Harry wasn't sure, but he felt like Madam Maxime kept a special eye on him for the next couple days. He would be studying and she would swing by the library for some research materials she didn't find. He would be taking a walk exploring the facility, and she would suddenly be on her daily constitutional walk. He would be eating, and she would be there. Basically, his only time alone was in his chamber, and it was so tight, he would spend as little time as he could in there. It had all the amenities he could want, but felt like a cupboard, in a way. For someone used to more space, it was a change.

Still, none of that mattered. It wasn't as though he and Sirius were walking around together discussing plans openly. That would be foolish. Harry had agreed with the man that he would signal when he had an idea. Until then, Harry was thinking. Sirius had found some eyewitness information about the barrier, and passed that to Harry through Maxime. The best thing to do was show they were working with her to find a weakness.

The spells that had rebounded were interesting. Any that were meant to dismiss the spell, end the spell or weaken it would rebound, sometimes in a violent fashion. Others, though, that were designed to blast aside solid objects, peel layers from anything or cut open an object would sail through the border, damaging the landscape or trees behind it. Harry found it interesting, as thought they had a spell that could pick and choose by type what it did. So much for his initial idea to blast the spell apart with a wave of attack. What you sent might come back at you or sail through, not even damaging the target.

As evening settled in, Harry reclined in his bed, thinking back over the day. His head was sleepy, but he couldn't help replaying more and more lately as he tried to rest. His head wouldn't let go of anything that might help them succeed.

"I've got a British wizard friend who's been living in Paris for the past fifteen years or so," Sirius said. "His name is Garland Hestus."

"Why'd he leave England?" Harry asked.

"It was around the time Voldemort began to cause trouble in England," Sirius replied. "He hasn't said exactly, but I suspect he lost some people close to him… Some people just don't like to delve into their troubled past. He's offered to help, though. So, when we go for the barrier, he'll be with us."

That day, Fleur had stopped by from her other studies to debate the problem with him. He found her grasp of the material useful. She hadn't been a Beauxbatons champion for nothing.

"Vell," she suggested, "perhaps ve vill 'ave to go around ze spell."

"Around it?" he said, shrugging. "That could work, but we don't know how high it goes or if we can dig under it. Sirius said he tried to Apparate through, but I never understood the exact mechanic of Apparition. How high in the air does it carry you or are you outside of our reality. I'll need to ask him where his target location was. If he was landing close to the edge, perhaps he was already coming out of Apparition."

"But no one 'as been able to Apparate," Fleur said. "Not close nor far inland."

"True," he said, frowning. "That may be from the Ministry's ability to monitor the Apparition within the territory. They might be able to stop it irrespective of the barrier."

Fleur nodded. "It is a puzzle," she said.

"I'm just wondering how they made it so universal," Harry said. "It's a massive area to cover with one spell. Is there an object or objects activating it?"

She just shook her head. Harry understood. He had scoured anything he could find in English and asked others to look for anything in the French section, but the old librarian had never heard of a magical object that could work on that level. It wasn't the sort of thing one would forget easily, he supposed. Magical legends, too, were sparse on objects. Most circled around wizards and witches of renown, not their tools.

His thoughts drifted in a fog, floating on the winds. A ward came up in front of him, and everything he threw at it, from a shoe to his wand bounced back. He couldn't seem to remember any spells, so only Muggle things were at hand. He lobbed everything he could, but they all bounded back, making him duck. The barrier, too, seemed to approach, growing larger and larger. It threatened to swallow him up. He ran…

"Harry!" came an urgent whisper.

Harry jerked awake, scrambling for his wand, but someone held his arms at his side. In the darkness, there was a couple scrambled seconds of panic as he tried to break free. Then, the other spoke, again.

"It's me, Sirius," the man said.

"Sirius?" Harry asked, groggy. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"We need to get you out of here, the man said," releasing Harry's arms and lighting his wand. "Lumos."

Harry saw a worried look on the man's face. In the darkness, the face was ghostly, almost like the dead. The fear and worry in the man's eyes gave Harry a shock.

"What's happened?" Harry asked.

"The enemy has found out you were here," Sirius said, urgently. "They're likely to storm the place to get to you. We need to get you out of here before they try."

"But, they'll hurt people," Harry said. "I should stay to help protect them."

"You're the one who needs protecting," Sirius whispered. "We think there might be a spy in the compound. If you sneak out, it will be quickly evident they don't need to come here. That will protect people, too."

"Where will we go?" Harry asked. "Do you have another place in Paris?"

"I say we go for the barrier, Harry," Sirius said.

