No," he answered firmly. "I have no reason to. I can cook my own food just fine, and at this stage in my life I don't really need or want a mother-figure. No offence intended, but particularly not your mother."

"Mum can be overbearing," Bill allowed.

"She's also slightly overweight and inclined to put potions in people's food so they'll do as she asks," Harry said. "Two good reasons for me to avoid the food she serves."

"I don't appreciate the slur on my mother," Bill said, frowning.

"It is only a slur if it is untrue," Harry countered. "And I'm not begrudging your mother her chocolate stash, though I did have the goblins cut the allowance Dumbledore was giving her from my accounts so that she could drug your father – and the rest of you as well no doubt. Had the funds re-directed into your own accounts."

Bill blinked in surprise. "I thought there were a few more galleons in my account than I should have been getting," he said softly. "They're from you?"

Harry nodded. "Charlie gets them too. Percy did for a while, before he proved to be an awesome git, and I've recently stopped giving money into Ron and Ginny's accounts, but they'll be getting a nice surprise when they graduate," he said, shrugging. "I still reserve the right to pull those last two accounts and feed the funds in them into your dad's, since Ron and Ginny haven't been told about them yet."

Bill nodded, stunned, then finally managed to get out: "Why?"

"That's what family does," Harry answered.

"You consider us family?" Bill asked.

Harry chuckled. "You are family. Distant cousins. So's Draco actually, but I'm just going to be helping him actually get all his father's money, he doesn't need any of mine at all."

"I could argue that I don't either," Bill pointed out.

"All payments cease when the last Weasley sibling is out of Hogwarts. That's Ginny, and she's only got two years left."

"Fred and George getting these payments?"

Harry nodded. "Told them the whole deal when they first told me about wanting to open their own joke shop. I'm the silent and anonymous investor."

Bill was silent a while, thinking it all through.

Harry decided to get back to practising while the eldest Weasley wasn't distracting him with talk. The silence that had returned lasted a quarter-hour before Bill spoke again.

"Can I have a go with that?"

Harry grinned and handed it over, stepping back to give Bill room while he summoned a cigarette for himself and lit it.

"Those are bad for you," Bill said as he gave the shakujo a swing.

"Not mine," Harry countered. "I steep them in potions that heal lung damage when inhaled as smoke or vapour."

Bill frowned. "There's a potion that does that?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "Keep your left arm straight when you do that," he said, commenting on Bill's technique with the weapon. "It will have more force."

Bill nodded and did the move again.

Harry watched, offering advice on the use of the weapon to Bill, until his cigarette had burned down to the filter, at which point he crushed it in his hand and banished it, then walked over to stand behind Bill and take hold of his weapon around the older male.

"Like this," Harry said, his chin just over Bill's shoulder as he moved the weapon, forcing Bill to move with it.

For another ten minutes, Harry guided Bill that way before he stepped back to watch again.

"Harry?"

"Yes Bill?"

"Why aren't you even breathing hard?"

Harry laughed. "Because I do stuff like this every day," he answered, "and despite your rugged good looks, you obviously don't. Now," Harry said, pulling out his pocket watch and checking the time. "It's ten to nine, so if you want to keep going until nine, or give it back and watch me go until nine, I don't mind. But I'd like to put it away then and take some time for myself in my room before bedtime at ten."

"You have a bedtime?" Bill asked incredulously. "At your age?"

Harry laughed. "I picked it for myself," he retorted. "I don't always keep it, but I get up early in the mornings, so I try not to stay up late at night. Okay?"

Bill nodded. "Okay," he said, handing back the weapon.

"Tomorrow when you're stiff, have a hot shower in the morning and then come find me, I'll give you a back-rub," Harry instructed, spinning the weapon in his hands like the expert he was. "No potions of any kind. That burn means that your muscles have been worked and will become stronger. Potions will undo that."

Bill frowned at this, but nodded anyway.

~oOo~

The changes that McGonagall brought to the school upon being made Headmistress were far from radical. She'd hired more staff so that no single teacher was teaching the subject to every year group, which allowed the teachers to finally look a bit less stressed, and apparently she'd had a competency test as a requirement before any of the teachers got hired, as well as moved the History classes out of Binn's classroom and somewhere else, so the students were finally getting taught more than just the goblin wars, and they were actually staying awake through that class now.

The new DADA teachers – there were two; one for fifth, sixth and seventh years, and one for the first through fourth years – were introduced as Professors Shacklebolt and Tonks.

Harry and all the Hufflepuffs who were in his year remembered Tonks, and cheered loudly for her, making her blush happily. She taught the first through fourth class though, so Harry's only teacher-student contact with her was when the Defence Club met.

"So, Head Boy huh?" Tonks teased as they were leaving the club meeting.

Harry chuckled. "Yeah," he said, scratching the back of his head. "Not sure how that happened, but there you go."

"I want to know why you're wearing a pimple in the middle of your forehead," Tonks said. "Us metamorphmagi can just get rid of them you know. Didn't know we could get rid of scars though, 'specially cursed ones."

"This?" Harry asked, running his fingers over the red spot – Draco had attacked his hair just before they left, disrupting Harry's headband, so it was there for all to see as Harry hadn't put it back on yet. "It's not a pimple," he defended. "And I got it from a goddess over the summer. You don't get rid of marks from deities," he pointed out. "But xe didn't mind if I covered it."

Tonks nodded in understanding, even if she didn't understand, and decided to just shrug it off and not think about it any more.

She didn't notice that Harry had dodged around the issue of the famous scar he was supposed to have.

~oOo~

When the Christmas holidays came around, Harry brewed and bottled a large collection of hangover potions, as well as purchased five large bottles of alcohol – one sake, one tequila, one vodka, one whiskey and one firewhiskey. All of this he packed up into a crate and strapped to his back.

"What's all that for Harry?" Draco asked, standing in Harry's doorway in Black Manor. "Going to a party you didn't tell anybody about?"

"Going to pay someone a visit," Harry answered. "I'm not going to be staying long, just doing a little business I hope. Want to come?"

Draco smiled. "Inter-dimensional business?"

Harry nodded.

"I'll come."

"We're walking this one, rather than riding Silver," Harry said. "So you have to hold onto me. I don't want you getting lost after all. Hermione would never forgive me for losing you."

Draco nodded and took Harry's offered hand, letting his friend turn him around and walk them both through the door.

"Wow," Draco decided when they came out the other side. "Where are we?"

"Baron says it's Japan somewhere, but also wherever it needs to be," Harry answered. "I hope she's still running the place. Last time I was here I was only one, and Baron said she had an apprentice. She was still in charge when I checked my crystal last year, and I've really no idea what he'd want, so I only brought something she'd appreciate."

"A customer for Youko?" asked a man with odd-coloured eyes from the door, drawing the two teenager's attention sharply.

Harry nodded.

"Come in. She's not up to very much these days, but you can certainly speak to her."

"Thank you," Harry said, following the man in.

"I am Watanuki," the man said. "I've mostly taken over running the store for Youko these days."

"I am Tenpou," Harry answered easily. He'd told Draco and Hermione about getting a new name from the Merciful Goddess, and this was a chance to finally use it.

After a somewhat lengthy explanation, presenting Youko with the crate and its contents, and conjuring a trinket for her and Watanuki to put Harry's old scar on – and more importantly, the fragment of soul attached to it – Youko retired once more, very pleased with her bottles of alcohol that had been enchanted to never run out or break as a little extra thank you for giving him the ability to travel inter-dimensionally, and Watanuki turned from Harry to Draco.

"And Hitsuzen has brought you here as well," he said.

Draco shook his head. "No," he said, pointing to his friend, "Tenpou did."

Harry laughed. "Hitsuzen is a word for fate or destiny," Harry told his friend, patting him on the shoulder. "What he's getting at is that, because you're here, there's something here for him to sell you."

Draco looked from his friend to their host.

Watanuki nodded serenely. "This is a shop," he said. "We sell wishes and grant dreams, for the right price."

Draco shook his head. "I've got my girlfriend, I'm escaping from my father a little more every day, and I've got good grades. I'll make my own dreams come true, thanks."

Watanuki smiled. "Good for you," he said. "I'm not like Youko, she's a very pushy salesman," he added in a confiding whisper.

Harry chuckled and lay a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Come on, let's get you back to Hermione."

"That," Draco decided when they'd gotten back to Black Manor, "was vaguely surreal."

Harry laughed. "It was, wasn't it?"

"Harry! Draco! Hermione! Dinner!" Sirius called up the stairs.

Once they'd eaten, Harry presented his godfather with the piece of Riddle's soul that had been in the scar he had grown up without, and it was destroyed in front of everybody in the house.

"So, that only leaves the Dark Bastard himself," Harry declared.

Remus and Sirius both looked ill-at-ease with Harry's almost casual dismissal of the man.

"That's no mean feat Harry," Remus pointed out.

Harry nodded. "Toughest wizard ever seen, right? With butt-loads of minions?"

"That's right," Sirius agreed.

"You scared?" Harry asked, teasing and sly.

"You should be," Remus answered while Sirius spluttered.

Harry shrugged. "But I'm not," he pointed out. "And the Baron knows best just why."

"Whatever Tom Riddle can do," the Baron said from the corner of the room, "Harry can certainly defeat him if he has to."

Remus and Sirius still didn't look very comfortable with the idea.

Harry huffed a sigh. "Relax," he ordered them kindly. "I'm not about to go looking for the creep. I was just the only person who could fetch that last piece. Anybody else could handle the guy themselves, I'm sure."

~oOo~

Of course, just because Harry didn't go looking for Voldemort, didn't mean that Voldemort didn't come looking for Harry.

It was the graduation ceremony at the end of the year, and Harry – as Head Boy – had been just about to give the speech he'd been told he needed to give, when the pop of apparitions and the screams of the people in the back rows interrupted.

"Parents, guardians, relations and friends," Harry announced from the stage. "It appears that our party just got crashed. At this time, I would like to thank the many and varied teachers of the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, as well as Professor Flitwick who sponsored the Defence Club, and I would urge those who remember these lessons take the presented opportunity to show everybody what we've learned."

Voldemort strode up to the stage, terrifying people with his mere presence.

"Oh, hello Tom," Harry greeted amicably. "Come to kill me and wreak terror upon the wizarding world?"

Voldemort snarled. "You will not address me by that name," he ordered, raising his wand to attack the seventeen-year-old.

Harry had his own wand out and firing off a full body bind hex before Voldemort could finish incanting his blasting hex.

"Well, now that he's not going anywhere," Harry said calmly, summoning Voldemort's wand to his hand.

"Die Potter!" a woman screamed, running at him.

"Ah, you must be Cousin Bellatrix," Harry greeted, frowning. "I do believe that you owe Neville an apology on bended knee for what you put his parents through."

A tripping jinx had LeStrange laid out on the ground still five feet from the stage, and then another petrification spell made sure she wasn't getting up. Harry then summoned her wand as well.

It was fortunate that, among the many parent-type people gathered that day, Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was in attendance. It was even more fortunate that, as well as the two Auroras that had been working as professors that year, Madam Bones had a five-man squad with her – the compulsory bodyguard for any high-ranking ministry official such as herself when going to a public event in these dangerous times.

It also didn't hurt that a number of the other parent-types were handy with a wand as well, and at least bright enough to follow Harry's example of petrifying the Death Eaters where they stood. Once they got over their shock at how easily the Dark Lord had been halted that is.

"Mr Potter, if you would please do something about ... Him?" McGonagall asked, not a little nervously, as she gestured towards Voldemort.

Harry sighed. "Why me?" he asked. "I only just graduated. Oh alright!" he said, not bothering to get an answer. He turned to the frozen form of Voldemort. "Tom Marvolo Riddle, you who renamed yourself Lord Voldemort, I Harrison James Potter have defeated you in battle. By right of conquest I claim your magic, this act is symbolised by having taken your wand from you. You have no magic, you cannot wield magic, and magic cannot exist in your person. All your workings are undone. So mote it be," Harry intoned.

The man turned to ashes, the robe on his form crumpling in. He was no more.

"Mr Potter?"

"Yes Madam Bones?"

"What the hell just happened?" It was as much a demand to know as a question.

Harry shrugged. "That body was a magical construct," Harry explained. "The soul container that he used should be in that mess of robes, though it's probably just a cup now, as well as 'flesh of the servant' and a few drops of my blood, which were taken from me – unwillingly – at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I just used an old tradition and stripped him of his magic. Without magic, the construct couldn't hold," Harry frowned. "Actually, the way I did it, I probably removed all the Dark Marks as well."

Bellatrix started wailing at that, even though she was still unable to otherwise move.

Harry chuckled. "Guess I did then," he said. "Sorry about that, but I think most everybody who was his follower is here in their robes and masks."

Amelia Bones frowned, but nodded.

"Well, shall we get back to the graduation ceremony?" Harry asked. "I do still have a speech to make, if anybody wants to hear it."

There was some laughter from the people who heard him, and slowly everybody settled down into their seats again – while the Auroras went about their business of officially capturing the Death Eaters who were present.

"Parents, guardians, friends and relations," Harry said. "Today we are stepping out, leaving behind our school years and beginning a new chapter in our lives. I know you all hope that we will become productive members of society, and I dare to say that a great many of us will. Our education does not stop just because we are leaving Hogwarts behind though. Every day we will be faced with the opportunity to learn something new, to try something new, to discover something new. Even if it is only that we actually don't mind cabbage as much as we said we did when we were five," Harry offered, getting a laugh. "I was going to talk about the challenges and dangers that we could face now, with the Dark Lord looming over us, but that's been dealt with, so I'll say this instead. Voldemort, please do not flinch, it is only a name. Voldemort was a dangerous person, not just because he used wicked spells or consorted with certain people. He was dangerous because he advocated a world where differences were bad, where choice was bad, and where ignorance and prejudice were sovereign and stupidity encouraged. A large number of this years graduating class leave today into a world where there are people prejudiced against them succeeding, because they are muggle-borns or 'half-bloods'. It is our duty now to go out and change the world, to make it a better and brighter place. It's probably going to be an uphill battle, but if there's one thing we know how to do by now, it is to overcome the obstacles in our way. We shall seize the day by the throat and then drag it, kicking and screaming if we must, into a new era. An era of change, progress, and understanding. Thank you."

He was applauded, and Harry gratefully stepped over the pile of robes Voldemort had been wearing, and off the stage to sit with his classmates.

Chapter Text

Harry sat in the Ministry building's Wizengamot Hall. He didn't particularly want to be there, but he was out of school now and he was heir to a seat in this apparently judicial and governmental body. Sirius had trained and taught him over every holiday they were together, and given him books to read when they were apart, so that he understood everything that was involved in being a member of the Wizengamot.

Today he was being welcomed, officially, and given the sash that all Wizengamot members wore when acting officially as a part of the collective – as a court or as a collection of politicians discussing acts and amendments.

It looked disturbingly like his wandering days might be over.

"Dear Buddha I hope not," Harry muttered to himself, as people filed out at last, covering his red spot with the fingers of his left hand, digging them in as though to relieve a headache.

"What was that Harry?" Sirius asked curiously, as he stopped by his godson on his way down the stairs to the door.

"I hope I still get to travel after this," Harry said. "I don't like the idea that I'm going to be tied down because of my unwanted government position."

Sirius chuckled. "What ever happened to changing the world being your duty?"

"Didn't say it had to be this world," Harry answered, just a little petulantly.

"You'd leave me behind?" Sirius asked quietly.

Harry looked up at his godfather. "You managed just fine before me," he pointed out. "You're a grown man Padfoot. You really shouldn't need an eighteen-year-old to keep an eye on you, especially since you've already got Moony doing that."

"Then what about your girlfriend?"

Harry shook his head, confused. "What girlfriend?" he demanded. "Who's been filling your head with strange ideas Pads?"

"I thought for sure you were dating one of those girls, Ginny or Luna or Susan," the man said. "Since obviously Hermione is dating Draco."

Harry shook his head. "No Sirius, I'm not dating any of them. Neville was dating Susan last I heard, and Ginny's jumped from Dean Thomas to Seamus Finnigan, and may have moved on again since my last update. Luna's gone off hunting snorkacks again."

Sirius frowned. "Alright then, your boyfriend perhaps?" he suggested.

Harry chuckled. "Don't have one of those either," he answered. "Besides, if I had a significant other like that, I'd probably take them travelling with me."

"Damn," Sirius said, snapping his fingers in frustration at his godson's lacking love-life. He sighed and put a hand on Harry's shoulder comfortingly. "Harry, the Wizengamot only meets four times a year, with cases and an agenda being brought before them to be gone through before they break and meet up again next quarter. It's not a full-time thing. I did tell you this."

Harry nodded. "You did," he agreed, then shook his head. "But even if the Wizengamot only meets every three months, I have to know what's going on in this world so that I can make an informed decision about anything that gets discussed here," Harry explained.

"Hire a personal secretary to keep notes on important things. That way you can get a comprehensive brief before each session and still be able to go travelling," Draco suggested, stopping behind Sirius. With his father having been imprisoned for being a Death Eater at the graduation, Draco had taken the Malfoy seat on the Wizengamot today along with Harry taking the Potter seat. A number of their old classmates had been welcomed onto the Wizengamot that day actually.

"The only people I know who take notes good enough for that would be Hermione and Susan. Hermione would probably not appreciate being my secretary while I go off jaunting, and Susan's following in her aunt's footsteps," Harry answered.

Draco rolled his eyes in frustration. "That's what the interviewing process is for Harry," he said, giving his friend a bap up-side the head.

Harry chuckled. "Oh alright," he said, admitting defeat. "I'll post a notice in the Daily tomorrow."

He ended up hiring Fleur Delacour. He'd been surprised that she'd applied for the job in the first place, since she was, quite frankly, smart enough to do whatever she wanted with her life.

"Eet is not so simple 'Arry," she said at the end of the interview. "Oui, I could do anyzing I wanted to, but I will not be trusted by so many employers or co-workers because of my 'eritage. In zis work, zere are no co-workers to complain about ze pretty new girl, and you know me already from ze Tournament and zat you can trust me. A veela is also good at gathering information, which is what you want from your secretary."

That was what had sealed the deal. For Fleur, the job was an easy one and she could enjoy herself while doing it. It was really just keeping up with and taking note of public events, and getting extra information on all the agenda items of a Wizengamot meet in time to brief Harry before he had to go in.

It also allowed Fleur to canvas all the eligible young Englishmen, since it seemed she'd been exposed to all of the French options already and was none to fond of them.

Fleur would also use her French heritage to help her keep track of important world events as well, so that she could update Harry on those before the Wizengamot sessions. This way, he would be able to make educated comparisons on how the United Kingdom was fairing in comparison to the other world players.

Harry set up her pay at Gringotts, magicked up a communicator for if there was an emergency session he needed to attend – they were rare, but they happened – and then, with fond farewells, walked out the door and into a new world.

~oOo~

"An' it's my last chance to say it," the man said, "Rose Tyler," and then he fell silent, and started to cry.

Harry clapped, slowly.

"There's one tiny little gap in the universe," had been where he walked in, and Harry had thought it best to not interrupt, what with the "burning up a sun jut to say goodbye" bit.

"Who are you?" the man asked, surprised and blinking away tears.

"Inter-dimensional traveller," Harry answered. "Name's Harry."

