Chapter 29
Knowing that Harry was passed the point the Tefonians could help him, Tommy took him to the most advanced healer he knew. So he teleported not to a set location but rather reached out for his father's essence and allowed Zedd to control the teleport. He appeared in the throne room of the moon palace with Harry in his arms.
He met his father's eyes. "Can you heal him?"
Zedd kept his expression emotionless as he stepped forward and began to scan the child in Tommy's arms. Inside he was cheering though. His son came to him for help. This was his chance. "What caused this? Something in your uncle's words told you he was in danger."
"I knew of no wizardry magic that could cause the type connection Sev described until he said it was through the scar from when Voldemort tried to kill him," Tommy explained. "When I killed Voldemort I saw and destroyed several pathways leading off from his soul, as well as saw the remains of one pathway that had already been destroyed. These pathways were created by the splitting of his soul and storing a piece of it in some object as a Horcrux, foolishly thinking it'd make him immortal. The last pathway was different from the others. Whether purposely or accidentally, he made a Horcrux out of this boy. When I severed that connection …"
Zedd finished, "It sent the child into shock as he's carried this piece of soul within him most of his life." He finished his scans and found only one way to save the child. "We can save him, my son. However only we can do so. I must ask why you wish him saved. Is it simply guilt driving you or is he worthy?" Zedd knew he wouldn't have to explain. Though he was unaware of who his son saved before, Zedd had felt two separate moments when Tommy shared his life force with others. Therefore Tommy already knew exactly how intense the connection forged with such a process.
Tommy didn't speak for a long moment. He looked down at the fifteen year old boy in his arms. They were the same age yet this boy looked younger. He was small for their age, too light. He'd obviously had a hard life. Tommy wasn't sure why he wanted to save this boy so badly. It didn't feel like just guilt yet he knew almost nothing of Harry. He just seemed drawn to help, just like the children he helped off the streets in Angel Grove or the times he'd stepped between some adult abusing a child.
"I can place him in stasis," Zedd offered. "It would give us another day."
Tommy nodded. "I think I need to find out more about him."
Zedd wrapped his magic around Harry then motioned Goldar forward to take the child from Tommy's arms. "It will last twenty four hours only."
Tommy nodded and teleported out.
***
Tommy teleported back to the Gryffindor common room where Jason was reassuring the other Gryffindors that Harry was in good hands. Everyone turned to Tommy as he appeared, questioning Harry's condition. Even though most the House had gone home for the holidays, those that remained still managed to create a deafening sound.
Tommy ignored them for the moment. He met Jason's eyes and stated, "I need to know more about him."
Jason frowned in confusion for just a second before it occurred to him what Tommy wasn't saying. Harry Potter was mortally wounded and Tommy wanted to know if he should share his life force with the boy. Jason took a deep breath and slowly let it out, centering himself. Then he formally stated, "Everything I've seen is yours to see, Grid Master."
Without another word, Tommy used the connection formed when he shared his life force with Jason to view every memory Jason had that was even slightly connected with Harry Potter.
"Do you really believe you're a better team from ignoring everyone? 'Cause that sounds like a stupid reason not to make friends."
"Who are you?" Jason asked.
"I'm Harry Potter. My friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."
"You ever been in war, kid?"
Harry laughed while Hermione summoned a book and thrust it at Jason. "You really don't know who I am."
Jason skimmed the text. "Tough start. Doesn't answer my question though."
Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione called more books over. "'Moine lay off the books," he said before turning to Jason. "Voldemort didn't die that night, he just became incorporeal. He came back. When I was eleven, my first year here, he possessed our DADA Professor. I ended up facing him alone and Quirrel died, Voldemort ended up without a body to possess again. Second year, a uh … this'll sound weird but a memory of Voldemort from when he was a student here opened the Chamber of Secrets and set a basilisk loose on the school. Our defense professor was a fake who tried to obliviate me and Ron when we went to him for help. I found the chamber and again faced him alone, killed the basilisk and destroyed the possessed diary that held the memory. Third year, the year we had a real defense course, everyone thought the escaped convict that betrayed my parents was after me and we had to deal with Dementors guarding the school. Turned out Sirius was innocent and he was trying to take out the true betrayer. Fourth year I was entered against my will in the TriWizard Tournament by a Death Eater posing as our defense professor. When Cedric and I won, we touched the Cup and it turned out to be a portkey that took us to a graveyard where Wormtail, the betrayer, killed Cedric and used my blood to resurrect Voldemort. I know war."
