The Other Side

Harry started on the wards and Stanley put a Cloaking Spell around them. The Stone of Resurrection changed hands and in a matter of minutes two ghosts were standing in front of the standing pair and the still dead vampire.

Bree and Connor looked with confusion around. Luckily they both were clothed.

"You were right," said Connor. "I owe you three hundred."

"Care to fill me in," said Harry.

"The earthquake in that small town. Bree said it might have something to do with you."

"We were expecting a call a long time ago," said Bree. "What's going on?"

"And who's he?" asked Connor looking at Stanley who was deep in a meditative trance.

"Stanley," said Harry. "A witch who's arm I twisted into working for me. And as for what's going on. It's a long story."

"We're dead," said Connor. "We have time."

"But I don't. I need your help with something and time is of the essence."

"So you can't explain," said Bree and Harry nodded. "What do you need?"

"Connor, I need you to go speak to Galen. Tell him about the veil and door."

"Galen's here?" asked the former Hunter.

"He's in that general direction," he said pointing. "Ask him to explain what happened if you need to know. But try to get it across that Alexander is not to be trusted."

Connor sighed. "Treading through this place to lie. I don't think I like this."

"You won't be lying," said Harry.

"Fine," said Connor and he walked off.

"Bree, I need you to go to my house. My lab. Alohomora will open the door. Don't step into the circle. There will be five silver and red balls in my desk. I need you to capture the spirits of five witches, I'll explain the rest when I get there."

"Okay," said Bree. "Are you also planning to tell me why I'm doing this?" Bree asked.

"You'll know when you reach the house." Bree nodded and disappeared. "Stan." Stanley removed the ring and laid it in his hand. It hovered then spun once, twice and three times before it fell back to his hand. Harry summoned it and put it on. "You'll stay here and remain cloaked," the wizard said before he spread his arms and took to the sky in the shape of a large black owl.

He flew over the island, spotting the camp of the Hunters and the little island that housed the house. Harry searched for another few minutes and when he saw nothing he went for the coast. He started a spell, letting out a large dog that started running, leaving a trail of fire as it went; Harry repeated and this time it was a wolf that ran in the opposite direction; the last was a doe and it was formed from the already burning fire.

"I bind this fire to you," said Harry. "You are to be guardian. In you I extend the memory of from which you were crafted. Guard as they protected me."

The doe gave Harry a long look that was filled with intelligence his Transfigurations had never had before, then again he was doing what came natural and thinking on the spot. The doe nodded and Harry felt more than heard as it said yes.

Harry again took to the sky and he could see the trail of red make its way unimpeded. Harry continued flying until he saw that the entire island was boarded by fire. This binding was a part of nature much as the boundaries of salt that witches constantly used; as the fire was of Nature so too would the doe use Nature's power to refuel itself. Harry should have felt a sense of fulfilment, after all this was, in a way, his first Permanent Transfiguration, but his mind was continuing a rapid blur, thinking of a way that this might turn out well.

Harry continued to fly over the island, looking for any sign of either Anna or Caitlin, though he would have preferred to find the latter. The bird searched, stretching out his sense through the darkness hoping that it would hit the itch of Expression. But nothing came. Harry must have spent an hour, the sun's red glow starting at the horizon and Harry remembered that he hadn't slept. He started his way down, landed and appeared which a rush of wind in their little niche.

Stanley hadn't moved. He sat in his trance, queer circle drawn around him and his a white colour. Blood too dripped from his nose Harry noticed. The Cloaking Spell was putting a strain on the witch, but Harry unfortunately hadn't been able to try and come up with such spells. He would need to though he was starting to notice.

"Stan." The white receded from Stanley's eyes and his pupils formed. "You can rest. I'll keep watch for the next three hours."

"Where's Mark?" asked Stanley as he shakily got to his feet.

"Not here yet," said Harry. "When he changes allegiance I'll know and then he'll know where to find us." Harry waved his wand and conjured a sleeping bag. "Now sleep. Tomorrow we'll be trying to fight this damned spell all throughout the island."

"I don't think I'll be able to do that," said Stanley.

