"How could you have gotten us lost, you stupid rabbit?!" Kanda grouched.
"We always use the Ark!" Lavi ran a hand down the side of his face. "Don't get mad at me, Allen is the one who rode a boat there!"
"Yes, Lavi, a boat," Allen snapped. "I went by sea, not the forest."
Harry sighed and rubbed his arms. They were in the middle of a forest, somewhere, and he was cold. The warmth of walking had started to fade as the chill seeped in through his clothes and into his bones. They'd been wandering far longer than they'd expected, trying to find a path to the castle, but Harry was tempted to say they were in the wrong forest.
"For an Order that doesn't like to use the Ark, you're all strangely reliant on it," Harry muttered with a tinge of bitterness. He'd even tried a 'Point Me' spell, but it had only made his wand spin in circles.
"Hey, shh!" Lavi held a finger to his lips. "Do you hear that?"
Harry scowled, certain the other was just trying to distract them until a blur shot over the trees with a cutting sound. His first instinct was Death Eaters, but before he could dive under cover, Lavi grabbed his arm with a wide grin.
"Lenalee!" he shouted, waving his other arm about wildly. "Lenalee!"
The blur appeared over them before shooting down. A girl landed among them, leaving Harry blinking rapidly.
She was definitely an Exorcist – she wore the uniform, after all, though the skirt seemed really short – and extremely pretty. He thought of Cho Chang; this girl was also Chinese, but there was an air of grace this girl had that Cho never did.
"Were you planning on wandering all day?" the girl said with a small smile.
"You knew we were lost?" Allen frowned as Lavi threw himself at her.
"There are cameras all over the forest, you know," she said, patting Lavi's head. "Brother said to leave you be, but you don't look so great."
She looked at Allen's crutch in obvious concern, but Allen waved it off. Kanda was the one to snarl and grimly start muttering about 'the sister-complex'.
Lenalee pulled out a bundle that she unwrapped and moved to drape over Harry's shoulders. It was a cloak like the Exorcists wore. He now had first hand experience to say it was much warmer than it looked. When she circled back around, she held out a hand and said, "I'm Lenalee Lee. It's nice to meet you."
"Harry Potter," he said, taking her hand gingerly. While her skin and nails were clearly taken care of, he could feel her thick callouses. "It's nice to meet you, and, um, thanks. For the cloak."
"You looked cold," she said with a beaming smile. "Let's get everyone inside."
She didn't take to the air again. She put her arms behind her as she walked, leading them in a completely different direction than they'd been heading. "The infirmary has been prepped for all of you," she continued. "The Matron is going to give you a check-up. Then you'll have a meeting with Brother."
As one, the Exorcists shuddered. Harry wasn't sure which part they were shuddering to.
#
The castle was just as awe-inspiring as Hogwarts, but for different reasons.
Hogwarts was old and had a mystical, otherworldly feel to it. For eleven-year-old children, it was like stepping into a fairytale.
The Black Order headquarters was newer, prouder. It was white, nearly glowing under the sunlight, and extruded an air of power and control.
The closer he got to it, the more nervous he felt. It was also far less welcoming than Hogwarts – the Exorcists uniforms fit in more than Harry did. He felt even more scruffy and dirty than he did before.
The inside was just as amazing as the outside. There was white marble and pillars carved with art. Tapestries and paintings lined the walls and suits of gleaming armor stood guard. The ceilings were arched and vaulted, making him feel very small. They went to what he assumed was their Great Hall.
They stood on a balcony, overlooking the room. A crystal chandelier hung and cast rainbows over those praying below. One wall was made up of stained glass windows depicting holy stories Harry wasn't familiar with but which was so beautiful he still caught his breath.
He'd been in churches before, but he'd never felt quite like he was stepping on holy ground like he did here.
"ALLEN!"
Heart in his throat, Harry jumped. The people down below looked up at them, but he seemed to be the only one to notice. A young man was running their way, arms spread wide.