Jason and Zack nodded in agreement. Jason asked, "How many close friends do you have then? I bet it's not that big a number and I bet you've tried to push them away too."
Harry nodded. "You lied to your friend then."
"No. -- Yes. I really meant it that our closeness as a team is one of our greatest strengths but that doesn't really keep anyone else out. I just couldn't tell Tommy the full reason."
Zack said, "It's easier not to let anyone close. -- I was seriously dating a girl, Natasha, when the first attack occurred and Zordon chose the five of us as Rangers. I kept dating her even though it was hard to explain why I was late or skipped out early or just didn't show sometimes since we couldn't tell anyone we were Rangers. She didn't understand but she trusted me and we stayed together. Then in … uh, let's say one of Rita's first successes against us, Natasha died. It wasn't even because we were together, she was just a casualty. Wrong place at the wrong time kinda thing. And Natasha, she was just a girl, human. She didn't stand a chance. I didn't even know it at the time. She wasn't at school the next day and I called her after classes. I'd thought she'd just taken a sick day. I never imagined …" Zack broke off, wiped a tear from his eyes. "Anyway, I've kept a distance from non-Rangers since then. Flirted a few times but always with girls I knew would say no."
"Mine was targeted," Jason said. "My parents and little sister were killed because I am the Red Tyrannosaurus Dino Ranger, I am the leader. They wanted to hurt me, to break me. It didn't work." Jason paused. "They failed but my family is still just as dead. So I keep a distance. Rangers are already targets, no reason to give them powerless ones."
"Why didn't you tell Tommy this?" Harry questioned.
"Because he's Tommy. He's the target in the war. There's always been obvious reasons for that; Tommy's the most talented of us, the most powerful, the greatest. But it's also always felt like the logical reasons for him to be targeted had little to do with anything. But anyway, telling Tommy that reason would be like telling him to distance himself from us. 'Cause compared to Tommy, we're the ones like my family or Zack's Natasha."
Harry looked thoughtful. "I think Tommy's right. Yeah, our friends do become targets but they're also what give you the strength to fight. I'm afraid for my friends all the time but if I didn't have them, I would have given up along time ago. I'd die for my beliefs, I'd die so people I don't know can live in freedom and safety but I live for my friends. I think that's why Tommy was telling all of you to try and let others in, he wanted you to have more to live for. You make your own choice in that but if you decide to quit letting your enemies and your fears run your life, I'd be proud to call you friends."
Jason and Zack just stared at him for a long moment. Jason spoke first. "Powers, you sound like Tommy. I'd be honored to have you as a friend, Harry."
The memories continued, showing normal life within Hogwarts. Them watching Harry play Quidditch then Harry teaching them to fly and how to play. Studying. Playing Wizard Chess or Exploding Snap. Classes. When they finished, Tommy commented, "I knew you lied that day, Jas. I wasn't sure if you were lying to me or yourself."
Jason ignored the comment and asked, "What will you do?"
"Find out more about him, from people that have known him longer. Anyone in here willing to let me view their memories of Harry Potter?"
Ginny Weasley immediately volunteered. Tommy gently entered her memories, viewing her early years as she listened to the 'legend' and developed her first crush. Her seeing him for the first time when she went to see off her siblings when Ron started at Hogwarts, her listening as Ron returned from his first year with wild stories of his exploits with Harry and Hermione. Ginny's first year and her experiences with being possessed by Tom Riddle's Diary until she was saved by Harry with only seconds to spare within the Chamber of Secrets. The next years at Hogwarts when Harry would catch her when she was off alone and brooding over those memories from first year. How Harry helped her talk about it, never judging. Or would just sit in silence when that's what she needed. Ginny returning the favor in searching him out when Harry needed someone to talk to about all the trouble that always found him. The original crush on the legend changing into a true and deep friendship with the real person as she grew to realize how much of the legend was fake and to see that the real person was so much more.
Tommy viewed a few more of the Gryffindors memories before thanking them and teleporting out. Jason frowned as his best friend and brother disappeared. Tommy never did say what he was going to do about Harry.
***
Continued -- Let me know what you think
