Chapter 15: Two Parts Truth to One Part Lie
Harry opened the door to his private suite and quickly made his way inside. His body barely followed his commands on the walk over here, and now that he was home, it yearned to find rest in the sweet embrace of sleep. Unfortunately as tired as he felt after the fight with the troll, Harry knew he couldn't go to sleep just yet.
With the looming conversation with the girls and Neville still fresh in his mind, he thought it best to determine what things he should reveal to them tomorrow. He spent the next several hours sitting at his dining room table thinking up every possible question his friends could ask him, and what lie he would give in response.
A large part of him felt bad for having to lie to them, but he knew he really didn't have a choice in the matter. Hermione had absolutely no idea on how to shield her mind against invasion and even with the brief Occlumency training Daphne, Alex and Neville received as purebloods, it wasn't enough for them to safely hold on to his secrets.
Over the past few weeks he'd already felt Snape push against his mental barriers a few times and since the greasy git wasn't able to get any information out of him, he knew it was only a matter of time before he targeted his friends to learn what they knew. As much as he would like to be honest with his friends and family, Harry couldn't risk the headmaster learning too much about him in this new world. At least not yet.
Soon the fatigue Harry was feeling began to overwhelm him, and his eyes closed of their own volition. It was then that Harry suddenly found himself in an empty room within his mindscape. When he turned around to gain his bearings, he was expecting to see Lady Death, but instead found a gorgeous blonde hair blue eyed woman staring back at him.
"You aren't Death," Harry stated to the beautiful woman in front of him.
"Oh no, my dear," the blonde replied with a smirk. "I'm most definitely not my sister. She's much too stuffy to be me."
At the mention of the relationship the blonde shared with his boss, Harry instantly realized who his mystery visitor was. Bowing his body slightly at the waist, he politely said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Fate. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"
"Must we be so formal, Mr. Potter?," the blonde haired beauty asked with a pout. "Please call me Fate."
"As you wish, Fate," Harry replied with a flash his famous Potter smile. "And please call me Harry."
Harry was surprised by how excited Fate was by his response and he found himself suddenly curious as to the purpose of this meeting. "If you don't mind me asking, Fate, but what exactly are we doing here?"
Fate snapped her fingers and suddenly a beautiful white couch appeared next to her. She sat down at one end and motioned Harry towards the other. "Please have a seat, Harry. I just want to have a chat with you and there's no reason for us to remain standing the entire time."
While he couldn't feel his body's fatigue in his mindscape, Harry saw no reason why he should stand on his feet for the conversation, so he shrugged his shoulders and took his seat on the other end of the sofa.
"So...what can I do for you, Fate?"
Fate stared at the green eyed Wizard in front of her, and she couldn't help but smile at his question. In the thousands of years she had watched over the destinies of mankind, she rarely found any who were worthy of attention from higher beings such as herself. Of the handful of mortals that somehow managed to amuse her over the years, the boy in front of her was the one she had the highest hopes for. He was bold, daring, courageous, honorable and smart. She had no doubt he epitomized all the virtues the Creator was thinking about when he first placed humans on the Earth.
"I was being serious, Harry," she replied happily. "I'm just here for a chat. By recommending you to my sister, in a way I too am responsible for you being in this new world. I was just curious as to how you were adapting to it. After all, it's not every day that I help someone traverse between realities. There are all sorts of rules against it you know."
"Oh, I see," Harry lied, not sure what she was talking about. "What would you like to know?"
"How are you liking this new world so far?"
When he thought about his parents, his siblings, his friends at Hogwarts, and how happy Sirius and Remus were in this world, Harry couldn't help but smile at the images that popped into his mind. The life he had now was beyond anything he ever dreamed of while sleeping in his old cupboard and he would fight a thousand Voldemorts if it meant he could be with his loved ones forever.
"It's brilliant, Fate," Harry replied with a happy smile. "Mum and dad are exactly how I imagined them to be when I was growing up and Rose, Violet and Daniel are the best siblings anyone could hope for. Sirius and Remus look happier than I've ever seen them in my old life, and minus the small problem with the troll, even things with the girls have been picking up lately. Overall, everything in this world is perfect. I doubt if I took the happiest day I had in my old world, that it would be able to compare to just an okay day in this one."
Fate was happy to hear that Harry was enjoying his time in the new world. She'd seen dozens of his counterparts choose to become the next Dark Lord, and after his upbringing, she truly feared seeing the same choice from him. Unlike the Harrys from the other worlds, the one in front of her was special. He was a Nexus.
A Nexus was a man or woman born every few centuries, and their very presence could change or alter the destiny of everyone around them. Many higher beings often speculated that this particular ability must have been bestowed upon these individuals from the Creator himself, because none of them would dare to let a mortal have such power.
From her own experience in dealing with such individuals, Fate knew that if a Nexus as powerful as Harry ever turned evil, she didn't doubt for a moment that he would be an opponent far worse than the Voldemort he'd been recruited to defeat. The fact that her sister's Champion was a Nexus as well a Child of Prophecy, simply made him the most interesting mortal she'd seen in 2000 years.
"That's great to hear, Harry," Fate said with a warm smile. "After everything you have suffered in your young life, I'm glad that you have finally found some happiness of your own. If ever there was someone who deserved a life of bliss, I have know doubt that it would be you, kiddo."
When she saw Harry begin to turn red from her praise, Fate was amused that a simple compliment would resonate so powerfully with the young Wizard. She allowed herself a few more moments to enjoy his discomfort, and then decided to take pity on the boy.
"What problems are you facing after the troll, Harry?," she asked curiously.