Harry started. "But-I haven't-"

"Yeah," Sirius said, "but you haven't even seen it yet. If you're as quick as I've heard, you'll work it out when you can actually interact with it. We should give it a go. If we keep hiding in Paris, they'll chase us like mice from place to place. If we disappear completely, they won't know what hit them when we start liberating England from within. Are you with me, Harry?"

Harry thought about his friends, about the adults who had helped him for years, all the people who had given something of themselves to protect him. They were all in danger because of Voldemort. Whatever anyone said, Harry and Voldemort were somehow entwined in all this. If anyone had a good chance of stopping the evil wizard, it must be Harry. Hiding away in a foreign land couldn't be the solution.

"Yes," Harry said, his voice sure. "I'm with you, Sirius."

"Good," Sirius said. "Then, follow me, and stay quiet. The compound is asleep. We'll need to get out quickly and quietly."

"Sure," Harry said as Sirius went out into the hallway, looking left and right and dimming his wand to a darker level.

In the dark, Harry pulled on his day-robes and gathered everything he had - a small amount at this point - pocketing his wand as his most prized possession. That had brought him all the way to Paris from his exile in Gibraltar. Now, it would help him take back his home. Ready, Harry left the room, finding the man crouched by the door.

Sirius muttered, "Nox," and waved for Harry to follow. They moved quickly through the facility, slipping down hallways Harry had never seen. So, this was not going out the exit at the museum. He had assumed there would be multiple ways in and out, but hadn't been out since Fleur brought him to the site. He did feel a little bad leaving without letting her and Madam Maxime know, but he would send them a message when they were back safely in England. He was sure Dumbledore would have a house elf that could be sent to make sure they knew he made it. Anything before that could lead the enemy to him. They had to be cautious.

Sirius led Harry up through the facility with a surety. Harry nodded to himself. Preparing for the departure, Sirius must have found a number of ways to leave, so that when Harry was prepared, they could just go. He hadn't even thought of that. It was good to have someone like Sirius helping you out. The man had been through a lot, too.

Sirius stopped in the middle of a hall, looking around before putting his hand on a random block of stone. It slid inwards with an uncomfortably loud noise. Then, with a light shuffle sound, the wall beside it slid open, showing a staircase upwards. Sirius gestured in and Harry climbed the stair. To his surprise, it opened into a street in Paris. The area was empty due to the hour, but it looked like a row of houses on a cobbled street. The trees littered both sides of the road, and were encircled by little metal fences designed specifically around them. The larger trees had larger fences, and the tiny trees had smaller.

Everything was lit by the shimmering light of the waxing moon. Harry could see impressions of it rebounding off rooftops and windows, but it was hidden from his direct site by the high peaked building next door to his exit. Harry stepped onto the cobbles and could feel a few wobble beneath his step. Finding a more steady footing, Harry looked around, uneasy. It was quiet here, almost too much so. But he could just be feeling a bit cautious. With the worry of an attack by the enemy, Harry was certainly on edge.

"Alright," Sirius said, emerging from the gap behind Harry. "I think no one noticed our flight. Good. No one can be questioned on how we got out. Let's go. I'll Apparate us to a point along the edge. I spotted it when I splinched myself. It's pretty isolated, so we should be well concealed while we work out how to enter."

"Okay," Harry said, pulling out his wand in a tight grip.

At a look from Sirius, he added, "Just in case the enemy is nearby when we appear. Can't be too careful."

"Good thinking," Sirius said with a knowing smile. He had his out. "Now, take my arm and hold on."

Harry took Sirius' arm and they Apparated. Being taken somewhere felt rougher to Harry than directing your own travel. His body was being tugged along by the force of the Apparition, and the compression felt harsher. Perhaps it had something to do with concentration. In Side-Along, you didn't have to do anything, so your mind wasn't occupied. Fortunately, though, the trip was quick. It was not a far journey from Paris to the shoreline of England, after all.

With a resounding Crack, the pair landed in the midst of a series of large rocks dotting a shoreline. Sirius released Harry's arm and looked around, scanning the area. Harry had done the same but came to find, happily, that they were alone.

"Good," Sirius said. "We're having a fine fortune. No one around for ages."

"Where's the barrier?" Harry asked. "I can't see it, but don't want to stumble into it."

"If I remember," Sirius said, frowning, "it is about even with that line of rock, there."

He pointed to a string of rocks that crossed the path further inland from them. Harry approached, keeping his wand outstretched towards it. He used a magic detection spell, and could feel something ahead, but it was vague, a bit odd feeling. Truly, he hadn't seen a magical barrier that felt quite like the one they faced.

Crack. Harry spun about, his wand ready to attack, but Sirius put a hand on the boy's arm.

"It's my friend, Garland," Sirius said. "Oi, Garland, over here."