"My wand still has some power on it," said Harry. "I'm sure it will be fuel enough for a spell to the magnitude we're hoping for." By then he would need to start looking for the Elder Wand, not that Harry was worried much about it. The Elder Wand had a partial consciousness that looked for powerful witches and wizards. It would call to him sooner or later, and when it did, he would respond in kind and the wand would be in his grasp.

An hour passed. Harry spent it in meditation, his sense stretched outwards and stopping just short of the void that nothing could pass through. He didn't think too much, trying to stay in the moment. What he was going to do now. How he was going to free his friends from Silas' grasp. The wizard wanted to work with Anna, but he didn't trust her. There was danger in the little witch and Harry was sure she wouldn't think twice before cursing his friends to get at Bonnie. Harry wanted the Hunters. Silas had said the curse built up. Given enough time with the Hunter's Curse over him, Harry was sure the man would be begging to be killed. But until then the remaining Hunters needed to be kept alive.

There was Elena though. If Harry's plan pulled through, then that would result in the girl's death. Something Harry didn't want to happen because he would be ending the Gilbert line.

Another hour passed. His plan had to work before he even reached Mystic Falls. Everything had to work.

Harry felt a shiver rise up his spine and opened his eyes. Anna stood in front of him. She looked a little unkempt but overall she looked much as she had, still wearing the same clothes.

"Harry," she said with a broad grin. "Hiding behind your weak wards again?" she asked.

"Hello, Anna. Then Hunters told you that I've been looking you for then?" the wizard asked getting to his feet.

Anna shook her head. "Qetsiyah taught me a spell that used doppelganger blood," she said. "I can see whatever your dead friend there sees, stretched far enough and I can hear even when he's dead."

Harry hummed, that would explain why Silas had implied Stefan was working for Qetsiyah. There had to be more in this doppelganger thing that Harry knew. Yes, they were connected by how they looked, but there had to be a deeper meaning. Nature would have had to use a lot of power to make this possible, therefore it had to have a purpose. He decided he would think on it in another time. Gregory would probably know.

"I'll have to deal with that," said Harry. "No less you know I'm looking for you. I'm guessing you know why?"

Anna nodded then shook her head. "Not interested. I have enough power on my hands that I could destroy this entire island with a snap of my fingers."

"So do I," said Harry not sounding impressed. "I have enough power in my hands that I could destroy this entire world if I wanted."

Anna's smile dropped a little. "You talk a lot, I've noticed."

Harry snorted. "You obviously didn't see my little scuffle with Sirius. But let's dispense with the boasting. I'm powerful, you're powerful, Bonnie and Caitlin you couldn't kill, therefore they too are powerful and Qetsiyah's powerful. That's only mentioning the witches in North America. I've heard of a witch in Canada who can do fascinating things with the sun; I've heard of another in Africa that called a horde of the dead, created imps and goblins; another in Asia who was able to transform into a dragon before he died. They too are powerful. But they don't boast and focus on that power. They play things smart. Something I've noticed you've stopped doing."

"Please don't tell me you're lecturing me," said Anna looking miffed.

"I am," said Harry. "You have two Expressionists against you and Silas is helping them. Play it smart Anna and realise that you need my help."

Anna stopped and thought, Harry could hear a groan behind him. Stefan most likely. He didn't turn to look at him. If he turned then a spell might start that he wouldn't even be able to sense.

Anna shook her head. "I don't need your help," she said. "I've got more than the spirits on my side but Nature itself. I can feel it all around me. Keeping you weakened while empowering me. I'm going to come out of this alive, Harry. If I were you I'd conjure up a boat and run, because when this is over. When the users of this twisted form of magic are dealt with. Most of her resources will be coming after you."

Harry snorted. "It wouldn't be the first time a god has come after me."

That comment seemed to catch Anna off-guard, she looked confused for a moment before a blank look took over her. "The plans might not need to come to fruition yet, but others will be able to deal with you on the Other Side." She raised her hand and Harry reacted, a spell, a vivid orange, shot from his wand at hit her hand. The hand disappeared, leaving behind only a stump that looked as though it never had a hand. Harry quickly slashed his wand but Anna quickly brought up a shield; she flicked her hand and a column of wind slammed at the wards. There was a boing and a flash of light and Harry heard her running, trying to increase the distance between them.

