Chapter 7: The Trouble with Wizards

One stops being a child when one realizes that telling one's trouble does not make it any better.
Cesare Pavese

Chris looked back at his new friend whom he was tugging along by the wrist. It had been a very, very odd week but he had found that he didn't mind so much now that it was the end of it. Having started classes not on the first day had worried his father but things had worked out for the better! Or that was what Chris supposed—if working out for the better meant having one friend, the admiration of the younger kids and half of the people in his class and giving Dudley Dursley a bloody nose..

His new friend was also giving him one of those weird looks again.

It was a weird look; Chris couldn't really tell what it meant because it always made the other look like he was about to cry. The edges of Raenef's eyes would get puffy and his eyes would get bright and he'd cling tightly to any hand that was offered as comfort.

Chris just supposed he was friend deprived. No one else seemed to like Raenef much and Chris could see why. Raenef was weird. And that look he sometimes gave was creepy to Chris.

But somehow, in the end, he was still dragging along the creepy guy.

Maybe it was because he didn't look fully up to stuff. Pale skinned, skinny with big eyes—all of these features made Raenef look weak and Chris didn't have the heart to not let the other cling to him. He remembered (as far back as he was able) to the first time he remembered looking in to the mirror and seeing himself so thin and small and weak.

He hated weak looking things.

They weren't friends or anything. He was just going to help the other get stronger. Be that lending hand and all like his father had been. After all, it needed to start somewhere and learning how to beat up Dudley Dursley was the ideal spot to begin. He would teach the other to stand up to his cousin and then that fat boy would leave the other alone.

Chris pulled to a stop in front of his home. He paused and out of the corner of his eye took a quick peak at Raenef's face. The other's too bright emerald eyes were transfixed on to the beautiful pale walls of the house. The house itself looked giant with the gate between them and the actual building. Giant and grand and fit for a king! Chris could understand, those had been his first thoughts too.

Reaching out, Chris pushed open the gate that would allow them access inside. Slipping in and tugging the other after, the taller boy closed the gate behind them. Raenef paused then, looking up at the house with his large eyes. Chris frowned a moment, tugging lightly on the other's hand to get the other moving. But Raenef stayed put, so Chris just turned and looked back to his house.

The house was two floors tall, but that didn't make it anything too special in Chris's opinion since there were loads of those types of houses scattered around the neighborhood and England in general. It might have been the size, though. The house was large, several rooms across within their sight alone. They didn't really need such a large house, in fact Chris knew his father wasn't all too comfortable with it but it was a house that he had inherited from his parents when they passed on. Or that was what his father had said. The walls were a pristine ivory white color that made it look just as holy as the church he and his father went to, the windows were open at the moment since it was such a lovely day outside, thin white curtains billowing in and out of them with the small breeze that they had.

Chris let his eyes wander back to his friend. Raenef didn't have such a strange look anymore, so Chris took this as a sign to get the smaller boy moving. Another tug on the other's hand and he had the other trailing after him again. Like how Raenef had been trailing after for the last half hour that they had been walking here.

Raenef wasn't going to sleep over, that would only happen if the other didn't take to the 'get strong' lessons that Chris was going to give to him. There were self-help books in his father's library so Chris knew that they would get somewhere today, if nothing else. He knew exactly which books he needed to get, after all, he had looked through them for himself, too.

"Chris..?" Raenef's voice interrupted Chris's concentration on the book in front of himself. Chris paused and looked up to the other boy who was sitting across from him at the only table in the library. The self-help books Chris had gathered were piled around the table they were sitting at. Reading the books was hard, though… they didn't have the best of attention spans, after all.

The looks of concentration on their faces earlier had stopped his father from bothering them in the library, Chris knew that to be true. Chris gave the other a leveled stare that made Raenef fidget before seemingly taking a large in take of air, almost like he was inflating himself as he narrowed his eyes in faint determination.

