Chapter Thirty-Five: Raphael's Confession
Harry's POV
In the following weeks Harry only isolated himself further. He crept about the castle undetectable, in the secret passageways, hidden rooms, and niches. He never came to meals anymore, and was rarely seen at all. Harry's favorite place was Needle Tower, where he'd moved in. The stairs weren't much of an obstacle; he either bounded up them or simply floated straight upward though the ceiling. The staircase was a deterrent for any wandering explorers, only the professors knew the tower was there, and it was a bit hard to find even then. He'd dragged a mattress up there some time ago, which took quite a while and it was difficult to find a spare mattress. There were lots of empty rooms and deserted classrooms, but not many furnished bedrooms. After a search he found a private room and raided it. There were even sheets and a quilt in a dresser drawer.
I'm hungry… I should go down to the house elves and get some food.
A minute later Harry was walking through the halls nearing the kitchens, walking so close to the wall was practically scraping against it. He almost made it to the kitchens without anyone spotting him, but not quite. Things had gone downhill since word of his being a Parselmouth got out, and he had absolutely no patience for stares and whispers this time around. His disappearance didn't help his reputation.
It was Darla. She leaned against the wall, without any clear purpose. She gave him a sideways glance, watching him intently.
Why am I always running into her? he wondered. She just pops up everywhere… at least she doesn't taunt me or say anything. Harry had a thought: If it was Ginny who was obsessed with me last time… maybe she still is I don't know but perhaps Darla has taken her place. Why else would she be following me? Maybe Tom Riddle is trying to find a way to get at me.
Am I worried? I'm prepared this time, aren't I? I know all the secrets and how to defeat the Chamber of Secrets, I have even more advantages due to new abilities, it should be a piece of cake. But Harry wasn't as sure as he was trying to convince himself he was.
Harry whipped his head around, stopping to stare at Darla intensely. Right as he had passed by her he'd seen something dark move by quickly in the corner of his eye. She looked a bit alarmed. Harry's eyes searched the hall but he saw nothing, nothing that would have moved by at such a pace.
Maybe it moved fast enough that it's around the corner already. Harry weighed his options. Breakfast… or chasing dark things… breakfast… or… No it's not around the corner. I distinctly saw it disappear. Noticing her wide eyed look he swept onward down the hall. The house elves doted on him, so at least someone wanted him around. They all reminded him of Dobby every time he went to the kitchen. Harry wondered if he'd ever see Dobby again.
He completely stuffed himself with eggs, sausage, and fruit tarts, which took quite a while as can be imagined. He finished off half a tables' worth. He'd chosen to sit at the Gryffindor table. He usually sat there. Harry felt drowsy all of a sudden, which was odd since he'd had several hours of sleep up in his tower.
The back of the fruit canvas suddenly flipped up, and Tracy strode into the room, seeing him she grinned triumphantly. "Gotcha!" She said, dragging a chair to sit across from him. She looked surprised to find herself at the Gryffindor table, and raised an eyebrow at him. Her face blurred for a moment, the room growing hazy. He blinked several times, and Tracy came back into focus.
"Coffee?" Harry asked, and a house elf scurried off. He didn't much like coffee, but it did the trick.
"You haven't been sleeping again, have you?" She said in a scolding voice.
"As a matter of fact, I have."
"Whatever you say. Harry, you didn't come to the Shadow meeting last night, I told you there would be one!"
"I was busy." He hadn't wanted to go, and had deliberately put it out of his mind.
"You need to come, you're just confirming your status as prime suspect for the Heir of Slytherin. Well… everyone is already convinced you are, but I think if you spoke to the Shadows they would back you. They're used to being discriminated against and the whole point is to fight that kind of thing. They would be very understanding, if you only came to the meetings and participated a bit." She pleaded.
"Maybe." He said curtly. "Participate in what?"
