Summary: It is the year 2002. Britain has been left for death, and hope has forsaken the war-ravaged land. Captured, with death only moments away, the Order reaches out for one last option – More time. Harry joins the team, rewriting destiny forever. Sakura/Syaoran. No other pairings.

Warnings: Language

Last Chapter:

And she would never remember. Harry felt another pang of sadness for Syaoran. "Remembering the past isn't everything, Sakura," he finally said. "Remember that you also have the chance to create new memories now."

She frowned, clearly thinking his words through.

Harry decided to let her ponder more on it on her own. There was a limit to how much he could meddle, after all. They had to figure things out on their own. "It's getting late. I'll bring you back, alright?"

She nodded and he offered her a hand to pull her up, and they walked back to the house together.

CHAPTER 4 – Twisted Mirror

December 10, 1997
Number 12, Grimmauld Place
Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix

Things were getting heated.

"This is ridiculous!" Sirius roared, slamming his hand on the mahogany table. "When will they realize that we only want to help?"

The tension in the room was thick and suffocating. Albus Dumbledore sighed wearily and pushed his half-moon glasses up, picking up the papers he had spread out over the table for the rest to look at. "They fear what they do not understand. We cannot fault them for that."

"If I may, Professor," Hermione spoke up hesitantly, and Dumbledore nodded at her to continue. "The muggles have learnt that many wizards and witches are ignorant of their culture. They are identifying us through...well...the way we dress."

"What?" Ron spluttered, appalled. "What has our clothes got to do with anything?"

She sighed irritably. "Honestly, Ronald, have you seen the way we try to blend in?"

"Yeah, remember that Archie bloke who wore a nightdress to the Quidditch World Cup because he liked 'a healthy breeze around his privates'?" Harry added soberly. It was difficult to enjoy the humor in it when he realized that people like old Archie would be killed or tortured for their eccentric dress.

"It would mean that a lot of innocents would be unfairly arrested," Remus said, frowning. "What about muggles who have poor fashion sense?"

"It is a flawed policy," Hermione agreed vehemently, looking frustrated. "But this is not the worst of it. The magicals are not in their records, even Muggleborns tend to disappear from their records when they turn eleven and go to magical schools. There are rumors that the muggles will soon start identifying us using these records."

"My father and some of my old contacts might be able to help in that," Tonks said, leaning forward. "I know of people who are good at hacking into these records. They should be able to create records for the Order."

"Good, good," Dumbledore agreed thoughtfully. "I believe I know some Obliviators who could be of use as well. That's settled, then."

"I think we should report here every morning for Granger to check our muggle attires," Alastor said gruffly, magical eye whirling around to look for any signs of discontent at his suggestion.

Some of the Order members looked frustrated at the inconvenience, but only nodded sullenly in agreement.

"We should probably start reading up on muggle culture too," Arthur said, looking excited at the thought. "I have some books at home that I'll bring over tomorrow."

December 25, 1997
Number 12, Grimmauld Place
Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix

"Merry Christmas, Harry," he muttered sardonically, as the clock struck twelve. One could usually hear the cheers from neighbouring houses or from the busy streets at this time, but with the war as it was, no one was in the mood for celebrating.

He raised the bottle of Firewhiskey to his lips and took a long drink, feeling it burn its way down his throat.

"Harry."

"Hermione. Want a bottle?" He squinted at the bushy-haired figure who stood in front of him, her arms crossed.

She snatched the bottle of Firewhiskey from his hand fiercely, holding it away from him. He sighed explosively and leaned back on the couch, staring at her with feigned disinterest.

"Here to lecture me too?" He finally said, when minutes had passed in stony silence.

She sighed, and he looked away, hating the pity in her eyes. Warm hands covered his own cold ones as she knelt in front of him, and he realized how skeletal thin she was, how tired she looked. It was exactly what he saw when he looked into a mirror nowadays.

"Luna wouldn't have wanted you to-" She started. It was the wrong thing to say.

"Well, FUCK what Luna would have wanted!" He snarled, snatching his hands away and storming away from her to the fireplace, breathing heavily as he stared at the dying embers. He tried to calm himself. He cared for Hermione, and he did not want to hurt her. "She's dead. She can't have anything now," he said, forced calm in his voice. "I don't want to talk about her, Hermione."

The warning in his voice was unmistakable, but Hermione Granger was equally, if not more, stubborn than him.