Harry shrugged his shoulders and said, "I messed up, Fate. I was so sure that I covered all my bases, I allowed myself to let my guard down at the feast. I was so busy having fun with the other Gryffindors, that in my arrogance I assumed everyone would be safe from Quirrell's distraction, and the girls almost paid for my mistake. As it is, in the process of going to rescue them, not only did Neville see me Shadow Walk, but all my friends saw my Animagus form."
"So? What's the problem?"
"What's the problem?," Harry asked in surprise. "They know about my abilities, Fate. Do you want me to tell them the truth about my past? That I'm your sister's Champion in this world? I thought you guys would frown upon me sharing that kind of information with someone else."
"While being an Animagus is rare, and a Shadow Mage even more so, neither ability has anything to do with your old world, Harry. These abilities are just a part of your magic now, and should you want to share that with your friends I assure you none of us will have a problem with it."
Harry was stunned to hear the news, but he was still apprehensive with sharing his secrets with his friends.
"I'm still not sure if I should do it, Fate," Harry said softly, his voice tinged with a bit of sadness. "I want to tell my friends and family the truth, but I'm worried how much longer Snape and Dumbledore will wait before they start using Legilimency on the people who are closest to me. If the headmaster even has inkling of what I'm really capable of, I know he won't stop until he learns everything he can from me."
"Stop being such a drama Queen, Harry," Fate replied with a smirk. "Your problems are simple enough to deal with. First, there is absolutely no way you can tell anyone that you're from another world, so stop worrying about it. When my sister transferred you into this body, she placed a block around you that prevents you from speaking about your real past to anyone who doesn't already know about it. Since no one in this world is aware of that information, your secret is perfectly safe from everyone. Dumbledore and Snape can give you potions all day and attack your mind until the two of them are blue in the face, but nothing short of a higher being can ever release that information from where it's stored in your mind."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the new piece of information he just learned. Since his Hogwarts letter arrived at Potter Manor, he worried about the headmaster learning of his old world. While he was without a doubt a Master Occlumence, Harry knew that with enough time every mental shield could be broken. He shuddered to think what someone like Dumbledore would do with the future knowledge he would have at his disposal.
When he heard Fate begin to speak again, Harry tore himself away from his musings, and returned his attention to the gorgeous higher being that was in front of him.
"As far as your friends and family go, Harry," Fate continued with a mock glare towards him. "You and I both know that there is a way to protect their minds, until you can teach them how to do it on their own."
Harry winced when he heard the solution he'd just been given. He spent so long convincing himself that his friends needed to be Oliviated for their own good, that he never once thought of alternative ways they could protect their minds. That's when he realized a part of him didn't want to tell anyone anything about his abilities.
"Is it wrong that I don't want to tell anyone about my powers? For once in my life I just want to be normal."
Fate arched her eyebrow, amused by his statement. "You call being a genius double Lord worth hundreds of millions of galleons, normal?"
Harry rolled his eyes at her mocking tone and snarked back, "Compared to being the Boy-Who-Lived and the The Chosen One, what I am in this world is normal enough. It's just if everyone starts knowing about my Animagus ability or that I'm a Shadow Mage or even how powerful I really am, things won't be the same anymore. I know for a fact they will all look at me differently and I don't want that to happen in this world too. I just want to be Harry."
Fate watched as Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat, and she could sense his fear of becoming famous again. After the events that occurred in his past life, it was something she knew he had to get over and she planned to help him do just that today.
"What is this obsession you have with being normal, Harry?," Fate asked him angrily. "The entire world dreams of being someone important, and here you are complaining about how much you hate your power and fame. Let me tell you something, kiddo, you'll never be normal. There are a few people in this world that are touched by a higher power and you are one of them. Last time you ran away from the fame and the power, and others were able to use your words and inaction against you. You really need to get over your fear of being in the limelight, kiddo. Embrace it, and you can use it to make a real difference in the world. Most people are just sheeps, Harry, and they're all looking for someone to follow. If you won't be that person for them, then they will just listen to someone else. And sometimes, Harry, that person can lead them all to their deaths. Just look at Voldemort and Dumbledore if you want an example."
As he thought about what Fate just said, Harry hated the logic he heard behind her words. He didn't want anyone to follow him and he sure as hell didn't want to become their hero again. He was more than willing to kill Voldemort and let Neville or anyone else claim the victory. All he wanted to do was live a happy life with his friends and family, but it seemed that would never be a real option for him.
Sometimes you have a choice between what's easy and what's right, and Harry had never taken the easy route before in his life. He didn't want to become a leader, but if Fate was right, his failure to give people another option to follow would most likely lead to their deaths. He'd lived through the destruction the second war caused in his old world, and he refused to let it happen again in this one.
Once his decision was made, for the first time in his life Harry was okay with using his fame and money to his advantage. He might not like doing it, but if it would help make the Wizarding world a better place, than he didn't see another way around it.
"You're right, Fate," he replied with confidence. "I will never be normal. I may not like it too much, but it seems I really don't have a choice in the matter. If that's truly my lot in life, than all I can do is use my fame to help make a difference."
Fate smiled when she heard his response. "In that case I'm glad to be of service to you, Harry."
The pair sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes and during that time a stray thought popped into Harry's head. He intended to ask Death about it the next time he saw her, but with Fate present now he saw no reason to wait.
"Fate?"
"Yes dear?"
"Why am I really here?"
Fate was confused by the question. She thought she had explained her reasons thoroughly already.
"I wasn't lying to you earlier, Harry," she answered. "I really brought you here to have a chat. You're one of the few mortals that has caught my attention over these long centuries, and I wanted to have a chance to speak with you. I know that technically you're my sister's Champion, but since I helped her find you I don't think she would begrudge me a single meeting."