"I need to use the bathroom."

Chris let his body slump forward. The other had used all of the techniques to pressure himself in to being more assured. But, but the other had used it to ask for something that was given already! That didn't give it much use at all. Chris sighed and mumbled out the directions. It didn't take but a moment for the other to hop up and scramble out of the room.

He sighed and Chris let himself lean backwards in his chair as he let his eyes slide to the clock on the far way. It was late; he needed to send the other home anyway.

Chris didn't bother to think too hard at the bubbling disappointment in his chest over the idea that the other was leaving. The idle thought that the other would have to be pulled back here again made the feeling go away.


Chris sighed to himself as Raenef paused at the gate again. The other was staring at his house …again. He had thought that after two weeks the other would stop doing this. But the other hadn't changed at all since he had first met the other boy! The other still stayed wimpy and weird and creepy with those creepy looks on his face! Chris felt a tick of irritation on his face and took in a big, gulping, calming breath that went unnoticed by the creepy boy he was still leading around.

The other hadn't seemed to want to change at all. He just clung to Chris's hands and watched him with big, teary eyes that stared and stared and Chris was near to pulling out his hair in frustration!

Chris let his body lump forward, face pressed against the metal bars of the gate that led in to his home. His left arm still stretched out and his left hand still hostage to Raenef's grasping little fingers—Chris felt the burning desire to take that comfort away. Maybe the coddling was making the other unable to become strong? But he had tried that once.. and he never wanted to see tears on Raenef's face again. The first two times had been enough. Chris couldn't stand other people crying.

Crying was for the weak.

But that sentiment didn't wipe out the feeling of annoyance and anger when Raenef had the gall to tug on his hand. Chris jerked back from the gate, he didn't care if the other would cry anymore! He didn't care! He was practically nine years old, and the other wasn't that much younger! They were too old for stupid things like this! "What do you think you're doing you little id—!"

Chris froze, brown eyes widening as a pair of lidded green eyes stared right at him. Green eyes surrounded by red hair, the other boy was giving him a frightening glare! Chris flinched, unintentionally squeezing Raenef's fingers with his left hand.

The red-headed boy had draped himself over Raenef's shoulders, and the boy was certainly older then the two of them. And having an older, stronger looking boy giving them such a look was not something Chris wanted to experience. The red-head's yellow poncho squeaked faintly as he moved, adjusting his grip on Raenef's shoulders and the glare intensified.

"So.. you're the reason the kid got lost a few weeks ago, aren't ya? Some friend you are." The scowl that had appeared on the red-head's face could have been considered funny, if Chris wasn't so worried about what the other was implying. Well, not really about what the other was implying so much as being worried about what the other would do about this implication!

"Raenef didn't get lost because of me." Chris hissed back with a scowl. He didn't like this new kid, how could they just assume that he was the reason? He didn't even know that Raenef had gotten lost! In fact.. Chris glanced slightly down from the red-head to look at Raenef's face. The other was blinking owlishly and maybe a bit dully up at the other. He tilted his head to the side for a moment, his little mouth curling a bit in distress. He was trying to remember something, Chris knew that look well from the last few weeks that they had been spending time together.

Raenef's face brightened, "Erutis!"

Chris stiffened, so this boy actually knew this guy!

The glare disappeared and 'Erutis' looked down at Raenef with a grin. "Hey kid. Sorry that I never picked up your name the other time. Its good to see you're doing good, even with your.. friend." A quick glare was sent toward Chris before the red-head switched moods again and smiled down at Raenef.

"Since I found you, Rae, lets go play hide and seek!" Erutis used the name Chris had willing given away with a grin, tugging Raenef backwards and away from Chris.

But Chris refused to let go of Raenef's hand. Chris scowled at Erutis, "no way! We've already made plans. We're going to my house. You can go away now." Erutis glared back at Chris and Chris didn't mind engaging in the glaring match. The two both took in deep breaths, trying to make themselves look bigger and more intimidating. Erutis seemed to be well practiced with it, since he actually did achieve a more intimidating look. Chris just looked like he suffered an allergic reaction to a bee sting.