"Well we usually don't do all that much, if we've got some kind of objective we then plan and act on it. Like say, one of us is in TROUBLE." She gave him a look that made Harry know that he was definitely in 'trouble' and she was determined to take care of it. "Well… we were thinking to sneak out. You know, explore the Forbidden Forest a bit. We'd be quite safe as a group I'm sure. We know— as an understatement— a few useful spells. Who knows, being familiar with the forest a bit could come in handy." She rolled her eyes. "They wouldn't approve of me telling you this kind of stuff."
"But I'm a Shadow."
"Not unless you come to the meetings, you're not! And if nobody's seen you in weeks, you no longer exist." She wrinkled her nose. "Well we did have a meeting on Sunday where you were brought up…"
"What." He asked dryly.
"Well Alex said that we should keep an eye out for you. A Harry Potter watch. If you're not seen, they were considering hunting you down and demand some answers. Why you're hiding, if you're still one of us. I don't think… I don't think you can not be a Shadow after you've been initiated. If you're a risk they might threaten you to into silence or obliviate you." She shrugged. "I'm not really worried, though. I think you're too valuable to loose. They're sure you have useful secrets and would like you to be a constructive member. They told me I have to report if I see you. I'm going to report you, but only because I see no harm in saying you were in the kitchen eating food. Suspicious? I think not."
"I don't like people much." Harry stated.
"What about me?"
"You're… pretty okay." He said quietly.
"Pretty okay…" She looked sad.
"You're fine."
"Fine?"
"Uh… alright… you're my best friend."
"Good." She grinned. "And as your best friend, I'm not one you need to hide from. We should hang out more often. Meet for breakfast again maybe?"
"Sounds okay to me." Harry relaxed. Even Hermione and Ron acted odd around him since the Dam Jastaniel incident. Hermione would start talking a mile a minute, desperately trying to make conversation, but Tracy looked at ease.
Feeling woozy again, he gulped coffee, blinking some more.
"Harry." He peered at her blearily. "I'm concerned about you. Being so isolated and antisocial isn't… er… healthy!"
"How so?"
"I dunno. That's just something my aunt says a lot." She grimaced. "When she doesn't approve of something. I can't stand being at their house. At mealtimes she gripes at me all the time, criticizing everything about me and disparaging how my parents raised me, everything they did wrong, what I mess they've raised."
"That's dumb. That sounds exactly like my aunt, actually, always going on about how great my cousin Dudley is and how my parents were good for nothing scum. Are good for nothing scum." He corrected himself. "You're not a mess at all."
"My aunt ignores her sons, but she sometimes says 'at least my boys turned out right'. Like I said, she talks non-stop at mealtimes, but then disappears. I don't even know where she goes, but she's always gone." Tracy was looking down at the table, Harry could tell she really didn't want to say anything further on the topic. What's so terrible that she's not telling me? She'd been adamant about not staying with them during the summer, too.
"Not healthy." She repeated, changing the subject back. "Are you planning to quit the Quidditch team, too? Merlin, Harry!"
"No, I wouldn't quit Quidditch. I just don't go to the practices. It's not like I'm doing anything useful there, and besides, I don't need practice."
"You are so full of yourself."
Harry grinned. Tracy winked out of existence. The smile dropped off his face. In her place was a great expanse of bark. "What the hell?" He demanded loudly, confused, and annoyed at being confused.
"Harry-" Somebody started behind him, but was cut off.
Tracy was shaking him. "You fell asleep! Almost toppled into the food, you would have a face full of table if I hadn't caught you." She glared. "Go to bed. Now."
"I slept, I swear."
"Obviously you need to sleep some more then. Now go!"
"But-"
"I said go!"
He did. Walking up to the back side of the canvas, Harry waved to her and pushed his way through. As he turned around the corner of the hall he felt someone following him.
"Tracy?" he called, turning around. But there was no one there. I swear there had been someone behind me. He frowned. He knew he did indeed need sleep. Finding a passageway entrance, he tapped on a knot on the wood floor five times, then gave it a good kick. The wood gave a loud sigh. "That was rude. I was sleeping."
"I know. That's why I kicked you."
"Rude!" The ground dropped out from under him and he landed hard on his butt as a crack appeared and the planks around him tilted, sliding him down underneath the floor.
