A/N: So this is the new chapter. I'm still new at this so sorry if it's unsatisfactory. I'd also appreciate any tips or advice on how to improve my writing, so please review. I don't have a Beta, so I apologize if there are any mistakes. I had a really hard time with this chapter for some reason, but I hope you enjoy it.
Warning: This story will contain shounen ai/yaoi/slash. For those unfamiliar with these terms, that means guys loving guys in a romantic way. If you don't approve, don't read.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, nor do I own Naruto. Quite frankly, I can't draw worth crap, so drawing manga would be far beyond my capabilities.
Harry lay on a white hospital bed, his battered body emanating a warm golden glow. Small streams of a slightly brighter silvery gold raced along his numerous scars. As they did, the scars began to heal, so slowly that it would be unnoticeable to anyone watching. Any bones that had healed badly from a break were fixed in such a gradual way that it caused him no pain. Any lingering internal damage was fixed. The most recent wounds from his last day in the Malfoy Manor dungeons closed and healed, and the only thing left of his scars were thin silvery lines of barely raised skin that left a brand of graceful but cruel beauty on his body. The scar that ran along his face was the worst and therefore most prominent scar remaining, and you followed the line it made up his cheek, you could see a large amount of magic congregated around the area were his eye used to be.
Throughout this whole process, wisps of light blue energy, invisible to any eye not specifically trained to see it, were streaming through the walls, the ceiling, and even the ground, joining with paler strands of a mixture of the same energy and small amounts of equally transparent transparent magic that were reaching out from Harry, then being drawn into his body by those very same strands.
. . .
The glow coming from Harry`s body slowly faded, being absorbed back into his magical core, where it became dormant once more, a state in which it would wait for its master`s specific command to act, as it would have remained in all his life had Harry not had such a unique connection to his magic, and had his magic not grown to such a great quantity. When the glow had been completely reabsorbed into his body, all of the invisible energy that had been drawn to him hovered around him for a moment, before sinking into his skin. Time seemed to hold still as Harry continued to sleep. Then, as the world around him held its breath, both of his eyelids opened, revealing his original green left eye, and a new eye with an endlessly deep black iris that was almost indistinguishable from the pupil.
At first nothing Harry saw registered, his mind completely blank as he took in the familiar sight of Hogwarts` infirmary. Then the sound of loud, girlish squealing hit his ears, and his vision was obscured by bushy brown curls as Hermione Granger swooped down on him with a hug. Harry held completely still, waiting calmly for her to let go of him, even though his instincts were screaming at him get away from the possible threat. Luckily, his hopes were answered when Madame Pomfrey entered the room, drawn from her office by the happy noised Hermioine was emitting.
"Miss Granger! Release Mr. Potter this instant! This is an infirmary; you ought to know better than to maul someone who's just woken from a coma. And before I've had a chance to examine him too!" Madame Pomfrey scolded, prompting Hermione to pull hurriedly away from him, a look of shame covering her features.
Madame Pomfrey just shook her head, muttering spells under her breathe as she started her examination of Harry, while Hermione began to prattle on about how worried everyone had been and how much school he'd missed. Harry himself had stopped paying to the women as soon as Hermione's hair had stopped blocking his vision.
It was to be expected that Harry would be surprised about having to use of two eyes after so long with just one, but that was not what held his attention. Through his right eye, which had been missing for a year until then, as far as Harry could tell, he could see colors all around him, colors that were absolutely not normal. Several items that were in the infirmary emitted dim glows of various colors. He could see the glow coming from potions in the cupboard that he really shouldn't have been able to see given that the cupboard was closed. He could see slightly brighter glows coming from Madame Pomfrey and Hermione, and when he looked down at himself, he was nearly blinded by the unexpected radiance. All of this Harry could see with his right eye only, while his normal eye saw, well, normally, with exception of his vision now being perfect without the use of his glasses. All of this Harry took in with no reaction as he calmly analyzed his new situation. Setting aside the new development with his vision for a later date, Harry finally turned his attention to Hermione, just in time to catch the end of her little speech.