Chris deflated, he didn't like this guy at all! Then, his eyes locked on to Raenef, whose eyes were glancing back and forth between the two, a clueless smile on his face.

"Raenef! Tell us who you want to hang out with." Chris said, tugging abruptly on the other's hands. "You want to come to my house, right? We have stuff to work on!" They had to get the other stronger. Raenef's lips pulled back and he opened his mouth to say what Chris was pretty sure was an agreement till Erutis jostled the other and spoke instead. "Don't you want to come and play with me? I promised I wouldn't let you get lost again. We'll have lots of fun." Erutis gave the other a pretty smile and Raenef looked between the two with wide eyes.

"I.. I.." Raenef stuttered, eyes starting to become teary as he gave them both a pleading look. The tears were welling up!

Chris choked, stepping forward, "don't you dare cry!"

.. that hadn't helped at all.

Erutis scowled at Chris and slapped away the other's hand so he could pull Raenef in to a hug, patting the boy on the back. "C'mon, this guy isn't a good friend. Come play with me." Erutis seemed fine with just ditching Chris where he was.

Chris stared at the two with wide eyes, his slapped hand hanging in the air, mouth open. What had just happened? Hadn't he, hadn't he tried to make the other stop crying? It wasn't like the other had anything serious happen, there was no reason for Raenef to be crying! His father had only hugged him when serious things had happened. Chris felt his chest tighten and he paled at the strange feeling.

He placed his hand over his heart as he watched Erutis calm his.. his friend down. Erutis was going to take his friend away. But then again, if he only made Raenef cry.. if he only thought of the other as a weirdo and creepy then what kind of friend was he? He never thought that of anyone else that he had known.

"B.. but.." Chris didn't know why, but the protest the other made lifted the pain from his heart. He may not have been able to see the other as a friend a little while ago, days ago, but now he couldn't imagine not having his creepy friend around. It was as if something inside was protesting the very thought of the other leaving him.

He didn't know when he had done it, but Raenef's hand was firmly clasped in one of his hands and he glared up at Erutis. "I'm coming to play too." It was a challenge, he wouldn't let the other take Raenef away! This will to stop this had come from inside, and he wasn't going to let it go unheeded.

Erutis glared down at Chris, but Raenef had calmed down, so he huffed and looked away from the other. Letting go of Raenef, Erutis stepped away and grabbed Raenef's other hand and started to tug the other two along. Chris knew there was a park nearby somewhere. He was sure Erutis was taking them there. So he took the time to look to Raenef. The other's face was a bit red, and his eyes a bit puffy but it didn't seem that the other had cried much.

A tension he hadn't noticed relaxed.

No, he never wanted to see Raenef cry again.


"Since you're just a tagalong, you can be 'it'." Erutis said, poking the left side of Chris's face. Chris jerked, lips pulling back as he moved to bite the offending finger. But Erutis was quick, and he quickly pulled that hand back. Erutis just placed his hands on his hips with a smirk and quickly spirited Raenef from Chris's side.

Erutis pointed to a tree, "now, go and count to fifty! We're going to hide now!"

Chris couldn't wait to find the other and wipe that smug look off the other's face. He huffed but moved to the tree. He placed his arms on the rough bark, glad to have worn a thick, dark green jacket instead of the normal poncho over a t-shirt. Chris closed his eyes and pressed his face in to his arms.

"One… two… three.." Chris began to count out loud, as loud as he could. He heard Raenef giggle and footsteps as the other two moved away from his tree at the park entrance. He felt a spark of annoyance toward the other boy, but that faded away. The other was pretty happy to be here, and at least the kid wasn't crying. Chris paused to give out a sigh before he continued to count.