"I believe you about our conversation today, my Lady," Harry replied quickly. "My question was in regards to this new world. At first I thought I was here to fight because the Boy-Who-Lived wasn't capable of doing so, but that theory went out the window very fast. From what I've seen of Neville so far, he's powerful. And I mean really powerful. His knowledge is probably between a 3rd or 4th year right now, but during our sparring sessions I've taught him some new spells and he's more than capable of doing some low level Auror chains. Frankly, he's a lot better Boy-Who-Lived than I ever was."
As she watched his mesmerizing green eyes staring back at her, Fate understood Harry's concerns, but she also knew why they weren't valid.
"You are correct that he is powerful, Harry," she replied knowingly. "In fact, had this been any other Voldemort he was facing, he would not need your help to claim his victory. But Neville is not a better Boy-Who-Lived than you, kiddo. You had to overcome many obstacles along the way to your victory. Had you grown up with Sirius and trained as you were meant to, your knowledge and power would have been just like his is right now. Don't forget...with a malnourished body and a block upon your magical core, you still cast a Patronus strong enough to drive off a hundred Dementors. And you did that as a third year."
"So if he's as powerful as I should have been in my old world, will he gain a special ability too?," Harry asked, his voice laced with hope and excitement.
Fate shook her head before saying, "No, Harry. While he will become very powerful after his Magical Maturity, he still won't have an MPI high enough to gain a new ability. The only reason you were able to do so, was because I allowed you to merge your counterpart's entire core with your own. As it is, you are weaker than any of the Shadow Mages that came before you."
Harry contemplated this new information, and his mind quickly began doing the necessary math in his head. The Goblin Healer that removed the block on his old core told him that if it never had been placed, after his maturity he would have had an MPI between 260-270. Since the Neville of this world was supposed to be as strong as he would have been in his old one, he could safely assume his god brother would be that powerful in a few years.
When his attention turned to his own combined core, for the first time since his arrival in the new world Harry calculated what his potential MPI could be and he was stunned to find that it would register somewhere around 445! If Voldemort was supposed to have three cores in his new body, how powerful would snake face be?
"MERLIN'S BALLS, Fate," Harry exclaimed loudly. "How powerful will Voldemort be in this world?"
Fate sighed when she heard the question. After the nice conversation they were having, she was hoping to avoid the Voldemort issue, but she should have known better than to expect that.
"Both of the followers who gave up their magic to him were above average in their power," Fate answered. "Once their cores are combined with Voldemort's, in his new body he should have an MPI of 635."
Harry felt his jaw drop at the news. How was he supposed to fight against someone that powerful? Even with his Shadow Mage ability, Fate just told him he was the weakest of the lot. How could the weakest Shadow Mage in history hope to defeat someone as strong as Merlin?
"How am I supposed to beat him, Fate?," Harry asked the higher being. "The man's going to be as powerful as Merlin."
Fate rolled her eyes and replied, "He's not as powerful as Merlin, Harry. It always amuses me when mortals compare other Magicals to him. When I first heard people call Dumbledore the next Merlin, I laughed so hard that I cried for an hour. Wizards and Witches today can't even begin to come close to their Magical ancestors. And their ancestors still paled in comparison to the Prince of Enchanters."
"So what was Merlin's MPI?," Harry asked curiously.
"Merlin had an MPI of 1095," Fate replied with a smug smile.
"WHAT?!"
Despite the fact that she was a higher being, even Fate had to wince at Harry's loud reaction to the news. When she saw the young Wizard trying frantically to wrap his head around that type of power she just described, she decided a little explanation would be necessary.
"During the time of Merlin and later the Founders, Wizards and Witches were quite powerful with their Magic," Fate explained. "The Hogwarts four were actually registered as being around the low 700s in their strength. The strongest Magicals in the world today, would be nothing but children when compared to their ancestors. Unfortunately blood supremacy and inbreeding have diluted the blood of Magicals throughout the world and with each progressive generation the Magical ability has declined steadily in all the families. At the rate things are going, in four or five hundred years Magical Britain could come to an end."
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only was he in awe of how powerful Magicals were in the past, he was also afraid of what the future held for his kind. If Fate was right, unless they made a big change now, his great great grandchildren might never get a chance to experience what it means to be a Witch or a Wizard.
"How are we supposed to beat him, Fate?"
Fate shrugged her shoulders and replied, "That's up to you, kiddo. I know the deck is stacked against you, but when has that ever stopped you from doing what needs to be done. You're a resourceful young man, Harry, just don't make the same mistakes you made in your old world. If you use every advantage you have at your disposal, you just might have enough to have your cake and eat it too."
As she watched the worry and fear melt away from Harry's body, and become replaced with grim determination, Fate knew the young man before her would always do the right thing. No matter the odds that were against him, she didn't doubt for a moment that he would fight until he won. It was something she had come to expect from the young Nexus.
"It seems our time together has come to an end, Harry. I doubt we'll ever see each other again, so I wanted to leave you with a warning...Do not become complacent with the events from your past. Despite the similarities this world has to your own, it also has many differences. If you fail to find out what they are, you will lose."
Harry was instantly alarmed to hear Fate's warning, but before he could ask her what she meant he felt a blast of Magic appear around the higher being, and suddenly she was gone from his mindscape.
"That went well," he muttered softly to himself.
As soon as Fate left Harry's mindscape and entered into her own realm, she immediately felt a presence appear behind her. When she turned around to see who it was, she recognized the beautiful red hair and stunning green eyes that belonged to her sister...Magic.