"… and you have so much to catch up on when you start school again, but don't worry, Ron and I will help you -" she cut herself off with gasp, her eyes widening. "I can't believe I didn't tell Ron as soon as you woke up, he'll be so happy to see, all the Weasleys will, they'll all come to visit as soon as they get the news! Ron usually comes with me -" she would have continued Harry was sure, but she was interrupted by the Headmaster as he walked through the doors around the corner of the private section of the hospital wing Harry had been placed in.
"I'm sure Harry would love to catch up with you later my dear, but I'm afraid your free period is over, and it will have to wait until later," he said smiling kindly. Hermione glanced at the clock on the wall and screeched in alarm, before streaking out of the hospital wing at a speed previously thought possible only on a broom. Dumbledore chuckled softly at the girl's antic before turning his attention to the recently awoken Harry, smile still firmly in place. "You gave us quite the scare, Harry." The ever-present twinkle in his eyes dimmed a little in remembrance. Harry remained silent as he stared steadily at the headmaster. The awkward silence continued until Madame Pomfrey interrupted with the results of her detailed diagnostics check on Harry.
"He appears to be perfectly healed, Albus, apart from some lingering weakness as a result of the energy he has expended and the lack of nourishment he received. I'd like to keep him here for one more day to make sure no problems pop up, though. You have ten minutes, Albus," she finished firmly. With a small smile in Harry's direction and a stern one in Dumbledore's, she departed towards her office to leave the two alone, and Dumbledore once again returned his attention to Harry.
"I hate to jump straight into business, but it must be done," Dumbledore said with a sigh. The conversation would be so much easier if Harry was actually participating in it. His continued silence was throwing him off. "As you probably know, or guessed, Petunia and her family is dead, not to mention that the blood protection your mother left you is gone now that you are of legal age. I've decided that it would be best for you to remain at Hogwarts at all times." The headmaster paused to gauge Harry's reaction, but he received none. It disconcerted him that he could read no emotion in Harry's eyes as he had grown adept at over the long years, though from what he knew of the boy, he wouldn't like the idea of remaining locked up in the school one bit. But still he remained frustratingly taciturn. "You will remain as usual in the Gryffindor dormitory, and catch up on what you have missed of school while you were . . . away." At this point the Professor finally got a reaction from Harry.
"Professor Dumbledore, I would prefer to learn how to use my magic to survive in case this happens again. I'm tired of being helpless and having to rely on others to protect me." His voice was quiet, and rough from disuse, but other than that, Dumbledore could discern no emotion. It was becoming more and more apparent that Harry had drastically changed during his stint with Voldemort. That knowledge, coupled with his rearing protective instinct for the boy he considered as a grandson, would not allow him to even consider allowing the boy to learn anything dangerous after what he'd just been through. He would make sure Harry remained protected, but he did not want to corrupt his youth or his innocence with the harsh training required for what Harry was asking.
"Harry, my dear boy, I'm afraid that it wouldn't be a good idea. You need to rest and time to recover mentally and emotionally from what you've been through at Voldemort's hands," he responded with gentle eyes. Harry returned his stare with blank eyes. With an internal wince Dumbledore concluded the conversation. "All of the teachers have agreed to set up a schedule in the evenings to tutor you on what you have missed, and you'll find all of your belongings from your relatives' house in your old dorm." He stood up with a rustling of his electric blue robes. "I am glad that you are back safely now, Harry. Hogwarts hasn't been the same without you," he said with one last twinkly eyed smile, and departed before Poppy could come kick him out.
. . .
Harry went along with Dumbledore's idea for four months in the end, for the most part anyway. He obligingly took his tutoring sessions with the school's teachers in the evenings and remained in the Gryffindor dorms, but that was the extent of his obedience. He spent most of his days not spent on his homework from various teachers in the library, learning everything he could. During the nights, he did research in the restricted section, under the cover of his invisibility cloak. Needless to say, he excelled at all the work the professors threw at him while on his learning spree. All of them were both astonished and impressed, even the dour Professor Snape, though none of them knew the extent he had learned, so as not to alarm them or Dumbledore.
He eventually learned that the glow he could see with the new right eye his magic had seen fit to give was magic. The different colors and brightness indicated the type of magic cast and the intent of the castor, as well as the strength of the magic. Each magical person had a different color to their magic, even if it was just a slight shade of difference. They would occasionally change colors around the edges or fluctuate, usually indicating strong emotion. Harry found himself calling them auras, as he had no other word for them, and it seemed to fit. It seemed like every living animal he saw had an aura, and every aura had a different feeling to it, though the ones belonging to magicless beings lacked a certain essence.