He collided with Allen hard enough they almost fell, laughing. Harry watched warily, eyeing the white lab coat against Allen's dark uniform and the strange spiral glasses.
"You're back!" they said loudly. "Lavi, Kanda! I'm so glad you're all alright!"
He pulled back from Allen, wiping his eyes as he chuckled in embarrassment. "You got hurt again, Allen?"
"Nothing too serious." Allen waved a hand in front of his face with a smile. The young man still smiled, but Harry thought it seemed a little too frozen in place. "How have you been, Johnny?"
Kanda silently left their side. Harry watched him go and couldn't help feel a little more vulnerable without the swordsman there.
"Komui's been really pushing us lately, even though he dodges all his paperwork," Johnny said. "I wanted to be the first person to welcome you back. You better make sure to visit the science section or you'll have us all trying to cram into the infirmary!"
"Not if the Matron is around," Lavi said with a grin. "I'd like to see you try."
"We'll do it," Johnny said firmly. "So make sure to visit, okay?"
Harry jumped again when Lenalee nudged him with her elbow. He blinked at her, not sure what she wanted, but it drew Johnny's attention.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to ignore you!" he said, holding out a hand. "My name is Johnny! I'm just a scientist here at the Order."
"…Harry Potter," Harry said and shook the offered hand. Johnny's grip was surprisingly tight.
"It's nice to finally meet after reading so much about you! Don't worry – you're in good hands!"
Harry hid his discomfort – he thought no one would know who he was! – and nodded.
"I won't hold you up. You all get to the infirmary! And don't forget to visit soon!"
"We will," Allen said with a soft smile.
They started across the balcony when Johnny called after them.
"I forgot to mention," he called. "Harry – welcome to the Black Order!"
Harry swallowed and waved.
#
The infirmary doors were open a crack when they arrived. He was somehow surprised to find Kanda was already there; he'd thought Kanda might disappear off somewhere else, but he was busy speaking lowly with a much bigger man sitting on one of the infirmary beds.
The room was very similar to the Hogwarts infirmary, if a bit smaller. Lenalee passed them by and softly murmured, "Miranda is over there. Come with me to see her?"
"Yes." Allen nodded. "You too, Harry."
Harry wasn't sure why they would want him there, but he shrugged and followed. They went to one of the beds on the far side, blocked off by sheets. Lenalee peeked behind and called, "Miranda, are you awake?"
There was the sound of shifting before a woman answered. "Yes, of course."
"Do you mind if we come in? Allen and Lavi are here, and a new friend."
There was no answer but Lenalee ushered them in. Miranda turned out to be a thin woman with the darkest eye bags Harry had ever seen. She was struggling to sit up, her upper half heavily bandaged.
"Miranda, it's okay!" Allen exclaimed. He set his crutch aside to sit on the side of her bed. "Just lay down. Relax!"
She looked like she might start crying at any moment. "Allen, it's so wonderful to see you! We were all so worried – are you okay?"
"Better than ever!" He took her hand in his with a smile. "We heard you had some trouble with a Level Four. Are you okay?"
Harry's eyebrows shot up. He hadn't heard about that. She had gone against one of those monsters?
"I was completely useless!" she cried, tears spilling. "I had thought I'd finally found something I could do, as an Exorcist, but I was no help at all! I'm not fit to be one, I should just-"
"Miranda!" Allen interrupted firmly. "No. Don't talk like that. I'm sure you were a great help; you always are. You are not useless."
"Yeah," Lavi said and patted her leg. "You're always a lifesaver."
"A lifesaver?" She choked. "A young woman died because I wasn't strong enough!"
"You did your best," Lenalee said softly.
And Harry froze. He remembered back to when Lavi had tried to comfort him – Your best might not be good enough, he'd said. You tried your best but the nation was destroyed anyway. Sorry.
Would that be him some day? Sitting in a bed, crying because he failed?