"She didn't want you to succumb to revenge, Harry," Hermione said doggedly. "Torturing muggles is considered revenge." Her voice softened. "I don't want to lose you, Harry. You were never like this."

He refused to face her, clenching his fists and trying to control the white-hot anger that always came with the subject of Luna. "I was naïve before, Hermione. I believed that no one, except Voldemort and his Death Eaters, could be so cruel. I wanted to defend the helpless and innocent muggles against them." He smirked sardonically at his naiveté. "Maybe I realized that they aren't so innocent and helpless. Maybe I realized that they are monsters just like Voldemort. And maybe," he turned around to face Hermione, face cold with rage. "maybe I think they aren't worth saving any more."

Hermione looked at the man she had grown up with, frightened beyond belief at what he had turned into. "Not all muggles are like that," she protested, but it was a weak statement. Even her faith in muggles was starting to crumble. Her voice grew stronger. "My parents were muggles, Harry. So they are not worth saving?" She challenged.

He didn't falter. "They are dead, Hermione. They are not relevant to the world as it is now."

Her hand was cutting through the air before she knew it, slapping him so hard he stumbled. He looked up at her with furious and betrayed eyes.

"Look at yourself, Harry Potter," she hissed, tears forming in her eyes. "If you think that, then you are no better than Voldemort." She turned and ran up the stairs, away from him. He heard the sound of a door slamming moments later.

He stood for a long time, staring at the direction she had gone. Then, with a snarl, he picked up the bottle of Firewhiskey and threw it at the opposite wall, watching as it shattered everywhere.

He was nothing like Voldemort, he thought. Hermione was wrong.

But there was a niggling doubt at the back of his mind.

What if she was right?

"If the Ryanban is so bad, why haven't you risen up against him?" Kurogane said, for once not reading the book he had bought from Hanshin, which spoke of how serious he was being. Somehow, Harry felt that the book had made the man seem more human, more approachable. It had hinted of a side behind the gruff and bloodthirsty exterior he usually had, at least.

Harry shook his head to clear it. Here they were, having a serious discussion, and he was having ridiculous thoughts.

The girl, whom he had learned was called Chun-Hyang (he had still not quite managed to pronounce the name correctly), looked down. "We did try, several times. But the Ryanban's castle has some kind of magic surrounding it. We could never get close enough. But," she perked up, staring at Harry with undisguised excitement. "You have magic! You could help us breach the castle's defenses."

"I'm not very good in breaking wards, especially wards as strong as these," Harry admitted. He had felt the wards, and it could rival the wards at Hogwarts before the castle had fallen. Ward-breaking had never been his forte, having never studied Ancient Runes, and he had left that to Bill, and when Bill had died, Filius. That, and he was not about to rashly promise his help to a stranger, no matter how sympathetic he felt towards their plight.

She looked crushed at the admission, and he could see the beginnings of tears before Syaoran interjected. "Don't worry, we will help you. We will find a way, somehow."

Syaoran would have made a good Gryffindor, Harry thought, once again exasperated by the boy's heroic and somewhat naïve tendencies. He silenced the part of him that was drawing parallels between Syaoran and young Harry Potter.

"You could always kidnap his son to get to him," Fai said cheerily, and Harry almost smirked at the statement, which, while delivered almost jokingly, spoke of the core of steel the man had. He saw, out of the corner of his eyes, Kurogane smirk slightly as well.

"We can't!" The girl said vehemently. "The Ryanban watches every corner of Ryonfi. If anything happens to his son...he'll command magical attacks on us from the castle, attacks that we can't defend against."

"What a coward," Kurogane scowled.

"You said that the Ryanban suddenly got stronger about a year or so ago," Fai said slowly, clearly thinking hard. "I wonder if that has anything to do with Sakura's feathers..." He gave Syaoran a significant look, and Harry could almost see the boy following the logic and becoming more invested in the situation.

"It wouldn't add up. It was only a short while ago that the feathers were scattered," Kurogane pointed out.

"But," Harry spoke up before he could stop himself. "Yuuko said that time passes differently in different dimensions..."

Fai looked pleased at his conclusion. "Exactly." He simply said, allowing them to draw their own conclusions.

The man had figured it all out so quickly? Harry quickly added 'highly intelligent' to his mental observations of Fai.

"I'll go and check if there is a feather," Syaoran said, already standing. Harry was about to sigh at his impulsiveness when Sakura grabbed Syaoran's hand tightly.