Harry thought of going after her, but for all he knew all of it could be a trap. He stayed within his wards and turned to Stefan who was looked a moment away from losing sanity.

"Where am I?" he asked. "How did I get here?"

"I brought you here after Silas killed you," said the wizard. "At the moment we're the only people we can trust."

"What?" he asked.

"Long story short, Silas can control and read minds," said the wizard. "In the next few hours I'm hoping to give you a crash course in Occlumency."

Harry had three hours of sleep with Stanley doing his Cloaking Spell and Stefan working on his Occlumency. When he woke up the sky was an ominous dark, looking as though it would pour in a few minutes and it was only building up. Through his sleep the wizard had been thinking of his conversation with Anna. She had spoken of Nature impeding him and the only way Harry could think of that was if it concerned the fog of darkness that barred his sense.

The wizard was starting to feel a little pissed the more he thought about it. What had he been doing since his arrival on this world? He had tried to help it out in the greater scheme of things. He'd removed the most powerful of Muggle weapons, leaving curses in place that would ensure none thought about them; he had found a way to make the lives of wolves a lot better, leaving the book with the potion available at his death so even then it could be put to good use; he had protected a powerful town that had a powerful link to magic; and still Nature saw fit to work against him.

Sheila had said he played with the balance, breaking Nature's rules, but he was honestly trying to make things better. Not only for him but for everyone else. But Harry knew people with power. They only saw their way whether it was better or bad. He was trying to better things and because of that he was breaking Nature's control.

His true enemy was Nature, the wizard realised. But how could he fight it. His previous foe might have been a god, but the god was at least a being empowered. Nature was nature. An abstract being that had power over life and death, destruction and conception, an absolute being in this world of hers. There was no way he could win a fight with her. Harry knew this, he expected this. But this didn't mean the Gryffindor in him didn't want him to fight, to escape from this universe unscathed by whatever Nature thought it would do to him.

Harry looked around and conjured a chair, sitting down and giving thought to the clouds. They were his concern right now, they were the work of something he could fight.

"They're fighting my boundary," Harry guessed out loud. Stefan opened his eyes and looked at the sky.

"It's been forming for the last hour," he said. "Nothing unusual."

Harry shook his head. "Seeing as I've bound this place with fire, it make sense that they'd use a storm. They have the power after all."

"How do we stop them?" Stefan asked.

"We don't," said Harry. "You protect Stanley. He know the spell to call me when I'm in danger."

"So I've been demoted to Extra?" he asked.

Harry shrugged. "I don't think you want to be lead in this tale, Salvatore. I know I die and I've made peace with it. Would you be able to do the same?"

Stefan didn't answer. Harry stepped out of his wards. "I'll see you in a few hours. If Bree and Connor come here, tell them if I die I'll see them on the Other Side."

"Morbid," said Stefan.

Harry disappeared with a rush of wind and appeared above the island, he fell and rapidly changed into his form. The wind had picked up but Harry's body reacted instinctively to coast the wind, making sure he hovered in place and wasn't blown away. He started searching and it wasn't moments before he saw them; he flew down, trying to act, if he could, as any owl would. He chose a place amongst the trees and landed.

Silas stood in front, looking at the doe that barred his path and trying to stare it down. Bonnie and Caitlin sat in two circles, muttered a low Greek spell. Lexi and Lee stood at one corner and Damon and Elena at another, and Atticus looked with fascination at the column of fire that crackled as though it would die out.

"This would go a lot faster if we had three witches," said Silas.

"You could always join them," said Elena. "Take a seat and chant. I can't wait to get out of this damned place."

"Wizard," said Silas. "And I don't have the kind of power this spell requires."

Elena sighed. "And he calls himself powerful," she said in a loud mutter.

"You know I liked you with your humanity," said Silas. "At least then you weren't chatty."

Elena smirked. "You'd like me like that, wouldn't you? It would make it easy for you to snap my neck again?"

"Just shut up," said the Immortal. "I'm trying to figure this thing out. How could it block magic from passing through? It's just fire?"

Lexi was frowning Harry noticed. Maybe she could see that Silas was posing as him? But if so then why wouldn't Silas be hearing the thought? The answer came to Harry, the man had said it himself that reading was harder than implanting, something Harry knew because a Confounding Charm was much easier than Legillimency. Could it be then, that she was fighting the mind-control?