He watched the Exorcists comfort each other, separate and apart from them. They'd been fighting this war for a long time, and now they were wrapped up in his. It didn't seem fair but he couldn't do this without them.
There were lives riding on his shoulders just as much as theirs.
"Miranda, we want you to meet a new friend. This is Harry," Lenalee said. Lavi beckoned Harry closer.
"Hello," he said reluctantly. Miranda wiped away her tears and gave a watery smile.
"I'm so sorry you've had to see me in such a state!" she said. "It's so horrible of me, to break down in front of company! I'm such a horrible person!"
He had no idea how to handle her. He looked to the Exorcists in bewilderment. Allen hid a small sigh behind one hand while Lavi shook his head fondly.
"Um, it's okay," Harry said uncertainly. "I understand it's an emotional time."
It was the gentlest way he could think of to say he knew she was upset because someone was dead. Before she could reply, the sheets were thrown wide open to reveal a very angry, severe older woman glaring at them.
"I let you say hello, but making my patient cry is going too far!"
The Exorcists shrank. She herded all of them except Lenalee from Miranda's space and took them each to separate beds. Lavi and Allen were placed opposite each other, and Harry next to Allen. Lenalee hovered between them as the Matron scurried about, gathering a clipboard and a stethoscope. "You there. What's your name?"
Harry meekly gave it.
"Take off the cloak and sweater, and if I find out you've tried to sneak out of bed when I'm not looking, I will tie you to it, understood?"
He was pretty sure she wasn't joking. He swallowed and nodded, doing as he was told. It wasn't so bad; the bed was like a cloud compared to his recent arrangements.
"Lavi, Allen," said the large man Kanda had been talking with. He stood and came closer. "Good to have you back. I hope it wasn't as horrible as Kanda made it seem."
Harry was surprised there was anyone Kanda sought out to talk to, but the man had a calm, patient aura about him. The said swordsman hovered behind him with crossed arms and a scowl.
"We're still alive. That's always a plus," Lavi said. "You're looking pretty good for a run in with a Level Four. You're still stuck here?"
"I had some internal damage," the man said before he held up his hand. Harry gasped as he noticed the freshly-missing two fingers. "And this. But if not for the generals, it would have been much worse."
"Is it true there's a new Exorcist?" Allen asked eagerly. "What's he like?"
"Just a kid." The man shrugged. "He's being put under general Cloud. Master Tiedoll practically begged to have him as a student, but he was rejected since he's got several and Cloud no longer has any." Harry didn't miss the 'no longer'. He winced at how casual death was discussed around here.
"A young woman – Emilia – died," the man added somberly. "The kid is… very torn up about it. He isn't taking the loss well."
There seemed to be nothing to say to that. There was a respectful silence as Harry watched the Matron rummaging around a drawer and pulling bottles from a shelf.
"Now, I understand there's someone new here?" the man said. He turned towards Harry, who made a small sound of surprise; their eyes were milky silver. This man was blind.
How did he know Harry was there, or where he was?
"I'm Marie – you must be Harry Potter."
"That's right," Harry said. He was beginning to think many more people would know his identity than he'd counted on. "Nice to meet you."
"I hope these guys haven't been too troublesome," Marie said with a smile. "Especially Kanda. I know he can be difficult."
Harry made himself return the smile even though the other couldn't see it. "I've probably been the difficult one, I think."
The Matron returned and instructed Allen to remove his pants. Grumbling at being reduced to his underwear, he shimmied them off with her help. The door opened and in waltzed a man Harry immediately recognized was important.
His coat had the Black Order symbol but was white and highly decorated. His glasses glinted as he drew near, hands clasped behind him. He stopped in the middle of the walkway between their beds, looking from one to the next. Harry thought he looked stern, unhappy – but then his expression softened.
"Welcome home," he said with a small sigh. Allen beamed and Lavi gave a thumbs up. The man looked to Harry. "And you, Harry. Welcome to the Black Order."