"So, you can't get anyone through it?" Harry asked, incredulous.

Fleur nodded. "It iz so," she replied.

"I never knew the Ministry had such advanced magic," Harry said, balling his fist on the table. "Unless Voldemort has helped."

"And the whole island is sealed?" Harry asked. "What about Muggles? Aren't they still able to come and go?"

"Yes," she replied. "We 'ave 'eard zey are not affected. Ze barrier detects wizards and witches."

"House elves?" Harry asked, thinking.

"Yes, zey can go through," Fleur said, "it 'elps with zending messages."

"Oh, but then-" Harry began, but Fleur was shaking her head.

"Ve 'ave tried," she said. "Even vith a 'ouse elf, a witch or wizard is blocked."

Harry nodded, thoughtful. "So, you have not been able to actually see how things are going in there. You can only hear through messages brought out."

Fleur nodded with a regretful look.

"I'm guessing the barrier is also the reason I have not heard from anyone directly," Harry said. "I've tried to message a number of my friends, but nothing comes back."

"It iz blocked, zis communication spell?" Fleur asked. "Ve 'ave tried many, ourselves. Ze 'ouse elf is ze best way."

"What about a boat?" Harry asked. "I could come from a direction they wouldn't expect…"

"No, it is no good," Fleur said, sadly. "Ze spell protects all sides of England."

"I'll have to see it," Harry said, decisive. "With enough work, I can decipher a weakness. I need to get in there."

"Madam Maxime thinks it is safer 'ere," Fleur said. "And she is right. Eef you approach, zey will find you."

"But I can't leave my friends in there," he said. "They need my help. If it's safer here, then it's more dangerous for them."

"Ve shall see," Fleur said, shrugging. "Your friends must be strong if ze 'ave been through so much already."

"They are," Harry said, nodding. "But that doesn't excuse me from doing nothing."

"Madame 'as given you access to 'er library," Fleur said. "Perhaps you shall find vot you need zer."

"It's a lovely library," Harry said, gesturing to the space around them.

Rows upon rows of books flowed to the edge of his sight and each was twice as long as the ones at Hogwarts. He had nearly fainted hearing there was a further floor above with more shelves. The sheer number of books was staggering. Harry could spend a lifetime studying and probably never finish all of them. He felt sad to think of it. There was so much there he could not get to, worst of all because he did not know French. Almost half of the books were in French. Another third were English, and the remainder were a mix of various European and other languages. It reminded Harry of how little he actually knew about magic, and how much more there was to learn.

"Yes," Fleur said. "Eet has been an 'onour to study 'ere." She looked down the rows with a fondness. "Zo, I vouldn't mind studying again overseas. Ze English 'ave very different styles of magic."

"Maybe after we fix things?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Fleur said, nodding. Rising, she said, "Eef you need anysing, let ze librarian know. I will be back in a few hours."

"Thanks," Harry said, settling back into the book he had found.

A stack of books on magical boundaries, blocks and power seals had been slowly diminishing on his table. Too many were merely demonstrative, telling you about them and what they achieved, the great victories and ceasefires in old Wizarding wars they had achieved. Harry had found the same issue with most of magic in his studies. Everyone wanted to tell you how great something was, but never looked into the weak points or discussed the benefits of one type over another. To the writer covering one boundary, all others might as well not have existed. And magic to counter their precious spell? They would never give away such a weakness.

Harry sighed, setting down the next drivel. Perhaps Fleur was right about the English. Maybe the French styled writings would be better for that. If types were similar, that is. But he wouldn't count on that to expose the issue here. Whatever the Ministry had put up, it had not been pierced yet, so the magic might be new or some mixture of effective boundaries. He just wondered how something so large was possible. The amount of magical energy to create a gigantic bubble over the whole island would take something massive or tens of thousands of wizards casting and recasting all along the border.

The latter was far too impracticable. To spread the work that thin was to invite intentional errors and mistakes. A wizard at a random place along the way might want a sneaky way in and out, exposing a weakness that could be exploited. Over tens of thousands of locations, there could be hundreds or thousands available. But then, if it was one centralised source, what could do that? It had the spread of the Floo Network, but more dense.

Harry thought about the magic at the Ministry's disposal. They had plenty, of course, and could effectively add extra protection to a house or the buildings. But barrier magic? Most of what they did was small scale. Had they made a deal with another government? Had they discovered something new? What additional strength did Voldemort have with that sort of protection in place?

"Of all the places to find James Potter's son," said a familiar voice, chuckling. "I guess you've made enough of a name for yourself to have your own way of doing things, eh, Harry?"

Harry turned, seeing Sirius Black leaning against a stack.

"Sirius!" Harry cried, leaping up. "It's been- what are you doing here?"

Sirius met Harry, giving him a big hug. "You've grown again since I saw you last. You need to stop that. You'll end up looking too much like your dad."

Harry pulled back. "D-did Dumbledore find a way out? Are you here to help bring me back?" he asked.