As he counted, he wondered how wise it was to play such a game in such chilly, wet weather. The sky would darken up soon and if they didn't get back quick enough his dad would have to call Harry's house so someone could drive the other back home. Chris paused in that thought, why couldn't the other just sleep over? If this ran late enough, the other could stay with him.

This was obviously only the second time that Erutis had seen Raenef, and that meant that Chris knew Raenef better then he did! Chris grinned wolfishly. "Thirty-two… thirty-three…"

Chris really didn't know why Raenef had turned from "creepy kid" to "creepy friend" but the other had become something important. There had been a connection he hadn't noticed till he had felt it threatened by some older boy. There had been a connection that he never wanted to break. He was going to do his best to protect it, and already he easily felt the transition of accepting the other further in to his heart. They were going to become.. best friends. Other kids had wanted to become best friends with him, but he had never connected with them like he had Raenef.

No, he wasn't going to let something as trivial as someone named 'Erutis' break this.

"Forty-nine… fifty!" Chris called, jerking his head back and looking around the damp park.

The sky looked darker this time around. The play set looked dull in the light and the sand was damp looking. A few children scattered in rain boots and coats meandered around the park, poking at the sand with sticks or whatever they had in mind to poke at. The tall trees in the area seemed to blend in back with the other trees and the grass under his feet made unpleasant noises as he moved.

Chris frowned to himself and moved to the sand pit. This was the most obvious place to go, so maybe Raenef had decided to hide somewhere in here. After all, his friend never seemed to be the brightest pumpkin in the patch. Chris reached out and rubbed the back of his head as he looked around. He stepped down and off of the grass onto the sand and blinked as he felt himself sink in a little. He paused and looked around the sand for footsteps leading in.

There weren't many trails to follow, after all.

Locating footprints near his own, Chris trailed after it. Following the steps to the other side of the sand box to the grass. With the footsteps gone, he looked around once again. Nothing seemed out of place. There hadn't been anyone on the equipment because the metal bars were damp. You slipped when they were damp.

Chris frowned as he looked around himself. How the hell was he supposed to find them? He huffed, back stiff as he proceeded to march around the park with the vague hope that he would find Erutis or Raenef. Hopefully one of them would slip and fall out in to the open and he'd be able to tag them. They hadn't made a 'safe spot' so they would have to be tagged or else.

The dark haired boy mulled over his current predicament to himself as he wandered around the park. He could feel random, small drops hitting the ground and his face every so often. The drops weren't big enough to make noise on his poncho so the light drizzle was more of a mist then rain. But it was still annoying and it was making his hair stick down.

He'd get his father to make hot chocolate for his and Raenef when they got to the house.

…Erutis could come too, he supposed.

Ducking quietly behind a tree, he blinked when he happened upon someone's back. A certain red headed boy's back. Chris stared at the other even as Erutis ducked forward to look around the large trunk to survey the now empty looking park and all the structures and play things in it. Chris took a moment and waved his empty hands around behind the older child's back.

Where did this lovely good luck come from?

A evil grin slipped over Chris's face as he moved his feet shoulder width apart and held his arms out. He took in a deep breath and let it out, before silently sucking in a new one. Quickly, the boy let out a mighty roar as he reached out and yanked the back of Erutis's poncho.

Erutis let out a girly scream as the yank made him tumble back and on to his back. Landing on the wet ground with a 'thumb'. Erutis stared up at a smirking Chris dazedly before a look of anger crossed over his face.

"Is this how you treat a lady?" Erutis bit out the words, scowling as he shook his fists up at Chris from the ground.

"… Lady?"

Chris stared as Erutis clambered to his feet and gave Chris a blank stare. "Of course. Did you honestly think I was a boy?"

Chris looked away with a twitch. He had, he had! He would bet his next serving of fish and chips that Raenef thought the other was a boy as well!

"You really thought I was a boy!"