"Hello, Magic," Fate greeted the redheaded beauty. "I take it you're here to learn about my conversation with the Nexus?"
Magic eagerly nodded her head at her sister and replied, "Of course I am, Fate. I just want to know why you and Death seem to care for this mortal so much. It's not like we haven't seen billions of his kind over the years."
"It went well, sister," Fate replied, not believing a word the redhead just said. "He was everything I expected him to be. To be honest, I quite enjoyed our conversation together. As far as I'm concerned he is a fitting Champion for our sister and I have little doubt that he will be able to defeat Voldemort once again."
"That's excellent news, Fate," Magic said with a warm smile. "Hopefully our sister won't have to deal with the threat from this mortal for too much longer."
As she watched her sister grinning happily in front of her, Fate was confused with her sudden interest in Harry. She knew why she liked the young Wizard, and it was obvious why Death cared for him, but Magic's involvement still left her bewildered. Her sister never once showed any interest in Harry on his old world, and she found it curious that she did so now.
"Why the sudden interest in the Nexus, Magic? You never seemed to care about him before. Considering how important he appears to be to you now, I find it curious that you're so adamant that Death and I not tell him the truth about the Hallows."
"He gave up his right to the Hallows willingly, Fate" Magic replied, her green eyes suddenly glaring at her blonde sister. "He no longer needs to know anything about them."
Fate arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow at the response. "Oh really? Why exactly shouldn't he know that the Elder wand and the Resurrection Stone were placed inside his body the moment he arrived in the new world? You've seen the threat that Voldemort is to our sister, and yet you still ask us to withhold this information. Should that foolish Dark Lord gain access to her power, Magic, I assure you he will wage a war within our realm the likes of which we haven't been seen since the Elder Gods fought eons ago. Harry could use the power of the Hallows to defeat him."
When her sister refused to answer, Fate grinned and continued, "The deal Death made with the Peverell brothers explicitly states that she can never take back her gifts from them or their descendants. While he willingly gave up his title as the Master of Death, Harry still has access to all three Hallows. Why keep him ignorant of that knowledge? From his previous actions we already know he won't abuse the power."
Magic stared angrily at her sister. For thousands of years she had kept this secret to herself, but now it seemed she would have to share it with another. She knew if she didn't give Fate a valid reason for keeping the knowledge of the Hallows away from Harry, that her sister would eventually ignore her and tell the young Wizard the truth.
"When Death asked me to create the Hallows to repay her debt to the Peverell brothers, I reluctantly agreed to do her bidding. In my haste to make them for her, the three items I created were more powerful than I intended. At the time I didn't think too much of it, but the moment the brothers touched the Hallows I knew I had made a horrible mistake."
Fate was intrigued by the tale, and asked, "And what exactly is this mistake, sister?"
Magic grimaced at the question. She hated revealing the secret she'd kept hidden for so long, but when she saw the penetrating gaze of her sister waiting for her to reply, she sighed softly in defeat.
"Should one of the Peverell brothers or their descendants unite the Hallows, they would not only be the Master of Death, but also of Magic...me."
Fate was stunned by the answer. Of all the things she was expecting to hear, that certainly wasn't one of them. She found it hard to believe that Magic's realm would also be included under the power of the Hallows, until she realized what must have occurred.
"You added your essence to the Hallows," she gasped. "How stupid could you be, sister?"
Magic stepped back from the anger she could hear in her sister's voice, and knew that Fate had a valid reason to be angry with her.
"I did," she admitted reluctantly. "I made the Hallows exactly as Death specified. Each item had a small amount of our sister's essence within it, but in order to get the cloak to hide from Death's gaze, I added more of my power than I meant to. A part of my essence must have leaked through without me realizing it, and when it combined with our sister's essence, I didn't realize that it came from me."
Now that she finally knew the reason behind her redheaded sister's sudden infatuation with the nexus, Fate could easily see what her plan was to be. Since Harry assumed he no longer had the Hallows, he would never think to take up the mantle of Master of Death again. Once he died, with the wand and stone hidden inside his body, neither one of her sisters would ever have to worry about any of his descendents trying to do the same later. Overall the "ignorance is bliss" plan wasn't a bad idea, and Fate decided she was willing to allow it within reason.
"I'll make you a deal, Magic," Fate said to her sister. "Death and I will agree not to tell Harry about the Hallows, as long as Voldemort doesn't look like he's winning."
Magic knew her sister was a fair person, and that her offer was the best that she could hope for. With a reluctant sigh, she said, "That is acceptable, sister."
"In return I don't want you to have anything else to do with Harry, unless Death or I ask you for your help."
Magic was slightly offended that her sisters would think she could harm their precious little mortal and replied, "Fine. I'll stay away from him, but I hope you know that I would never harm Harry. I'm not that selfish you know. I realize how important he is to keep Voldemort from gaining Death's power and I would never hurt him on purpose. I even gave him a gift because I know how important he is to the two of you."
"What gift did you give him?," Fate asked suspiciously.
Magic rolled her eyes at the question and replied, "Since you entrusted him with the powers of a Shadow Mage, I thought I'd help out and turned his Tiger Animagus into a Shadow cat. If he plays around with it, he should find that his new form allows him to still use some of his Shadow abilities."
When she looked into her sister's green eyes, Fate could see that she was telling the truth. A part of her felt bad for thinking her sister would intentionally harm Harry, but Voldemort was a very serious threat and her warning still needed to be said.
"I'm sorry for thinking you would harm Harry, Magic," Fate apologized. "But now that we have a plan, lets stick with it until it needs to be changed."