"Always works." He muttered under his breath. Focusing on the task at hand, he sat down in and closed his eyes, letting himself lighten. He felt the air moving through him and tucked his feet under him as he floated up, and then they were no longer there. The plank proved no obstacle and he passed right through it. It shivered as he did so, and he pulled himself free, a bit shaken up. He looked around intently. He rarely did this outside of the tower; he'd learned his lesson with Professor Wolfsbane. He was invisible unless you knew exactly what to look for, but unfortunately the professor did, and went about it determinedly. Harry had passed him in the hall several times as he stared up into the air above him, hand twitching in his pocket. He only did it now because he felt he didn't have the energy to go all the way to the far side of Hogwarts where Needle Tower was and take even one of the stairs.
He stopped midair at another burst of movement, again out of the corner of his eye. He spun around determinedly. What had been barely visible to him before now came into focus. It was Raphael, the snake, who peered at him intensely before disappearing around the corner. Harry chased after, but as he expected his past consciousness incarnate had disappeared more than just around a corner. Harry was confused. Why does he keep flitting around, can't he talk to me directly?
Harry checked for corporeal threats; the coast was clear. It would be better to travel through the walls where no one could find him, but it was a bit draining and he lost track of where he was going. He bobbed in and out of the wall as he went, halfway in, halfway out, looking out to orient himself and then plunging into darkness and rocketing forward. Needle Tower he took straight up as usual.
He didn't realize how badly he wanted to sleep until he saw his bed in front of him. It looked so warm and comfortable, and the quilt was thick and perfect to nest in. He fell into it, kicking his boots off and vanishing under his quilt. He drifted into darkness, sleeping peacefully.
His peace ended abruptly. Face to face with bark again, he backed up far enough to see his tree. He hadn't traveled into his subconscious for some time, and hadn't recognized it at first. He stood on his hill, looking around. It was darker than usual, the sky obscured with thick clouds.
"Harry!" Talons dug into his shoulder. Arlene flapped her wings, shaking him.
"What? What? Stop that!" She settled down, satisfied with pecking at his ear. "Ow!"
"I've been trying to reach you all morning!"
"Maybe I was busy."
"BUSY! How can you be busy, this is important!"
"Passing out during breakfast was not convenient."
She nipped him hard and Harry swore she drew blood. "You're being impertinent."
"Aren't I the consciousness? And this is the subconscious world… doesn't that put me in charge?"
"Where did you get that idea! We share this body-"
"You do?"
"Of course we do. We live in your subconscious, where did you think we went. We're stuck on your damn hill, thanks. You could make some pretty flowers, at least. Maybe something interesting… like a big statue! Or a well!"
"You find a well interesting? What's interesting about a well? And what do you want a statue for, to crap on?"
"INSOLENCE!"
A bit afraid now that she would attack his head Harry sidled away from the tree, but as she was seated on his shoulder she came right along. Harry felt silly. He tried distracting her. "Uh… what's so important?"
"Raphael."
"Why does he keep following me?" Harry asked. And I thought it was Darla at first… I guess she really WASN'T up to anything.
"Well if you remember when your mother disappeared-" Harry's shoulders slumped and she almost slid off but continued, "- he ran off. Well… I haven't seen him since."
"So I'm taking that's unusual then. I thought you were stuck on the hill."
"That's the only place we're real, but we can leave. But yes, that's unusual. I tried not to be worried or anything-"
"What about Gabriel? I rarely see him, how come you're so worried about Raphael?"
"Gabriel's probably out staring at fruit trees or something. He's a bit of a flake."
"Oh well that's comforting."
"But Raphael and I hang out here most of the time. Gabriel stops through to attack the tree sometimes- don't worry it's indestructible from this end- he finds it amusing. It's been quite lonely all alone here. I don't find the real world very interesting. What's the point of watching people who can't even see me, when I don't much know anything about what they are doing, anyway? I can't think of a reason. I've become increasingly concerned about the situation, Raphael is very upset about something and he stormed through and yelled at me for a bit. Something about having enough and needing to talk to you. I said I would try to reach you but when it wasn't working he left."