Chris squawked and raised his arms up in defense. "I'm sorry!"

After a few moments of well-spent rage, Erutis calmed down soon. Though she was still giving Chris glares that promised future retribution. Chris couldn't stop shuddering every time she looked at him like that. Chris sighed before sullenly looking over to the girl.

Girls had cooties, too.

"Well, where is Raenef hiding?" Chris asked the girl since she had run off with his friend when the game had started. Erutis gave the other a blank look. "He was going to hide behind the large pillars at the front of the park." She said, pointing toward the entrance. "He said that was the biggest object for him to hide behind."

"Well, lets go get him. Its starting to rain." Chris gave a pointed look to the sky. Big, fat drops of rain were starting to appear every so often. Erutis nodded absently as she moved off to lead the way to the park entrance. At least they didn't have to pick up any nonexistent toys.

Erutis froze when a sharp blast of noise rang through the air similar to the crack of whip and Chris clapped his hands over his ears as he bumped in to the girl. They both turned wide eyes to the gate. What was that noise?


Harry gurgled as the fingers around his throat tightened. He didn't honestly know how this had happened. He had just been hiding behind the gate that led in to the park when a hand had descended on to his shoulder. He had only gotten a brief flash of a sallow, pasty face before he was pushed face first in to the wall next to the gate. The scraggily grey stone pushed angrily in to his face as he flailed his limbs and tried to call for help. His first yelp had been soft but vocal. Then he couldn't breath and no one was coming to his rescue.

His vision was blackening around the edges as he whimpered deep in his throat. His small, soft nails digging uselessly in to his attacker's unbelievably hard, scale covered gloves. He had tried kicking the man in the shin or the crotch, but when he had flailed back all his leg had hit was a thick cloth. He had thought it was a bag at first, but his leg got caught in it and he discovered it was something of a dress.

But the hands were so big and strong, he didn't think this was a woman.

Harry could feel something in his throat just starting to give as the big hands clenched even more as if he was unhappy with this slow death. Harry could feel tears and snot dripping down the front of his face. He couldn't even see, the tears were so bad. As the world grew darker Harry desperately wished for someone to help him. For someone to do anything.

He wished Eclipse was here to tell him how to stop the pain.

All of the sudden, the hands loosened and Harry could breath. His hands still clawing.. Then the fingers tightened after the small breather and his head was slammed against the wall. Harry moaned in pain, his body slowly falling limp as the black stretched even further across his blurry vision. Everything felt so heavy.

Was this how he was going to die? His friends frolicking in the park that was a mere hands width from where he was being choked to death? The tears were coming harder as his throat started to give. But he didn't think his attacker was going to let up again.

He didn't want to die.

He wanted to live.

And the only name that was chanting through his mind was Eclipse; Eclipse, Eclipse, Eclipseeclipseeclipse.. His eyes were popping out of his sockets! He was dying!

And even then, when everything was hurting and in pain his mind jerked to a halt and seemed to freeze in on Eclipse. On something that his teacher had mentioned only in passing…

Only demons could draw upon their natural magic to use this. A shudder rippled through his body and it felt like he was floating. He couldn't feel his body anymore. Harry's eyes started to roll even as he tried to grasp what Eclipse had said. He wanted to live!

Harry knew that Dark magic needed no incantation.

He tried to focus, he really did as his fingernails ripped when they got caught in the scales that were on the rough gloves that felt closer to steel then to leather. He tried to focus when the hands got tighter. He tried to focus when the man started to laugh and speak but he couldn't even focus on what the man was saying!

Who knew that dying from suffocation would take so long.

Harry grasped for his magic, his inner core. He didn't need an incantation. Even if the mezraez was small, he had to do something. He had to do something even as the half remembered warning from Eclipse echoed through his brain about this type of magic.

This was his last resort! Harry refused to die!

Demon Lords weren't allowed to die to weaponless humans without a fight!