"Inter-dimensional travel is impossible," the man said, shaking his head.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Well it's how I got here," he said. "I've been doing it since I was a baby too, so don't go telling me it can't be done. Now, do you want me to help you finish that sentence? Give you another chance to say it?"

The man chuckled weakly, wetly. "How?"

Harry smiled in sympathy. "Pick a door, any door, you hold my hand as we walk through, and we're there."

"I can't leave the TARDIS behind," the man said, laying his hand on the console in the middle of the room.

Harry sighed and pulled out a sealing scroll and a pokeball.

The man stared at the red and white ball. "That's not seriously a -?"

"Yep," Harry cut in, releasing the pokemon inside. "Meet Silver. Silver, we're going to help this man get to his lady love, but he wants to take this place with him, so will you hold onto him for me?"

"What?"

Silver bobbed his head in the affirmative and strode over to the man.

"Get on," Harry instructed.

"Er, the fire?"

Harry shook his head. "As long as Silver lets you on, you won't burn."

The man looked dubious but did as he was told.

Harry lay out his scroll and got onto Silver in front of the man. "Now, boy!" Harry yelled, sealing the TARDIS up and recalling his scroll with a flick of his wrist.

Silver cantered into the inter-dimensional pathway.

"Destination is Bad Wolf Bay in Norway," Harry said, then looked over his shoulder at the man. "I assume there is some history to the name?"

The man nodded. "For a while, she was Time itself, and her name was Bad Wolf."

"Huh, the last time I met Time, his name was Lobsang," Harry said with a shrug. "But that's different dimensions for you."

They came out of the inter-dimensional path just as Rose was breaking down on the sand.

"Excuse me?" Harry called gently, aware that the man behind him had frozen up on Silver's back the instant he saw the young woman. "But I've got a delivery for Rose Tyler?"

She looked up, saw Harry, then saw where he was pointing.

"Doctor!" she cried, running to him, tears going down her face. "Are you still just an image?"

The man shook his head in wonder as he wrapped his arms around her. "No," he said quietly, "and I have no idea how or why."

"Because I'm not a heartless bastard, perhaps? And I have either very good or very bad timing to have walked in on him when you were saying your goodbyes," Harry said, recalling Silver to his pokeball.

"Thank you," Rose said, not moving from where she was holding and being held by the Doctor.

"I love you," the Doctor sobbed chokingly into Rose's hair. "And I am so glad I got to say it."

"So now here's the tricky and the sticky," Harry said, not unfeelingly. "Do I take you back to where I found you, or do I leave you in this dimension?"

"Do I have to decide now?" the Doctor asked.

Harry shook his head. "You've got two-and-a-half months to decide, after that I've got somewhere else that I have to be," he said.

The two months were quite interesting. Harry got to learn science-babble and meet extra-terrestrials with an organisation called Torchwood. He'd kept the Doctor's TARDIS sealed away in his scroll, but the man seemed to manage fairly well without it anyway, and Mickey was an almost never-ending source of entertainment. Rose's parents and Torchwood co-workers were pretty fun company as well. No red-heads though.

"Miss Tyler," Harry greeted. It was near the end of the allotted time he'd given them to think about staying or leaving or whatever else.

She ran straight past him into the bathroom – he and the Doctor had been living in her flat – and he heard the sound of throwing up.

"That's not good," Harry decided, following her quickly. He arrived in time to hold her hair out of the way for her as she wretched into the toilette bowl a second time. He took out his wand and ran a diagnostic charm. His use of the length of wood was similar enough to the Doctor's use of the sonic screwdriver that it set them at ease about the things he could do. "Well," Harry commented, his eyebrows disappearing into his bandanna.

"What? What's going on?" the Doctor asked, appearing in the doorway looking frantic. Judging from the way he was still pulling up that pair of shorts, Harry guessed the only reason the man hadn't been faster was because he'd been nude.

"You have been busy Doctor," Harry said with a smirk. "Getting Rose pregnant like that. What will her mother say when she finds out?"

Harry summoned a glass of water and offered it to Rose.

"I'm pregnant?" she asked once she'd washed her mouth out.

Harry nodded. "Twins even," he answered.

There was a thud from the door as the Doctor hit the ground, fainting dead away at the incredible news.

Rose was crying, but smiling.

Harry left the TARDIS with them, and left them in that dimension when it came time for him to leave. Apparently, the Time Lords still existed in that dimension, so the Doctor would be able to go to his home planet as his children needed – and as they would be Time Lords when they grew up, they'd need to go some day.

"Thank you Harry," Rose said, hugging him farewell.

The Doctor nodded, taking his turn to hug the young man goodbye as well. "I can't ever thank you enough," he said.

Harry chuckled. "You don't have to," he said. "Name one of the sprogs after me if you get a boy though, yeah?"

Rose and the Doctor both nodded. "Yeah."

~oOo~

Fleur looked up from the desk she used at the Potter Estate, where Harry had settled her upon her employment, to see the young man stepping out of nothingness into the room.

"Right on time 'Arry," she said with a smile.

Harry drew out the pocket watch that he'd gotten on the Disc for his ninth birthday. "I have learned to keep a very close eye on dates and times," he said before he tucked it away once more. "How is the situation?"

He'd decided that he'd give himself two weeks either side of the Wizengamot sessions every time he was here, so that he could perform his other social duties such as holding functions and catching up with friends and family. It also allowed him time to properly absorb all of the information that Fleur was being employed to collect and give him.

It took quite a while, but then, Fudge was up on charges. Quite a lot of them.

In the mean time, Harry had social events to organise. Mercifully, he also had Fleur to make sure he did it right, that the guest list had all the right people on it, that the invitations got delivered in time, and that they got responses from everybody.

~oOo~

When Harry left again, he'd somehow been talked into taking Ginny with him. No, that wasn't right. There'd been a bet about something, he couldn't remember what, but he'd lost the bet with the Twins when they were all a little tipsy late after one of his parties, whatever it was. Maybe it was that he could hold his drink better, but they'd only gotten tipsy at the same time as him, which had impressed him at the time. He didn't know they'd been spelling each other sober every other drink until after he'd told Ginny he was taking her with him.

"Where are we Harry?" Ginny asked, her arms wrapped tightly around one of his, a huge smile on her face as she looked only at him.

Harry looked around. "Some backwater in Canada," he answered, then started walking towards the one building all the noise was coming from – the bar. "Wonder what the local yokels do for entertainment around here."

Inside the bar, Harry grinned while Ginny stared, wide-eyed and slightly terrified.

"Licks for kicks," Harry declared happily, his eyes fixed on the cage fighters as he wove his way through the crowd to an empty seat up the back.

"You like this stuff Harry?" Ginny asked, unnerved but trying not to show it.

"Bread and butter for me," Harry answered absently. "Never fought in a cage before, but fighting, yeah, that's fun."

"Does that mean you will be getting into that cage?" Ginny demanded, frowning.

Harry watched the fight as it suddenly turned around and the man who was apparently the reigning champion stopped letting himself get beat up and won the fight without any problems. It was a thing of beauty, to watch those muscles ripple like that. He'd be willing to bet that the only reason the men around here could ignore that – even the straight ones – was because they had money against him.

"Harry?" Ginny called, wanting an answer.

Harry nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I think I will."

The man with the microphone stood in the middle of the cage, calling for anybody to come and fight 'the Wolverine'.

Harry stood and walked up, slipping himself in easily and taking his jacket off so that he was in a black muscle shirt and jeans only – in only slight contrast to his opponent's shirtless state.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the fight man called, "our saviour!"

Harry chuckled. Not likely. Sure, if he wanted to, he could win the fight, but it would probably take more than just his bare hands and booted feet to do it, and a cage fight, for all that it was anything goes, was still a no-weapons fight.

"You look too clean to be from 'round here bub," the Wolverine said, looking Harry up and down as he put out his cigar.

Harry ran straight in and punched the older man in the stomach. "And you look too handsome to be from 'round here," he whispered, but then he was getting a fist in his own stomach that sent him back to the 'wall' of the cage. Harry pulled himself upright, then hoisted himself higher, holding onto the wire as he aimed a solid kick at his opponent's face. Pushing himself off the fencing, Harry launched two more kicks at the man's chest before he landed again.

The Wolverine smiled.

Harry ducked a swing and swiped a foot out from underneath the man, unbalancing him before a solid shoulder to the gut sent him into his corner.

"Has somebody finally done it?"

Harry stood up straight and stock-still, focused completely on his opponent. It was possible, he was good after all. He spent enough time every day making sure he was good for there to be results like this. Somehow though, Harry didn't think that the Wolverine was really down for the count.

He was right. The older man was up soon enough, and the smile on his face had turned into a feral grin.

Harry was gifted with a goose-egg shortly thereafter, and lost the fight. Out of the cage and in the shadows, dizzy, Harry used a combination of magic and chakra to heal his more serious grievances – like the lump on his head and accompanying concussion. The rest he decided to tough out. They hadn't killed him and wouldn't really hamper him all that much after all, besides, even if the bruises would be tender for a while, Harry really didn't mind the warmth they gave him, the comforting burn of muscles put to use.

Ginny proceeded to fuss over him the moment he returned to his seat though.

Harry did his best to ignore her as he pulled out a cigarette and ordered a glass of milk from the bar, getting a stunned and slightly dirty look from the man behind it.

"I'm eighteen," Harry said. "Old enough to cage fight, not to drink. I don't want your place getting in trouble for something so simple pal." Never mind that he had drunk before, and quite enjoyed it. Milk was what he wanted and needed right now.

Harry didn't bother watching the men who tried to fight against the Wolverine after him. These men were labourers, lumberjacks, the occasional runt who thought big of himself, and one man who looked like he spoiled for a fight with anybody and everybody – most likely including his wife and kid, if he had them.

Harry kept half an eye on the girl shrouded in a green, hooded coat who was drinking water at the bar – he could tell, just like the barman could tell, that she was more likely a runaway than not – and he suppressed a grin when he noticed her watching the Wolverine when he came out, wearing three shirts and a denim jacket, and ordered a beer.

Then the last man who had lost in the cage came out as well, and proceeded to pick the wrong fight, though clearly the girl didn't know that, as she screamed when she saw the knife.

Harry forced himself not to laugh at how damn entertaining it all was. Ginny's obvious fear – and it was fear – he did his best to ignore.

When the bar cleared out, Harry turned to Ginny and gave her an ultimatum.

"I'm going to follow them," he said. "I'm probably going to stick with them until I go home again too. You can either toughen up and come, or I can send you home right now. I'm inclined to think you'd be happier going home."

Tears suddenly appeared in Ginny's eyes, but she nodded. "Yeah," she agreed quietly. "Yeah, I want to go home."

Harry nodded and took her out back of the pub where nobody bothered to go, and released Silver.

"You take her home boy," he said. "Then you come back here to me, okay?"

Silver nodded, and Ginny climbed onto his back. When they were gone, Harry went to find the girl and the Wolverine, who she had no doubt followed, and probably stowed away with.

Silver returned just as Harry spotted the Wolverine driving out of town.

"We're following that one," Harry said quietly, mounting up. "But we're just watching for now, okay?"

Silver chuffed softly in agreement and trotted silently after the rusted and battered vehicle, using tricks that he had learned from Death's steed, but had rarely been called upon to practice.

An hour later the truck stopped, the Wovlerine got out of the cab, and pulled the tarpaulin off the trailer, revealing the girl. A very minor altercation, a few moments when the Wolverine began to drive away before stopping again and letting her join him, and then they were moving again.

Half an hour after that, a tree was felled in front of the truck and the Wolverine went flying out the windscreen. Slowly, the man who should probably have been dead stood up and the gash across his head visibly healed before he shook himself for a moment and he turned his attention to the girl in his truck.

"Are you alright?" he asked, then repeated louder, "Kid are you alright?"

Harry decided then was a good time to introduce himself, particularly since he'd heard her yell her answer.

"I'm stuck!"

It was just as well that he did really, as some great, hairy, beast of a man chose that moment to jump down between the incredible healing man and his truck, and Harry honestly didn't like the look of how things were going.

Harry was at the passenger's side door in an instant, pulling it open and breaking the belt that held the girl trapped inside. He wasn't worried about the Wolverine just then. Harry knew from painful experience that the man could fight, and he'd just witnessed him heal at a ridiculously fast rate. The arrival of a strange air craft seemed to scare off the hulking hairy man, at least for a while, and then the new arrivals to the scene helped the Wolverine and the girl aboard just as the truck exploded.

"You're looking well for the beating you got earlier," the Wolverine said from where he sat across from Harry.

"And you're looking well for having flown through your own windscreen and then getting royally beaten up by a man with claws," Harry answered dryly, smirking slightly. "Harry Potter, pleased to meet you."

"Logan," the man answered. "Didn't you have some red-head hanging off you before?"

Harry sighed. "Yes," he replied. "And I sent her home."

Logan nodded. "I think she's a bit too far from home to be sent back so easily," he said, jerking his head at the girl.

"She can hear you," the girl quipped, turning in her seat to look from Logan to Harry. "I'm Rogue."

Harry smiled kindly at her. "Obviously," he answered. "But what is your name?"

The girl blushed and opened her mouth to answer.

Harry shook his head with a chuckle, cutting her off. "I'm just teasing Rogue," he said kindly, reaching out to pat her gloved hand kindly. "You're pretty and I'm eighteen, that's the way life works."

Rogue smiled back at him. It was a little shaky at first, but it got stronger, and she really was very pretty when she smiled.

~oOo~

Harry let himself be guided around the school, and after a little chat with the telepathic headmaster, he was permitted to retire outside, where he found himself a stretch of grass and did his daily exercise routine. Never mind that he'd gotten a proper fight earlier, he wouldn't be shirking for anything.

"You have an audience," commented Ororo Munroe, aka Storm, the chocolate-skinned and white-haired beauty who had been one of the two from earlier.

Harry looked over at the windows she had gestured to, and shook his head with a smile. "If they decide they want to try it," he said, "I don't mind teaching them while I'm here."

"You're barely old enough to be out of school yourself," Storm teased with a smile.

"Ah, but barely is just enough in this case," Harry teased right back. A grin spread across his face as a thought formed in his mind. "Want to see something I learned, oh, three years ago now?"

Storm chuckled, shaking her head. "It's getting to be curfew for the kids," she said. "If you gave me a demonstration now, we'd never get them to sleep."

"And it's a school day tomorrow," Harry finished. "In the morning then."

Storm nodded. "In the morning," she agreed.

She hadn't expected to find Harry out in the early hours of the morning though, with only the grey light of before dawn illuminating the lawn.

"Did you go to sleep last night?" she asked.

Harry laughed. "Of course I did!" he answered. "In bed at ten, asleep a half-hour later, awake at what many feel is an ungodly hour and already making the most of my day."

"Wholesome type huh?" Storm asked.

"I take care of my body," Harry answered firmly. "I also drink and smoke and swear and fight and have, actually, killed before."

Storm was clearly shocked by the admission, and disturbed. "Why have you ever needed to kill?" she asked, though her expression said she was just a little bit afraid of the answer.

"It was them or me," Harry said easily, "and I'm rather fond of living."

Harry then started moving through the bending lessons he'd gotten from Toph, Zuko, Katara and Aang, showing off for his morning companion.

"Can I try that?"

Harry smiled and nodded. "Which set of forms do you want to try first?"

He guided her through the forms until Scott came out, asking them to come in for breakfast so that the kids would stop staring and start eating as well.

Harry laughed. "Tell them I'll give lessons to anybody who's interested," he suggested with a grin.

"I don't think you can actually teach some of this stuff to the kids," Storm said, unsure. "We've only got a couple of students who have any kind of elemental affinity, and all of them have their school work to do."

Shaking his head, Harry lay a hand on Storm's shoulder. "The forms work just as well as a physical and mental discipline, and of course their studies come first," he said. "I'm a big fan of learning new things."

"Okay then," Storm allowed. "We'll run it by the Professor."

Harry wasn't surprised to find Rogue in his first session later that day when the regular classes had finished, though Logan's presence was very surprising.

"It will keep me busy," the man explained. "And you hit hard," he added with a half-grin.

Harry snorted. "You don't need to hit any harder than you already do," Harry pointed out before shrugging and beginning his lesson. He had a boy who manipulated fire, another who lowered the temperature of things until they froze, a girl who had electric sparks dancing between her fingers and a slew of other younger teens and little kids who thought it looked cool but had no similar affinities.

"Central to all of the styles of elemental manipulation I was showing Miss Munroe earlier, is the horse stance. Each element takes it lower and must be more solid. The first of these is air. It is light, it must move easily." Harry spread his legs and sank jut a little bit in demonstration. "The second element is water. It has more weight, but it flows almost as easily as air does." He spread his legs a little wider and sank a little lower. "Third is fire. It is something that pulses with life and surges forward." Harry sank down further. "Fourth is earth." Harry's legs were wide now, his seat low and his feet firmly planted. "It is unmovable, patient and solid."

"What good are these stances?" asked one of the little kids as they all sank down as low as they could without falling over.

"They will make your leg muscles burn," Harry answered. "And when your muscles burn, then they are being made stronger. Now, while you hold this stance, I will teach you how to punch and block."

After the class had been dismissed with homework – they were to take the stance for a ten-count, then drop lower for another ten-count, and so on, until they had their knees and hips at perfect right-angles as he'd shown them at the beginning of the class – Harry asked the fire-boy to stay back.

"You're not in trouble," Harry promised with a smile, setting the kid at ease. "I just thought you might like a little one-on-one time to work on the fire aspect of what I can teach you more."

The boy nodded.

"What's your name?"

"John," the boy answered. "I prefer Pyro though."

Harry chuckled. "Well, John is the name you were given by somebody who loved you," Harry said, "so if you don't mind, I'll be calling you that. Pyro sounds like an unimaginative code-name or a shortening of the mental condition known as pyromania. If it really bothers you though, I'll call you Pyro instead. Now, punch."

After five minutes of one-on-one, Harry had worn the kid out completely, and with a smile told him to go lie down before he fell down.

"Yes Sir," John answered gratefully, heading into the mansion, most likely to keel over into his bed.

"Harry?"

Harry turned. "Rogue," he greeted with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"You know how 'round here everybody's got some kinda weird power," Rogue started, obviously building up to something.

Harry nodded. "Some more obvious than others," he agreed. "So?"

"I really appreciate your lessons an' all, but I can't touch people, an' I thought maybe you had some way for me to be able to fight people, defend myself, without having to touch them," Rogue said.

"Ah, so that's what it is," Harry said. "Of course I do, but first... Sit," he said, gesturing to the grass, folding his own legs in a tailor's seat beneath him. "This power you have, explain it to me, and then explain to me how having it makes you feel."

Rogue shifted uncomfortably as she sat on the grass, but did as she was told. "I haven't touched anybody since that first time," she said. "I can still hear him inside my head though. Last I heard, he was in a coma. When I talked to the Professor, he said that I absorbed some of his life force, and if I touched another mutant, I'd probably get their powers as well, for a while at least. I'm scared. I'm scared that I could kill someone by touching them, and that I'll have to live the rest of my life without every being able to touch anyone ever again. I feel powerful though too, because I have this thing that means I can take other mutant's powers, and that means I could do anything."