"It's not like he came up and talked to me or anything. He just traipsed around all mysterious-like and stared at me."
She sighed, exasperated. "Look, I don't know anything."
Harry stood for a moment. The hill was silent. This is just odd. Why does everything have to be confusing? Did I mention odd? He shook Arlene off and sat down, and she perched on his knee, peering out expectantly. A few minutes passed.
"LOOK!" Arlene cried out. Harry looked. There was nothing. "I think I saw him. What does he think he's doing out there?"
"Practicing being weird. I'd say he's pro level now."
"You are getting on my nerves."
Harry leaned back against the tree, contemplating things. I give up. This is all beyond me… Raphael reminds me of so many things, though. Going back in time. Being here in this life. It's so different. Not so obvious to me but… I'm pretty different too. Living with the Dursleys had made me so quiet and sheepish! It makes me dislike them even more. I never got to actually come out of my shell and be comfortable with myself. Maybe I couldn't tell that much then, but now I can. I got to actually live a real childhood, it makes such a difference in my confidence. Sure the whole thing was a bit depressing. What with not being with my parents, and running around in the woods. Nevertheless, that's a step up than not being with my parents and living in a goddamn closet.
Suddenly something twined around his arm, and Harry looked down surprised at Raphael, who slithered forward over his leg and down onto the ground before them, curling his body and drawing his head up to look them in the eye. "There you are." Harry said, "What in Merlin's name is going on here?"
Raphael stared back. "I was told not to tell you, or there would be consequences."
"... but you are anyway. Is that the reason you've been hiding about?"
"Yes. They see everything. I kept my mouth shut as ordered for as long as I could stand it, but I can't take it anymore. It's insanity." Raphael whipped his tail about, agitated.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"THEM."
"Could you be more specific?" Harry asked, "Spit it out already."
"I'm talking about The Thirteen. It's about what happened to your mother. It was no accident."
Harry sat unmoving, stunned.
"You were told it couldn't be helped, we had no choice in the matter, that we were used by forces unknown. Lies. All of them. It simply does not work like that. There is no random force that moves people around, it's a ridiculous concept. I was forced to cooperate, but by them."
"WHY? Why would they do that!"
Raphael shook his head. "I'm sorry, they didn't say. I felt I had no choice anymore, I couldn't not tell you the truth and still retain a shred of morality. Because... I think I found your mother."
Harry's mind was reeling. "When is she?"
"Now."
"I thought they sent her to another time?" Harry demanded.
"They did. I'm not sure but I think she's still around. Maybe she doesn't know you're here, maybe they have some hold over her, I don't know. But I can show you where she is."
"How are we going to get there?"
"Uh…"
"Sounds efficient. Raphael, this is important."
"We'll have to see. I'm thinking your best bet is mist form… if I remember correctly the banshees could travel great distances very quickly. I wonder if you can successfully follow me."
"I'll have to try." Harry said.
"I'll go locate her again then, hopefully she's stayed put. I'll find you as soon as I do."
"Thanks, Raphael." Harry touched the snake lightly on the head. "
"Maybe if we get you happy again, we'll get a well." Raphael said brightly. "With a bucket."
Harry's cheek twitched. "As I am grateful, I will make no comment."
When he woke, Harry had the feeling he may have slept for a while. Annoyed he rolled out of bed, now completely alert.
Raphael unwrapped himself from where he'd been loosely around Harry's neck. Harry was surprised, he hadn't noticed him there.
"Those BASTARDS!" Harry raged. "I trusted them and kept their damn secrets of their existence, their powers, and my time traveling, from everyone, even my own mother. I am royally pissed off now. I don't care how, but I'm going to get them back."
"Somehow." Raphael agreed. "Don't worry Harry. In any case, I'm defecting and they can't do anything big without the entirety of the Thirteen. I think if I stay in your head and don't leave they can't get their hands on me without you letting them in. They have no hope of that happening. I'll go now and see we get this done as soon as possible. I've left Arlene alone long enough, I should have done this earlier." He disappeared.