Magic nodded her head and said, "Apology accepted, sister. Call me if you need me."
The following morning Harry sat on the sofa in his suite, patiently waiting for his friends to arrive. After his conversation with Fate, he thought for a long time about what he would say to his friends and finally he decided that it was time to start trusting the people that were closest to him. He realized the value of sharing the burden of his secrets with his friends and family and if they agreed to the memory Charm he wanted to place, Harry was more than willing to tell them the truth about his abilities.
For the past two hours he'd been adjusting the truth to fit how it would have been possible for him to learn these things in this world, and he was now positive that he had a believable explanation for any questions they may ask him. All he had to do was sell the answers that he came up with.
When he finally heard the knocking he was waiting for, Harry stood up, took a deep breath and made his way to the front door. As soon as he opened it, he was surprised to see only Alex and Daphne standing in front of him.
"Morning, ladies," Harry greeted his fiances with a smile. "Come on in. Are Neville and Hermione going to be here soon, because I'd rather go through this interrogation only once."
"Neville and Hermione will be coming in a few minutes," Daphne replied hesitantly. "We wanted to come earlier, so we could talk to you in private first."
After their parting words to him last night, Harry was expecting the girls to be irate, and he was suddenly concerned to see how guilty and upset the pair looked. "Is everything okay guys?"
"No it isn't, Harry," Alex answered, her eyes unable to meet his. "We're not here to interrogate you."
"What?," Harry asked, his concern growing with their atypical behavior. "Why not? After yesterday I thought the two of you would be bursting at the seams to ask me questions."
"We're sorry about last night,Harry," Daphne replied for the pair.
Harry was now utterly confused by the response. "You're going to have to be a little more clear with me girls. Why exactly are you apologizing to me?"
"You saved our lives last night, and we didn't even thank you for it," Daphne answered him. "It wasn't until we got back to our dorm did we realize the troll could have killed us."
When Alex saw that Harry was still confused, she tried to explain, "I can't tell you why, Harry, but when you starting fighting the troll last night, for some reason neither one of us was scared. We just knew you wouldn't let anything happen to us. It wasn't until we talked about it back in our room, did we realize that once again we treated you poorly. We yelled at you and demanded answers from you, when we should have been thanking you for risking your life to save us."
Harry felt himself blush at the praise, and he silently cursed himself for not having better control over his young body. "You don't have the thank me for last night ladies. I...I would never let anything happen to either one of you."
"We know, Harry," Daphne replied softly. "That's why we feel so horrible about the way we treated you yesterday. These past few months the three of us have gotten closer, and you have been more than willing to be open and honest with the both us. Alex and I talked about it last night, and we agreed that we don't have the right to demand things from you. While we do have questions that we hope you will answer, to be honest, we're both just a little hurt that you didn't tell us that you were an Animagus. The past few weeks we've shared so many personal things about ourselves with each other, it seems strange that you would hide something frivolous like being an Animagus from us."
"But we trust you, Harry," Alex continued. "C...could you please forgive us for being stupid last night?"
Harry was stunned by the sudden turn of events. He was so used to being hated upon in his old life, it never even occurred to him that he should be angry with the girls for their actions. The apology he received from his fiances was not something he was expecting, but he was happy with the sentiment. It made him feel good to know that not only did they feel safe in his presence, but they truly and honestly cared about him too. After the years he spent being blamed for everything, having someone apologize like this, was almost more than he could handle.
"Y...you don't have to apologize, ladies, but if you need to hear it, I forgive you."
It was at this point that the trio's "kodak moment" was interrupted by a loud knocking and Harry untangled himself from his future wives to see who it was. When he opened the door and saw Neville and Hermione, Harry quickly ushered his friends into the suite.
Once everyone had made themselves comfortable, Harry saw them all staring back at him silently, and he knew it was time to share the truth with his friends. He just prayed he was doing the right thing.
"After last night I think it's obvious that I've been keeping things from all of you and I'm ready to tell you what some of those secrets are. There are several things about myself that I haven't shared with anyone, but before I tell you I need you to know it's not because I don't trust you guys. My biggest concern was that certain could take this knowledge away from you without your consent."
Daphne perked up at hearing this. Having been raised as an heiress to an Ancient and Noble House, she knew how important keeping secrets from your enemies could be. It's part of the reason that her parents insisted that she start to learn Occlumency. "Is there someone is particular you're worried about, Harry?," she asked her betrothed curiously.
Harry nodded his head and answered, "Snape and Dumbledore. They're both Master Legilimens and I've already felt them brush against my defenses trying to look into my mind. So far I haven't caught their attention too much, but if either of them learned about the things I can do, I'm worried how far they will go to learn my secrets."
"Legilimency on underage children is illegal," Alex gasped. "Why haven't you told your dad about it?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Lack of proof. It would be their word against mine, and no one will think that the great Albus Dumbledore would stoop to mind raping children."
Hermione was confused by what she was hearing. From the disgusted looks that appeared on her friend's faces, she could tell it was something bad, but she really didn't understand what Harry was talking about. "What's a Legilimens and why are you worried about Dumbledore?"
"A Legilimens is someone who practices the art of Legilimency, Hermione, and said person can use their ability to look into your mind and see all of your memories," Harry answered. "As for Dumbledore...I have reason to believe he is not as Light as he claims to be. The sorting hat even warned me to be wary around the headmaster."
Hermione was appalled to learn that someone could do that to her. She knew she didn't have secrets that were earth shattering, but that didn't mean she wanted someone to snoop around her head and learn all her private thoughts.