Harry nodded. "Does it only affect people?" he asked. "Put your bare hand on the grass and see what happens. It's alive too after all."

Rogue seemed stunned for a moment, but did as she was told.

"Well?"

Rogue lifted her hand. The grass was still green, and she didn't feel any different. "Nothing," she said.

"Then I suggest we find us an animal shelter and see if it works on animals as well. You'd probably feel better for having a pet, huh?" Harry suggested. "It's no human companionship, but I don't mind experimenting with you."

"Yeah, me either," said a gruff voice from just behind the girl.

"Logan?"

The man smiled his crooked smile. "I heal fast after all," he said. "I reckon you can suck some of my power up and I'll recover faster than anybody else here. I don't mind helpin' in whatever experiments Harry might have to help you get this under control. Besides, if you get my memories too, I expect they'll be useful to you. Anything more than ten years old though, I don't remember myself, so I'd like to know if you get older stuff."

Rogue laughed weakly and nodded, her eyes glistening with held-back tears of appreciation.

Harry smiled. "I could probably help you with that too," he said, then turned back to Rogue and produced a ball of chi. "Rogue, this is my life force energy, concentrated and pure. I can use it as a weapon, as a barrier, or to heal. This is what I suspect you draw out of people when you touch them. When a person is tired, then they are running low on this energy. They rest, they eat, they bring their energy levels back up. This isn't too weird for you, is it?"

Rogue shook her head. "No," she said. "I get it."

"A person can die from over-taxing themselves," Harry said, "I've seen it happen. What you are going to focus on doing is finding your own store of this within yourself. It's not something easy to do, but I believe that you can do it. I also believe that, when you find it, you should be able to better control your mutation."

Rogue thought about that, a frown on her face. "You mean like, tellin' my skin I've got enough life force an' don't need to borrow any more?"

Harry nodded. "Just like that," he said. "It's just a theory though. Now, animal shelter to see if you can have a pet?"

Rogue smiled.

"I'll drive you," Logan said, smiling as well.

It proved to be a happy moment when Rogue picked up a kitten with her bare hands and nothing happened except that the feline licked, and then tried to chew on, the girl's finger.

"I always wanted a pet," Rogue said quietly.

"I think you'll have to clear it with the Professor before you're allowed one in the mansion," Harry said smiling. "But I'm glad for you."

"Congratulations kid," Logan said, giving her a hug around her shoulders. "Something good for the day."

Rogue smiled at the two older males and nodded happily. Her life was far from peaches and cream right now, but it wasn't so dark any more either.

~oOo~

"It was an accident," Rogue said, turning to the crowd of people at the door, worry and fear etched onto her face.

"I know," Harry said, stepping forward from the group and wrapping her up in a hug. He wasn't worried about skin contact as he wore proper pyjamas that covered him from neck and wrist to ankle. "It's okay. You're okay, Logan is okay. Nothing permanent happened. Okay?"

Rogue chuckled weakly and nodded into Harry's chest.

"Logan?" Harry asked over Rogue's head.

"Yeah," the man croaked. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Nightmare, and then she scared the shit out of me when I saw my claws through her chest."

"I think that's everything settled then," Harry said firmly, "and everybody should really be in bed at this hour."

"Absolutely," Storm agreed, and began ushering the other students back to their rooms and beds.

"Want to talk about that nightmare?" Harry asked.

Logan shook his head. "I don't even remember it clearly," he said.

"I do," Rogue said, shaking a bit. "I, uh, caught it when I borrowed your powers Logan," the girl admitted.

The therapy session began. Ten minutes in, Harry was diving into Logan's mind – something he was not exactly qualified to do, but with Lulu helping him, all he'd read about mind-healing and his lessons in reading the minds of others, Harry was able to find the blocks in Logan's mind and begin to unwind them.

It was an hour later when Harry returned to himself, gave Lulu a grateful pat and yawned widely.

"Damn," Logan said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "Some of that stuff I don't think I want to have remembered. Thanks though Kid."

Harry nodded with a snort. "You were calling me Harry before, just because you know how old you are now isn't any reason to start calling me 'Kid'. Now, Scott on the other hand, and Jean too for that matter," Harry suggested. "They're both childish enough that you could do that."

Jean was a red-head, and had some very impressive powers, but despite being awesome, Harry couldn't help but distrust her, like there was something off about her. Not his problem of course.

Logan laughed. "Yeah," he said. "That's an idea. Wait, Jean? Childish?"

"What do you call a woman who flirts with another man in front of her boyfriend?" Harry retorted.

Logan snorted. "Alright," he admitted, "childish." He looked over at where Rogue had fallen asleep on his bed while Harry had been wandering around in his head. "I don't think I want to wake her up so that she can go back to her own room."

Harry agreed. "I'll take her," he offered. "You should get some rest. I'll probably sleep a little late myself. That working took a lot out of me," he said with a yawn, bending down to pick up Rogue gently.

"See you at breakfast then," Logan said.

Harry nodded.

~oOo~

After his second class, Harry called the girl with the electrically charged fingertips aside and talked her through what he had learned of how to bend lightning, creating targets for her to fire at and, more importantly, showing her how it was re-directed.

"Wow," she admired.

"Dare I ask?" Harry said with a smile.

"You make it move like it's some crazy gymnast's ribbon, or flowing through invisible tubes like water."

Harry nodded. "Water conducts electrical currents," he explained. "And there is almost always some moisture in the air. Now I believe, Miss Jubilation Lee, that it is your turn. You will stop being afraid of this power, stop letting it control you, and take control for yourself."

"But lightning can kill people."

Harry sighed. "Do you know what defibrillators are?" he asked.

"Doctors use them, right?" Jubilation asked.

Harry nodded. "They conduct a regulated amount of electrical current through the pads to the heart to give it a jump-start, the same way you might a dead car battery. Like fire is sunlight and life, as well as destruction, so lightning is in our heartbeat, in our minds as neurons fire, we use tamed lightning every day to make our appliances work. It does more than just shock people and hurt them."

Jubilation nodded her acceptance of this and started weaving the shapes in the air that Harry had demonstrated, creating pathways of glittering power before sending it out to the target that Harry had set up for her – a copper disc on top of a wire heading straight for the ground, where it couldn't hurt anything.

"Well done," Harry approved, smiling at the girl. "Do you have time to try again, or should you be getting on with assignments of some kind?"

Jubilation was grinning. "I have the time. That's the first time I've ever felt good about having this power. I can make it do something now!"

Harry chuckled. "Your next trick will be deciding exactly how powerful a shock you will be giving. Would you like to try?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "This might actually be a good thing," she said in wonder.

"Your lightning is a part of you, and it is a tool that you can choose how to employ. You can hurt people with it if you want to, or you can heal, or a great number of other things. It's up to you," Harry said.

After his third lesson, Harry held Bobby back, the ice boy, or Ice Man as he preferred, and taught him more of water bending, After the fourth, Harry caught up with Rogue and they meditated together as Harry talked her through finding her core, the way Aang said that the Guru had taught him, as well as sharing the advice of the giant lion-turtle.

She'd come a long way on her own in the days in between, just meditating before she went to bed every night. Rogue also raised the question if she might be able to take life-force from a healthy person and feed it into someone who was sick.

"I don't know," Harry said. "You'll have to find out some day. I suggest that you get a handle on this part first though. If you like, I'll also teach you how to use a regular weapon?"

Rogue nodded gratefully, and Harry began the girl on using a staff. A weapon that had reach, could potentially have a blade, and could give a smaller person the upper hand against a larger assailant. Very good weapon for young girl who still couldn't touch people. Sometimes Harry was her opponent, but mostly it was Logan, while Harry supervised the class, correcting stances, and in Rogue's case, her grip as well.

Harry stayed at the mansion for two weeks before Rogue was kidnapped, and then he went with Jean, Scott, Storm and Logan to get her back. Logan cut her free and she threw her arms around him happily.

"It worked," she cried. "All that stuff we practised, it worked. He wanted me to absorb his powers to run the machine, but I didn't take them!"

Logan laughed happily, twirling her around while Storm, Jean and Scott dealt with Magneto and his followers.

"Congratulations Rogue," Harry said, joining them and giving her a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Harry. I'd have been in big trouble otherwise," Rogue said.

"Of course, now that you have some control over this thing," Logan said, giving the girl in his arms a squeeze, "you're gonna have to really get better at how to fight like a normal person so you never get kidnapped again. Damn near gave me a heart attack."

Rogue and Harry laughed, knowing that Logan couldn't die from such a thing.

When Rogue was settled back in the school, and Logan had been formally hired as a self-defence teacher, which was really just an excuse for him to stay with Rogue and for the X-Men to keep him on staff however much Scott didn't like him, Harry bid them farewell.

~oOo~

"What's the matter Fleur?" Harry asked as he sat down opposite his friend and secretary.

"Ze matrons 'ave been asking questions 'Arry," Fleur answered. "Welcome back, by ze way."

Harry chuckled. "Good to see you again. What sort of questions?"

"'Arry," Fleur said, rolling her eyes as though it were obvious. "Zey are matrons. Zey ask about matrimony."

Harry paled, visibly. "You?" he asked hopefully.

"Some," Fleur allowed. "But you more. You will be nineteen next time you return 'Arry. Zey want you to 'ave a fiancé, preferable one of zeir daughters, before you are twenty."

Harry groaned, slumping in his chair. "Well, what would they do if I said I'd rather one of their sons?" he asked. "Or even someone I met in another world?"

Fleur laughed prettily. "Zey would not mind zat eizer 'Arry, zough you do need an heir for your line. Sirius 'as named you as 'is heir for when ze time comes. You will need to do somezing."

Harry sighed. "Alright. Parties while I'm here, so that I can meet people, I'll cut that down to a list of names from that to set up dates with, I'll then cut that down to one person, and make the damn biddies happy – but probably later than they'd like. That's if I even pick someone from this world. All bets are off if they're from somewhere else though."

Fleur nodded, writing that down so that it could be done.

"How about you Fleur?" Harry asked, trying to smile. "How goes your assessment of the prospective Englishmen?"

Fleur smiled. "I am seeing a gentleman," she said happily, shyly.

"Then I want to meet him," Harry said, his smile becoming easier. "Make sure he understands all the same threats I gave Malfoy about Hermione. You are precious and to be treated as such."

Fleur blushed happily. "Merci 'Arry," she said. "I believe you know 'im, 'owever. Charles Weasley?"

Harry grinned. "Yes," he agreed. "I know Charlie. Not as well as some of the other Weasleys, but he's an alright sort. How did you meet him though? I thought he spent nearly all of his time on a dragon reserve in Romania these days."

"We met zere," Fleur admitted. "One of ze topics of discussion zis session is dragon regulations. I thought it a good idea to speak to someone who worked with ze creatures about ze matter. I 'ave compiled advice from everybody who worked at zat reserve regarding ze matter."

Harry nodded. "Alright," he said. "I don't think Charlie needs to be warned about treating you right. I'll have a word with his mother about it though. Molly will probably believe that no woman is good enough for her sons if she didn't pick the girl herself."

"Merci 'Arry."

By the time Harry was ready to leave for his last adventure before turning nineteen, Harry had decided that he was sick of dancing. He had also left instructions for Fleur to arrange two separate birthday celebrations for him for when he got back. The first would be the public one, where friends, enemies and neutral associates would all be invited to drink champagne, eat snobby-looking finger food, make polite conversation and dance. The second would be private, with his friends and pseudo-family only, and would involve childish games and lots of his favourite sweets – which he left recipes for, as a number of them weren't of English origin, and some had come from different worlds altogether.

Now, he was off to somewhere that he could enjoy a damn good fight with his own two fists. He'd even decided to leave all his pokemon at the Potter Estate, free of their pokeballs and with house elves to tend to them as needed.

~oOo~

"Are you with me, Kyra?"

Harry stared at the bald man, just about crying over the girl who, as far as Harry could tell, was dying in his arms. Damn. Looked like he'd missed all the fun.

"I was always with you," the girl answered. "I was."

Right, well, he may have wanted to hit something, but he supposed he could shock everybody by saving the girl's life. That could be fun. He moved in as the big bald guy sat back on the ugly throne, blatantly despondent.

He'd never brought someone back from the dead before, but there was no reason it shouldn't be possible right now. She'd only just stopped breathing. Her brain and heart were probably still going yet. Harry ignored the masses of armoured men closing in and kneeling.

"You keep what you kill," rasped a man.

The bald guy finally noticed Harry then, bent over the girl, Kyra he'd called her. "What are you doing to her?" he demanded.

Harry didn't look up. "Waking up a dead girl," he answered, stitching flesh together, repairing damage made to lungs, bones, nerves and skin. Then he sent a gentle electrical shock to her heart and sent some air into her lungs – magically. Harry got the feeling the bald guy wouldn't appreciate watching him give her mouth-to-mouth to get her breathing. "Wakey wakey," he called gently.

Hazel eyes opened.

"Kyra?" the bald man asked, stunned and hopeful.

"Riddick," she answered, her eyes finding him.

"Harry," Harry said with a smirk and pointing to himself.

"Thank you," Riddick said.

Harry nodded. "I get the feeling I missed all the fun action," Harry said, pushing himself up so that he was standing again.

Riddick snorted. "You could say that."

Harry nodded. "Right. Then I'll just take a picture of the two of you for my book, get your story down for posterity, and then I'll move off."

~oOo~

Harry skipped through the inter-dimensional pathways to visit Konoha, since all the ninja there would be able to give him a good fight, surely, since it seemed he'd missed the fight in the world he'd just taken a chance on. Sure, he could have stuck around wherever it was that he'd landed, but it didn't really look like it would have been fun in any way.

Harry emerged in the Hokage's office.

"Hello Tsunade," Harry greeted, smiling at the blonde woman. "Still beautiful I see."

Brown eyes narrowed at him. "Who are you?" she demanded.

Harry chuckled, changing his hair through red and then back to black. "Aw! You forgot me? Okay, I admit it's been nearly thirteen years since I was here last, but-"

"Harry!" Tsunade realised suddenly.

"Yup!"

"You've grown," she chuckled. "You don't look like a snot-nosed brat any more."

Harry laughed. "I was never snot-nosed," Harry countered, then conjured a chair for himself to sit on. "How've you been?"

Tsunade stared at the chair, opened a drawer without looking, pulled out a sake bottle, raised it to her lips, drank deeply, then returned the bottle to its place. "You've obviously learned some new things since you were here," she commented.

Harry chuckled. "Yes," he agreed. "You could say that. How is everybody?" he asked eagerly. "I bet I missed a lot."

Tsunade's smile in return was a sad one, as was her gentle nod. "Yeah," she answered, "you could say that."

That did not sound good. "What happened?" he asked again, concerned.

Tsunade outlined the Kyuubi attack and Minato's death, the 'Uchiha massacre' – Itachi had reported his family's treachery and Tsunade had made a public spectacle of the execution of the clan elders and leaders, listing their crimes against Konoha for all to hear before she ordered for the ANBU to kill them – and related who else among the people Harry had known who were now dead, as well as telling him about all the new genin, only Neji among them who he knew, as Harry hadn't ever met Minato's son, or any of the other children who had been due when Harry had left.

"I'm glad you don't believe in doing things covertly within the village," Harry said at last. "I think secrets are what make people frightened and angry."

Tsunade nodded her agreement. "So, how long are you here this time?"

"Just two months," Harry answered. "I was hoping I'd be able to get in a few sparring matches, let loose with someone who can take it."

"How about a squad or two of someones?" Tsunade suggested with a small smirk. "We've got the chuunin exams coming up, and the rookies are all itching for a shot."

Harry pulled a face. "Rookies?"

"You can give a demonstration if you like, fighting any of your old friends, but I really do want them toughened up before they go in this year," Tsunade requested. A gentle smile made its way onto her face. "And I remember you were always good with kids who were younger than you."

Harry chuckled humourlessly, but nodded. "Alright," he agreed. "You set it up, I'll shape them up."

Tsunade nodded in gratitude and satisfaction, then grinned and pulled out a Konoha headband and held it out to Harry. "I think you're qualified," she said. "Even if you're not official."

Harry smiled back and accepted. "Thanks," he answered genuinely. "I'll wear it with pride."

~oOo~

"Smile Neji," Harry insisted, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You had the cutest smile when you were a baby, blowing bubbles and clapping and making a mess with your pudding all over your face."

Neji blushed darkly as those around him laughed. "Who are you and how do you know such things about me?"

"I lived in Konoha for a year, about twelve, thirteen years ago. I baby-sat you when your dad had missions," Harry answered. "I was sad to hear what happened to him," he added consolingly. "He was always so defiant, I half thought he'd tell Death to fuck off when his time came. I'm sure he died pissing someone off, and pleased with himself. Tsunade didn't disclose the details to me, but smiled in just such a way when I said that to her, so I think I'm right."

Neji smiled weakly at the praise for his father.

"And this must be Hinata," Harry said, moving on to the other white-eyed member of the amassed group.

"Y-yes," the girl said, pushing her fingers together nervously and looking away, her shoulders hunched defensively.

Harry blinked. "You look like your mother," he said.

Hinata startled, straightening up to stare at Harry, her mouth hanging open.

"Tsunade told me she died giving birth to your little sister. I admit I had a very hard time believing it. She was so strong. Maybe not in the traditional Hyuuga way, but still very strong," Harry said, laying a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"Th-thank you."

"Let's see, I recognise the Inuzuka markings, the Uchiha clan symbol, and ... well damn. Tsunade said you look just like your old man. That's scary kid. You shouldn't look that much like Minato," Harry said, ruffling the boy's blonde hair before going to stand with the jounin who had come with the genin.

"Kakashi, good to see you again," Harry greeted with a smile. "Tsunade said you'd stopped being as much of a stick-in-the-mud. Is it really true?"

"It's not," inserted a red-eyed woman who was one of the team leaders. "He's not strict about rules as much any more, but he's boring and a nuisance instead."

Harry laughed while Kakashi looked as indignant as he could with more than three-quarters of his face covered. "And you are? I'm sorry, if we've met I don't remember."

"Kurenai," she answered, then jerked her thumb at the man smoking next to her. "This is Asuma."

Harry nodded, kissing the back of her hand and shaking his, then turned to his two friends.

"Anko," he greeted. "You grew up to be something drastic, didn't you?"

Anko laughed. "I did," she agreed. "Are you tempted?"

Harry chuckled, but shook his head. "Mesh isn't my thing," he said, gesturing at her top, then leant on Itachi's shoulder. "What about you?" he asked, grinning.

"What about me?" Itachi returned, looking slightly nervous.

"I agree that Anko is sexy, even if the look does nothing for me," Harry said with a smile. "I'm asking if you are attracted to our dear friend."

Itachi cleared his throat and turned away. "I'd say you went strange while you were away," he said, "but you were like this before."

Harry chuckled. "It's only a matter of time before you admit it Itachi," Harry teased happily. "But what we're here about today is me seeing if I can kick all of your butts."

"Your youthful enthusiasm is noted," exclaimed the man in the green leotard that Kakashi whispered in his ear was called Gai. "But we shall triumph!"

The sparring session began.