Harry couldn't depend on that. He needed leverage and he knew just the person that could be his leverage. The bird swooped but as he came closer he felt the magic and it was too late. He passed whatever ward had been put in place and the witches quickly turned his attention on him. Harry turned but the he felt the spell coming. He tried to dodge, but his manoeuvring was shot and the spell hit. His form unravelled and he slammed into the ground, skidding to and quickly getting to his feet. He flicked his wand and prepared for a fight, but he was met by confusion.

"Two of you," said Damon. "Awesome."

Silas sighed. "Of course you escaped," the man muttered. "Is it too much to ask that my plans go smoothly?" he asked the heavens.

"Anyone care to explain what's going on?" asked Lexi looking tensely between Harry and Silas.

"No need," said Silas. "Kill—"

"Imperio," Harry said, the spell zoomed through the air. Harry felt the shield rise but it did nothing to stop the spell nor did Lexi dodge. It hit and her eyes glazed over. Harry dodged as Bonnie flicked her hand, landed in a roll and disappeared with a rush of wind before Elena could tackle him. He appeared behind Silas, but this had been expecting because as Harry took his shoulder to Apparate with the man, it froze over, petrified and he could feel the effect rising up his arm. He disappeared with another rush of wind and appeared behind Lexi. This seemed to have been expected as well; Lee took Harry's cursed hand and snapped it. Pain erupted at his arm, but Harry pushed it back jabbing his wand at Lee and hurtling him back.

There sounded a crack as a spell slammed into his shields and then two more as Damon and Elena tried to jump at him. Harry slashed his wand, firing a random spell, but it hit a shield. He turned his wand towards the sky as he felt another spell slammed into his shields and shot out a series of sparks before disappearing with a rush of wind.

Harry appeared in a clump of woods he wasn't entirely sure where. He tapped his arm, numbing the pain and with another tap he stopped the spell that tried to climb up his arm. The wizard let out a relieved sigh, not exactly gone as planned but it was worth something that his spell had landed and Lexi knew that Silas wasn't really him.

"Expecto Patronum," said Harry. A wisp of blue came from his wand before it disappeared with not enough sustenance. Harry took a breath and concentrated; he thought of his friends, both from his world and the worlds he had gone to since, he thought of his wives and children. He remembered them laughing. "Expecto Patronum," he tried again and though Prongs came out he looked dull as though it was only a matter of moments before he disappeared.

"Go to Lexi," he said with a firm image of where the vampire was. "Tell her to run to the house." Prongs rushed off and Harry turned on the spot and appearing outside the house. The spell he, Bonnie and Stanley had put in place was still there, which was why could sense the spell that wasn't his own. Another Binding Spell, Harry thought. It seemed that everyone was good at them in this fight and it was not the easiest thing to get out of them.

He stood without the trap and waited, not an hour must have passed before a flash of lighting wrote itself across the sky. Harry shivered. He might not have had his sense, but he could guess what was happening having seen the signs himself. Bonnie and Caitlin were gathering power from their source in order to use break Harry's Binding, but they hadn't succeed. Whatever their spell, Harry had broken it and in so doing made Anna aware of where they were. She too would know these signs and she would prepare, gathering from her own sources and preparing for battle.

Harry let out a sigh as he realised he would need to intervene. He didn't care who died between Anna and Caitlin, but there were others Harry's conscious wouldn't be able to take if they died still out there. He needed to get them out, make sure that they wouldn't die in what was coming.

Time passed, flashes of lightning drawing themselves across the sky at intervals and the wind starting to pick up. A few more minutes, Harry told himself before he would need to start working at plans to make sure everyone that was still alive was still so when everything ended. Fifteen minutes must have passed when Harry finally decided that any more time spent would be just waiting in preparation for a trap.

He disappeared with a rush of wind and he was slightly surprised to see Alexander sitting with a vine rope bound tightly around him. Galen paced in the small area, at times looking at the sky, Connor stood next to him, as still as though he was dead, he too watching the skies. Mark sat watching Stanley who sat white-eyed in a Cloaking Trance and Stefan looked at all of them without a show of emotion. Harry was disconcerted at the ease that a vampire could learn Occlumency.