"That's horrible," she cried out. "Is there a way for us to protect our minds from them?"
"It's called Occlumency, Hermione," Daphne replied. "It's an ancient art that allows you to form shields around your mind, so a Legilimens can't read your thoughts. There are several added benefits to the art, but it's main purpose is to counteract Legilimency."
"Can you teach it to me?," Hermione asked her blonde best friend.
Daphne shook her head and said, "I don't know enough to teach you, Hermione. I only started learning myself a few months before school started."
"I can teach you, Hermione," Harry offered. "In fact, I can help all of you learn it."
Alex was stunned to hear that Harry could teach them. Amongst the pureblood families the Blacks were known to be the best at the mind arts, and from her own training, she knew what that process entailed. If Harry was able to teach them how to protect their minds, then he would also have to be able to test the shields they created. But Legilimency was strictly regulated by the Ministry and it would be illegal for him to know it.
"Do you know Legilimency, Harry?," she asked her fiance hesitantly.
Harry could sense the unease coming from Alex, and he was pretty certain why she was feeling so. "Yes I do, Alex," he answered. "But you don't need to worry about me. As soon as I claimed my Lordships, I had my Accounts Manager register my ability through the ICW. Even if the Ministry found out I was teaching you guys, they couldn't get me in trouble. Not only do I have all the paperwork necessary to use the skill, but I'm a pureblood Lord. They won't dare to charge me with anything."
Daphne shook her head slightly at how cunning her fiance was. By registering through the ICW he could use his ability legally, but still be able to hide that knowledge from the British Ministry. From the way her father had spoken about how things were done there, she knew for a fact the Ministry wouldn't check any paperwork the ICW sent them. What baffled her was why he was willing to share his secrets with them now? Occlumency took months to learn and years to master. If he told them the truth now, how were they supposed to keep that knowledge from Snape and Dumbledore?
"Harry?"
"Yeah, Daph?"
"Not that I don't want to know, but if you tell us your secrets now, how are we supposed to protect them? Occlumency takes a long time to learn."
Harry grimaced at the question. This was the part of the conversation that he was dreading, and if his friends didn't consent to it, he wasn't sure how could tell them the truth.
"There is another way, Daph," Harry replied nervously. "If you guys will allow me to do it, I can place a memory charm on whatever I tell you today. It won't stop you from telling others about my secrets, but it will make sure that no one will be able to take that knowledge from your mind. The spell not only hides the information like a Fidelus, with you as the secret keeper, but I also plan to place a mind Golem for added protection. It would take the headmaster and Snape a wanded Legilimens attack just to find the block, and if they do, the Golem will be more than enough to protect it."
When he looked at his friends, Harry could see the varying degrees of uncertainty they were all feeling. Memory Charms could be used to strip someone of their memories, inhibitions, and even their free will. It took great trust to willingly allow someone to place them on you.
Hoping to ease some of his friend's concerns, Harry grabbed his wand and said, "I Harry James Potter-Peverell-Daniels swear on my magic and my life, that the memory charm I described works exactly how I said it does. It will in no way influence your memories or inhibit upon your free will. It's sole purpose is to protect the secrets I will share with you. Furthermore, once you have learned Occlumency enough to protect your mind, I swear to remove the block I will place today. So Mote It Be."
"HARRY!", Alex yelled out in anger. "YOU MADE AN UNBREAKABLE VOW YOU PRAT. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? YOU COULD HAVE HURT YOURSELF."
"Is that what I did, Alex," Harry asked with a cheeky grin.
When he saw his fiance continue to glare in his direction, Harry was quick to wipe the grin off his face.
"Look, I...I trust you guys, Alex. I don't care about making the vow, because all of you are not just my friends, you're my family. In a few years I'm going to marry Alex and Daphne, and I already share a god brother relationship with Neville. I know I haven't known Hermione long, but she's already becoming like a third sister for me. I can't explain it, but I know deep down that none of you guys would knowingly betray me. Each of you is important to me, and I don't want to keep lying to you."
As he waited for his friends to make their decision, Harry sighed in relief when one by one each of his friends nodded their head in agreement.
"Excellent,"Harry exclaimed, as he clapped his hands together. "So...I think we can begin with the obvious secret...I'm a Bengal tiger Animagus."
Now that his god brother was willing to share some of his secrets, Neville was definitely excited to learn about becoming an Animagus. He'd heard about the ability from one of his tutors a few years ago, and he always wondered what animal he would be.
"How did you do it, Harry?," Neville asked his god brother excitedly. "And can you teach me to be one?"
"They're both registered with the Ministry, so I guess it's okay to tell you. When my dad and uncle Sirius were at Hogwarts, the two of them figured out how to become Animagi. I found my dad's journal awhile back, and it gave step by step directions and tips on how to do the process. I was curious what my form would be, so before coming to school I drank an Animagus revealing potion. I completed the transformation during the first week and now I can do it at will. So yes, Nev. If you have an animal form, than I can help you become one."
"Is it painful?," Alex asked.
"Not really. The first change is a little uncomfortable, but it's more because of how draining it is on your magic. Once you get used to the transformation, you hardly feel anything."
As she watched Alex and Neville nearly jump up out of their seats, Daphne rolled her eyes at their obvious giddiness. While being an Animagus was definitely something that interested her, she had a different question for Harry. It was something that had been bothering her for some time, and if he was willing to be honest with them right now, she wanted to see if her theory was right.
"Harry...do you even need to be at Hogwarts?"
Harry was surprised by the question, but when he looked into Daphne's eyes, he could see that she already suspected what his answer would be. "No I don't, Daphne."