Harry started with Konoha techniques, blowing fireballs and making the earth shake. He'd have sunk one or two of them up to their necks in dirt, but they were all quickly into the trees when he was using earth techniques. When the weapons started getting thrown at him, Harry returned with like fire. Kunai and shuriken flew thickly for a while, and then stopped. Harry chuckled when he recognised the illusion technique that he knew Itachi and his family were naturally gifted in. He counted to two and then, with a blast of chi that felled a tree when it hit, freed himself. Then he pulled on his materia bracelet, summoning ice and sending it to capture Gai and Asuma. Harry bent the air around him and swept Kurenai off her feet.

Itachi and Kakashi engaged him in close combat.

Harry dodged and ducked and blocked and countered until he could jump back and summon the sword Ardeth had given him.

"Do you really intend to gut us with that thing Harry?" Itachi demanded incredulously as he stared at the wicked-looking, waved blade.

"Of course not," he said. "Just defend with it. Unless you have something you can use against it?"

Both men pulled the short swords of the village's ANBU from somewhere – Harry didn't know where exactly, and he would not ask – and then came at him once more.

Harry modified his sword style just enough to bend water at the same time, wrapping up Kunai properly, freezing around her just as the ice materia had stuck Gai and Asuma in place, then slipped back into the proper style Ardeth had taught him for sparring. After all, these swords were normally used for beheading monsters, very different. Ten minutes later, Harry stamped hard on the earth, squeezing the hilt of his sword in both hands, and the feet of his opponents and friends were suddenly trapped. He shifted his foot along the ground, bringing Itachi and Kakashi closer together, then gently pressed his blade to their necks.

"You forgot about me Harry," Anko's voice whispered in his ear, her kunai pricking his neck.

Harry chuckled, turned quickly and disarmed her. The fight was still on.

Anko backed off and raised her arms.

Harry banished his sword with one hand and summoned his shakujo with the other, then employed his free hand to create a chi barrier.

The two snakes that Anko sent flying at him crashed into it, then disappeared with a puff.

Harry swung his weapon, the chain wrapping itself around his old friend so that she couldn't move to do that again.

"Does this mean that I win?" Harry asked sweetly, even though sweat was pouring down his body and he was breathing hard. He hadn't gotten to have a fight like that since... the last time he'd visited Sanzo and the others, but this time he hadn't had the option of calling on his pokemon for help, since he'd left them back in his home dimension.

Anko nodded, careful of the blade against her neck.

Harry smiled, banished the weapon, then released the others from their dirt or ice shackles.

"I didn't even see the jutsu that you used," Kakashi said. He'd revealed the single sharingan eye that he had about half-way into the match. "You?" he asked, turning to Itachi.

Itachi shook his head, having activated his own eyes from the beginning. "Just the effects, same as everybody."

"And that children," Harry said with a grin, "is how you beat the sharingan. You don't let them see what you're doing. If they don't see it, they can't copy it. Of course, even these copy-cats need to be physically able to perform the technique, or copying it is a waste of time."

Cute little genin heads nodded in wide-eyed appreciation of this friendly person who had subdued, stopped and captured alive all of their teachers as well as two others. Capture was always a good idea if it was possible when faced with enemies. If they were alive, they could be questioned.

"Now," Harry declared, "I'm going to have a drink, take a few deep breaths, and then it's your turns."

Even the naturally pale and the most enthusiastic for training among their number visibly blanched at that proclamation.

Harry grinned at the children happily, and was very gentle as he walked them through different techniques, learning new styles from them that he hadn't learned the last time he was in Konoha.

He was still grinning when he sat with his friends in the stands of the arena to watch the third part of the exam.

All of the kids got through the first two parts of the chuunin exam, alive and almost completely healthy, which pleased Tsunade, since the drop-out rate had been high for the first part of the exam, and the death-rate for the second part had been almost as great – thirty-five percent of the genin who had entered the Forest of Death had fallen to its reputation.

Of course, the other sixty-five percent hadn't exactly come out roses. Most of them had been battered, bruised, some with broken bones or food poisoning, and then there was the fact that only half of the genin who went into the forest actually could pass.

Harry had enjoyed his time back in Konoha immensely. The kids had been fun, and the fights with his old friends had been challenging. When the last fight of the third round of the exam was completed, Harry had enough time to say his goodbyes before he had to return to London – with lots of new technique scrolls stored in his Luggage.

Chapter Text

“Happy birthday Harry!"

The cheer went up around the great ballroom of the Potter Estate. Harry had changed into his best party clothes and dress-coat before leaving Konoha, a soldier pill resting in his pocket to keep him going throughout the night. He really wasn't all that fond of parties, but there came a time when, for the 'upper echelons of society', they were wretchedly unavoidable. A pox on being a powerful political figure with lots of money.

"Thank you all," Harry said, smiling brightly across the room, his green eyes searching out friends in the crowd. "Thank you for coming to celebrate with me." A glint of shiny wrapping paper caught his eye. "And thank you all for the incredible pile of gifts. I honestly had not expected them. Please, I hope you enjoy yourselves tonight, and I hope I get to talk to at least most of you before our feet refuse to hold us up any more."

A polite laugh rippled through the room, and Harry descended the stairs he'd appeared at the top of, heading towards where he'd spotted Hermione and Draco talking to Neville. Of course, he greeted everybody along the way, talking to them of nothing in particular for a moment before moving on politely.

"This is wretched," Harry said, even as he smiled and hugged his best friend.

Hermione chuckled as she returned the hug. "I know you don't like parties, and certainly not for your birthday, but is it really that bad?"

"Of course it is," Draco said, clapping Harry about the shoulder in a friendly way before reclaiming his girlfriend. "Harry's having this party so that he can satisfy the old biddies who want to see him settled down."
"What?" Hermione asked, surprised.

Neville nodded. "Grandmother and her friends," he said sagely. "They want to see all of us with someone as soon as possible. Parties like this are the initial step for those who didn't find or stay with a Hogwarts sweetheart like we did. Getting to meet lots of people, cutting down the rather huge list of potentials, then it will be more private soirées with a short-list of people, then real dates while parties like this get relegated to being social events for political or business advancement."

"Sirius gave you these lessons as well Hermione," Harry reminded her.

Hermione blushed. "I forgot," she admitted quietly.

Draco smiled and kissed her. "That's alright," he said. "Hopefully you won't ever have to worry about it, because our children will be just as lucky as us."

The friends all laughed, then Harry sighed and said he'd better keep moving. They waved him off with wishes of good luck and happy birthday.

Five conversations later, Harry found himself surrounded by Fleur, her now-fiancé Charlie, Bill and the Twins.

"Right, well, can't have Fleur feeling out-numbered by red-heads," Harry announced with a smile, turning his own hair the same blonde as his secretary's, making her laugh and winning him a kiss on the cheek. "I saw Gabrielle earlier," he said. "She seemed to be enjoying the mochi and Luna's company."

Fleur laughed again. "Oui," she agreed with a smile. "Gabrielle 'as become quite fond of both, as 'ave I myself. Zough Gabrielle's fondness of Luna is rather exceeding of my own."

Harry nodded, pleased with the implication, then turned to Charlie. "Fleur is brilliant," he said firmly. "And I'm not around much to remind her, but you had better. I know Fleur's nuts about you, so I hope you appreciate that."

Chalie nodded, holding back laughter at getting the 'father speech' from someone younger than him who wasn't even related to Fleur. "I do Harry," he answered. "I'm the luckiest man I know right now. I have the love of my life twice, once in Fleur, and once in my job. What more could a man want?"

"Children," Fleur answered promptly, smiling. "I fully intend to make sure zat zere will be more Weasleys in ze future Charles."

Charlie laughed happily, pulling Fleur closer to him and kissing her neck. "Strawberry blondes," he promised. "All too fond of playing with fire, probably," he added with a chuckle.

Fleur laughed as well.

Fred and George chuckled, conjuring some floating pink love-hearts and tiny white doves to tweet around the happily besotted couple. Bill snorted and added a fluffy pink cloud at their feet. Harry added sparkles while he tried to keep a straight face. Fleur and Charlie joined in the laughter when they noticed.

"Oh 'Arry," Fleur said, changing the subject through her giggles. "Zis party is supposed to be for you to begin with finding someone, not tease your poor secretary about 'er love-life," she scolded happily.

Fred, George and Bill all stared at Harry in shock at this announcement.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah," he admitted. "I know." He turned to the red-heads and explained. "The matrons apparently want all the young men of means to get settled down. Apparently they believe Jane Austen: a man in possession of good fortune must be in want of a wife."

"Zey don't mind if you decide on a 'usband 'Arry," Fleur reminded with a teasing smile.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Same principle," he said. "The problem is that I'm not really in want of either a wife, or a husband, and would be much happier if I just got to travel for the rest of my life."

They all laughed at him, or his situation, and didn't make comment.

"They get that bee in their bonnets every year," Bill said at last. "They're soppy romantics beneath their iron aprons, the lot of them. They're only yelling so loudly at the moment because so many family heirs have finally graduated to marriageable age."

"Which is why he's still single," Fred added, jerking his thumb at his older brother.

"Despite Mum's going on at him when he's home," George put in.

"Your mum goes on at everyone," Harry said fondly.

"It's become habit from having dosed us all with potions since we were little so that we'd do as we were told I suspect," Bill said with a frown. He'd already told his siblings about it, and his father, along with giving them the assurance that her original funds for that potion had been cut off, though warning that she might have gotten more some other way.

By the end of the evening, Harry was able to tell one thing for sure: he was no interested in pursuing relationships of the even vaguely romantic variety with the offspring of any of the people who had been in any way in agreement with the practices or philosophies of Death Eaters. Which really meant that, apart from Draco, the only Slytherin alumni left to talk to were the Greengrasses, the Davises, and the Higgses. All the ones that ended in S, huh. Oh, and the Pucey's. However, apart from Tracey Davis, none of the potential partners he talked to were actually available. They seemed to all be dating, or engaged to, each other. That was fine. He could still make casual friends with them, which was better than any of the alternatives really. It also meant that Harry wouldn't be seeing four Gryffindor families again, interestingly enough.

The two houses butted heads about a lot, but they had more in common than they really seemed to realise. Harry would also be avoiding two Ravenclaw families and a Hufflepuff family, which surprised him, even though he knew it really shouldn't. A set of stereotyped characteristics did not make a person after all.

~oOo~

"Chilly down with the fire dance!" the odd little creatures sang as they danced around, rearranging their bodies in odd ways.

Harry grinned. Okay, maybe he could learn to like this kind of party.

He spent two days just enjoying himself and the company of the nameless creatures when a man walked into the clearing, and when the music stopped this time, rather than starting again, it stayed stopped as they creatures bowed to the man.

"Your Majesty," they deferred.

Harry raised a curious eyebrow before standing from where he'd been lying on the moss and bowing. If there was royalty around, he wasn't going to be discourteous. He'd been a reluctant politician long enough to know that.

"I find it interesting that a human could suddenly appear in my kingdom the way you did," the man said. "Tell me how."

Harry bowed again and explained.

"I am Jareth," the man said when Harry was finished. "The Goblin King. The Labyrinth, of which this forest is a part, is my domain, and my castle is beyond the goblin city. You may visit if you wish, the goblins themselves can be rather tiresome."

Harry nodded and bowed once more before Jareth left, and the chilly down party by the fire started up once again.

It was a relaxing month, until a girl stumbled upon the clearing just when the critters had been taking a break – food, water, sleep, basics to get out of the way before they could start up again – and spotted him.

"Are you running the Labyrinth as well?" she asked.

"Hm? Oh, no. I'm taking a break from running the rat-race," Harry joked, sitting up. "Harry Potter, a pleasure to meet you fair lady," he said, taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles. The same thing he always did when meeting a female.

"Sarah Williams," she answered, a little stunned, then she shook herself out of it. "Do you by any chance know how to get to the castle beyond the goblin city?"

Harry smiled. "Can't say I've been yet, but I was invited to visit. Jareth says that having only goblins for company becomes tiresome. I've not been motivated to go. The inhabitants of this forest are such good company. They'll be back soon to get the party started again."

"Um, I'm sorry, but I'm really on a time-limit," Sarah said nervously.

Harry sighed. "Well, as much as I think you could do with a good ol' fashioned relax, I can see now isn't the time. I'll help you," he said.

"But you said you haven't been to the castle," Sarah said.

Harry patted her shoulder. "That doesn't mean I don't know how to get there, and on the way you can explain why you're running the Labyrinth with a time-limit."

Sarah did explain, fretful the whole while, and not a little bit confused as Harry absently turned one way, and then the other as they walked.

"So you said something that you didn't mean, and are now being held to account for it," Harry summarised.

Sarah nodded.

"Unfortunately," Harry sighed, "that happens a lot. A great deal of the time too, an apology isn't enough, and actions speak louder than words, as the saying goes."

"What about the way the Goblin King is acting?" Sarah asked. "He's not being very fair."

Harry sighed again. "Actually, I think that he's being exactly as fair and logical as Toby would be if he were capable of understanding the situation," Harry said honestly.

Sarah's pretty green eyes went wide at that.

Harry smiled. "Then there's also the other matter."

"What other matter?" she asked, furrowing her brow as confusion was suddenly written across her face.

"Oh, you know, standard playground stuff really. A boy pulls a girl's hair just to get her attention. She doesn't like him for it, but he's got her attention, and that's what he wanted," Harry said.

Sarah's eyes went wide again, her jaw dropping as well.

"Does this look like a city to you?" Harry asked, staring at an open gate with a view of rather crooked houses beyond.

Sarah blinked, pulling herself from her suddenly swirling and confused thoughts to focus on the present once more. "The goblin city," Sarah breathed. "We made it."

Harry smiled and nodded. "That we did. It wasn't hard and it didn't take long. This place is alive after all, and I've been here a month. I picked up the language and asked nicely. Now, what are you going to do?"

"I need to confront the Goblin King," Sarah said, moving towards the gates. "I have to get my brother back."

"Why?" Harry asked. "For who?"

"Because I have to. I made the mistake, I have to fix it. I don't like Toby, I don't like Karen," Sarah snorted softly. "I don't even like my dad all that much right now, but they shouldn't have to suffer for my mistake."

"Your slip of the tongue?" Harry suggested.

Sarah nodded.

"Then good luck," Harry said, giving her a light kiss on the forehead. "And don't mention my name. I have a feeling his Majesty won't be exactly pleased with me for helping you."

"Thank you Harry," Sarah said, then turned an ran off.

When she was gone from view, Harry had one thing left to say. "Humans have a saying: you get more flies with honey than vinegar."

"What does that mean to me?" Jareth demanded coldly from behind Harry.

"A boy may pull a girl's hair to get her attention, but she won't like him for it," Harry repeated for his new audience, "and she may decide to walk away from him because of his behaviour. Far better to give her love-notes first, and flowers, and chocolates. Obvious displays of doting love. Teasing needs to wait until you're already in the relationship and have some idea of what kind of teasing they don't mind," Harry said.

"How do you know this?" Jareth asked, not as coldly as before.

"I may not be in a relationship," Harry said, "but I know a lot of people who are, and that's how they work."

"What is said is said," Jareth stated, referring to more this time than just the words that Sarah had spoken.

"And Sarah is currently working to redeem herself of the consequences of her words. Words cannot be taken back, but they can be apologised for, and the pain caused by them can be worked through until they no longer hurt," Harry said. "If the one who spoke them is willing."

Jareth nodded and disappeared. He had a beautiful girl entering the threshold of his castle after all.

Harry couldn't help but think they looked like a family already when the three of them emerged, Sarah with Toby on one hip, practically joined to Jareth on the other, huge smiles across their faces.

"Sarah has her brother," Jareth announced when the trio reached Harry. "And I have her."

Harry smiled at Sarah. "Are you happy about this?" he asked.

Sarah looked up at Jareth and nodded. "I'm coming back after we've returned Toby and gotten a few of my things from my room."

"Congratulations then."

"Thank you Harry," Jareth said, and the hand not wrapped around Sarah's back produced a crystal ball for the black-haired young man. "A gift, my gratitude. It will play the music of the Labyrinth for you."

Harry took the crystal reverently. "A priceless gift," Harry acknowledged, bowing to the Goblin King as he held the orb to his chest.

~oOo~

"Honey, I'm home," Harry called, his voice dripping with sarcasm, as he walked through the front door of the Potter family's Country Estate.

Laughter, hale, hearty, healthy laughter in thirteen different voices, all of which he recognised, answered him from the sitting room. He hadn't expected everybody to be here today. Before he could quite reach the door, however, Bast came running down the stairs.

"You been gone way too often Harry," the pokemon complained.

Harry frowned. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't realise that I was so missed."

Bast heaved a sigh. "Most everybody else don't mind," he said. "Only me an' Fino really. The others are enjoyin' havin' all the space to hang around and have fun in, but we used ta talk, ya know? An' Fino misses you doin' her groomin'. Says no one else does it as good."

Harry smiled and patted the cat pokemon's head. "Then how about it be just you, me and Fino on my next adventure?" he offered.

Bast smiled hugely at the idea. "Really?" he asked. "You mean it?"

Harry chuckled. "Of course," he promised. "Or I could spend a lot of time grooming Fino while I'm here, and it can be just you and me?"

Bast considered. "I'll ask her," he said. "I don't know for sure."

Harry nodded. "You do that. I'm staying for a full month this time anyway, since I came back early, so she's got plenty of time to make up her mind."

Bast nodded and ran off, then stopped before he could turn the corner. "Oh yeah," he said, looking back at Harry, a glowing blush showing through his creamy fur. "You've got pokemon eggs. A bunch of us were feelin' a bit frisky, an' Fey didn' mind helpin' out."

"You too Bast?" Harry asked. He was aware that all pokemon lay eggs, even the mammalian ones.

Bast's blush deepened, but he nodded.

Harry smiled. "I may have to go back at some point so that we aren't going to have any inbreeding problems down the road. I don't mind Bast. I might give an egg or two to some of my friends, if you guys don't mind, but I'm certainly not upset. Surprised it took so long actually."

Bast turned practically tomato red, nodded again, and then disappeared around the corner.

Harry shook his head fondly and let himself into the sitting room where he found Hermione to be sitting on Draco's lap, Neville with Susan Bones in his, and Fleur and Charlie were in a similar situation. Remus had Sirius in his lap and Fred was in George's, he bet it was just for laughs that they did that. Most interestingly was that Baron was seated upon Tonks' lap, but it meant that, unless Harry decided to buck the trend and sit on the furniture properly like a normal person, the only lap available to him was Bill's.

Harry raised an eyebrow in question, and got a laugh in answer while Bill shook his head and patted his knee, indicating for Harry to just sit so that they could all laugh.

~oOo~

"So where are we?" Bast asked when Harry released him from his pokeball. It was just him. Fino had been satisfied with a month of dedicated pampering and being shown off at parties. Those who couldn't handle being around pokemon had been scratched from the list of potentials quicker than you could say "they're just not my type".

"London," Harry said with a smile. "In about the mid-eighteen-hundreds. A different London, but still London."

"Like the time we went to that London that was full of vampires right?" Bast asked.

Harry nodded. "Like that, but this isn't that London either."

Bast nodded his understanding. "You gonna want to blend in better than that?" the pokemon suggested.

Harry chuckled. "Yeah," he answered, then magicked his clothes into something fashionable for the era, then picked up Bast.

"Hey, whatcha doin'?" Bast objected.