He slashed his wand and the white from Stanley's eyes faded. He let out a relieved breath which turned into a tired smile when he saw Mark was beside him.

"You okay, babe?" the pale Hunter asked.

Stanley answered but Harry wasn't paying attention. He focused instead at Stefan, all of whom were looking at him.

"Connor said you'd allow them in here," said Stefan.

"It's alright," said Harry as he stepped into the wards; the wind stopped the moment he stepped in and so Harry assumed that they it was the result of a malicious spell. He couldn't guess though whether it was the Expressionists or Anna. Either way it was worrying.

"You convinced him, then?" Harry asked Connor.

"It didn't take much," said Connor. "Galen already expected that Alexander was in it too deep. The other one just wanted to be with his boyfriend. His mind was easy to change."

"Good," said Harry.

"Good for you, yes," said Galen. "But what about us? Will we make it out of this out alive?"

"You serve my purposes better if you're alive, so I'll try my best," said Harry.

"You promised me Mark would stay alive," said Stanley.

"I don't think I can do better than my best, Stan," said Harry. "At any rate I put the Hunters under your protection while I'll be away. Stefan, you'll protect Stanley and only Stanley. He's the most important one of this entire group understand?"

"An explanation would be good, but yes," said Stefan. "How do Elena, my brother and Lexi factor into all this?"

"I'm still thinking on that," said Harry. "But first I need my sense back. Stan, it's time we did the spell."

Mark jumped to his feet, shooting a glare towards Harry. "He's tired," said Mark. "He's not up for a spell."

"Unfortunately he has to if he wants your survival," said Harry and coincidently a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder echoed around them, so powerful that it managed to shake the earth.

"This is how it started last time," said Stefan. "When the three of them fought," he said in explanation.

Harry looked at the sky, all of them did and the chills came back. The skies were filled with dense and dark clouds covering the entire expense of the island, the trees around the showed that the wind had picked up, swaying violently to one side.

"A twister's coming," said Mark.

The clouds were starting to twist, a sharp point starting to descend from the sky.

"Merlin's beard," the wizard muttered as he watched the point grow and descended towards the ground. A flash of lighting soon joined the fray, soon after a rumble of thunder much louder than the last, within it speckles of rain. The point landed on the ground and the wards buzzed in a low hum.

"Well," said Harry. "This certainly makes things a little complicated. Who would have thought that Anna was really this powerful?"

"What makes you think it's Anna?" asked Stanley.

"We had a small scuffle and she distracted me with wind," Harry returned. "Caitlin seems more like she would use earth. Bonnie would use wind as well though," the wizard found himself musing. "She put out my fires with ease when I fought Niklaus. But this doesn't seem her style. She's more directional. While Anna doesn't care who she hurts as long as she kills Bonnie."

There was another flash.

"I'm just worried about our vampire friends," said Harry. "Unlike Silas they can be killed."

"What are you planning?" asked Stefan.

Harry shrugged. "Why not just let it play out? If they die, it's not the end of the world." Stefan scowled. Harry waved it off. "Don't worry about it too much," said Harry. "I'm not explaining because of that matter we discussed."

"Which could just be a lie so you could keep me in the dark," said Stefan.

"Much as I like that thought," Harry returned. "Putting Lexi in wanton danger is something I wouldn't do, that you have to admit."

Stefan nodded, but his gaze shifted to the sky as there was a loud crack and lightning descending from the sky. It was followed by a large bang, the earth moving beneath their feet. The rain began to increase, turning in seconds into a heavy shower that caused static when it hit the wards. Clouds thickened, growing so dark that the sun could not pass through them. Day had fallen and night come, lit only by three simultaneous strikes of lightning in the same place, all shaking the ground.

The twister grew fierce, growing thicker and moving in a tight circle in the same place the lightning had struck. All of them watched in silence, trees and rocks flying away from the tornadoes at intervals and at one point Harry thought he might have seen a human figured. He stamped down the urge he felt to go out there and look in the slim hope that it was Lexi.

For a moment there was daylight and then there was fire. Harry could see the red colour passing through the trees that fought to stay on the ground, but it was quickly sucked up and died in the tornado. The rain still fell in sheets, lightning flashing and the wind picking up in tempo. The earth heaved. Shaking furiously and forcing Harry to regain his footing less he get thrown off the ground, the same could not be said to Stanley but he was quickly caught by Mark.