"But-" she said hesitantly, clearly worried about letting him go. Syaoran smiled warmly at her and knelt beside her.

"I'll be fine, Princess Sakura. I'll get your feather back for you, I promise."

Harry turned away from the intimate moment, feeling uncomfortable at how much Syaoran had resembled his younger self at that moment. Syaoran's impulsiveness stemmed from his strong desire to protect and save the girl he loved so deeply, the girl who would never remember him.

The cynical side of him thought that the impulsiveness would eventually fade when Syaoran realized he couldn't save Sakura from everything. Harry shook it off, clearing his throat to break the moment.

"You still need to find a way around his wards before you can do anything," Harry said pragmatically.

"Can you do something about that?" Kurogane directed the question towards Fai. Harry wondered at the readiness both men were showing to help Syaoran.

"Nope, not a chance!" Fai shrugged, impossibly wide grin in place. Kurogane grumbled at his uselessness.

"We could speak to Yuuko!" Mokona offered, and before they could respond, a hologram of the Dimension Witch had appeared, staring down at them with her usual smirk.

"Can we have an earlier warning next time?!" Kurogane raged, having flinched back at the suddenness of her appearance.

"Ah, Mokona," Yuuko said indulgently, her smirk growing wider at Kurogane's flustered expression. "What can I do for you?"

"Wh-What is that!" Chun-Hyang demanded, clearly having never seen such technology before. It was probably closer to magic than technology, but Harry had seen muggles using it before.

"We need something to help us break the wards surrounding the castle," Syaoran said calmly, clearly ignoring the girl's bewilderment to discuss more pertinent matters.

Yuuko hummed. "You have two magicians in your group. Or wizard, whichever the term they prefer," she added, winking at Harry, who made no response. To be honest, he had not anticipated seeing her again. How was he supposed to act – grateful, or pretend that she hadn't practically offered his world its only chance at survival?

"Harry here can't break it, as do I," Fai said, and there was an edge in his voice that Harry could not decipher. "I turned over the source of my magic to you."

"The markings that made up your payment to me were a device that held your powers in check. They are now originally as it should be," Yuuko said, clearly ignoring the hidden warning in Fai's voice.

Merlin.

Harry almost took a step back in shock. He turned to gaze intently at the magician, who had a cheery smile firmly fixed on his face, though his eyes were colder than ever. Fai was clearly unhappy that Yuuko had revealed that.

But that was not important at the moment. What was important was that the man had lied to their faces. The tattoo was not his means of defense. He had never given up his means of defense like he had claimed in Hanshin. Which meant that Harry had been vulnerable and near to a metaphorical basilisk all the while – cunning and secretive, all along holding the power in their little group.

His first reaction was anger and betrayal, which was ridiculous given how he had never allowed himself to trust the other man in the first place. But then his mind wandered off to another important tangent.

Why would Fai want to suppress his powers?

Or perhaps, someone else had done it. Was the man a threat? But then, why would he be unhappy about losing the restriction? Did he -and Merlin this was a ridiculous notion- want his powers to be restricted?

Harry filed all his theories into his growing list of observations, deeply unsettled. He had the terrible feeling that he was stepping into a situation bigger than he could ever imagine.

So unsettled he was, that he had missed Fai's reply to Yuuko's unspoken question, and the next thing he knew, Fai was withdrawing his staff from the wardrobe. Harry couldn't help it – he tensed at the action, his magic already unsettled at the theories he had formed.

He knew the other man had caught his instinctive reaction, but Fai merely smiled reassuringly and passed the staff over to Mokona, whose mouth opened bigger than it should be able to and swallowed the entire staff whole. The rest of the group was gaping in shock, but Harry had seen far weirder, and he was too preoccupied with the issue of Fai to really care.

"Well, let's go," Syaoran said, grasping the magical device from Yuuko tightly. Kurogane and Fai got up immediately. Harry, from where he was leaning against the wall, suddenly felt awkward.

Should he go with them?

He had promised Hermione, and himself, a long time ago that he would never jump into a battle without due consideration.

But the Ryanban was there. The realization made him straighten immediately, thoughts of revenge already pumping adrenaline into his body.

The Ryanban was no better than the muggles who stole the magic of countless wizards and witches and used it to fight against them. Harry would kill him, just as he had killed those muggles.