Harry dropped through the floor. Really, this is extremely handy. Very efficient.
Harry grinned. I am so awesome. He laughed, knowing what Tracy would say to that. His depression was lifted, he had hope now. He took the halls at a run, relishing the feeling. He stopped near the library uncertainly, scanning it. It was pretty empty. He headed for the Great Hall. At the large entrance doors, he stopped and peered in from behind the wall. Sure enough, it was lunch and the Hall was crowded. It was an old, familiar sight. Still, he waited by the doors.
After half a minute or so, he finally decided to go inside. He swept in confidently and approached the Slytherin table. Those who noticed him stopped and stared, astonished. Tracy had his back to him and he pushed a fifth year aside (who gave the small second-year Harry a scandalized look) and took a seat.
"Hey person." He said casually, looking around and the table watching him. "… Hi."
He gave Alexander a small smirk, and he actually smiled back. Tracy eyed him, chewing slowly. She poked him hard in the side. "You're real!"
"Astonishing."
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
"Lunch."
She frowned as he looked for some dessert. Finding an entire pie he pulled several slices onto his place and started stuffing his face, not bothering with a fork. People were still watching him, but Harry paid no mind. I remember when that would have bothered me.
"Did you get some rest, then?" He nodded in response.
"Well that's something. Eating is good, too." She said and he nodded again.
"You are disgusting, you know that?" She continued.
Harry gave her his best grin and shrugged, swallowing. "You almost done?" he asked.
Tracy pushed her plate away, and he dumped his food and found a napkin to wipe his hands clean. They were still pretty nasty so he jerked his head toward the door, heading for the nearest bathroom and disappearing inside for a moment to wash his hands. He looked at her speculatively. "I think I'd really like to show you something."
She smiled. "I'm intrigued."
Tracy followed him silently through Hogwarts, and the look on her face changed over time. The smile changed to confusion, then annoyance as they went further and further.
"You haven't reached the worst part yet." He commented. Stopping at a door, he exclaimed "Stairs!" and flung it open. The steps to Needle Tower stretched before them endless, and Tracy tired quickly, and limped along sending him scathing glances whenever possible.
"What's the point, Harry?" She asked tiredly.
"I thought I'd give you the full tour." He practically bounded with energy.
Her feet dragged, but a few minutes later they reached the door at the top. They stopped and she caught her breath leaning against the wall. Pushing herself up again, she eyed the door curiously.
"Voila!" He exclaimed and threw the door open. They went in and Tracy looked around in interest. There wasn't much to the small round room, there was a rug, bed, and dresser he'd hauled up there. Getting the bed through the door had been a bit of a challenge, He'd finally found a spell that made it elastic like rubber and then squished it through. The best part was the windows with window seats, he'd thrown a couple pillows around. His stuff was stuffed in the dresser and spilling out. Hedwig was perched on the sill of a window left open for her, and her cage was open in the corner.
"This is where you've been staying?" She sounded impressed.
"I like privacy."
"Yes, I see how that might come about. Who IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would take those stairs?" She poked at a large glass bowl filled with a clear jelly like substance, watching it jiggle.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you. Spell materials residue. Slightly hazardous." She backed off. Harry glanced at her with an expression of superiority, smirking. "Well, at least I'm in shape."
"I'd drop that subject right now if you enjoy having a head."
"Point taken." He looked around the room. "I knew I should have found some chairs. I got a bit frustrated with dragging all my stuff up here and didn't bother. Nobody ever came up here anyway. This will have to do." He grabbed a few pillows off the ground and arranged them on a long, wide, window seat and curled up on one end. Tracy sat on the other side.
"WHAT?" Tracy yelped so loudly Harry jumped.
"I didn't say anything!"
"NO! What's… going on over there?"
Harry followed her gaze. Sitting on the bench had put the other side of Harry's bed into view, and in the corner was a pile of gold that had accumulated over time. Fury in cat form was rolling around in it, kneading it with her claws and purring.