"London is a dirty city at the moment," Harry answered. "I think you will appreciate not having to walk the streets with your bare paws. I have shoes at least."

Bast looked around from where Harry was holding him and found he had to agree. "Some nasty stuff lyin' around," he assessed, then shifted himself up to drape around Harry's shoulders. "You like havin' your arms free, an' I know it," the feline commented.

Harry chuckled. "Thanks. Comfy?"

"Eh," Bast answered non-committally. "It's not so bad. I've been in less comfortable situations after all."

Harry stifled his laughter at that comment and decided it was time that they picked a direction.

"Well, come on feet," Harry declared happily, and decided to let them guide him wherever they may.

Both he and Bast were quite surprised to find that they ultimately stopped in front of an undertaker's shop. What was particularly odd was that they could hear a woman saying something that sounded truly inappropriate.

"Goin' in?" Bast asked.

Harry nodded and pushed the door open.

"Oh? Have I got a customer?" asked a man with long silvery hair and scars over what could be seen of his face.

"I just followed my feet," Harry answered, shaking his head. "They brought me here, and then I was curious about what I heard," he added, raising an eyebrow at the only woman in the room, dressed all in red and with a sick-mask over her face with a big red X over it, an Asian looking man beside her in the same state.

A boy wearing an eye patch frowned. "We're investigating a murder," the boy said.

"And it's sensible to speak to the coroner," Harry allowed. "But like that?" he questioned, looking around the people in the room before cocking his head at Bast.
The pokemon shook his head. "Makes no sense to me," he said.

Everybody was staring at Bast now, and as Harry could practically feel the silence stretching out, he allowed himself a small smirk. "What?" he asked. "Cat got your tongue?"

The silver-haired man grinned, chuckled once, stifled giggles, chortled into his hand, and then finally cracked up laughing.

Harry smiled. "Oh come now," Harry scolded the others who were now staring at him. "You didn't expect me to pass that up did you? Even if it was a terrible pun."

"Does that satisfy you Undertaker?" the boy asked, turning back to the grey-haired man.

The man, Undertaker, sighed, wiping a tear from his eye beneath his long and shaggy fringe. "Ah, yes, I suppose so," he allowed, turning to Harry for a moment. "Will you stay, Mr-?"

"Potter," Harry answered. "Harrison Potter, and I would be delighted. Any objections Bast?"

Bast shook his head. "None from me," he answered, leaping down from Harry's shoulders to take a seat on one of the coffins.

Harry sat down beside him, scratching him behind the ears and stroking his back absently.

"Tea?" the Undertaker offered.

"Not a bad idea," Harry allowed, and conjured a cup for himself. "Bast?" he asked, ignoring the way that everybody was staring at his cup now. They'd soon learn to get over it, he was sure.

"No thanks Harry," Bast answered, shaking his head. "Maybe later."

Harry nodded and gently sipped from his tea cup while the Undertaker passed around beakers with hot water and teabags. Harry hadn't thought tea bags had become common for at least another half-century, but he didn't really pay attention to that sort of detail. Not much point after all.

Still, as the conversation continued, Harry felt that there was something to be said that they all seemed to be missing.

"How do you know it's just one person?" he asked. "Or a he, for that matter?"

Postures, which had hardly been relaxed before, suddenly became very rigid.

"Typically," Ciel – they'd finally gotten around to introductions from everybody – said, gently turning his tea beaker in his hands, "when a woman wishes to commit murder, they are more subtle."

"Typically, when someone is very mad about something, they like to make a mess," Bast interjected, doing his best to mimic Ciel's tone.

Harry chuckled. "I almost thought you'd gone to sleep," he said to the pokemon, then looked up at Ciel. "Bast is right though. Why cut out a uterus unless that part of them had somehow made the murderer angry? And for that matter, was it cut out peri-mortem, at the time the victim was being killed, or some time later, or even before?"

Every face but the Undertaker's and Bast's were frowning at Harry. The Undertaker's grin was threatening to wrap completely around his head.

Harry sighed and, with a glance at the Undertaker, transformed his appearance to match him, even faking the scars (he could make them, not hide them) and the little braid that hung down by his face wove itself as he sat there patiently. "There," he said as the braid was tied off. "Do I look sufficiently like an expert now?" he asked.

The Undertaker crumbled in laughter again.

Ciel's frown deepened. "You will come back to the Phantomhive mansion with us I hope?" he requested.

"I'm sure it will be a laugh," Harry answered with a smirk, still looking almost identical to the Undertaker, though in his own 1850's attire.

The Undertaker started to howl his mirth.

Harry was howling his own mirth as Sebastian let himself out of the swiftly moving carriage they had all piled into and were discussing possible ways to narrow down the suspect list so as not to include every man, woman and child in London. Alright, the medical expertise had immediately ruled out children, as there were very few instances of such gifted young people in this time, particularly in the field of surgery, or even tidy butchery, but everybody else was still mostly fair game.

~oOo~

"There is something very odd about that Sebastian guy," Bast reported to Harry as they settled down in the guest room that Ciel had given them.

"What tipped you off?" Harry asked sarcastically, though still fondly. He was very fond of Bast after all, and they'd taken this jaunt, just the two of them, so that they could enjoy some time talking together again. "His jumping out of a speeding carriage? His getting back here before the speeding carriage? His having compiled a list of suspects and their alibi's before he got here?"

"The way he snuck around the back of the house while everybody was havin' tea, an' proceeded to act like the little black cat he found there was the most beautiful creature in existence," Bast answered.

"Cat fetish?" Harry suggested. "You'll need to be careful."

Bast nodded. "I can take care of myself," he answered. "I think my bein' able to talk, an' bein' yours, will probably keep him off for a while too."

Harry nodded. "I'll set up a ward around the bed anyway, just in case. Wouldn't want him to come in and start stroking your tail in the night."

"That's gettin' too creepy," Bast agreed.

In the morning, Sebastian was surprised to find Harry already awake when he came to rouse him. Furthermore, Harry was wearing only a pair of pants and was pushing himself up and down in a handstand, his legs straight up in the air, and though his hair was no longer resembling the Undertaker's, which was something, it was blue. Okay, Ciel had somewhat grey hair, and his aunt's was bright red, but they were potentially natural colours, if a bit odd. Hair that was the same colour blue as the sky outside was definitely odd.

"Breakfast is being served shortly," Sebastian informed from the door. "Will you be needing anything?"

"Thank you, no," Harry answered. "I'm perfectly capable of seeing to my own needs. I'll finish up, wash up, then see everybody at the breakfast table in...?"

"Fifteen minutes," Sebastian supplied. "Will you need to have a bath drawn?"

"Again, no," Harry answered. "I'll be presentable at the breakfast table, I promise."

Sebastian bowed slightly and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Hey Harry?" Bast said, looking at the door.

"Yeah?"

"The butler did it."

Harry snorted. "Probably, but somehow I feel it's not that butler, at least this time, though I've no doubt that he could if he wanted to. Still, not our problem," Harry said, pushing himself up off his hands, twisting slightly and landing on his feet.

~oOo~

"So, we're going to infiltrate a viscount's party because he's the only individual without an alibi and suspicious connections?" Harry asked in summary when the tea was being served at breakfast.

"That's right," Ciel said, gritting his teeth.

"And he's got a fancy for young women?" Harry checked.

Ciel frowned and nodded again.

"Ciel will make an excellent young lady for the party," Madam Red said fondly, in the way that only an aunt can.

Harry chuckled. "He would," he agreed, "but if you don't mind, I'll go instead."

Madam Red and Lau were both suddenly wearing the same expression they had been struck with upon finding out that Sebastian had beaten them back to the house yesterday, and accomplished so much in the in-between time. This time though, Ciel and Sebastian were wearing those expressions as well. Madam Red's butler, Grell something, had stars in his eyes.

"Oh come," Harry said, waving his hand, dismissing their shock and avoiding looking at Grell. "You did that yesterday already when I suddenly looked like the Undertaker. It's no trouble, not at all."

Bast chuckled. "Harry," he said, "you haven't tried looking like a girl since before you hit puberty."

Harry shrugged. "Still, it's not like it's beyond my abilities," he pointed out. "There are plenty of normal men who look convincingly female with just a little make-up and the right clothes."

"I'm going to be your fur scarf for this party," Bast insisted absently, then stabbed his fork into the baked fish that had been presented for his breakfast.

Harry nodded. "Just brush your teeth after breakfast," he said, then turned back to look at his breakfast companions. "You can snap out of it now," Harry said dryly.

It only took ten minutes on his own in his guest room, and when he emerged once more and entered the drawing room where everybody else was waiting for him, Harry was confidant that all he might need was to be taught how to be led when dancing, rather than doing the leading.

"Bast," Harry said, raising the pitch and softening the tone of his voice slightly so that he didn't sound quite as obviously male. "If you tell anybody back home about this, I will be most upset."

Bast chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of bursting your bubble," the cat answered, hopping up onto Harry's unusually slim shoulders. "You tell them all first, of course."

Harry chuckled behind his gloved hand.

"How did you get into that dress so quickly without help?" Madam Red asked enviously.

Harry waved his hand in her direction and said, "The same way you got into that dress in the last five seconds?" he offered with a smile.

Madam Red looked down at herself and gaped. "I wasn't wearing this before!" she yelped.

Bast laughed loudly, while Harry restrained himself so that he was only smiling.

"Harry used magic," Bast explained.

The dress that Madam Red was wearing was full-skirted and many-layered. The bodice was corseted and riddled with ties, lacing and buckles. The collar was low and the sleeves were short, allowing for an ornate necklace and long gloves to be displayed. Not one stitch was red either, as her dress from moments ago had been. No, the dress now was only black with pearls and diamonds as accents.

"Will that be appropriate for the party?" Harry asked sweetly. "It will change back at dawn, if that's what you're worried about."

It was deemed appropriate, and Harry let Lau guide him around the dance floor at the party.

"How delightful," a man said, stepping up to them as they stopped dancing. "Such an elegant dancer," and then he seemed to find an appropriate comparison for Harry's grace when he noticed Bast around Harry's shoulders. "Like a cat, all grace."

Harry stepped away from Lau slightly and curtseyed. "Viscount Druitt," he deferred.

"Little cat," he answered. "Who did you come with?"

"I was visiting with Madam Red," Harry answered. "She insisted on showing me off, and on Lau escorting me. I cannot think what is so fascinating about me though."

"Your beauty, Lady Harriet," Lau answered with a chuckle. "I shall leave you to dance with the viscount, hmm? I shall return to attending Madam Red."

Harry nodded with a smile, and allowed himself to be swept across the dance floor by the viscount, and then guided through an unobtrusive door, where Harry quickly banished an air-borne drug from his presence and pretended to grow weak and fall asleep. Harry let himself be tied up, moved, and then put in a cage on a stage, where he allowed himself to 'wake up'.

"I shall start the bidding at one-thousand," Viscount Druitt announced.

Harry forced down an amused chuckle, pursed his lips, and whistled. It was a long, eerie sound that seemed to echo off of wet dungeon walls. The candles around the auction hall went out, and Harry vanished the ropes that were around him before stepping out of the cage and lighting the candles again.

"How did you get out?" the Viscount asked, shocked.

Harry smiled and allowed the visage of a pretty young woman to fade from him, transforming his dress into a pair of pants and a black Chinese-style shirt with red boarders.

"Magic," Harry sneered.

"Shall I scratch up that pretty face of his?" Bast offered. "That wasn't at all nice what he was planning to do."

Harry reached up and stroked Bast's head. "It might be a good idea actually," Harry said, "it would give him one less weapon for luring unsuspecting victims to be in this situation."

Ciel and his companions arrived just as Bast raked his claws across Druitt's face, Sebastian adding that he'd already called the police, and they would be there soon.

"Well?" Ciel asked.

"Auction," Harry said. "I was going to be sold. Not killed, and probably not sacrificed. I expect I'd have become a sex-slave. Still not legal, but he's not your murderer."

Ciel nodded and had the scratched up Viscount taken away, as well as all the bidders who were still present.

"Now we wait and see if we did catch Jack the Ripper somewhere among them all," Ciel stated.

They hadn't. That rather upset Ciel, and Harry had no idea why.

"I mean, it's not like you were dressed up as a girl yourself and almost auctioned off," Harry commented easily as he sipped his tea. He'd decided to keep the very long black hair he'd grown for the party, but he was obviously and blatantly male once more.

"Why aren't you more frustrated then?" Ciel demanded.

Harry shrugged. "Death is part of life," Harry said. "These deaths aren't the least bit tidy, I grant you, but the killer feels that his, or her, or their actions are justified somehow, and they're only killing a few people."

"Don't be so callous about these lives," Lau scolded. "One might think you were a killer from the way you talk."

"I am," Harry said. "If you had not come when you did, I would have had no problem at all with killing every single person in that hall for the way they devalued their fellow human being, believing that I could be auctioned off. Not a problem at all. I congratulate anybody who can find a non-violent solution to situations though. It's much harder."

"Who have you killed?" Ciel asked coldly.

Harry laughed. "Oh, nobody recently," he answered. "I think the last time I killed anybody was back when I was nine. No, wait, do the undead count? Because if they do then the last time I killed was when I was thirteen. Then again, back when I was nine, they were demons, not people anyway, so do they count?"

"You killed demons?" Ciel asked flatly.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, it was this Tournament... No, wait, I'm sorry, I forgot. I killed someone when I graduated from school a couple of years ago. Madman, obsessed with 'purification', with a side obsession of ending my life. Killed him in front of a whole lot of people. He was making people nervous and I had a speech to make."

Ciel sighed, frustrated and overwhelmed.

"Think of it another way," Harry suggested. "You looked at suspicious people who could have killed. Try looking at patterns in the victims instead. You know that they all had their wombs cut out, why might that be? What links these women together? Why did Jack the Ripper choose them to be his victims and not someone else?"

"Sebastian," Ciel said, giving the order.

"Yes, my lord."

Harry didn't go in to Madam Red's funeral. He'd stayed in the Phantomhive house with Lau while Ciel and Sebastian had gone out to catch Jack the Ripper and missed the excitement, but had quite enjoyed the chess game. During the funeral, he stayed out in the graveyard, talking with the Undertaker about the sorts of research he was doing when he cut up the cadavers.

It was interesting stuff, and some of it he had answers for already because of the different times and places he'd been to.

Then Harry got to delight in all sorts of different curries – and did his best to keep the foolish Indian prince out of Ciel's way. Harry even shared a few of the curries he'd learned to make before turning around and begging for the recipe Sebastian created using chocolate.

Harry's favourite adventure with the Earl and his butler, however, was the time they went to the circus. Noah's Ark Circus, where Ciel got renamed Smile, and Sebastian was dubbed Black. Harry himself decided to join them – and why not? He had nothing better to do and was much more qualified to join these people than Ciel was – where he was almost dubbed God the moment he took hold of Joker's false hand, yanked it off, and poured a potion down his throat that set the arm to re-growing, good as new.

"I protest!" Harry exclaimed. "I'm not that holy, I just know a few tricks."

"Magic tricks," Bast quipped from his regular place on Harry's shoulder.

The top-tier performers who were trying to come up with a name for Harry stared at Bast until the feline was introduced.

"You're not changin' my name," Bast insisted haughtily.

In the end, they settled on calling him Mage, and thanks to Harry, no one from the circus got killed over their sponsor's twisted ideas. The Doctor didn't last long though, with Harry helping everybody to get their real limbs back – and showing them how to brew the potions that would re-grow limbs if they ever lost them again, or met someone else who lost a limb.

"You might want to keep this sort of thing to yourselves though," Harry added with a smile. "Wouldn't want to get burned at the stake for witchcraft or anything."

The circus performers all agreed fervently. Their ex-sponsor had been burned alive in his house, and the Phantomhive house was now sponsoring the circus – it went well with their toy company.

~oOo~

Bast leapt down from Harry's shoulders as the young man walked through the door of his own home once more. It had been a very active month keeping company with the Earl, but now he was home and it was time to move on to a different collection of parties and high society, and his own political rigmarole.

"Discriminating against people because of their heritage – something that they didn't have any control over – is pointless, divisive and needs to stop. I don't say things I don't mean Fleur," Harry said at the first party after the Wizengamot session.

Fleur damn near cried, a smile on her face. She'd been worried about Harry's actual stance on the matter. It had been a minor thing, only slightly related to something that was being voted on. She was glad to hear he'd been genuine.

Harry shook his head at her fondly and sent her off to Charlie before he went to get himself a drink.

"Where are you going next Harry?" Bill asked, striding up to him at the buffet table.

Harry chuckled. "I've got some friends in Egypt I want to catch up with actually," he answered. "I don't suppose you feel like joining me?"

Bill grinned.

As for the matrons and their matrimonial hopes for him... He'd get there eventually he supposed.

~oOo~

"Where are we?" Bill asked, getting off Silver's back and hopping down onto the sands just beyond the ruins. "I don't recognise the place, and I've been to nearly every dig sight in Egypt."

"Hamunaptra," Harry answered, returning Silver to his pokeball and tucking it away. "Come on. Ardeth's got to be around here somewhere. He almost always is."

"Hamunaptra," Bill repeated, awed.

Harry chuckled. "That's right," Harry said with a smile, then led the older male off to the old camp site as, obviously, Ardeth had found them there before, and could therefore likely see it from wherever he and his fellows watched the city from.

There was a different camp just coming down at that moment, a few ruins over, and that worried Harry. It was near to where they'd buried Imhotep last time, and they looked like they'd come prepared for the flesh-eating scarabs as well, so most of them would be leaving alive rather than dead. There was a damn near legion of people. Some of them in hired-worker white, many of them in red and holding guns, which implied that the workers were being forced rather than being paid.

"Harry!"

Harry turned and smiled. "Ardeth!" he greeted. "This is my friend Bill, a curse-breaker and big fan of sand."

Bill laughed and extended a hand to the man. "It's my work to break curses before people trip them, so that my employers can get at any gold without anything nasty raising its ugly head and killing everybody."

Ardeth frowned, obviously not sure if he liked the sound of that or was thrilled. Desecration of tombs versus not having to guard things like Imhotep.

Harry jerked his thumb at the new camp. "What's going on Ardeth?" he asked.

"The woman worries me. She knows too much."

Bill and Harry chuckled.

"Some people make it their life's business to know things that they shouldn't my friend," Harry said kindly. "As long as they can't resurrect him, right?"

"They can resurrect him," Ardeth answered. "You left the books here when you left. He just cannot become whole any longer."

"Still a problem then," Harry frowned. "Think we can handle this ourselves, or do you want to call in the O'Connell's?"

"They are packing up for London," Ardeth answered. "That is where the O'Connell's live."

Harry nodded. "So whether we go find them or not, that lot probably will anyway."

Ardeth nodded.

"Are we going to stow away with them or try and beat them there?" Bill asked, finally able to have something to contribute to the conversation, since they were talking about people and a situation that he didn't know.

"Stowing away," Ardeth answered firmly. "I must keep watch over the creature."

Harry nodded.

~oOo~

"Definitely not the best idea," said a young boy with blonde hair as he backed away carrying a box. "I think it's time to yell for Dad now."

"Now I will kill you and take it anyway," said a large and somewhat intimidating black man dressed in red.

"I think not," Ardeth said firmly. Harry had let them in and he and Bill were following behind the man.