"Yeah, let's go," he echoed, and there was a predatory edge to his smile.

The three looked surprised at first, clearly not having expected his help. After all, he had watched idly while they fought in Hanshin. Harry could see the moment when all three realized that he was fighting to kill the Ryanban, and his smile grew marginally wider. Kurogane shot him an evaluating look which he ignored easily.

"I want to come too!" Chun-Hyang immediately shouted.

"No," Harry said sharply before he could stop himself. He met the startled stares from the rest with his usual blank expression, crossing his arms defensively.

"I need you to protect Princess Sakura," Syaoran said soothingly, trying to soften the blow.

"I can fight! I want to come with you," Chun-Hyang protested stubbornly.

Syaoran looked at Fai and Kurogane helplessly, who only shrugged, both as lost about what to do.

"I'm not good with kids," Kurogane said dismissively.

"Yeah, Kuro-tan is too gruff for little kids, isn't he?" Fai immediately teased, eliciting a growl from Kurogane.

"Why don't you do it then?!" Kurogane demanded.

Harry sighed. Were they really wasting time over this? Praying for patience, he went over to Chun-Hyang, who was only slightly shorter than him. Still, he knelt down so he could talk to her face-to-face.

"Listen," he said, making sure to soften his voice and smile warmly at her. She was still wary of him from his earlier display. "You are important and we cannot risk you. Sakura is very important to all of us and we need someone to protect her while we're gone. Besides, after the Ryanban is gone, we need someone to represent the townspeople when the Amenosa comes. That's you. Do you understand? None of this will be worth it if the news does not get to the government."

"I need to avenge my mother," she said, tears already falling as she realized that they would not be persuaded.

"Would your mother want you to kill?" Harry asked bluntly.

She was struck speechless at his words, then defiantly, "You are going to kill him too!"

"Ah, yes," he said smoothly, not bothering to deny it. "But this is not about me. Would your mother want you to kill him? Or would she want you to help the town return to its former prosperity?" She didn't say anything, and he stood. "Well, think on it. If you still decide to come I won't stop you anymore."

"I-I'll stay," she finally muttered, looking down at the ground.

"Well then, let's go," Harry said, and turned, walking away from the house. He felt, rather than saw, the rest of them following him silently.

"You are good with kids, huh," Fai said, once they were a distance away from Chun-Hyang and Sakura. Harry shrugged. He was alright at it. Hermione and Ginny had been better. Still, after all his experience talking with the terrified Hogwarts students during the siege, he had picked up a few tips here and there.

"What you said was rather hypocritical, though," Kurogane pointed out bluntly.

Harry did not take offense. It was hypocritical. He shrugged again.

"Will you really kill him?" Syaoran asked seriously, and Harry tilted his head to the side to look at the boy who had moved to walk beside him.

"I'll try my best," Harry promised, turning his lips up in a slight smile.

The rest of the walk was spent in awkward silence, no one knowing what to say to him. Harry would not have been surprised if they saw him a crazed mass murderer. He barely stopped himself from laughing at the allusion to Sirius, and silently admitted to himself that he was slightly unhinged from the war.

They stopped at the giant gates leading to the castle, looking at it speculatively.

"Now, how should we-" Fai started, only to be cut off when Kurogane simply stomped up to the gates and pushed them open. "You shouldn't do that, you know," he said lightly, but there was an undercurrent of seriousness in his voice. Harry had to agree with the magician. There could have been magical traps hidden behind them.

But there were none, and the gates creaked open to show an impressive view. It was almost as if they had been transported up into the sky suddenly, and they gazed down at the town from above. Kurogane and Syaoran let out exclamations of surprise.

"Impressive," Harry merely said, and it was true. Hogwarts' wards created an illusion of ruins, but this...this was extremely powerful magic. It far surpassed Hogwarts' wards. He briefly contemplated interrogating the answers on how to create such a ward from the Ryanban before killing him.

"What do we do now?" Syaoran asked uncertainly, holding the magical device from Yuuko and looking between Harry and Fai.

Surprisingly, the answer came from Mokona. "Throw it!" Mokona shouted, from where she was perched on Kurogane's shoulder.

"Throw it?" Syaoran repeated. "But then, we wouldn't have it any more..."

"You have to throw it as far as you can to hit the wards!"