"Of course you do, Harry," Hermione replied, outraged by his answer. "School is important. Regardless of how smart you are, you still need to score well on your OWLs and NEWTs to get a good job."
"Actually, Hermione, I'm more than capable of taking my NEWTs today. I might have some trouble with History of Magic and Astronomy, but I have no doubt I would do well on all the other subjects."
"What?!," Hermione asked in shock. "How is that even possible? You're just a first year, Harry. Even if you grew up in the Wizarding world, how could you possibly know the information necessary to take those exams right now?"
"I have an eidetic memory, Hermione, and I've been studying magic from the Potter library since I was seven years old."
When he heard Hermione gasp, Neville knew it had to deal with Harry's memory, but he still didn't know what it meant to have an eidetic memory. "Ehhh, sorry but what does that mean, Harry?"
Hermione was still awestruck by Harry's revelation and if she was being honest with herself, a little jealous of his memory. When she heard Neville's question, Hermione snapped out of her momentary daze and answered, "It means he has a perfect memory, Neville. Harry will remember anything he sees, hears, smells or touches for the rest of his life."
"Then why are you here?," Daphne asked curiously. "Since you're emancipated, you're technically an adult. You could take your OWLs and NEWTs whenever you want."
"To be honest, I came here because it was expected of me. I wasn't sure if I wanted everyone to know how smart I really am, so I thought it was best to go to Hogwarts and see what it had to offer. Now that I've been here awhile, I can veraciously say that I don't need this school to be successful. The only reason I stay is because of you, Alex, Hermione and Nev. I've spent so many years by myself, Daph, I just don't want to be alone anymore. I want to get to know the girls I'm going to marry some day. I want to be able to get close to the god brother I never met before. Hell, I even want to answer all the questions Hermione has about the Magical world."
"So...you're not planning on leaving anytime soon, right?," Daphne asked hesitantly.
Harry smiled warmly at her and shook his head. "I might be skipping out of some classes with you guys, but I'm not leaving this school until the rest of you do."
"What do you mean you're going to skip out on some classes?," Alex asked him.
Harry shrugged his shoulders and said, "I've decided I'm no longer going to hide my intelligence from everyone, Alex. Since I'm already good at Runes and Potions, I think I'm going to test out of those subjects as soon as I can. I sent a letter to Griselda Marchbanks from the Wizarding Examination Authority right before you guys got here. It's probably going to cost me a little bit, but I should be able to take the tests in a few days."
Neville was stunned to hear that Harry was already planning on taking his OWLs and NEWTs for some subjects. Since the moment he met his god brother, Neville knew that Harry was a smart Wizard. He just never realized how brilliant his friend really was. If Harry could really leave Hogwarts whenever he wanted, Neville was grateful his god brother chose to stay for them. He'd spent so many years alone at Longbottom Manor, he enjoyed the camaraderie he shared with his new friends. Unlike the other kids he met in the school, the people in the suite liked being with him and not the Boy-Who-Lived. A part of him was thankful that he wouldn't have to lose that anytime soon.
When the girls finally managed to calm themselves down, Neville suddenly remembered a question he wanted to ask about last night. "What was that transporting thing we did yesterday, mate? It wasn't apparation that's for sure. The trip was much too smooth and it didn't make me nauseous at the end of it."
Harry sighed softly when he heard the question. He was hoping Neville might have forgotten about it in all the excitement, but he should have known better than to assume something that lucky would happen for him.
When he saw his god brother patiently waiting for him to answer, Harry took a deep breath and said, "That was called a Shadow Walk, Nev."
"A what?"
"A Shadow Walk is an inherent ability of a Shadow Mage," Harry explained to the group. "It allows me to travel in between two shadows, regardless of the distance. I've tested it a few times, and so far I've been able to go from my suite to Diagon alley without any problems. I can't be a hundred percent sure yet, but it seems as long as I can picture the destination in my head, I can go anywhere I want."
"What exactly is a Shadow Mage, Harry?," Alex asked excitedly. "I've never heard of it before."
"I'm not really sure, Alex," Harry replied. "After my procedure over the summer the Goblin Healer thought I might be one, so I had my Accounts Manager look for some information on it. All he could find was a single book. I haven't gone through all of it yet, but I do know Shadow Mages are rare. The author of the book was the last one the Goblins knew about and he existed over 900 years ago."
As she stared at her future husband, Daphne could tell he was holding something back about his ability. Once upon a time that might have bothered her, but there was something about Harry that made her trust him completely. As much as she wanted to know what he was hiding, she had faith it wouldn't harm them in any way and so she was willing to wait for him to share that information on his own.
When she looked over and saw that Hermione was just about to attack her fiance with questions she was sure he wanted to avoid, Daphne tried to move the conversation along.
"It seems you're a bigger enigma than I originally thought, Mr. Potter," she said jokingly. "Any more earth shattering powers or abilities you want to share with us?"
Harry cocked his head to the side and contemplated the question. There was one more thing he wanted to share with the group, but he wasn't sure if it would be too much for them. After a moments hesitation he decided if he really didn't have anything to lose.
"Actually there is, Daphne," Harry replied with a grin.
When he saw everyone eagerly lean forward to hear his secret, Harry lifted his left arm and hissed, "SSSelena, could you pleassse come out and meet my friendsss."
Harry felt the Cobra emerge from the tattoo in his arm and he winced at the gasps he heard from his friends. Summoning the full might of his Gryffindor courage, he looked up at the group and said, "You guys have already met my familiar Hedwig, now I would like to introduce you to my other familiar. Everyone...this is Selena."