He grasped his magic and willed it to go under his skin. Protect him. Harry could feel the world slipping away entirely now. Fear filled his mind as he grasped for more and more and pushed more and more of his magic underneath his skin. Willed it to encompass his body and protect him.

He felt something in his throat.. compress…

Protect him and make his attacker hurt hurt hurthurthurt—!

The man pulled away with a closed lip, throaty scream. All Harry knew in his last moments of consciousness was that he could finally breath!

…and it looked like someone and poured acid on that bastard's dingy hands.


Dedalus Diggle was a humble wizard at heart. He had lived a modest life. He had gotten average grades in Hogwarts when he was a child and he had gotten a modest job at what he did best, enchanting items. And like any modest, humble wizard, he held a great respect for life and equality and all things that were inherently right.

Which was why he, when the war was reaching it's peak, left his job and joined the Order of the Phoenix. An distant family member, Elphias Doge who was more of a family friend then relative introduced him to the Order. The man was old and Dedalus respected him greatly. Mr. Doge had gone to school with the great Albus Dumbledore after all. Because of that, and only because Doge knew the great Wizard was Dedalus able to enter the order and enter a world he had never known he had wanted.

He and learned through battle. He had learned the spells that his fellow order members and his enemies used. He learned to be quick on his feet, he learned to dodge and weave and he learned just how much he was letting his life waste away by settling on such a boring life. By sitting on the side lines and letting everyone else take care of the things that needed to be changed!

Fighting had changed him, he supposed. But as he grew older, and after the war settled down he became compliant. He settled down again. He married, he had children and he got a new job at a well-known enchanting store. And then Albus Dumbledore approached him just a few weeks ago for a favor.

Albus Dumbledore asked if he would shadow Harry Potter in the afternoons. He had mentioned that recent concerns amongst the order had made it that they requested that a constant watch be placed on the boy. It would be after his job let him out, his wife was a former member of the order and would hold an understanding over how important this was. His children had grown up in to teenagers and then adults.

So he agreed.

Having watched the boy at a great distance so that he wouldn't be found out, he often saw the boy pretending to talk to his pet cat. Which he brought everywhere. He saw the boy only play by himself and that cat. Harry Potter had grown up to be such a reclusive, lonely boy.

And Harry Potter was lonely until he met Chris. Until Harry got lost and met a nice neighborhood muggle with red hair—and then little Harry Potter wasn't so lonely. Dedalus felt more at ease knowing that the boy had friends other then a pet cat. Though, he supposed that he now knew the animal that Harry Potter was going to bring to Hogwarts with him when he turned to the ripe age for wizardry.

All of this amounted to his unhurried posture as he made his way along the homes near Chris's home. He followed the tugs of the wand in his hand. Muggles were all inside due to the weather, so he felt safe to carry his wand out and use a simple 'point me' spell to find the boy. He hadn't thought it would work when he casted it. But to is surprise, it worked rather well. He'd have to bring it up to Dumbledore when he saw the man next. This couldn't be safe for young Harry. Just about anyone would be able to find him then.

Dedalus hummed slightly when he realized that he was nearing a park. Even in the weather, he supposed that a park was appealing to young children. He wasn't allowed to interfere with Harry Potter's life, so he hoped that one of his new little friend's parents would show up soon to collect the lot of them before they got sick. He was only around to observe, after all.

He adjusted his soggy purple top hat and adjusted his faded light grey cloak once again as a chill whipped through the air. He would have placed a warming charm on himself if he wasn't using his wand to locate the boy he was supposed to be shadowing.

As he turned the corner he saw a man dressed in black robes stumble away from the wall that was at the entrance to the park. Dedalus chuckled as he moved forward to the obviously drunk man. It was a wizard, the clothes told him that much. But the man was weaving around as if he didn't know which way to fall. When the man gave a moan of pain, Dadalus quickly rushed to the man.

Maybe he had splinched himself?