"Dumbledore sent me out of England on some reconnaissance before they closed the thing up," Sirius said, shaking his head. "I'm as stuck for a way back as you are."

"Have you been there?" Harry asked. "What's the barrier like in person?"

"I tried to get through once," Sirius said. "Before I knew there was a barrier. Was Apparating in, felt a shock and woke up splinched and in pain on the shore. The barrier was between me and the mainland."

"Then, maybe it's only bad from an Apparition perspective," Harry said. "If we come at it quietly."

Sirius laughed. "They have been trying a number of ways as far as I understand," he said. "I'm half surprised to find you here instead of at the border."

A thought occurred to Harry. "How come you didn't ask where I've been, Sirius?" he asked.

Sirius smirked. "You told Maxime, she told Dumbledore and Dumbledore let me know," he said, simply. "We had heard something of you around Gibraltar after your grand escape, but there was no sign of you. I think I was there a day after you left, but no one would or could tell me much. Dumbledore's contact rambled about how you'd gone missing and apologising to Dumbledore for him. Rumour was thick, so we asked some allies in Spain and France to keep an eye out before you reached England. The last thing we needed was you running into the border like I did and being captured by Voldemort and his ilk."

"Can you tell me what is going on back there?" Harry asked, eyes pleading. "If I can't go back yet, I want to know what my friends are facing."

Sirius shook his head. "I know very little, Harry," he said. "It's one of the reasons I want to get back, too. Dumbledore tells you what you need to know, and most of what he shares is around how I can help from outside. People I can speak to, alliances to mend, that sort of thing. It's not my usual … area, but Dumbledore doesn't have a lot of help outside, right now. He's fortunate Madam Maxime has been so helpful. Half the people he asked me to reach wouldn't have spoken to me without a recommendation from her."

"They don't still think you're…" Harry began.

"No, it's not that," Sirius cut in. "A lot of these continental Wizards and Witches put stock in old family systems. Like the purebloods, but different."

"They dislike Muggleborns?" Harry asked.

"Not exactly," Sirius said. "In business or school, it's much the same, but old families get special favours and so on, mostly because the families have helped each other from time to time. Old memories are long, and debts have mounted over the centuries."

"But they wouldn't even see you," Harry stated.

"I may exaggerate a little," Sirius admitted chuckling. "Many have a long list of invitations to shuffle through. If you have the stamp of a family you owe a debt to, that tends to move you to the top of a many month or year queue. In some ways, that is as much of a barrier to entry as Muggleborn hating."

"So, what are the allies doing?" Harry asked. "Are they helping with the barrier? Looking at how to intercede at the Ministry and remove the Death Eaters?"

Sirius shook his head. "Little, at this point," he said, bluntly. "Dumbledore wants friends outside in contingency, mostly. If everything works out, then he will have just wasted some favours. If he has to evacuate people from Britain or retreat somewhere, having a number of well established friends is useful."

"So, that's it?" Harry asked. "Dumbledore had you trying to make a bunch of friends out here?"

"Yeah," Sirius said. "Isn't that enough? For one person, that's quite a bit."

"Well, sure," Harry said. "I just thought you'd have taken a more exciting role, fighting or hunting."

Sirius laughed. "We don't all get to pick our role, Harry," he replied. "Dumbledore has plans, and we all want to help make them happen."

"Including breaking back into England?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"He never told me not to break back in," Sirius protested. "And it would be helpful to know how to do that."

"Are you trying to return what you found in Albania?" Harry asked, eyeing Sirius curiously.

"Why, no I never - wait," Sirius looked at Harry with suspicion. "How do you know I went to Albania?"

"Before the Third Task," Harry said, smiling, "I found that I could still access the Headmaster's office after everyone else could no longer see it. He had a few memories in the Pensieve. One had you talking to him about things you had found for him, in a shack and maybe somewhere else. He asked you to look for it in Albania."

"What is that old goat playing at?" Sirius asked himself. "This is no topic for children, Harry. I don't know why he would have left that out for you to see."

"Is it about a horcrux?" Harry asked. Sirius went white. "Another memory mentioned them, but not what they are. I really haven't had much time to look into them since. The school had nothing, but I wonder if Maxime's library might have more…"

"Harry, it's really dark stuff," Sirius said. "And our hope is that you don't have to concern yourself with them."

Harry just looked at Sirius with a questioning look. Sirius looked about quickly, looking unsettled.

"Look, fine," he replied. "If it keeps you from looking too much into them. A horcrux is an object you use to protect a piece of your soul. If you have a horcrux, killing you isn't permanent. Your horcrux can be used to bring you back."

Harry's mind whirred. He gasped. "Like the diary!" he exclaimed. "It was able to possess Ginny. I had never heard of a relic doing that."

"Yes," Sirius said. "That was Dumbledore's idea."

"So, we have to get that back and destroy it," Harry said. "Why were you looking in Albania, then? Wouldn't Voldemort have it?"

Sirius shook his head. "You're far too inquisitive, Harry," he said. "Dumbledore figured out that Voldemort made more than one. He's been having me try to find them."