Another oddity Harry found was the strange silver glow he saw in all living things. He saw it in the plants, in the nonmagical animals that he saw, and in himself. No magic color came near the color of this energy. In fact, no magical aura Harry had seen had been a metallic color, save Harry's own. The silver light hovered just over his skin intermingling with the strong gold of his magical aura, and it shone more brightly from his skin than it did from the plants and animals he saw. When he looked for it in other witches and wizards, he was able to see it in them, too, but not near as bright as has own, and practically smothered beneath their magical auras. He had a feeling that this silver energy had something to with his new connection to nature, though.
Harry had discovered, after his recovery, that he felt strangely at peace when he was outside, on the school grounds. Animals never seemed to be wary of him like they were with other humans, and would often seek him out, drawing him into little games, or simply settling down near him for the sake of being in his presence. Harry found that he much preferred their company to that of humans, and any time that was not spent in the library, or in lessons with the professors, was spent outside, usually reading a book with an assortment of creatures surrounding him. They all had an appealing sort of innocence about them.
. . .
Harry looked up from where he was seated at a table in one of the more private areas of the library when two people settled into the seats across from him. "I can't believe Snape assigned us a five foot essay!" Ron exclaimed loudly as he dropped his bag on the table. "He probably did that just to have an excuse to fail us!"
"Honestly, Ron," Hermione scolded, "you wouldn't be having so much trouble if you'd started on it the day it was assigned." She pulled out long piece of parchment with her mostly completed essay on it. "I've already almost finished mine. Although," she added with a frown, "five feet was a bit much." She grabbed her Potions book from her bag and opened it to the page she needed before turning to Harry. "How are you doing with your tutoring assignment, Harry?" she asked kindly. "I'd be happy to help you with anything you're having trouble with."
"Hey, what about helping me?" Ron protested.
"Shut up, Ron!" Hermione snapped at him before turning back to Harry, who was staring at her indifferently.
". . . No," he said eventually, then turned back to the book he was reading about human transfiguration and animagi. Hermione looked at him in shock for a brief moment before continuing to pester him, feeling very self-righteous.
"Harry, I understand if you're embarrassed about being so far behind, but it really isn't your fault. I can help you, Harry." Hermione smiled at him in what he presumed was supposed to be an encouraging way.
"Yeah, mate," Ron chimed in, "you know she's the smartest girl in our year. If anyone can catch you up, she can." Harry graced the two of them with another dispassionate stare.
"No," he said once more, this time grabbing his stack of books and getting up to leave. It was much more peaceful at his tree. He left his former best friends gaping at his back. It wasn't the first time any of his former friends had tried to act like normal with him and been rebuffed. They seemed determined to act like nothing had changed, that Harry hadn't been tortured for a year and a half while they sat around twiddling their thumbs. They were so determined and hopelessly naive that Harry had a difficult time not being overly cruel just to snap them out of it. But despite how determined everyone had been in the beginning, there was only so much they were willing to stand, and that was the last time any of them tried to speak to him.
. . .
After four months, he felt that he'd learned all he could at Hogwarts, and left under the cover of his invisibility cloak during the night. He'd received a letter from Gringotts about his inheritance the day before and decided that it was time. So immediately after leaving he headed straight to the goblin run bank. It just before dawn when he arrived at the bank, and he immediately walked to the only goblin to be seen at a desk near the door. The goblin looked at him with a mask of indifference, though Harry caught a glimpse of surprise in the creature's eyes for a moment before he spoke.
"I received this letter concerning my inheritance yesterday, and I'd like to speak to the manager about it," he stated neutrally, handing the letter to the goblin, as he had been directed to in the letter. The goblin – Ripfang he read from a gleaming gold name tag – skimmed the letter before ringing a small bell.
"Right this way, Mr. Potter," Ripfang said gruffly after standing, and gestured for Harry to follow him before walking off at a brisk pace. As he turned to follow, Harry noticed another goblin taking Ripfang's place at the desk, and deduced that the new goblin had been summoned by the bell.