Syaoran hesitated slightly, but nodded. In a fluid and graceful motion, he had tossed the device up and delivered it towards the castle with a powerful kick. The device soared through the air, and Harry could feel the moment it touched the wards. There was an impressive explosion of pure power, and with it followed a wave of raw magic that seemed to suffocate him.

"Fuck," Harry muttered as he was forced to his knees, struggling desperately to draw breath. His magic felt sluggish and it slipped through his hold like liquid when he tried to draw it out.

What kind of magic was the Ryanban dabbling with?

"Harry!" Syaoran was shouting, panic written all over his face. "Are you okay?" He pulled Harry up. Harry stumbled slightly, feeling light-headed.

"I'm fine," he slurred, leaning against the boy.

"His magic is not reacting well to the magic the Ryanban is using," Fai said quietly. "Though I have never seen two magics clash so badly before."

With the stubbornness and willpower that had got him through the most difficult of situations, Harry forced himself to his feet.

"I am fine," he repeated, pulling up all his Occlumency shields to full strength, which dulled the suffocating sensation. "We should go."

"If you are sure," Syaoran said uncertainly.

Harry nodded, unable to verbalize his feelings again. He felt weighed down, and every step he took was like walking through sludge.

Breathe in, breathe out.

He was fully aware that he was in an extremely vulnerable state, and he hated every second of it, knowing that his companions could overpower him if they should wish.

Breathe in, breathe out.

What the hell was going on with his magic?

He was so preoccupied with regulating his breathing – Merlin, it took a considerable effort to even breathe properly – that he only realized that they were walking in circles when Syaoran bent down to pick up a piece of rock he had placed on the ground at the start.

"We are walking in circles," Syaoran said, frowning.

"So what now?" Kurogane asked, eying a random wall speculatively. "Maybe if we break all the walls..."

"Ah," Fai said quietly, a hand reached out to the wall in front of him, and Harry could feel the sheer power that radiated from the man as he reached out with his magical senses. Fai's magic was turbulent and chaotic, but it was comforting compared to the heaviness of the magic the Ryanban was using. Somehow, Fai's magic felt...soothing. Harry's own magic reached out for Fai's magic without his control, and Fai's blue eyes cut sharply to him for a brief instant before he looked back at the wall, so fast that Harry was unsure if he had imagined the quick glance.

"It should be this wall," Fai said, looking as unruffled as usual. "The magic here is the strongest."

The little piece of Fai's magic his own had stolen was enough to shield him from the suffocating power. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." he said quietly to the man as Kurogane smashed the wall down.

Clear blue eyes met his and Harry thought he saw a brief flicker of...fear? But then Fai smiled and there was warmth in his blue eyes, and Harry wondered if he was seeing things.

"Shouldn't you be unable to use magic?" Kurogane asked, directing a knowing stare at the magician.

"Ah," Fai said, smiling brightly. "This isn't magic, but intuition."

Lie.

Harry had sensed Fai's magic. Kurogane and Syaoran also seemed to doubt Fai's denial, but said nothing. Harry wondered how often the magician lied. He was beginning to feel that the magician lied a lot, hiding himself behind that false cheery smile.

They stepped past the rubble, into a room that was empty save for the woman standing in the middle of the room.

"What are you?" Kurogane asked rudely, earning a snigger from Fai beside him. He shot Fai a death glare.

"Tsk tsk, how rude. Years of evolution, and this is how you humans have ended up. Mere insects," The woman scoffed, smirking. Then, before anyone could respond, "But I'll let it go for today. You see, it's been so long since I've had guests. I'll like to have a little...fun."

"Can you tell us where the Ryanban is?" Syaoran pressed, ignoring her subtle threats.

"I could," she said teasingly, her smirk growing wider as Syaoran seemed to straighten slightly. "But...I won't."

"Stop playing mind games with us," Harry said sharply, stepping out from where he had stood behind Fai and Kurogane.

The woman's smirk disappeared entirely. For a moment she gaped soundlessly at him, and they exchanged confused looks, not having expected such a sudden change in her demeanour.

"Who are you?" She demanded, and Harry noticed her eyes flicker.

He met her eyes squarely, slightly curious about her reaction. "I'm here to kill the Ryanban," he said bluntly, figuring that there was no point in being polite. "And eliminate all... obstacles that try to stop me."

Another flicker.

Was she afraid of him?

She tilted her head slightly, her lips twitching into an amused smile. "You don't know, do you?" She asked cryptically.