"Not quite sure." He said, raising an eyebrow at Fury. "Bad Angel. No more stealing."
"Now that's just creepy." Tracy turned back to the window, biting her lip.
"You wouldn't even be able to imagine." He said softly, looking out the window too. They sat there for a couple minutes, watching the tiny people far away on the other side of the grounds move about, not saying a word.
Tracy sighed resignedly. "Alright then. Enlighten me."
Harry felt uncomfortable. His tongue seemed glued to the roof of his mouth. "I… well… it's rather long… complicated…" She waited. "I don't know how to even tell you. You're going to think I'm completely insane, but it's all true. I've never told… anybody before."
"How many times have I told you you can trust me? I would never tell anybody about this place, or any secrets you decide to share with me. You're my closest friend… even though I never see you I feel I could count on you to be there if I just needed it. I don't give a damn about what the Shadows think, or how the school sees you. I know who you really are."
"Do you?" He said, voice squeaky. "You may not... like me anymore."
"Shut up Harry. I decide that, not you." She looked at him intently and waited.
"I'm from the future."
"...come again?"
"I'm from the future. I was about to start my fifth year. . . then I blacked out and was suddenly in my own body as an infant. I didn't understand at the time, but I later found out that a group, called the Thirteen, was responsible. Working together, they are strong enough to move people about in time." He mumbled under his breath, something that contained several cuss words.
Tracy digested this. "That is bizarre! They must be really powerful. Tell me more, why would they do that? Wait… wouldn't you be like twenty-something years old?"
"No... I don't think so ... I certainly don't feel twenty. I know I've lived a lot of years now, but not like I've aged. I've grown and changed, certainly. My life was so different; I changed things a lot this time around because I knew what could happen. Somebody told me that I actually am not the same person, that I'm me with the memories of former Harry. I don't even know anymore, it's frustrating. The best way I can think of it is that I'm a twelve year old with my old self merged together to what I am now. But I don't feel like a whole new person, I still feel like I was once Harry Potter, raised by my aunt an uncle after my parents died, Gryffindor."
"GRYFFINDOR? That... explains a lot! You wanted to hang out with them... you would sit at their table in the kitchen... You really are different! How did you end up in Slytherin? Are you even a true Slytherin?" The last part made her frown sadly.
"I repeat, I've grown and changed, I'm not a regular Slytherin but I'm Slytherin in the spirit of the Shadows. I don't see that as a bad thing." This made her smile. "After a whole new life I was different, and the Sorting Hat recognized that."
"And you've kept this secret all of these years? You never told anybody!" She sounded awed.
"Nobody. Not even my mother who has the right to know, because it all involves her. I don't even know why really, felt too big of a secret I guess. I just couldn't get the courage together, it's just such an extreme story. How do you tell your mother she died when you were one and 'I'm really not your little boy because I was a fifth year but I still am twelve, really I am'?" I was reluctant to tell them that I was one of The Thirteen, and I basically did whatever they wanted without even realizing it. That I had no control.
"I don't know." Tracy's voice was distant, she was staring up into the middle of the round ceiling where the grain of wood spiraled in a vortex.
"It feels pretty good to finally tell someone. Today I decided the Thirteen can all go to hell and I'll tell everyone in the world about them if I want to. Which I don't but that's beside the point." He watched her. "I need a favor."
That caught her attention. "What favor?" She said warily.
"I'm going to be gone for a while. I don't know how long, could be a day... a couple hours... a week. I was trying to think of a way you could cover for me while I was gone. I didn't just tell you for that reason though! I didn't want you to worry when I disappear." Harry insisted.
"Alright I believe you." She gave him a quick smile. "What exactly made you think I wouldn't like you anymore?"
"Because I'm not myself. I'm a lie."
"Harry, that's depressing. You are not a lie. You're Harry Potter, the same person as yesterday. No matter where you come from."
He wrinkled his nose. "This is getting increasingly more mushy."
Tracy laughed. "Where are you going?" She asked loudly, as the question occurred to her.