"Then, why not take me with you?" Harry asked. "This is as much to do with me as you, and I won't be safe back home until they're gone, right?"

"Dumbledore has this handled, Harry," Sirius said. "It's too dark and dangerous."

"I have been captured by Voldemort's group and the Scions, been kidnapped by a house elf for my own safety, faced a dragon and escaped from one trouble after another, Sirius," Harry said. "I can help!"

"It's a bit of a moot point now, Harry," Sirius said. "With that barrier still up, we can't go anywhere. How far has Dumbledore gotten in breaking through?"

"They've been testing it from the other side since I told Dumbledore about it," Sirius said. "He's asked anyone outside stay away. It gets the Death Eaters' attention if you come at it, some how. From the inside, though, the attacks are either ignored or unnoticeable."

"Then, you want to go back, too?" Harry asked.

"Of course, Harry," Sirius said, his smile a bit more mischievous. "Dumbledore has sent word to keep you out here, though. It's dangerous in there for you."

"And you think I should stay out?" Harry asked, dejected.

"Me?" Sirius asked, laughing. "I'd be throwing myself at the barrier now if I thought it would do any good."

"But I should stay here and be good?" Harry asked.

"Is that what you want to do?" Sirius asked, arching a brow.

"No!" Harry said, his voice rising. "My friends need my help. If there's danger for me, there's danger for everyone. Voldemort needs to be stopped, and I want to help."

Sirius smiled. "There's my godson," he said, beaming proudly. "That's the son of James and Lily Potter. When I found you studying, I had wondered if everything out here had made you want to retreat. You are a Ravenclaw after all, and - no offence - they're not the most hasty house to move to action."

"Not everyone in a house is the same," Harry said, frowning.

"I know that," Sirius said. "But you can't tell me you're more likely to find a Gryffindor following Voldemort than a Slytherin."

"There are certainly more of them," Harry said. "But I think a lot of that comes from the divisions we make in the houses. If you push people apart and make it us versus them, of course people will take sides."

Sirius laughed. "There's the Lily in you, lad," he said. "I'm not going to argue. I'm just glad you aren't taking this barrier lying down. Do you have a plan?"

"Do you… want to help me?" Harry asked.

"Officially, no, of course not," Sirius said, looking about, quickly and lowering his voice. "But unofficially…?" A smile appeared on his mouth, very reminiscent of what he would expect of Fred and George.

Harry smiled back. Gesturing down at the books, he said, "I've been trying to work out what form of barrier they have used. It would be useful to get a close look at it, test some spells against it, or at least find out what spells do when they face the barrier. That will help us work out what weaknesses it might have. If I only have one shot at taking it down before the enemy finds me, I'd like to make it worth while."

"That is the Ravenclaw approach," Sirius said, nodding. "Do your Gryffindor parents' instincts still exist in there somewhere?"

"Well, any barrier or protective spell has an upper limit," Harry said. "They can only take so many blows before the structure folds. A more … exciting approach, if you will, would be to bombard a small area with a high concentration of force magic to break through."

"That is more like it!" Sirius said, excited. "I know a few people who can assist us. We'll just sneak you out and-"

"And I knew you vould attempt to corrupt ze boy vhen you 'ad asked to come 'ere," Madam Maxime said, sounding angry.

"Corrupt? Me?" Sirius asked, turning towards her. "Never! I only wanted to help the boy do what he wanted. He was already thinking about it…"

"Madam Maxime," Harry tried to explain.

She silenced him with a look, then looked back at Sirius with that same glare. "Now, you know as vell as I, Dumblydore 'as asked us to keep 'Arry safe. Of course, 'e would want to 'elp 'is friends. Who would not? And if 'is research 'elps overcome ze barrier, so much ze better. I suspect we will need zat before ze end. England is no place for children now."

"But my friends are in there," Harry argued. "If I'm a child, so are they."

"Zey are not in my domain to protect, 'Arry," Madam Maxime replied, tersely. "If Dumblydore sent zem to me, I would take zem in and protect zem. But I do 'ave you, and Dumblydore 'as asked to protect you. So, you will go nowhere until Dumblydore says differently. Am I clear?" She asked the last looking directly at Sirius.

When he had nodded, she smiled. "Good," she said. "Enjoy your reunion."

Then, she walked away, her dominating presence still larger than life departing. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He had expected worse when she appeared. Maxime did not have the liberal, forgiving nature of Dumbledore. Her word in her school was law. As this library and the whole facility Harry had stayed in served as an offbranch of the Beauxbatons school, Harry had little choice in such things. He didn't even know how to get out of the facility, if he wanted. Perhaps Sirius did. But, even Sirius would second guess his plans after that.

Sirius was watching Harry. He frowned, either at something she had said or something he had just thought. Shrugging, he sighed. "Just like the old days," he muttered. "James and I would always have a grand scheme or two planned. Authority figures always came to squash them."

"Then, you're giving up?" Harry asked.

Sirius gave Harry a mischievous smile. "Do you really want to?" he asked.