"Know what?" Kurogane demanded. Both ignored him in favor of staring down the other.

"You don't know," she repeated, her smile growing wider.

"Step aside," Harry ordered, refusing to be baited. "Tell us where the Ryanban is and I'll let you go."

She moved so fast that everyone was caught of guard. In an instant, she was in front of Harry, long nails tracing his face, threateningly close to his eyes. "So cute," she purred. "I see why He likes you, now."

Emerald eyes stared back unflinchingly. "Who?" He hissed, digging the knife he had snagged from Chun-Hyang's kitchen against her abdomen, ready to plunge it into her at the slightest movement.

"Your magic," she breathed reverently, moving fearlessly closer, even as the knife dug harder into her.

His eyes widened slightly, completely taken aback at her response. She took advantage of his momentary confusion, and he felt his vision tilt roughly; there was a rush of colour and sound, then came pain. He groaned, feeling some of his ribs crack as he slid down the wall he had slammed into bonelessly.

Fai, Kurogane, and Syaoran were already moving – but she was faster than they had expected, dodging their blows with ease.

"Damn it," Harry gasped, forcing himself to his feet. The four were a blur of fists, kicks and multi-coloured lights. He traced the long scratches on his neck, gazing at the warm blood that stained his fingers with growing anger. His mind was thinking furiously.

She could have killed him, but instead she spared him. Why?

Kurogane had managed to slam her down, pushing her face into the ground roughly. Fai and Syaoran loomed over her, faces drawn with anger.

"You alright, Harry?" Syaoran asked, without turning his attention from the woman.

"Yeah," he muttered, letting his bloodied hand fall to his side. He took a step forward and barely resisted a gasp as a fresh wave of pain overcame him.

"Harry?" Fai asked, hearing the suppressed gasp of pain. Blue eyes flickered momentarily to the shaky figure by the wall, but he kept his posture tense and ready to fight should the woman move.

"I'm fine," Harry said calmly, pushing the pain he felt to the back of his mind. He had built up a high pain tolerance over the years, and this was barely pushing the limits of what he could take.

"Too bad you're just a half-breed," she hissed from the ground, glaring at him. Kurogane tightened his hold on her in warning, but she merely smirked.

"You are not a witch, but you have magic," Harry said quietly, feeling the thrum of magic in the air. It felt familiar and comforting, but unknown and dangerous at the same time. He limped closer to the group, ignoring how his right leg stuck out at an odd angle. He deliberately let his gaze slid over to her dark eyes, resisting a smirk when she met his eyes squarely.

He struck, fast and strong. Expertly slithering into her mind, he extended a tendril of magic, easily snapping the thread of magic that controlled her. The moment the thread snapped, he retreated from her mind as quickly as he had entered. He could sense the powerful well of magic in her, rearing up to protect her mind as soon as the link had broken.

There was no outward sign that she had been released from the spell, except the slight softening of her gaze when she glanced at Harry.

"You need to master your magic," she merely said, before she released a wave of power that threw his three companions away from her.

"What the hell was that?" Kurogane demanded as he got to his feet immediately, shifting into a defensive position. Fai and Syaoran mirrored him, though Fai was slightly less aggressive. He had clearly realized that something had changed.

She smiled, taking a seat in the couch behind her that had appeared out of nowhere. "That was me deciding to let you miserable creatures past," she said, leaning back with a smirk. "You are not worth my time."

"What?" Syaoran voiced out, completely lost at the sudden change of demeanor.

Kurogane's eyes were narrowed, clearly having worked out that something in her had changed, but unsure what.

"Perhaps we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth?" Harry suggested, not looking away from the woman. He felt more than saw the surprised glances directed at him, and smiled faintly. "Go on ahead. I can deal with her just fine. We shouldn't be wasting time here."

"Let's go," Kurogane muttered after a moment of silence. Harry had expected him to be the hardest to convince, and glanced at the man in surprise. Knowing dark eyes met his and he turned away quickly, breaking eye contact. Kurogane was more observant than he let on, he realized, knowing that he had once again underestimated his companion.

"That way will lead you to the Ryanban," She said, nodding at the door that had magically appeared out of nowhere. They waited as the three walked out, the sound of their footsteps growing progressively weaker as they got further away.

"You should go with them too," she finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. "I cannot say any more."

"What do you know about my magic?" Harry insisted stubbornly, eyes dark with determination.