"Ardeth, Harry, what are you doing here?" Evelyn asked. "Who's your friend?" she asked spotting Bill behind Harry.

"Perhaps explanations and introductions are best kept for later," Ardeth suggested.

"Ardeth Bay," the black man greeted.

"Lock Nah," Ardeth returned.

Then the fighting started.

"Woah Mum! Where did you learn to do that?" the child asked in awe as she fought with a sword against the men who'd broken in.

"I have no idea," Evelyn answered.

Harry had pulled another two swords from the stand where Evelyn had drawn hers, passed one of them to Bill, and they joined in the fight as well. Harry went straight for Lock Nah.

"What's in the chest?" Ardeth asked over the noise of battle.

"The bracelet of Anubis," Evelyn answered.

"They must not get the bracelet," Ardeth said frantically as he battled. "Get it and get out of here!"

The boy had dropped the box and was hiding behind a bookshelf, Evelyn grabbed it, but was attacked from behind.

"Mum!"

Harry slashed Lock Nah across the chest and turned to see Bill running after the man carrying Evelyn away. All the other men who could still move – and there were a couple dead – were beating a hasty retreat as well.

Bill was still not nearly fit enough, Harry realised sadly when they got out front of the house to reunite with Rick and Jonathan, Evelyn already taken.

"O'Connell," Ardeth greeted, bowing his head.

Rick was not pleased to see him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Rick demanded, shoving Ardeth into the nearest solid object – it happened to be an ornamental urn. "No, scratch that, I don't care. Who the hell are those guys and where are they taking my wife?"

"My friend, I am not sure," Ardeth answered. "But wherever this man is, your wife will surely be," he offered, pulling out a photograph that Harry had taken and gotten his Luggage to process for him.

The child snatched the photo. "Hey, I know him! He's the curator, he works at the British Museum!"

"You're sure?" Ardeth asked.

"Believe it or believe it, he spends more time there than he does at home," Rick answered, picking up the kid by the collar and getting him to start moving. "Okay, I've calmed down enough now. Hi Harry."

Harry chuckled. "Hi your damn self," he said good-naturedly. "This your kid?"

Rick nodded. "Alex. Your friend?"

"Bill," the red-head answered offering his hand.

Rick shook it quickly then turned to Ardeth. "You're here, bad guys are here, Evy's been kidnapped. Let me guess," Rick said as they rounded the corner of the O'Connell house.

"No prizes," Harry interjected. "Imhotep again."

"Not to point any fingers," Jonathan said, his own already poised in Ardeth's direction, "but isn't it your job to make sure that doesn't happen?"

"The woman who was with them, she knows things. Things no living person should. She knew exactly where the creature was buried. We were hoping they'd lead us to the bracelet that they were also after. They obviously did, and now they have it," Ardeth explained.

"I wouldn't get too nervous just yet," Alex said confidently, and pulled back the sleeve of his jacket to reveal it on his wrist.

Ardeth cradled the bracelet in his hands.

"Is that gold?" Jonathan asked.

"When I put it on I saw the pyramids of Giza, then whoosh, straight across the desert to Karnac," Alex said, a proud smile on his face.

Ardeth took Alex's wrist in hand, then looked at the boy. "By putting this on you have begun a chain reaction that could bring about the next Apocalypse," he told the boy seriously.

Alex gasped and his eyes went wide.

"You," Rick said, pointing at Ardeth, "lighten up. You," he continued, pointing at Alex, "big trouble. You," he went on, pointing to Jonathan, "get in the car."

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "So the bracelet's cursed?" he asked, giving it a look before glancing over at Bill. "That's your speciality, right?"

Bill grinned. "Normally they're harder to remove once they've been activated," he pointed out, "but they're not impossible," he allowed. "Sit next to me in the car Kid," he said, ruffling Alex's hair. "I'll see what it can do, and what I can do about it."

Alex nodded and climbed into the back seat of the car, sandwiching himself between his uncle and the unfamiliar red-head – except that Rick held Bill back from getting straight in.

"You think you can really do something?" Rick asked.

"That's my job," Bill said. "I'm a master curse-breaker, it's what I get paid to do."

Rick nodded shortly and let Bill get into his car.

Harry decided to ride on the roof, even if it was raining and Rick was driving like a maniac.

When they got out of the car again, Bill was grinning, even if the bracelet was still on the kid's wrist. "Found the rout to Ahm Shere as well and discovered the wearer dies if they're not there in seven days," he said with a pleased smile as he cast a drying spell over a very wet Harry.

Rick and Ardeth moved around to the boot of the car and had a slightly existential conversation that Rick didn't really want to be part of.

"You managed to get that last bit fixed, right?" Harry asked as they followed the apparently two madjai into the museum to rescue Evelyn.

Bill nodded. "Alex won't be dying, even if we don't make it in time, which really we should. The whole 'apocalypse' bit is still very much valid."

~oOo~

Alex got snatched.

The group flew to Egypt with Ardeth separating to go and see the leaders of the twelve tribes, and upon Rick's suggestion of a magic carpet, Bill said that they were banned before getting confused. "How do you even know about those?" he asked.

"They're in standard literature Bill," Harry said, "and Rick wasn't being literal." Harry then pulled out Chav's pokeball. "Will flying by dragon do?" he suggested, releasing the charizard and conjuring the large saddle over Chav's shoulders.

"Is he fast?" Rick asked.

"Char!" Chav declared.

Harry chuckled. "Very," he supplied.

When Ardeth returned, Bill and Harry grinned, pleased to get to meet Ardeth's bird, Horace, even more than the leaders of the twelve tribes.

"We use owls normally back home," Bill said, stroking the hawk. "But I think I may be converted."

Harry and Ardeth laughed, and then it was all aboard Chav, and off to Ahm Shere, intending to beat Imhotep and his convoy there, and more importantly, rescue Alex, who they'd kidnapped because he had the bracelet.

They were in place in two days, three days ahead of schedule. Even the medjai tribes were in place and ready, and Harry was helping Evelyn not turn into a nervous wreck by studying the pyramid in detail, taking photos and collecting treasure, Bill undoing all sorts of traps and curses along the way.

When they rescued the boy again, Harry messed up his hair and smiled. "Now, what have we learned about tacky ancient jewellery that was kept in mysterious boxes?" he asked, peering down at Alex.

"Leave it alone," Alex answered firmly. "And that Dad really is awesome."

Harry grinned and messed up the kid's hair again. "Right. Well, shall we be getting it off the child now?"

Rick nodded. "And killing the Scorpion King, and while we're at it probably Imhotep again, since they built him a new box for him to use."

"And Anak-Su-Namun," Evelyn added with a frown.

When the short-list of people-to-kill had all the names scratched off as dead, Harry decided to take the two Books away with him this time. It was the ultimate guarantee of no repeats.

Chapter Text

“Excuse me Lord Potter, but what is that?" questioned one of the older members of the Wizengamot. The session had finally ended, and Harry was taking some notes to pass on to Fleur to research for the next session.

Harry looked up, then down at what the wizard was staring at, then back up again. "Are you referring to the lined notepad or the ball-point pen, Sir Higgs?"

"Your writing implement."

"The ball-point pen," Harry clarified. "It's a muggle writing tool. Very tidy, very portable, very easy to write with. I like them better than quills for everyday note-taking."

Higgs looked vaguely curious before, but at the word 'muggle' that curiosity died a swift and probably painless death. The man nodded to Harry and continued on his way.

Harry made another note on his pad: work on integrating muggle conveniences like pens. After all, they're damn useful things, and the magical world shouldn't be hampered just because they were too stupid and stubborn to move with the times.

With that last thing written down, Harry left the Wizengamot hall, found where Hermione was waiting for him and Draco with coffee – Draco had beaten him there – and then it was off to enjoy a little punting on the Thames with them both and the Baron in the twilight. Today, being a Wizengamot session day, was a day off from sorting through people who he could possibly find suitable to partner up with.

But he was twenty now, and that meant that he had one place that he absolutely had to be.

~oOo~

Harry smiled as he stepped out of the alleyway onto the brightly lit side-walk and spotted two familiar heads of hair sitting at a little café table. That smile became a grin when the male of the two got out of his chair, went down on one knee, and held up a little red box. The grin became utterly smug when the female launched herself at the male yelling 'yes' over and over again.

"Congratulations Ikuto, Amu," Harry said, walking up to them.

"Harry!"

"I promised I'd be back when we were twenty and you were properly engaged didn't I? How is everybody?"

Catching up with everybody there was probably the most enjoyable time he'd had since he got to see Itachi and Anko in Konoha.

Kukai was looking for a ring for Utau – no easy task; Yaya and Tadase were dating, but had a very on-again-off-again relationship, and Nagihiko was in a long-distance relationship with another dancer. It was almost enough to make Harry feel lonely. Almost.

~oOo~

Fleur had personally cut the list down to four people, and since one of them was female – and as much as Harry liked Tonks, and they got along famously, Harry only ever flirted with women, at present did not want to be in a permanent, romantic relationship with one. It only left the Twins and Bill Weasley, according to Fleur.

The eldest Weasley had been surprised to learn that Harry liked him that way, but he hadn't been offended or put off that Harry could tell. Fred and George, on the other hand, had both given Harry a kiss on the cheek and apologised that they just didn't see him that way.

"I know," Harry said with a smile. "Fleur's the one who picked you from her own list without me looking."

They'd each given him another light peck, shaking their heads and grinning. "Business partner," they allowed, "but not bedfellow Harry."

Besides, they both had girlfriends already from their Hogwarts days. Angelina and Alicia, who had been chasers for the Gryffindor quidditch team. Fleur apparently hadn't been told about them.

Harry had decided to run off before Bill could confront him about the matter though. Fleur had mercifully left the announcement of who she thought would be best with Harry until after the Wizengamot session, so Harry could disappear without too many terrible consequences, and didn't have to actually ask Bill to marry him, or commit to anybody or anything else just yet.

He left Fleur a note saying that he wasn't pleased with her about the issue though.

~oOo~

Harry blinked. Okay, he'd known that Atlantis was something else, but this particular brand of something else wasn't exactly what he'd been expecting. Maybe he should have picked a different version of Atlantis? Oh well, never mind. He was here now, and even if every single person had skin the colour of cocoa, hair like snow and blue seemed to be the colour reserved for royals and guards – and everybody's tattoos – he'd stick around and see what was going on.

He'd gone less than five steps before he found himself confronted with the pointy end of a long and interestingly curved spearhead.

"Iron," he observed. "Nicely made," he added, then looked up at the figure holding the shaft.

It was a giant mask with blue-white hair around the edges and extra hanging from the brown arms and legs that stuck out from the sides, and the eyes and mouth were glowing blue. There were two more of these flanking the central figure on each side, all of them pointing spears at him as well.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"How did you get here stranger?" demanded a powerful, but female, voice from the central giant mask.

"I walked," Harry answered with a smile.

The spear got closer to his nose.

Harry grinned and grabbed the spear-shaft, jerking his head to the side and tugging the weapon out of the rather pretty hand that had been holding it.

All of the other spears suddenly were a lot closer to his chest now.

Harry twirled the spear and hummed. "Nice balance," he complimented, then planted it, point down, into the dirt at his feet. "So, I've told you how I got here, any other questions?"

"Where did you walk from?" growled the woman whose spear he'd stolen.

"Another world," he answered. "I am a traveller from another dimension." Harry smile became a frown. "You understand what I mean by dimension, right?"

"We understand. What are you doing here Traveller?"

Harry chuckled. "Running away from people who want to set me up in an arranged marriage," he admitted with a weak, sheepish smile.

The spears were lowered as the others laughed. The central figure took off her giant mask, and Harry found himself smiling. She was very pretty. He wondered if he would be able to flirt with her later.

"You will come and see the king. Perhaps you will be allowed to stay, instead of being ordered to be killed," she said, smiling at him.

Harry grinned back.

"So, Princess Kidagakash, what do you do for fun around here?" Harry asked with a smile as he left her father's throne room. "When you're not being the princess or a warrior, I mean?"

The king had been convinced that Harry would be no threat to their way of life, and had allowed for Harry to stay the two months he wanted to, chuckling at the young man running away from arranged marriages. Harry, for his part, decided that taking photos while he was here would be a bad idea. He'd invest in a pensieve and a pensieve camera when he got back to the Potter Estate.

"Kida," she answered him with a smile. "Just call me Kida. I'll give you the tour."

~oOo~

Harry narrowed his eyes at the thing that Kida had showed him and crouched down to get a better look at the scribblings around the central shape.

"Can you read it?" Kida asked, curious. "You do not look like a scholar."

Harry shook his head with a frustrated frown. "Not yet, I can't," he admitted, then looked up at her with a smile. "But I've got the time to try and figure it out," he added. "And what you really want isn't just a scholar, you want a linguist. Deciphering languages is what they do. I'm just a little handy at it."

Kida beamed, and Harry set up a little camp for himself in the moss-covered little ruin site.

Harry copied the design completely onto a notepad and took it into the tent where he could compare it to the various other languages that he had written in his books. Deciding on a whim to change his appearance as he pushed past the tent flap so that, apart from his clothes, he looked like as much of an Atlantian as Kida.

"Hey Kida?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Is there an Atlantian language? Only, I've always understood whatever was spoken to me, whatever language it was, even animals, so I have no idea if I'm speaking English or Atlantian with you."

Kida blinked in surprise, then smiled. "Speak another language," she suggested.

"Guten tag?" Harry offered.

"Guten tag," Kida answered.

"Okay, so now I'm definitely speaking English," Harry determined, brows furrowed.

"Yes," Kida agreed, and Harry registered that it was a different sounding 'yes' than the last one she'd answered with.

Harry grinned. "Okay, now I can differentiate between all the other languages I've spoken and Atlantian."

Kida laughed. "You are an interesting one Harry."

Harry chuckled and returned to his examination of the written language of Atlantis. It was a little bit like demon scrawl in shape, but more like a mixture of Latin, Greek and Arabic in meaning, with bits of their forms thrown in as well. It took him two weeks to crack.

When Kida came to visit him again, he swept her up in his arms and spun her around, cheering his accomplishment, and making her laugh at his boyish behaviour.

Harry then drew Kida along to the craft she'd shown him that first day, and read aloud what was written there, drawing his finger along the words so that Kida knew exactly what he was reading.

Kida grinned when he finished, excited herself now, and swung herself onto the fish-inspired flyer, starting it up. When she was floating a metre of the ground, Kida turned to Harry.

"Think you could read something else?" she asked.

"What, you're not going for a ride right now?" Harry asked with a laugh. "I'm not going anywhere just yet after all. Go on!"

Kida grinned at him and zoomed away.

Harry watched her go with a grin on his face, shaking his head fondly. She may have been an easy thousand years old, and looked only twenty-five, but he couldn't help feeling like she was a little sister, even if he was younger than her both ways.

Deciding to take a break while Kida was having her joy-ride, as he'd only stopped to eat, sleep, and do his training in between creating that 'alphabet' of Atlantian, Harry stretched his arms up to the 'sky', yawned, and then popped over to the palace.

"Your majesty," Harry greeted, kneeling as Kida had done when she brought him before the king that first time.

"Harry," the king greeted. "Where have you been?"

"Busy," he answered. "Your daughter asked me to translate some of your script on an old craft. She's currently flying around the city."

The king frowned. "I sealed that knowledge for a reason," he said softly.

"I do not doubt it," Harry answered. "But knowledge alone is not the danger your majesty. It is how that knowledge is used. If I may, I would like to use some of my knowledge to help you regain some of your health. I can tell that old age is starting to catch up to you."

The king chuckled a little, coughing into his hand. "Very well," he allowed. "Approach." The king frowned when Harry got closer and he could actually see the young man. "How is it that you look like one of my own people now?"

Harry chuckled and explained to the king happily about his particular magical abilities while working on improving the king's health. It took a while to complete both tasks.

~oOo~

With just a little over a week left until he had to go back, Harry – who by this time had acquired some Atlantian clothing – was teaching a group of children how to read Atlantian when Kida and her warriors walked up the main road of the city with a group of very military-looking men, a man who looked a lot like an army doctor, a young man with glasses who looked like he was wearing khaki because it was all that was on offer, and three women – only one of whom looked non-military. It was all also slightly period for Harry, which gave him a rough year to work from. Edwardian era, approximately, maybe a little bit later if two of the three women were wearing pants.

Harry frowned. Atlantis had no idea what such clothing indicated. To them, warriors were dressed up to intimidate. For these people, soldiers were kitted out to not be too noticeable, hence the khaki.

Except that once someone knew what they were looking for, particularly in an environment where the khaki didn't blend, the military-ness of the group was obvious. Then again, the Edwardian era was only just getting into using the colour on their military uniforms, so it was possible that the glasses-wearing scholarly-looking one in their midst didn't completely get it.

Harry decided that following would be a good idea, and finished up the lesson.

~oOo~

Harry nodded as he saw the scholarly-looking one mimic Kida's bowing to her father, but was also very aware that he was the only one to do so. The king had more objections to this group of 'explorers' than he had against Harry, and Kida had to beg just a little, combined with the leader 'respectfully' requesting to stay one night to rest and resupply before leaving in the morning.

"Very well, you may stay one night," the king said. "That is all."

Kida sighed heavily as she watched the group go, and Harry bit down a chuckle. When Kida had made her objections and left, the king looked over at where Harry had hidden.

"What is so funny Harry?" the king asked, returning to his couch.

"I do believe that Kida fell for their boy with glasses," Harry said, teasing the girl in her absence. "He's very nearly fluent in your language and obviously a scholar, so it is likely that he has dedicated his life to learning as much as he could about your culture before being able to come here."

"Unlike yourself," the king said with a faint smile. "You who just showed up and started winning hearts wherever you went."

Harry grinned. "Well, I'm just a traveller," he said. "They claim to be explorers, which has different connotations. They are also from the same world as you, where I am not, so they will have answers for her that I do not have."

"Keep an eye on her?" the king asked.

Harry nodded and followed after the princess. He had to bite down the laughter again as he watched the scholar psyche himself up.

"I've got some questions for you and I'm not going anywhere until they're answered! Yeah," the man was saying to himself. Only for Kida to drop down behind him, and say much the same thing. Harry shook his head at her and went to keep an eye on the dangerous ones. Kida would be just fine.

It was particularly entertaining watching them eat that night, and then when Milo – the linguist – was tripping over his words when Kida asked him to translate a mural. Harry wasn't a very fast translator, and he'd been working on that mural on and off since he'd finished figuring out how to get the transport to work. Clearly she wanted faster results.

Harry just took up vigil in the shadows beside the pool. He frowned when the rest of the company showed up with firearms. He was pleased with the way Kida fought back, but then the guns were being aimed at her.

"Now, let's try this again," Rourke said, smirking in a very unfriendly way.

"Yes," Harry agreed, dropping out of the shadows to land behind the imposing man, a stern frown upon his face. "Let's."

"Who the hell are you?" Rourke demanded, swinging his gun around.

Harry scowled and snatched the gun out of his hand. Having accomplished that, he bent it in half with blatant ease, showing off for the audience before he punched the mercenary, sorry, adventure capitalist, in the face.

"I thought no one could surprise Rourke," commented Audrey, the engineer girl.