It wasn't until he saw the crumpled body of his charge by the wall and smell burnt flesh that he suspected anything besides a normal wizarding accident. With his wand in hand he quickly sent a silent stunner to the darkly clothed man. With some satisfaction he watched the man land and lay on the ground. He quickly moved toward Harry's prone body.

Turning the boy on to his back, he winced at the angry marks on his face and neck. He checked the boy for a pulse and found a steady one. There was a bit of blood on his forehead and from his lip but the boy seemed fine. It didn't appear as if any magic had been used on him. Dedalus hovered anxiously over the boy. What should he do? He didn't think he could bring the boy to a Wizarding hospital. He didn't think he could without the media finding out.

Merlin! That would be a mess.

Dedalus stood and peered in to the park to see Harry's friends slowly trailing their way toward Harry's position. They knew where he was… they could take him to a muggle hospital. If he wasn't alright after a muggle checked him over, he'd bring Dumbledore to him. Dedalus reached out and hauled the assailant wizard to his feet and held him as he focused where he wanted to be..

And with a solid whip-crack, he disappeared in to thin air.


He could feel someone petting his hair. But his eyes were so heavy that he didn't want to open them. Everything felt heavy and he was just so tired. The bed was comfortable and the sheets were warm and the hand petting his hair was gentle. Harry let out an appreciative sigh. It was like the touches his Aunt gave him occasionally when he did an especially good job helping her around the house or just in general.

It felt warm and caring and gentle.

But his sigh made that hand slow down. Harry cracked his eyes open and blinked hazily up at the man who had been petting his hair. His eyes wouldn't focus right. He could make out a masculine face and long black hair.. and purple eyes. If Eclipse was a human Harry thought the other would have eyes that glowed like that—because Eclipse had pretty eyes.

Harry's eyes widened then. Eclipse, he wanted to see Eclipse! His mouth cracked open but all that came through was a husky croak and the man above him placed his smooth fingers over Harry's mouth to silence him.

"Be strong, Master." His fingers were petting his hair again even as Harry's mind raced over the events that occurred prior to waking up in this soft bed in this hazy room. Pain was starting to race up the center of his chest even as the other tried to sooth him.

If he was in a better state of mind, Harry might have noticed that the person at his bed was the one he wanted to see. A version of the one he wanted comfort from. But all he could think about was cat fur and paws and a soft, warm body to cuddle with that fit perfectly in to his arms and how he had wanted the other so badly for comfort!

"Be strong.." The words echoed and Harry jerked.

It was a strange sensation, having your eyes open even as you opened them. Harry gasped weakly in to the breathing mask over his face. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn't a mask so much as a tube stuck down his throat. The clear, crispness of the room around him didn't help the rising panic as his body jerked and he started to choke.

But then hands were on his face and he could see his concerned Aunt's face hovering above and telling him to breath and be calm. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a nurse hovering around and doing something but his Aunt was talking… and then everything got hazy as he was suddenly overcome with the urge to sleep.

As he let the sleep overcome him, his Aunt's assurances put him at ease while the faint echo of 'be strong' put him at rest.


Harry gladly woke up in his bedroom without any medical equipment attached. He gave his room a bleary blink as he shifted under the covers that were tucked in around him. He hadn't tucked them in, he couldn't have. He guessed that his aunt had tucked them in for him.

When he had been stuck in the hospital she had been hovering around him and trying to take care of him. She'd pet his hair, hold his hands and wait for him to comfortably drift off to sleep. She had always been there when he woke up. Dudley had only shown up once but then never appeared again. He hadn't seen his Uncle at all. But with just his Aunt there… she was very soothing. And Harry thought his heart would burst as he let her worry over him as if she were his mother.

It was very heart warming.

His friends had even been there one time when he had woken up. That made his heart even warmer and he closed his eyes in content. They had been in tears, but he had been so happy to see them. And they were obviously happy to see him. They were happy that he was even alive. Chris would deny it, but he had actually started to sob after a little bit and Erutis had treated them both as if they were made of glass.