"Ah, mate," Garland said, excited. "It's great to see you. And you've brought the boy who lived. Excellent. Pleasure to meet you lad."

A large man with a brown, thick, short beard came out around a nearby rock, taking Harry's hand. Harry tried to make out more about the man, but in the darkness it was difficult. The hand he shook, though, was thick and muscly. The man let go after a second and approached where Sirus had said the barrier was.

"I've been waiting to get a crack at this," Garland said, laughing. "Any ideas on how to get through, lad? I understand you're the brains of the operation. Sure isn't Sirius."

"Oi!" Sirius exclaimed. "Work with a man for months and this is what you get."

"I've got a few," Harry said, frowning. "My initial thought was to overwhelm it with magic, but a lot of spells that would serve go straight through it. Some rebound. I wonder if we hit one spot with a number of the spells that rebound at once if it will weaken. Secondly, is it possible to go under the barrier? Can we tunnel with magic to go around the surface level block? Lastly, is there an upper barrier ending? Could we simply fly over it?"

"Hmm," Garland considered. "Well, that's all theoretical. Let's see what we can do. What spell should we use?"

"First," Harry said, "let's start with Finite. A simple spell, sure, but what happens if you strike the same place repeatedly? It's one of the less dangerous spells to rebound, anyway. If we're struck, it shouldn't do anything."

The three of them pulled out wands, pointing them at the barrier, saying, "Finite! Finite! Finite!…"

Harry used a sensory spell after they had tried this a dozen or more times, the last of the spells rebounding.

"Nothing," Harry said. "It's like the spell isn't even reaching the spell itself. Like the air is charged to rebound the spell that might otherwise damage it."

"I think we're going to see the same thing with other spells," Garland said, scratching his head. "If, like you say, they use the space between the spell and the air as a barrier to keep the spell itself protected, then its unlikely to see an impact of any direct assault."

"So, should we try flying over?" Sirius asked. "I haven't brought a broom along…"

"I've got one, Sirius," Garland said, pulling out a bag from his robes. Opening it, he pulled out a full length broom that could not have fit within. "These extendable charms are brilliant."

"I'm the best on a broom," Sirius said, taking the broom. "I'll skirt the edge and check it for safe entry points above. At most, I'll go a kilometre or so inland."

"Thanks," Garland said. "We'll look at the digging option. Best of luck."

Sirius nodded, a smile on his face as he took off. Garland held his wrist watching Sirius fly off.

"Are you worried about him?" Harry asked, concerned.

"Not about him," Garland said, laughing, dropping his wrist. "That guy has broken two of my brooms to date."

Harry laughed. "Alright," he said when he got his breath. "Let's try tunnelling. I think a spell like Confringo would cause the damage we need."

"I'll try a few others further down the shore," Garland offered. "I'll just be around those rocks. If we're too close together, we might get in each other's way."

"Good plan," Harry said, stepping back from the barrier.

He looked at the space ahead. He'd need to make the hole big enough for them to at least crawl through, so he'd need to start further back to make the tunnel reasonably smooth. If he went straight down, it would be hard to get people in and out of it safely. At best he could find a hill that he could drill right through to reach the inside.

"Confringo! Confringo! Confringo! Confringo!"

Harry blasted into the largest hill of earth he could find, punching a hole in it with the blasts. In the smoke that billowed from the space, Harry could see some echoes of a hole. They weren't yet very deep, though. He waited for things to clear to get a sense of how well it was working. When the smoke had cleared, Harry could see a hole and the edges were pretty well seared. That was good news. If the sides sealed themselves then they might hold up better against the weight above it. The real trick was whether this would go through the barrier when he reached it.

Aiming his wand at the hole again, Harry felt a blast and a burst of pain in his side. He stumbled, falling into the water to one side.

"You idiot!" Garland cried. "You're supposed to capture him, not blast him apart."

"Don't tell me how to do the Dark Lord's work," came a brusk, angry voice.

"This is my operation, fool," Garland said. "And we won't have long before that idiot gets back. I'd rather take the boy with little issue than have to fight another bloody war veteran. The Dark Lord specifically asked to capture him unharmed."

"Then quit your yapping," the other Death Eater said, annoyed. "I think he went around that rock."

Harry rose, his wand in hand. Garland had betrayed Sirius and him. This was all a setup. That was why he was touching his wrist. Death Eaters had that… that tattoo they used, right?

Could Harry fight them off himself? He didn't know how many there were and what they might do to him. His best bet was to get away. If he was still there, they could use him against Sirius. Sirius could handle himself alright. He was a great wizard. Harry had to believe that.