Harry smirked. "I've made my life surprising people," he said, "especially bastards like him. In fact, I have something of a history of killing bastards like him."

With a gentle wave of his hand, every weapon they were holding caved in on itself so that it would be unable to fire, and his own gun, the one that Vincent had given him, appeared in his hand. The muzzle was swiftly pointed at the blonde Helga.

"And I don't discriminate based on gender," he warned her.

"Who are you?" Audrey asked. "You're not like any other Atlantian here. That's for sure."

Harry smiled at her and beckoned her closer.

"Audrey," Sweet, the doctor, cautioned.

Audrey walked up to Harry anyway, heedless of the warning.

He'd only hypnotised her a little bit, just so that she felt like she could trust him, even if he was the only person waving a working gun around at the moment.

"My name is Harry," he said, and allowed his skin to fade back to it's natural white-man with a healthy glow colour, his hair turning black, even if he was still dressed as an Atlantian, right down to the crystal hanging from his neck. Gently, he kissed Audrey's temple, letting everybody watch as the girl let him drape an arm over her shoulders like he was her high-school sweetheart, not a man threatening them all with a gun just after he'd somehow destroyed all of theirs.

"All those here who value money over the life of another, you will now raise your hand," Harry ordered.

Every single mask-wearing soldier raised his left hand, though with his right he fought to pull it back down again. Helga's hand went up as well, as did Rourke's, even as the man lay at Harry's feet unconscious.

Harry narrowed his eyes and ordered the soldiers to line up behind Helga.

"What are you doing Harry?" Audrey asked, and only curiosity could be heard in her voice, not fear or concern of any kind.

"Close your eyes Audrey," Harry said gently. She wasn't the only one who obeyed, and then Harry fired the shot. The bullet went through the heart and left lung of every single one of the men lined up behind Helga. Once it had already travelled through her chest. The slug halted in the last of the men.

Harry then happily stepped, heavily, on Rourke's neck as he bent to take the page from his hand and pass it over to Milo.

"Yours?" he offered.

"Th-thank you," Milo stuttered, accepting the sheet, made more nervous by Harry than he had been when he'd picked up a stick of dynamite that Vinny had dropped when they'd met.

With that sorted out, Harry re-organised the group into something resembling proper archaeologists, and set up Milo to take over his role as 'expert in gibberish', since the young man didn't want to leave, and Harry actually had to. They even got the crystal out of its chamber and back in the 'sky' of Atlantis again, providing light and enlightenment to its people once more.

~oOo~

"By Buddha, Mother Mab, and Mila of the Grain!" Harry complained, throwing up his arms in frustrations as he flopped into his favourite chair in his private sitting room in the Potter Estate. "I'll never get through to these morons! Damn bastards are so bloody backwards they'd sooner screw their own great-grandmother than admit that change isn't a bad thing!"

Bill laughed sympathetically, coming and wrapping his arms around the younger man. He'd gotten word from Fleur that Harry was back, but had decided to wait until the Wizengamot session was over before making his way to the Potter Estate.

"What's the matter Harry?" Bill asked.

"The wizarding world is still stuck with the little more than the technologies and fashions of Merlin's time – believe me, I know, I've been there – and the fat-arses are too stupid to appreciate that muggles have moved on since then!" Harry complained.

"I know Harry," Bill reminded him gently. "So do all of your friends."

Harry sighed. "I know," he said. "It's the general collective that's the problem. I get odd looks every time I use a pen and note-pad during the sessions, and they really are better than quills and parchment." Harry paused, frowning. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, because I am, but I'm confused."

Bill laughed softly.

"I came to tell you that, if you don't have someone else in another world that you'd rather marry, I'd be honoured," Bill said, kissing Harry's cheek.

Harry blinked, looking up at Bill, a mixture of worry, confusion and just the tiniest hint of lust warring across his features.

"To marry you, that is," Bill said with a grin, kissing Harry's cheek again. "In case you didn't get that part."

Harry laughed weakly. "I like you a lot Bill, but I'm not exactly confidant about getting together with anybody yet, so, could you give me some time?"

"No problems," Bill confirmed.

Harry sighed in gratitude. "I'm still not happy with Fleur," he admitted. "And I do kind of want to be a father some day, so... No offence or anything Bill, but I'll probably keep looking for a good long while."

Bill nodded in understanding. "That's fine. Two wizards can't have a biological kid together after all."

Harry nodded.

~oOo~

Harry rode up beside the ship on Silver, an event that shocked everybody on board. That Luffy, the captain, instantly insisted that Harry travel with them had shocked Harry. He'd been glad to oblige though. He'd run away from the wizarding world again, and Bill had even stayed behind, knowing that Harry still needed time to get used to the idea of their actually being sort-of engaged, un-officially, and their wedding currently being theoretically planned just in case it became official.

Harry spent most of his days with the Straw Hat Pirates on the deck, where he trained and sparred with Zoro. An activity which frustrated the naturally green-haired teen, as Harry kept on winning. "When did you begin training with the sword?" Harry asked one day.

"Four," Zoro answered.

Harry nodded. "I started learning how to fight then as well," he admitted. "How long did you stay with one teacher?"

"Twelve years," Zoro answered.

Harry nodded. "That's the difference then," Harry said. "I left my first teachers after a year. I've had many different teachers over my life and they've taught me many different things. I think that that's why I win, because I have more different lessons that I can incorporate when I fight."

Zoro frowned. "I've dedicated my life to my fighting style," he said.

"Nothing wrong with that," Harry answered. "But every person you fight against should teach you something new about your own ability, and if not something new, then at least help you to refine yourself. There's more to the art of the sword than brute strength," Harry said with a smirk. "You've got a lot of brute strength, but you need to learn grace and finesse now."

Zoro frowned deeper, but nodded.

~oOo~

The 'Going Merry' put in to port on a deserted tropical island. Well, a nearly deserted tropical island. There was another pirate ship in the bay as well. One that apparently the crew were familiar with, and even more, on friendly terms with the other pirate crew – in the case of Usopp, even on familial terms, as his father was part of the crew of this much larger pirate ship.

Harry, for his part, really liked the name they gave themselves and sailed under – the Red Hair pirates. Even though only their captain was a red head.

"Harry," Nami said, laying a hand on the man's shoulder as Harry sat down with a beer mug opposite Red Haired Shanks. "Please don't say you're doing what I think you're doing." She'd come to rely on Harry as a sensible person aboard the ship who she could talk to. Robin was also a sensible person, but she didn't talk much. Harry was also a very useful person to have around – and sober.

Harry grinned up at Nami, changed his hair from green to blue, then purple, then red, then to its natural black. "I'm intending on challenging Shanks here to either a drinking contest or a round of poker, which ever he thinks he's most likely to win," Harry answered, pulling a deck of cards from his pocket and setting them down on the table beside his beer mug. "What do you say?" he offered.

Shanks laughed. "Drinking contest!" he declared happily. "I stink at poker."

"No poker face," quipped his first mate.

"Dangerous anyway," Nami commented quietly, then sighed. "Oh hell. Fine! I'll have the hangover cures waiting for you tomorrow morning, and then I'll wave them over your head and not give them to you."

Shanks laughed at that as well, but twenty tankards of beer in, he was surprised to find that Harry was still sober, completely. He'd at least gotten a buzz by now. At forty, Shanks was tipsy and Harry was still sober. At sixty, Shanks was drunk – but still going – and Harry was, somehow, only just starting to get a little bit buzzed. Shanks had finally keeled over on his ninety-ninth beer, and Harry was pleasantly tipsy with very bad breath.

He was also hungry and in want of a smoke, so he conjured himself a plate of fried rice with all the fixings and a cigarette. He held off lighting up until he'd gotten his meal down though.

"Really Nami," Harry scolded fondly. "You need to have more faith in me."

Chapter Text

Bast and Baron rode Silver through the dimensions. Harry was being kept busy by Fleur. Married life suited her, but as well as this was his own impending doom – his twenty-first birthday party.

So while Fleur sent out the invitations for all the people in Harry's home world, the two talking cats were the ones going through all the different worlds, delivering invitations, making note of responses on a clipboard, and handing over inter-dimensional portkeys – Harry's own invention – to all those who responded positive. He'd decided against getting married just for the sake of shutting up the matrons. He'd settle down when it suited him, and personally skewer any further romantic machinations with a kunai. Apart from being the Best Man at Hermione and Draco's wedding when they finally set a date.

~M*A*S*H*~

Hawkeye turned the invitation over in his hands, Margaret with her arms wrapped around his waist, looking on over his shoulder with consternation.

"Well are you going to open it? I need a reply kinda now so I know whether to give you the thing that Harry gave me for the people who said yes," Bast said, tapping his foot as he stood in the front hall of the Pierce household. "An' I got other people from your old unit to visit still."

Hawkeye quickly tore into the envelope and read it. "Yes," he said firmly. "Definitely yes. There's enough time for both of us to give leave notice and find someone to cover our shifts for us."

Bast nodded and handed over another envelope. "It's got the thing and the instructions," he explained.

"Who else from the four-oh-seven-seven is being invited?" Margaret asked.

Bast pulled a list out of his bag. "BJ and his wife, even though she wasn't there, Trapper, even though Harry never met him either, Sidney, Radar, Colonel Potter and his wife, Father Mulcahy, and Klinger," he read, then folded up his list and climbed up onto Silver's back again.

~Batman~

Bruce looked up from his papers to see his secretary standing in the door uncomfortably.

"What's the matter Helena?" he asked with a kind smile.

"There's a talking cat here for you Daddy," she said confusion written across her face.

"From your mother?" he suggested.

Helena shook her head. "Shall I show him in? He says he's got an invitation for you that has to be delivered by him, and he has to get a response immediately."

Bruce blinked.

"Send him in," he said. When he saw the suit-wearing feline however, he smiled. "It's been a long time."

Baron nodded. "Harry is inviting you to his twenty-first," he said. "As well as the others of course."

Bruce nodded. "I'm sure I can make time in my planner to celebrate with him. Selene too. May we bring our daughter?"

Baron handed over the invitation and the second envelope when Bruce confirmed that he would be able to make it. "Of course you can, I'll make a note for Harry. I'm sure he'll be happy to meet her."

~Circle of Magic~

"I'm sorry Baron, but they've moved out," Lark said with a smile. "Daja bought a house in town which they mostly share now, when they're all in the area, though Sandry has had to move into the palace, since she's the Duchess of Emmelan now."

Baron blinked in surprise. "Right," he said. "We'll just have to track them down then."

"Good luck," Lark said fondly. "And give Harry our apologies that we can't go?"
Baron nodded. Of all of Harry's friends from Winding Circle, only Niko and Tris ended up giving an affirmative answer

~Saiyuki~

Unfortunately for Sanzo, Goku wasn't the only one who was always up for a party. The Merciful Goddess, Lirin and Gojyo were too. Which at least meant that Hakkai and Dokugakuji were also coming – to keep an eye on lover and best friend's little sister respectively – which was a small consolation to the grumpy priest.

Kougaiji and Yaone were expecting their second child however, and with their arms fairly full of the first already, they wouldn't be going.

~Shugo Chara~

"How many people can this carry?" Amu asked.

Baron smiled at the question.

"You can bring no more than two extra people each," Bast said. "How many an' who?" he demanded, whipping out a pad to write the names down.

"Utau, Kukai and Nagihiko," Ikuto answered.

"They're on the guest list already," Baron said with a chuckle.

Bast nodded and put the pad away. "Yeah, an' we found them before you. They're already confirmed."

~Naruto~

Tsunade summoned three of her shinobi to her office. A far cry from the nice long list of people who were being requested, but she couldn't spare them all and Harry knew that.

"Hokage-sama?"

"Itachi, Anko, Kakashi, you are invited to Harry's twenty-first birthday," Tsunade said in her 'this is an S-ranked mission' voice. Then smirked at them.

Kakashi shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not one for parties Hokage-sama," he said. "Can I just send a gift?"

Baron chuckled. "Of course," he said with a smile. "Harry actually is inviting a great deal more people from Konoha, but Tsunade has said that she can't spare that many of her shinobi."

"I would be honoured to go," Itachi said, smiling a little.

"Me too," Anko put in. "I like watching Harry tease Itachi about him being in love with me."
Everybody laughed at Itachi, who blushed.

~Discworld~

Death stared at the two upright cats standing before him, and took the invitation that was being held out to him between a bony finger and thumb, opening it easily and reading quickly.

"I am not often invited to events such as this," he commented.

"Susan is invited as well. Harry wanted to invite Vimes, but knew that it would practically take orders to get him out of his city," the Baron explained.

Death nodded. "I believe that I shall attend," he said. "I think that I can find my own way there, however."

Bast and Baron nodded their understanding, but Bast brought out the second envelope anyway.

"Just in case," he said.

~YuYu Hakusho~

Kurama blinked in surprise at the appearance of Bast before him. He remembered the feline pokemon, vaguely, from just over a decade ago when he'd participated in the Dark Tournament.

"Are ya gonna take your invitation or not?" Bast demanded, holding out the envelope.

"Of course, I'm sorry. Would you like to come in?" Kurama asked.

Bast looked behind him to Silver, who nodded and indicated that he would wait out of sight of the normal people.

"Sure. Anyone else from the old team hangin' around here? I've got invitations for all of 'em. Chu, Jin and Touya as well."

Kurama smiled. "Yes, though Master Genkai passed away, from natural causes this time, five years ago."

Bast nodded, rifled through his collection of invitations, pulled out a stamp and pressed it to the envelope that had 'Master Genkai' written on it.

~Final Fantasy VII~

Vincent grinned, broadly, to see the Baron at the front door, and yelled for Cid before inviting the gentleman cat – and his companions – into the house. There was never any question of them not going to Harry's birthday.

~The Mummy~

"Will the O'Connors be there?" Ardeth asked, reading his invitation.

Baron shook his head. "They have already been requested to start expanding into the archaeology of other countries, and are going to be spending the two months surrounding that date in Turkey."

Ardeth nodded. "I will come. With Imhotep finally gone for good, there is a great deal less to have to worry about out here."

~Hellsing~

"I can't go," Integra said flatly as she read the invitation. "I might be able to send Alucard or Seras, but certainly not both, and you'd have to provide blood-bags for them. But really, I don't trust either of them out of my sight."

Bast bowed his understanding, taking back the invitation and stamping it. He'd find the invitations for Alucard and Seras later and do the same thing again.

Integra smiled. "I'm sure I can find a suitable gift to send back with you though," she said.

~Merlin~

Bast sighed when Merlin said he was refusing to have anything to do with magic, but hoped that Harry enjoyed his party. Harry had really been hoping that Merlin would be able to put aside that vow for one day to come and wish him well for the birthday party where he'd be brining everybody together, rather than moving on for once.

Mab and Frick at least were eager to come.

"We would not miss it for the world," Mab insisted with a fond smile.

~Avatar: the Last Airbender~

Toph jumped at the chance to see another world, especially to see Harry again, as she hadn't really gotten to thank him at the time for giving her the chance to really, properly see.

Even Zuko agreed that one day off from being the Fire Lord wouldn't do be too much trouble.

~xxx-Holic~

Watanuki shook his head and agreed. One afternoon away from the shop wasn't going to hurt anything, and it would be a chance to travel inter-dimensionally himself. Youko was practically cheering at the very thought of a birthday party. She'd be tagging along for the booze though, rather than because she had any attachment to Harry.

~Doctor Who~

"I think I'll pass on tempting fate with inter-dimensional travel thanks," the Doctor said, handing the invitation back to Bast. "I'm happy just where I am anyway."

Rose gave him a kiss for that.

~X-Men~

When Rogue and Logan were presented with their invitations, they both jumped at the chance to get 'the hell out of Dodge'. Turned out that Jean had gone completely bat-shit crazy and gotten damn close to blowing up the city. Baron was sure that when Harry found out, it would somehow further cement his belief that, even if they weren't good, red-heads were always awesome.

~The Labyrinth~

Jareth shook his head, laughing, as he passed the invitation over to his fiancé.

Sarah giggled. "I remember Harry saying that he enjoyed the fieries idea of a party. Oh, do let's go and take some of them with us," Sarah begged with a smile.

"Of course my Sarah," Jareth answered. "He brought us together after all. I owe him a favour."

~Kuroshitsuji~

After delivering the invitation to the Undertaker, Bast didn't get off of Silver's back again until they were through the front doors of the Phantomhive manor. As Harry had pointed out the last time they were here, he wasn't at all keen on actually getting whatever was all over the streets here on his paws, but Silver was able to walk on air, so it didn't bother the rapidash one bit.

Then he remembered the butler had a thing for cats, and jumped back onto Silver's back, directing him through the house to where he suspected they would find the earl, his butler, and if they were lucky, the merchant Lau as well.

~Atlantis~

Audrey stared at the suit-wearing ginger feline that was standing on her doorstep. They'd only been back from Atlantis for a while, and things still hadn't quite settled back into 'normalcy' yet, but this was even stranger than the sunken continent where the princess had bonded to the crystal.

"Harry is inviting you to his twenty-first birthday party, Miss Romirez," the Baron said politely. "I am to wait for a response."

Audrey blinked in surprise and took the envelope he was holding out to her.

"May I ask who else is invited?" Audrey asked as she opened the invitation and read it.

"Doctor Sweet, Queen Kidagakash, and her fiancé Milo Thatch," the Baron answered. "Among many others who you do not know, of course."

Audrey nodded. "I can make the date," she said. "But the place isn't listed."

Baron handed over another envelope. "That covers getting there and a few other details."

~One Piece~

"A party?" Shanks said with a grin as he read the envelope.

His first mate groaned.

If there was to be good company and copious amounts of alcohol, then Shanks would be there.

~Harry Potter~

Harry sighed deeply and smiled broadly when his pokemon and the Baron returned with the response list. He was going to have a very loud, very bright, and hopefully very enjoyable birthday party this year. Hermione was going to flip her lid when she found out that he'd invited so many people she wanted to sit down with for a month and just ask them questions. He was glad he didn't have to personally escort everybody home again. He had plans to go off and relax a little, just meet people and forget about magic and pokemon and everything for a little while.

~Pride and Prejudice~

Harry and the Baron stepped out of the inter-dimensional corridor and onto the driveway of a great house, just at the bottom of the sweeping stairs that led to the front door.

"What a beautiful house," Baron admired.

Harry nodded his agreement and quickly thransfigured his clothing on his person to look more like the Baron's chosen suit. He chose darker colours of course, he couldn't pull of ash-grey the way his feline friend could, but the suit was an eminently good idea because, this time, they had chosen England under the Regency to visit as Harry's first adventure after his twenty-first birthday. A little treat for the Baron, who had always wanted to go, but was not so skilled as Harry at choosing their travel stops.

"I saw no carriage come up the drive," commented a female voice from the top of the stairs.

"I do apologise ma'am," Harry said with a smile. "It was just such a fine day that I could not help but desire to walk."

"The master and his sister are at home, if you are paying call on them. If not, the master does allow me to give visitors to the house tours," the woman, who was now obviously the housekeeper, offered.

"But I come unannounced," Harry said. "It would be terribly rude to pay call on the master without even having been introduced to him first, or sending a note of introduction. No, I shall leave a card and accept the tour ma'am, thank you kindly."

The middle-aged woman laughed in delight at Harry's easy manners.