Hermione had to stop herself from hyperventilating at what she was seeing. Harry had just spoken to a snake that emerged from a tattoo on his arm, and from everything she read in Hogwarts A History it said this ability was the mark of a Dark Wizard.
"Y..y..you're a Parselmouth?," she asked in fear. "B..b..but only a descendant of Slytherin can speak to snakes."
Harry felt his heart skip a beat at the fear he could see in Hermione's brown eyes. He knew she wasn't his Hermione, but her face was the same as his best friend's and he never once imagined a day where that face would look at him and be afraid.
"It's just a language, Hermione," Harry told her sadly. "It's no different than me speaking in French or Italian. It doesn't make me a Dark Wizard."
When she saw how sad Harry was from Hermione's question, Alex glared angrily at her brunette roommate. As a Black she knew what it meant to be ostracized by everyone, and she refused to let someone as incredible as her Harry deal with it by himself.
"It doesn't make him evil, Hermione," Alex sneered at her friend. "In case you forgot, he's still the same boy who jumped in front of us to fight a mountain troll last night. How could you possibly think Harry was a Dark Wizard? I thought you were smarter than that."
Hermione winced at the anger she could hear in her best friend's voice. After everything she learned from Alex and Daphne about the Magical world's contradictions and discriminations, she should have known better than to accept anything she read at face value.
Other than the incident on the train with Malfoy, in the short time that she'd known him, Harry had never shown any hint of rage or violence. In fact, he'd been nothing but kind and generous with her since they met. She felt ashamed that she allowed her fear to brush aside her logic so easily. After what Harry and Neville did for them last night, she shouldn't have judged her friend for something he had no control over.
"I'm so sorry, Harry," Hermione cried. "It was stupid and insensitive of me to judge you for speaking to snakes. You're one of my closest friends, and I know you would never knowingly hurt me. Can you please forgive me for my stupidity?"
When he saw Harry nod his head and smile, Neville could tell his god brother was still upset. After everything his best friend had done for him, and the secrets he'd willingly told them today, Neville couldn't stand to let Harry share this burden by himself.
Without thinking his actions through, Neville raised his hand towards the large Cobra and hissed, "It isss a pleasssure to meet you, SSSelena. You are a beautiful sssnake."
"Thank you ssspeaker. It isss a pleasssure to meet you too. Harry hasss ssspoken often of all of you. SSShould you desssire to bond with a sssnake of your own, I have made many friendsss in the Forbidden Foressst."
"I will keep you offer in mind dear SSSelena."
The moment he heard Neville speak to Selena, Harry saw the girls simultaneously whip their necks in his direction. While he was most definitely amused by their reaction, he was even more proud of his god brother's actions. It was obvious why Neville shared his secret with the group, and he was pleased that his friend cared enough about him to do that. Neville had a strength of character that surpassed his counterpart's in the old world, and Harry was glad they were close in this one.
"You know people will judge you if they find out, Nev," Harry warned his god brother.
Neville shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I don't plan on announcing it the rest of the world, Harry, but I do trust the knowledge with everyone in this room. You were right when you called all of us family, because that's exactly what we are. If you can't trust family, then who can you trust?"
As soon as Neville's words registered in the minds of the three Ravenclaws, the two boys suddenly found themselves enveloped by the crying girls. At first Harry was worried about their reaction, but when he realized the girls were laughing, he finally allowed himself to enjoy the hug.
From his conversation with Fate, Harry knew he would never be able to tell his friends and family all of his secrets, but in that moment he was glad he was able to tell them the truth about the things that he could share. Secrets were definitely a burden for anyone, but if you could find the right people to share them with, life was far more easier.
A week after his heart to heart with his friends, Harry found himself standing in the W.E.A. portion of the Ministry. At first the head of the department had been reluctant to grant Harry a chance to take his tests, but when he quoted several pure blood laws in his return letter, the elderly matron forced to acquiesce to his demands.
When he finally arrived at the office he was searching for Harry knocked on the door of the Head of the W.E.A. and the moment he heard a voice call out for him to enter, he immediately opened the door and walked inside. At first glance Griselda Marchbanks made the headbastard look like a spring chicken, and Harry was surprised the woman was still alive let alone working for the Ministry.
"Good morning, Madam Marchbanks," Harry greeted the woman. "Thank you for allowing me to take the tests I requested today."
Griselda arched an eyebrow at the boy in front of her and replied, "Good morning to you too, Lord Peverell-Daniels. You really didn't give me much of a choice in the matter. Are you sure you want to do this, my Lord? These tests are not to be taken lightly and I highly doubt you are capable of passing any of them."
"I'm absolutely certain about my decision, Madam," Harry answered with a smirk. "As long as the tests are graded fairly, I believe you will be pleasantly surprised by the results."
"Very well, my Lord," the head of the department said with a sigh. "May I please have the form you filled out for your chosen tests."
Once she took the form from Harry's hand, Griselda gasped at the tests the young Lord had chosen to take.
Hadrian James Orion Potter-Peverell-Daniels:
Single Test Examination:
Dueling
Flying
Healing and First Aid
Human Languages(French and Italian)
Non-Human Language(Gobbledegook)
Physical Education
Politics and Law
Wizarding Etiquette
Multiple Test Examination:
Ancient Runes(OWL and NEWT)
Muggle Studies(OWL and NEWT)
Potions(OWL and NEWT)
"If you are certain, my Lord, then let us begin."
As he grabbed the first examination packet and placed it in front of him, Harry couldn't help but smile at the thought of the future. If the Magical world needed someone other than Dumbledore or Voldemort to follow, he would make sure he gave them someone that would shock and amaze them.