Their visit had been short but it had been sweet. They had promised to play again soon… and Chris said his father volunteered to watch over them next time.

Harry had been in the hospital for a long while. Something had happened to his throat after the man had squeezed it so and he had been rushed to the hospital shortly after his friends had found him. There had been a tube inside his throat for so long it was ridiculous. And he had had to stay in bed for so long. He hadn't been allowed to leave for weeks. Chris even had to bring him school work.

For some reason his friend wasn't obsessing over those self-help books now—Harry was glad for that, considering that it was more fun learning from Eclipse then trying to read those boring books…

The warm feeling thudded out as Harry opened his eyes again and looked around the room. Where.. where was Eclipse? Harry's eyes grew wide when he didn't spot the cat anywhere in his room. Where was his teacher? Where was his mentor? He slowly sat up in bed as his wide eyes went around the room. They were opened so widely as if that would give him the mystical power to suddenly spot Eclipse in the room.

He tried to speak out Eclipse's name but all he got was a dry rasp. Harry mentally moaned as he started to become frantic. Where was he?

"Master, calm down…"

Harry froze and looked down at his feet. There, laying on a discarded coat was a sleepy looking cat. Harry closed his eyes and let his body fall back. Well, that's what he would have liked to do. Instead he eased himself back on to his back. While he was just dying to get outside and frolic around like Chris promised to do with him…

That rush of adrenaline that appeared when he thought Eclipse wasn't there had made him tired.

Harry lazily opened his eyes and watched Eclipse settle down against his side, resting his head on Harry's stomach. He watched him for a good long moment.

"I won't leave your side again." There were no 'I missed you' from the other because it hadn't needed to be said. But even Harry could pick out the guilt and self-loathing in the way that Eclipse spoke. Because his mouth was still dry and his throat still achy, Harry merely reached out and ran his hands gently over Eclipse's ears.

All is forgiven. As long as you stay at my side.

Harry smiled to himself and continued to pet the other's ears until he slowly dozed off again. He didn't really understand what had happened. His friends had been just as confused as he was.. But Eclipse and his Aunt and Chris's father seemed to understand. So for once Harry stopped wondering and just basked in the feeling knowing that he was cared for.

He didn't want Eclipse to ever leave his side again either. Eclipse always knew what to do in bad situations. And..

And..

Eclipse watched his charge fall asleep. He nuzzled the side of his head in to the boy's side and curled up. He hadn't been able to get in to the hospital. The only reason he had known what was going on was because of Harry's Aunt.

The moment his Lord was brought home eased a great worry off of his heart. And it made him realize that he wasn't dealing with a teenager as most of the Raenef Lords had been when he had found them to teach them their powers and their duties. Raenef was still a child. Harry was still a young child and Eclipse needed to keep that in mind. Keep in mind that he was still, truly unable to defend himself efficiently from those that would harm him.

What would have happened if a demon had found him instead of some sick human? Eclipse shuddered at the thought.

Eclipse wouldn't allow that to happen. Even if he had to become Harry's shadow, he wouldn't let it happen. He would protect the other with his life.

After all, he wouldn't be able to keep his promise to never leave the other if Harry was the one that left him.


A/N ; ... Well, I guess typing up that other story's second chapter got this flowing. Its a bit weirdly written but I don't have the heart to go over it. Just enjoy it as it is, I suppose. Its pretty disjointed near the end but I wanted to skip the recovery process. And here is a chapter.. rather late to getting it up but I hope that if anyone is around to read it, that they enjoyed it. Its a total redo of that wizard chapter. Enjoy, and we'll see when the next chapter comes out.. I really do hope this compares alright to other chapters..

Edit : ... I just noticed a terrible spelling/grammer error and fixed it. Man, I'm embaressed.. e_e