"Remember Christmas? How my mother was never there? She was there before you showed up, but she left, and not by free will. She disappeared into thin air one day," He said, remembering. "We were a bit upset."
"That's terrible! Where did she go, did you find out?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah. I did. She time traveled, just like I did. Except not the same, with me it was my mind or my memories that traveled into my younger self. But my mother was simply gone, completely, to another part of time. One of the Thirteen told me that time moves people around sometimes. Have you heard of Camellia Chant?"
"Yeah. Who hasn't?"
"Well she's one of the Thirteen. She's the one who explained most of it to me. She contacts me sometimes." He left out the part about their relation.
"Camellia Chant... I should have guessed that one. Are they all seers?" Tracy wondered.
"Yes, at least I think so." Harry answered and then quickly continued. "They lied though. It was no accident; they took her away and put her somewhere. I don't know why but I'm going to find her."
"Whoa! They did it? Maybe your mom did something? Have you thought of anything that might have irked them?" She was now intensely interested in the situation.
Why? Why... she was a little bit of a Seer, wasn't she? Not one of the Thirteen though. She didn't even know about them, I don't think she'd be involved with them in any way. I AM involved though... it must be something to do with me. Harry cringed. "Maybe it's got something to do with me?"
"Can I come?"
"Not this time, Tracy." One secret off my shoulders, so many more to go... but Tracy was taking it all very well, he was impressed. Why had I underestimated her?
"Maybe—" He stopped abruptly. "Thanks for your help." He said in a rush. "Gotta go. I think you can find your way back, am I right?" Without waiting for a reply, he left her standing in his room, looking curiously after him as he raced into the stairway.
With a sigh, she went to leave too. "Bye Angel. Good luck with the hoarding."
Halfway down the stairway Harry stopped, listening closely. He knew she couldn't possibly have kept up. Raphael, who'd appeared behind her back a moment earlier and caught his attention, did again next to him now.
"How's this—" Harry's voice dissolved as he did himself. —going to work?
"Come down here." Raphael said and Harry did so. Once Harry was next to him, he tried to reach around him, but simply passed through. "Um... try to cling on?" Harry tried to wrap himself around Raphael ended up halfway inside him, around his snake body like an... ethereal doughnut. Ethereal doughnut?
"I'm cold-blooded!" Raphael exclaimed, shivering.
I'd hurry up then.
"Fine!" Raphael disappeared, and Harry found himself sucked behind him, feeling like he was traveling through a small hose. That's... unpleasant.
The pressure disappeared and Harry was able to open his eyes again, seeing woods around them. He unfolded himself and then condensed back into human form, landing on his butt.
Raphael was laughing. "Hey look, it worked!"
Harry was now covered with mud. "Haha... shut up. Look at me, nice impression I'll make."
"Look, how convenient! An ice cold mountain stream!" Raphael exclaimed, looking over Harry's shoulder.
"I hate you." Harry said bitterly, plunging himself into the water. He emerged shivering and drenched, but clean. "Lead the way."
A minute later Harry was still trying to peel his clothes away from his skin as they walked out of the edge of the woods, but the air wasn't warm enough to dry him off at all, the sky was overcast. He blinked in surprise. They'd passed between over a barrier between peacefully (though dirty) woods, and complete bustling chaos. It was an enormous causeway. People wandered around in between two long rows of shops and tents for as far as he could see, and there were even little alleyways and areas branching off. Farther down the line he could even see buildings.
"Hey, I've been here before!" He said suddenly.
"Yeah?" Rapheal appeared coiled loosely around Harry's neck.
"Yeah!" Harry strode forward into the crowd.
"I don't suppose you could get us headed toward the center, then?"
"Nope." Harry looked around. "It's a big marketplace, and I was kind of for sale."
"Yes of course." Raphael muttered. "Well she's around here somewhere. We'll have to wander a bit then."
"That's encouraging." Harry said absentmindedly, eying a furry creature resembling a giant caterpillar which was clinging to the side of a lamppost, eyeing him back. "What is that thing?"