"Connor," said Harry. "Do you mind testing whether or not the weather affects you?"

"Why?" Conner asked.

"Because if I doesn't I'm going to ask you to be my scout," said Harry. "I need to know who wins and how my Binding's dealing with this."

Connor let out a long sigh. He walked to the edge of the ward—there was a flash of lightning and the ground shook—and stretched out his hands before quickly pulling it back.

"I can feel it," he said with a look of disconcertion splayed across his features. Connor's hand looked much paler than the rest of him, a lot more out of colour, a lot more out of this world as though he was fading.

Harry sighed, scratching his chin in thought.

"I know a Scrying Spell," said Stanley but then he paused. "But then I would need a few supplies we don't have now," he muttered.

If only he knew the secret of this spell that let Anna and Qetsiyah see what Stefan saw, Harry thought, then he too would see what Elena saw—the ground heaved again, an earth crack echoing and Harry could almost feel the ground moved. In the distance, thought that distance was becoming smaller, six flashes of lightning lit the sky, slamming into the tornado and breaking it apart. Even through the rain Harry could still see the ember colour of fire and he assumed that his Binding was fighting back, not letting rain stop it from fulfilling its life mission which was to guard. But Harry knew it would eventually give out. He had bound the spell to something abstract, an idea he had, but the momentum it had left him it had lost some strength. Instead it had to depend on Nature for fuel and Harry couldn't help thinking that Nature might just cut that off because it didn't like him.

But of course Nature wasn't the only one to worry about for Harry, there were also the Fates to think about, because as sure as Nature didn't like him, they too held this same contempt. At least these were Harry's thoughts as he noticed the dark figure too late, it slammed into him and pushed him out of the protection of the wards and it was instantly that the wind picked him up and pulled him to the larger tornado that was already forming, taking the place of its predecessor.

Harry disappeared with a rush of wind, appearing just outside his wards but the wind was so strong that he could much as run forward before it grabbed hold of him and took him towards the sky, only this time slamming him against a few trees to make sure he wouldn't have the same idea again. Harry tried to focus but between the darkness, the rain and the wind—not to mention the cold when they were put together—it was the hardest thing to form a coherent thought. He tried to focus, getting his bearing, but he could see nothing below except the circle of golden flames that encircled the island, burning bright and not wavering. Letting nothing in and nothing out.

The wizard pointed his wand at the large swirl of wind, at the moment the only thing that posed him the most danger.

"INCENDIOS GRATA!" he screamed and fired shot out, only to wrap around the swirl and get sucked into the middle only to die out. "IMPEDIMENTA!" The spell hit and for a more it looked like it would work, the upper half of the tornado slowed for the barest moment before it returned to its full power not a second later. Harry was about to cast another curse when he stopped; the initial bolt was nowhere near him, but it seemed to change direction, writing itself across the ground so it could slam into the wizard and send him spiralling in a downward path.

Everything broke when he hit the ground, but it was only a moment in which he felt that before he died.

Being on the Other Side was perhaps one of the stranger things Harry had experienced. For one, the Hollows were with his, the Elder Wand in his right hand, the Stone of Resurrection on his left hand finger and the Cloak of Invisibility on his shoulder with the hood undrawn. Of course this was not the strangest part. He was no longer at the island. Instead he found himself in front of a large brown box which stood in a place with countless other boxes.

At the moment he didn't feel dead. But then again he had never really asked what it was like to be dead. Yes he had died. But never before had he felt the sensation of it.

His musing were cut short when something passed clear through his barriers and told him to come forward. Of course Harry said no. He wasn't one who followed blindly what other people told him to do, and he was sure that this particular voice was not his conscious. The voice became more insistent in its second request and when Harry replied in a no, he was quickly dragged towards and through the box, his arms outstretched and made to grab the statue inside and all of a sudden he found himself looking at his body, the wind buffeting around him and the island having split in two.

Harry realised he didn't feel cold. It was true that the rain and wind had some effect on him, as though it was draining the magic that kept him here, but he didn't feel cold. Just disconcerted. He concentrated, picturing the wards and disappeared, appearing instantaneously in the middle of the wards.