So, forward or backwards? Harry sprang towards another set of rocks, putting more distance between him and the enemy. An errant spell struck a rock ten steps to the right. Whomever it was, he didn't have great aim. The initial hit must have been easy as Harry hadn't been looking. That didn't mean Garland was as bad, though. The man had been pretty quick with his wand when helping Harry.

Harry put a hand out in front of him. It was repelled. The barrier! Harry cursed his luck. He thought he had gotten to a better position, but he'd boxed himself in between a rock and the barrier. If he went out, he'd be an open target for the Death Eaters. He could Apparate back, but where would he go now? They knew about Maxime's place, didn't they? Unless that information came from Garland trying to fool Sirius. What Harry didn't know was a problem.

But the barrier itself did not help things. He had no idea how to go through. Blasting would take too long and would draw them to him. The direct assault did not work at all, and flying over… well, the broom was gone with Sirius. Unless Sirius miraculously came back undetected by the other two and swept him away, all Harry had was his wand and the small space afforded him.

A spell struck the rock beside him, bursting it apart in a violent explosion. Harry was caught off guard, dropping his wand and flying through the air. He braced for the rebound of the barrier, but it did not come. He felt his body slam arm first into the earth. In the smoke, he couldn't see his attackers, the remnants of the boulder or his wand.

Stunned, Harry began crawling back to where he thought he had been. Everything on his back and side ached, but Harry pushed on. He had to get his wand back. What had happened with the barrier was a mystery, but maybe there had been a space ahead of him outside the barrier that he had fallen into. His head was a bit blurry.

He felt his way ahead, still unable to see. There were shouts in the distance, but Harry couldn't tell if they were coming or going. Cracks of spells were distant, as well. All Harry knew was that his time was limited. His hands scrambled, combing every inch of the sand he crawled over. At the edge of the water, Harry found it amid the sticks the tide had carried into the rocky area. Pulling it out, Harry checked it. It was dirty, but he couldn't find any issues.

Turning around, Harry decided to crawl the way he had come. Lurching forward, Harry hit the barrier and was blasted back, smacking his back into the nearby rock. Crying out in pain, Harry placed his hand over his mouth, muffling the sound. They could still be near.

Putting out his hand, Harry could feel the barrier repelling him. He ran his hand along it for several metres in either direction and could not find the gap he had found. What did this mean? Did he have to be thrust through by an explosion? Did he have to… Harry's eyes bugged. Of course.

He looked down at his wand. That was incredibly inconvenient. The barrier didn't affect people, it affected wands. That was why Muggles and house elves could get through but not wizards and witches. That was why people couldn't Side-Along with a house elf and why Apparition was blocked. The wand was stopped and anyone touching it was kept out, too. This was important news, but Harry had to act quickly.

Apparate away or walk in without his wand? There were dangers inside, but the same could be said for outside. If he could at least hide his wand somewhere safe… maybe then he could take down the spell and retrieve it later. How he would do that… Harry wasn't sure.

He hated the idea, but what choice did he have? What choice did he have? Harry shook himself. Of course. He didn't have to leave it on this random shoreline where Death Eaters prowled. He could bring it to a safe place and then they wouldn't know his entry point. Concentrating on a shoreline Harry could remember well, Harry Apparated away.

The blustery cliffside was barren, as it had been the last time Harry had been here. If he looked out, he could see the little island Dobby had taken him to to keep him away from the dangers of the second year at the school. He nearly laughed at the funny memory. The house elf had thought he could keep Harry out of it. Dumbledore thought the same, now. Nothing would keep Harry from doing what he could for his friends. Not even this.

With one last look at the island, Harry turned to the land ahead. Reaching out, he could feel the barrier there, just in front of him. Nodding he glanced left and right along the metre or so strip of land outside the barrier. Something here would have to do.

Down about thirty metres, there was a lone tree that had dug itself a spot along the edge, reaching high into the sky. The rock was cracked where the roots had cut through, but its grip was strong and firm. The tree looked as though it had weathered much, a good reminder of what still lay ahead, Harry thought. Nodding, he walked to its base. Moving a thin layer of dirt from about a step away, Harry laid his wand into it.

It hurt his heart to leave it, but to do any good, he had to make this sacrifice. This short term sacrifice. In doing this, he had the chance to go on, to keep fighting. He would find another wand somehow. He'd make it work. Maybe he could get one from Ollivander and come back for it when he had broken the barrier's source. That would be one of his first priorities. First of all, though, was finding his friends. They had to be safe. They just had to be.

Biting his lip in determination, Harry shovelled the dirt over his wand and stepped back from it. He took a deep breath. Feeling naked walking into a den of vipers, Harry turned around and walked inland. He had returned.