They went beyond the large room where the goblins met with the owners of vaults and deeper into the building itself, through a maze of halls, and continued their journey for a good ten minutes or so before Ripfang finally stopped outside of a large door with a gold plaque stating to Harry that they were at Manager Gutwrench's Office. Ripfang gave the door a brief rap with the door's golden knocker, then promptly disappeared down the hallway.
"Enter," Harry heard a gravelly voice say from beyond the door. It swung gently open when he reached towards it, and Harry went through the doorway with caution. Beyond the door, Harry saw a moderately sized room that was comfortably lit with four flickering torches, one on either side of the door, and one each on the walls to the left and right of the door. The back wall was a bookshelf filled with various books and scrolls. In the middle of the office was a large desk with a rather plump well-dressed goblin behind it, who was currently peering at Harry from behind small, circular gold rimmed glasses.
"You must be Harry Potter," the goblin Harry took to be Manager Gutwrench ground out in the same gravelly voice Harry had heard from behind the door, and motioned for Harry to sit in one of the two comfortably padded chairs that Harry only then noticed. Taking his seat in the chair to the left, Harry responded to the goblin's question with a short nod. "Then I suppose we should get on to business." The goblin leaned forward, propping his arms on his elbows and interlacing his fingers.
"When you came age on your seventeenth birthday, we were made aware that you are the heir to two very important families, as well as your own. We would have contacted you when you first came of age, but at the time you were . . . indisposed." The goblin cleared his throat uncomfortably for a moment as Harry's gaze seemed to sharpen momentarily. "Being the godson of one Sirius Black, and this being his wish, you have now become the Lord Black, and have inherited the Black family vault and estates," he paused, examining Harry's still expressionless face for a moment before continuing. "You have also, of course, inherited the Potter family vaults and estates. The last inheritance you have received, however, is the most surprising. You are now also the Lord Peverell. We had long thought that the line had died out. Not enough of the blood in the family until you I suppose. That vault has collected quite a bit of interest." Gutwrench released a hacking cough. "If you wish to visit your new vaults I will have someone take you. Here are your keys." He extracted a key ring from a pocket, handing it to Harry. There was one gold key, similar to the one from his trust fund vault, one black key, and one key that appeared to be made of diamond. Harry considered for a moment.
"I'll take a look at them."
. . .
Harry was guided to his vaults by a goblin named Griphook, the cart's breakneck speed and sharp turns through the darkness still the same as he remembered. In the first vault he went to, the Potter family vault, he unshrank the trunk he had stowed in the pocket of his robes before coming. It was spelled to contain an endless amount of space inside, and after opening it, Harry did a spell that was a more complicated version of the Summoning Charm. It took more power and skill to cast because it summoned in a more generalized way, allowing Harry to call to him items he would want without knowing precisely what they were. After Harry cast the spell, quite a few books and scrolls flew from the multiple large mounds of items and money that inhabited the vault, and went directly into the trunk. Though he couldn't see it, he knew that once inside, that summoned books and scrolls were organizing themselves by category on the bookshelves of the library that existed in the limitless amount of space in the trunk. All of them had something to do with magic that he had yet to learn, as that had been what he intended to summon with the spell. The few things that weren't books, random papers, or scrolls that Harry managed to summon were useful magical artifacts, or sometimes weapons. These, also, sorted themselves accordingly.
The same process repeated itself in the Black family vault, though the items that were summoned were more numerous than they had been in the Potter family vault, and from more questionable origin. There were far less scrolls, and the multitude of books consisted of many dark colored covers, and more than one menacing title. Once the flow stopped, Harry also summoned some coins, for the case of an emergency. With that he was ready for next and final stop, to the Peverell vault.
A/N: There you have it, the second chapter. It took longer than I had hoped to write, but I hope you guys enjoy it. If you have any questions, ask, and I would dearly love it if you reviewed. I like to know what people think of my writing. Feel free to IM me if you need to also. With any luck, and the blessings of the plot bunny, the next chapter will be up soon. Oh, and also, I'm going to be changing the name when I update the third chapter. I put that on my profile too. I came up with 'The Pain of Emotions' in a hurry, and I don't really like it much. The new title is going to be 'There Comes a Time'.