"I won't say any more, love," she repeated.

"Why did you call me a half-breed? What is in my magic?" Harry pushed on relentlessly, irritated when she merely looked bored at his demands.

"Say something or I'll make you," he hissed threateningly, baring his teeth in a snarl.

She sighed. "You have to master your magic," she said simply. "Now leave. I may be grateful for your help in breaking the Ryanban's control but I am becoming irritated by your childish demands. I still have a score to settle with the Ryanban."

His eyes flashed with anger, and without thinking, he was moving forward, a ball of magic forming in his palm.

"Damn it!" Harry cursed as she disappeared without warning, leaving his curse to splash harmlessly on the wall. He took a deep breath, reigning his frustration in.

A particularly painful throb reminded him of his broken leg, which he had unknowingly put pressure on when he had tried to curse her. "Crur Emendo," he muttered, tapping his broken right leg with his fingers. He gritted his teeth as his bones were forcibly mended and snapped back together. He had never been as good as Hermione with the healing spells, nor as gentle.

He decided not to waste his magic reserves with the scratches on his neck. They were more of an irritation than anything else, and would not hinder him in a battle.

He left by the door the woman had indicated, following a long hallway, before pausing when he saw a crumpled figure at a corner. A closer inspection revealed it to be the Ryanban's son.

"What a loser," Harry muttered, levitating the unconscious man into the air. It was slightly tiring to keep up the spell, but he figured that the potential blackmail benefits he could get out of the man was well worth the effort.

He made his way to the door at the end of the hallway briskly, not wanting to miss out on the beating that the rest of his companions were undoubtedly unleashing on the Ryanban.

"Ah, did I miss the party," he muttered out loud when he saw that the room was filled with the villagers, all holding sticks and glaring angrily at the Ryanban. His companions stood to a side, looking slightly worse for the wear. As he watched, Syaoran released a feather in his hand, which descended into Sakura's body in a wave of magical light. Sakura fell unconscious, Syaoran cradling her protectively.

The oppressive pressure that had weighed on his magic seemed to have disappeared, and Harry smirked as his magic seemed to sing in delight.

"He tried to mind control the villagers into attacking us, and Chun-Hyang showed up with Sakura to break the spell," Fai summarized for him as he raised a questioning eyebrow at the chaos in the room.

"My son!" The Ryanban shouted, the beads of sweat dotting his forehead betraying his fear. All eyes turned to Harry, who merely smiled and wriggled his fingers slightly, savouring the look of panic on the Ryanban's face when his son flopped around in mid-air, held like a puppet by invisible strings.

"How about a fair trade?" He asked lightly, unable to resist a grin as the Ryanban tried not to show his obvious fear. "Your life for your son's."

"Harry," Syaoran said quietly, but Harry ignored him easily, as he did with Fai's and Kurogane's judging stares.

"No can do," the Kiishimu purred as she suddenly appeared from the shadows, her long nails moving dangerously close to the Ryanban's eyes as she grabbed him from behind. "He's mine."

Harry narrowed his eyes, glaring at the woman who had the gall to steal what was his. "I got to him first," he argued, and flopped the Ryanban's son around some more, watching in delight as the Ryanban cried out in fear for his son.

"Leave my son alone, please," the Ryanban begged. "Take me instead! Please, spare him!"

"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please – I'll do anything-Please, no, take me instead!"

He inhaled sharply, startled. For a moment... for a moment he had thought he had seen the figure of Lily Potter pleading with Voldemort to save his life instead-

He blinked several times, and glanced back at the Ryanban. It was the Ryanban. It was not Lily Potter.

"Fine," Harry said abruptly, releasing the Ryanban's son gently to the ground. His voice was rougher than usual, and he looked away from the man, not wanting to see the pleading figure of Lily Potter in the despicable man. He took a few steps back from the prone figure, showing that he would not hurt the Ryanban's son.

"Thank you-thank you so much-" was the Ryanban's last words as he was dragged away by the Kiishimu, to what was inevitably his death. There was no longer fear in his voice, but a profound gratefulness and relief that cut Harry to the core.

When had he become exactly like Voldemort?

End of Chapter 4

A/N: Well, I initially wanted to include the Country of Spirit in this, but this seemed like a better place to end it. Let's hope I can keep my chapters as long as this in future! Though it really depends on where the end of a chapter fits in their adventure.

So, any thoughts?

Icylone