"Crap," the wizard heard from Galen. He hadn't noticed, but he had appeared right through the man. His oath garnered the attention of the others, not that they could all see what was happening. Stefan, Galen and Connor looked shocked, which was odd because Harry felt nothing of his current predicament.

"What's going on?" asked Stanley as he looked directly at Harry but saw nothing. He frowned and said, "Damn it, I'm forgetting spells. He's dead isn't he?"

Stefan gave a small nod.

"But how are his wards still in place?" Stanley asked more himself than any of the hunters and vampires—Harry noticed that the figure that slammed into him was Lee. "He doesn't bind them to anything. They should be gone."

"I'm just that powerful," Harry said putting a smirk he didn't even feel up to. The truth of it was that he wasn't entirely sure. Maybe this happened to the other universes as well. That his wards didn't fade when he died because he never truly died, but there wasn't a way to figure that out yet that Harry had found.

A flash of lightning, but its colour was off. Everything was off, Harry noticed. The world was no longer made of the full colour spectrum, but it varied between black, blue, light blue and lighter blue and no other colour. It was queer. Gloomy even. Not garnering much in the way of happiness.

"Well, this sucks," muttered Connor. "I'm guessing you can't bring us back?"

Harry smirked. "You'd think that wouldn't you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Harry didn't answer, instead focusing on the island that was steadily beginning to crumble, the large cracks starting to spread out, breaking the place apart.

"Stefan. You remember what I told you about, Stanley, right?"

"Yeah. Keep him alive," the Ripper said.

"I don't think I can fully explain how important that is," Harry said gravely.

"You could," said Stefan.

Harry hummed. "I'm going to try and find Lexi," he said instead. "I'm hoping my spells can have effect on the real world so I can lead her, your brother and Elena here before this island comes apart."

Harry disappeared before anyone could speak, appearing where he remembered Bonnie and Caitlin being last. Spires of sand rose all throughout the beach, trees uprooted and leaving a large patch of land filled with blast craters that had begun filling with water. Harry began running forward, following the twelve blasts of lightning that hurtled towards the ground and shaking the earth. The tornado had died but winds still whipped, thuds carrying through the rain and the faint sounds of people shouting. Harry ran, weaving through the craters and muddy pools until he finally saw them. All three were unkempt, looking battered, bruised and pale, their hair wild and their clothes grimy.

Bonnie and Caitlin worked in tandem, the other shooting projectile like spells at Anna while the other rapped on a long familiar spell that Harry had heard before. Harry fought in her own right, incanting a spell while using her hands to cast another. There was a blast of wind that hurtled towards the Expressionist but Bonnie called a shield; when the two spell collided the earth shook. A flash of lightning came from above but Anna was prepared, fourteen bolts of lightning slammed into her but the only signs was a rivulet of blood from her nose.

She screamed a high pitched scream and unadulterated power spread through the air, knocking everything back.

"Protego Maxima," Harry quickly said and the shield formed, bending under the onslaught but it won over. Not the same could be said for Bonnie. The girl had been thrown clear across the empty filled and dragged through a muddy mess. She didn't move, lying on the ground with fatigued breaths.

Caitlin didn't look much better, but she still tried casting one last spell only to be thrown back by a flick of the hand. She too didn't move. Too tired to continue fighting for her life. Ann too was panting, she too looked fatigued, but there was a crazed look in her as she began walking towards Bonnie, her steps jerky as though she might give out in any moment.

Harry doubted a spell of his own would help, but no less he had to try. He pointed his wand, ready to cast a spell he was sure would even on the Other Side. But before the syllable could even leaving his mouth there was a flash of lightning that hurtled like a long beam straight towards Anna. She had no time to react. It hit and the girl's body fell to its knees. Charred beyond recognition.

"No one," Harry heard and quickly turned. "Hurts my mother," finished a boy in his late teens, dark hair and silver eyes, with a beacon coming from him that he was an Expressionist.

The boy dropped to his knees. The colour fading from him to the point where he looked like a ghost: pale and see-through.

For a long moment Harry gaped, looking at the boy, the son of Atticus and Caitlin Shane most probably, and wondered. How many powerful witches could this world house before it destroyed itself?