Half-way through the tour, Harry and the Baron met with the master of the house anyway, quite by accident – apparently an expected guest had arrived, and the gentleman of the house had come out of his study to greet him, and discovered Harry and the Baron along the way.

"I suppose you were giving these gentlemen a tour of Pemberly, Mrs Reynolds?" the man enquired of his housekeeper, who bobbed a curtsey in affirmation. The man turned his handsome, but austere face to Harry and then blinked in surprise to see the Baron. "I am Mr Darcy, master of Pemberly."

"Lord Potter," Harry answered with a smile. "And my friend the Baron von Gikkingken. It is a pleasure to meet you Mr Darcy, though I had intended only to enjoy Mrs Reynold's tour of your home and leave my card, to visit more properly at another time."

Mr Darcy smiled slightly at that. "Well, my friend Mr Bingley has just arrived, but if it does not offend you to associate with those whose money comes from trade, I should be glad to entertain you both."

Harry smiled broadly. "I would be delighted," he answered. "I hope Mr Bingley will not mind that I have intruded so upon your visiting together."

"Bingley is a very amiable sort. I doubt it possible for him to take offence sometimes."

"Then I shall certainly like him," Harry declared.

He did too. Charles Bingley was a singularly charming man, and apparently had just purchased the lease of a house in one of the shires, and was insisting upon Darcy accompanying him for some time there rather than returning to London. An invitation was soon extended to Harry as well, while the Baron offered to guard Mr Darcy's sister against any intruders upon her time in his absence.

Mr Darcy frowned. "How would you do that?" he asked with genuine curiosity, though Georgiana herself was quite taken with the idea, as from the moment she had joined her brother and his guests she had been fascinated by the feline gentleman.

"I am skilled with a blade despite my size Sir," the Baron said. "And I may act as a chaperone in any situation."

Harry nodded. "You need not fear when the Baron is in attendance," he assured with a smile.

So the travellers went their separate ways – Harry to Netherfield Park with Darcy, Bingley and Bingley's sisters, and the Baron went to London with Georgiana.

~oOo~

The Meryton assembly was loud, but it was a joyous noise, and after even such little time in the man's company, Harry fought a smirk to know that it would be doubtless giving Darcy a headache – and if it wasn't the noise, then it would be the match-making mothers.

Sir William Lucas, who had paid call to their little group at Netherfield, introduced the party to his family, and then to their neighbours the Bennets, and Harry felt as though a magic carpet had just dumped him on his rear-end. Well, he'd been enjoying thoughts of what Darcy might be hiding under his coat and vest on the carriage ride, but now Harry found himself only thinking of the five sisters Bennet.

Harry danced with each sister as they were available to do so, and insisted upon drawing the eldest three into conversation with himself and Darcy when he was not dancing – Bingley was too busy dancing with every woman there to talk much, but the only woman he danced with twice was the eldest of the Bennet girls.

"Do you like to dance Mr Darcy?" the second eldest, Elizabeth, asked.

"Not if I can help it," Darcy answered shortly.

"Don't let him fool you Miss Bennet," Harry consoled. "My friend suffers from a headache tonight and as the music is most exuberantly played, it is aggravating him. Mr Darcy is an excellent dancer, and does find joy in it."

Elizabeth was consoled, and now concerned for the man. "Then may I fetch a drink for you Mr Darcy? I find that water often soothes a headache," she offered.

Darcy smiled, just a very little. "Thank you Miss Bennet, that would be much appreciated."

Elizabeth smiled back and ducked away to fetch a cup for him.

"And when she returns, I will give you something to drink down with the water for your headache," Harry said firmly. "And you shall ask her to dance when your head has stopped pounding. She is an intelligent girl, you have seen it yourself in our conversation with her already tonight. She is also exceedingly lovely."

"You think that every female is exceedingly lovely Lord Potter," Darcy countered.

"No," Harry corrected. "I have found that the youngest of the Bennets, while pretty, is completely silly, and if not curbed soon her attitude shall be fixed in that way, which would be quite terrible. Mrs Bennet is a fretful mother, which would be endearing if she at least had better manners. Also, I find that Bingley's sisters are unfortunately vain for their situations, and Miss Caroline Bingley is not at all to my tastes. I would never call any of these women lovely."

Elizabeth returned at that moment with Jane, Mary and Bingley – and cups of water.

"These women, however, I would happily call lovely," Harry announced, smiling at them. He reached into his pocket and summoned his headache potion, dripping two drops into Darcy's water before the man drank it down. "Hopefully your headache will leave you with time enough to ask Miss Elizabeth Bennet to dance."

Darcy quickly downed the potion-laced water and set the cup aside. "I do feel much better," he allowed, clearly surprised at the speed with which the potion worked. "Thank you Lord Potter, Miss Bennet."

"You're most welcome Mr Darcy," Elizabeth said, bowing her head.

"The last dance is going to start soon," Harry observed, and offered his hand to Mary. "Will you honour me with your company for the final set?"

Mary blushed, smiled, and slipped her hand into Harry's.

Jane and Elizabeth blinked in surprise at their sister, for a smile transformed her features so incredibly, and they felt shocked that they had never seen it before. Plain little Mary was beautiful when she smiled. But then they were being distracted by offers to dance themselves – Jane by Mr Bingley, and Elizabeth by Mr Darcy.

~oOo~

"What say you, Lord Potter?" Caroline Bingley asked at breakfast the next day. "Surely you cannot have a high opinion of the people of Meryton?"

"I assure you that I can Miss Bingley," Harry answered, arching a brow at her. "For I endeavour to like all people until they prove themselves to be of unattractive character."

"Oh?" Mrs Hurst, Bingley's other sister, pressed, wanting to hear what the young Lord had to say on the subject. "What of Miss Lucas? Or the Bennet sisters?"

"Miss Charlotte Lucas is a charming young woman," Harry said. "However she lacks confidence in herself, likely from being told that she is not beautiful and still living with her parents. Yes, I like Miss Lucas very well."

"And the Bennets?" Caroline pressed. "You danced with every one of their daughters last night."

Harry smiled. "Miss Jane Bennet is an angel," he said simply. "If she has any fault at all it may be that she believes the best of everybody, but I do that myself, so I shall not count it. She did seem reserved though."

"Reserved?" Charles questioned, surprised.

Harry nodded. "She smiles freely, but does not express herself. Considering her beauty, this is very wise of her, for it prevents her forming a great attachment to someone who is only fascinated by her lovely face. I spoke with Miss Elizabeth Bennet on the matter, she said that Miss Jane Bennet barely shows her deepest feelings even to her, and they are very close."

Charles Bingly nodded his understanding.

"And what of Miss Elizabeth Bennet herself?" Caroline questioned.

"Oh, she is lovely. Her intelligence, wit, and her beauty shall quite set her apart. She very properly plays down her own beauty in such a way as to emphasise that of Miss Jane's, but she has the most striking eyes and delightful humour. She takes joy in the simple things, such as laughter and dancing, but also in the heavier task of matching wit to wit, and I quite enjoyed talking with her when we were not dancing."

"She is a thoughtful young lady," Darcy added. "Instantly offering to fetch me water when you told her I had a headache last night, and she is a fine dance partner."

"You did stand up for the last dance of the evening! I thought my eyes had quite deceived me on the matter. You had not even danced with us all night," Caroline said, pouting somewhat before turning back to Harry. "And you dance at that same time with their very plain sister, did you not Lord Potter?"

"Indeed I did not," Harry countered. "I danced with Miss Mary Bennet, who is in possession of one of the most radiant and transforming smiles I have ever seen. She also has a keen desire to learn, which I find a most attractive thing in a person. I danced also with Miss Catherine Bennet, who insisted that I should call her Kitty, as her family all did." Harry smiled fondly as he thought of the girl. "She has truly an adorable face, all dimpled cheeks and sparkling eyes. I feel I should be quite the protective brother if she were my sister. The only Bennet sister I can find true fault with is the youngest, who is determined to be silly and vain, and worse is encouraged by her mother to be so. Still, she also has a pretty enough face, so I suppose if she can find a husband soon he can take her from her mother and teach her to be more refined all shall not be lost for her."

~oOo~

The Netherfield ball was quite the occasion. Far more elegant than the assembly that had been their introduction to Meryton, but no less fun. Bingley was smitten with Jane, and with an assurance from Elizabeth, Darcy and Harry were just as certain as Bingley that the affection was returned.

Harry exposed Wickham's lies to the Bennets when Lydia and Kitty related their meeting to him, and indeed the contradiction of the man's very behaviour, without the prejudice that Darcy would have, for he had not personally met the man yet. Darcy secured Elizabeth's good favour and was pleased to talk with her about all manner of things, and more freely than when she had been tending to poor, sick Jane when the eldest Bennet had been laid up in Netherfield from being caught in the rain.

As for Harry himself, he had drawn Miss Mary and Miss Kitty to sit with him in a corner and ignore Mr Collins, drawing smiles from the girls as he talked to them of his travels. Kitty was fascinated, but Mary was enthralled.

"Would you like to travel someday Miss Mary?" Harry asked her.

"Yes Lord Potter," Mary answered. "But a young lady cannot travel unescorted, and I am the plainest of my sisters," she explained, her smile disappearing as she spoke. "No one would choose me as their travel companion."

Harry snorted indelicately. "Nonsense Miss Mary," he said firmly. He had been to the Bennet's house as often as Bingley – and they of course took Darcy with them. In fact, as Harry was as interested in speaking with Mary as he was with Jane and Elizabeth, he had been required to go to Longbourn more often than Bingley and Darcy, as the objects of their affections had taken residence for a time at Netherfield.

"Lord Potter?" Kitty asked. "What is nonsense?"

"Miss Kitty, what is nonsense is that your lovely sister should think nobody would ever desire to travel with her. Indeed, I find myself entertaining the idea of travelling with Miss Mary myself, and I am quite certain that my godfather and a number of my friends would be quite pleased to meet Miss Mary as well."

Mary blushed at the compliments. "It would be improper for an unmarried man to travel with an unmarried woman who is not his close relation," she pointed out. "At least, without a chaperone."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Then I shall have to talk to Mr Bennet about marrying you I think. It will put many minds to rest to know that I have found a woman to be happy with."

Mary's blush deepened, and Kitty laughed happily, clapping her hands.

"Of course, it would not be proper for Miss Mary to marry before Miss Jane and Miss Elizabeth, so I shall simply have to encourage my friends to become more fascinated by your sisters and to propose to them soon," Harry continued, smiling broadly. "And perhaps I can convince Mrs Bennet that it would be in Lydia's best interest to be Mr Collins' bride. She needs the taming, and the man would not suit you at all Miss Kitty."

Kitty dimpled prettily, to be thought of more highly than her popular younger sister was welcome praise indeed to her.

~oOo~

Harry had Bingley and Darcy at Longbourn early one morning to call on Mr Bennet, as he had spent much time convincing his two friends of their happy futures with the two eldest Bennet sisters. He was really quite secure in their happiness. He was less secure in his own. Save for the headache potion he had given to Darcy at the Meryton assembly, Harry hadn't used any magic in company in the time that he had been here. He'd not released his pokemon, he'd not conjured food, he summoned his weapons for practice only in his room with the doors locked, no one had seen his walking luggage and for the first time in a long time, his hair was the same from one day to the next without any alterations from his metamorphmagus ability.

Today he was going to tell Mary, Kitty and Mr Bennet about this part of his life, and ask to take both of these daughters away with him.

Yes, both. With Longbourn entailed away from the girls, it would be better for both of them to come away with him. He did know a few handsome and eligible young men after all, and whichever of Mr Bennet's daughters agreed to marry him, he would look out for the other. Of Lydia, he thought nothing. Her mother loved her best after Jane, and if she did not marry Collins as was sensible then she would likely marry that Denny chap from the militia that she was so fond of, and that would please Mrs Bennet well either way.

Bingley had spoken to Mr Bennet first, then come out of the office all smiles and twirled Jane around, declaring happily that he had her father's permission. Darcy was next, and it was what felt like quite a bit longer before he came out as well, smiled softly for Elizabeth, and ushered her to sit with him on one of the chairs – almost indecently close, save that it was clear he had Mr Bennet's consent to marry his favourite daughter. Then it was his turn.

Harry closed the door behind him and sat down opposite Mr Bennet.

"I have a story to tell you Sir," Harry said, conjuring his books blatantly on Mr Bennet's desk. "As it is completely true, I ask that you believe me."

Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy had only spoken with Mr Bennet for a few minutes altogether before exiting again to join the Bennet women. Harry stayed in that room with the patriarch of the family for half an hour, and even then, Mary and Kitty were called in, rather than Lord Potter exiting.

"Lord Potter wishes to marry you Mary, and take you and your sister Kitty away from Longbourn, and introduce you to people of his circles. He has, however, something of great importance that he must impart to you before either of you give your answer. He has told me, and I have agreed that, if you wish to go with him, then I will give my consent," Mr Bennet said solemnly.

Mary and Kitty turned to Harry, and he smiled at them. "Do you believe in magic?" he asked earnestly.

"You have been enchanting since our meeting, Lord Potter, what is that if not magic?" Mary countered.

"I should like to believe in fairies," Kitty added.

Harry laughed in delight, and his black hair cycled through the colours of the rainbow to show them what magic he meant. With a wave of his hand he conjured a pair of perfect pink roses and held them out to the two young ladies who were now staring, wide-eyed, as he hair turned black once more.

"Oh my," the two young ladies breathed in wide-eyed awe as they accepted the just-blossoming rosebuds.

To Harry's relief, they were both also smiling.

"Tell me more of your travels, Lord Potter?" Mary beseeched. "I cannot make a proper judgement with just a flower conjured from thin air."

Harry laughed happily and gestured to the books – now numbering three – sitting upon Mr Bennet's desk. "I have chronicled my life in these books," he said. "And others did it for me when I was young."

Mary took the top book, and Kitty snatched up the second once she'd tucked Harry's rose into her hair.

Harry discussed settlements with Mr Bennet quietly. He would take nothing from Mr Bennet, he had more than enough himself, but he wanted to make sure that Mr Bennet would be able to see his last daughter suitably married – preferably to someone who would curb her wild habits as Harry intended to help with Kitty. Of course, he had been on his very best behaviour here, and Kitty's 'wildness' would scarcely raise an eyebrow in some of the places he'd been, so it was really just a matter of teaching the girl about time and place.

In the end, Harry and Mr Bennet agreed that Harry would pay a dowry of a thousand pounds for each girl, and that would be the end of matters, as Mr Bennet knew that Harry would not be staying in the area at all.

"Lord Potter?"

"Please call me Harry, Miss Mary," he said, looking up from Mr Bennet's account books with a smile.

"Lord Harry," Mary corrected, smiling faintly herself. "I do not recognise some of these writings."

"Other countries have other languages Miss Mary. Some have completely different alphabets. I travel very widely," he said, giving his best, most roguish smile.

Mary blushed at the smile. "Will you teach me these languages if we marry?" she asked.

Harry's smile softened to tenderness. "You, and our children," he promised sincerely.

Mary's blush deepened a little and she smiled at the tenderness she felt at the very idea.

"Me too?" Kitty asked hopefully.

Harry nodded. "If you wish to learn," he assured her.

"Do I say farewell to four of my daughters?" Mr Bennet asked.

Mary and Kitty nodded.

"Oh but we shall miss you Papa," Kitty assured him.

"And you shall still be able to visit with Jane and Lizzy when they are married," Mary added.

~oOo~

Harry helped Mary, then Kitty, up onto Silver's back after the three weddings had been conducted. Their belongings were all packed and he had placed their shrunken trunks into his Luggage. Now, they were going back with him to his estate.

Harry had received a letter from the Baron, saying that he much preferred the time of the Regency, and that caring for Miss Darcy was a pleasure. He would be staying behind. Harry would miss the doll, but they had not had so much to talk about for some time, and Harry knew that the Baron really would be happy with the Darcy's. He wondered how they would explain him to Miss Elizabeth, but then recalled that he had used magic to fix the hair of every bride and maid for the wedding himself. It would not be so hard to explain the Baron then.

Harry swung himself up behind his wife and sister-in-law, and Silver took off. Within moments, they were in the front hall of the Potter Estate.

"Harry!"

"Hey Bill," Harry greeted with a smile. "What are you doing here? I'd expected Hermione or Sirius."

"They're busy cooing over the baby," Bill said with a smirk.

"Baby?" Harry yelped. "I haven't been gone that long!"

Bill laughed. "No, Fleur is pregnant. There's another Weasley on the way. I'm staying out of the way while they make your house baby-safe so that Fleur can still work with the little one close by. I also came by to tell you I'm going back to work. In Egypt."

Harry nodded and swung down from Silver's back. "I'll miss you Bill," he said solemnly.

Bill just nodded. "Now, are you going to introduce me to these lovely ladies? Apart from your birthday, you haven't ever had people from your travels back here."

"Bill, I'd like to present to you my wife, Mary, and her sister, Catherine Bennet," Harry said proudly, helping first Mary then Kitty down from Silver's back as he said their names. "Though she prefers Kitty."

Bill laughed. "You finally got married!" he crowed.

"What?" the yell came from the upper reaches of the house, and then people were piling down the stairs.

"Harry got married while he was away!" Bill cheered as Sirius, Remus, Charlie, Fleur, Draco and Hermione came down from where they had been making the house child-safe.

"Oh Harry I'm so happy for you!" Hermione exclaimed, hugging him tightly before moving to greet Mary and Kitty. "Harry's been like a brother to me for years, so I know nearly all of his embarrassing school-boy stories if you want to hear them.."
"Mary, Kitty, this is Hermione Granger, soon to be Malfoy," Harry said, shaking his head. "I hope you will be great friends."

Mary smiled. "I'm sure that we will," she promised. "Now, what's this about a baby?"

"Oui, I am pregnant," Fleur said. "A pleasure to meet you Mary. I work for 'Arry as 'is secretary, making sure 'e keeps 'is appointments and knows what 'e is talking about in ze Wizengamot."

Mary stared a moment at the beautiful Fleur, feeling insecure for a moment.

"I should probably confine myself to one world when you eventually get fat, and for a while after the baby is born," Harry said, then turned to Charlie. "You really didn't waste any time, did you Charlie?"

Charlie laughed. "Would you?" he asked.

"I only ever employed Fleur," Harry countered. "You're the one who married her. Then again, maybe Mary will consent to children soon?" he suggested, wrapping an arm around Mary's waist and letting her know through body language that he loved her.

Mary blushed, but smiled.

"The monk has a wife," Draco commented, amused. "Well done Harry."

"Monk?" Kitty asked.

"Monk," Harry confirmed. "On one of my travels, I was made a high ranking monk by a goddess. My only charge is to take care of a piece of scripture that was used to create their world. Not really a big deal," he explained with a shrug.

"Harry!" Hermione scolded fondly.

Everybody laughed, even Mary and Kitty, who didn't know the full details of the story yet, and certainly hadn't met the goddess in question as everybody else had at Harry's twenty-first birthday.

"Right, have you set a date and where am I taking you for your honeymoon?" Harry asked with another smile at his best friend.

"December, and we'd like to go to Wonderland, if that's possible," Hermione answered with a false air of haughtiness.

"As you wish," Harry said easily.

~The End~