The sensation of flying was truly exhilarating, even more so when doing so under one's own power. The limitless speed and heights one could reach, one could theoretically fly right into space. Even someone like him could experience joy and excitement every once in a while.
He had waited too long, these mind games of the last few years had become merely an annoyance, and had found out that he had been among a traitor for quite some time now.
Soon he would have a war to fight, and before then he would have to recruit people to his side, but for now, he could just fly around freely. While miles of land and ocean stood between him and his greatest enemy, there would be plenty to hold his attention.
When he landed the cloud of black mist faded from around him and Lord Voldemort was back on the ground.
./_-^_^-/
Harry and his family hadn't just stopped in Italy, they went through Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine, before they turned around and went through Poland, Germany, and then back to France, albeit on the complete opposite end of the country from the Black Château.
The only country they had stayed in for any length of time beyond sightseeing was Germany, stopping to chat with Victor Krum who was there with his Quidditch team. Sirius had never met the Seeker before and he confessed that he and James had been massive fans of the Bulgarian Beaters Quidditch team. It was a sign of how respectful Victor was that he allowed Sirius to fanboy for a short while before asking him to treat him normally, something that Sirius was able to understand and pull himself together enough to accommodate.
Victor told them they would get free tickets to a game when they were next on the continent, in the VIP area no less, and so Harry and his family thanked the Bulgarian Seeker before continuing on their journey back home.
/_-^_^_-/
"Just leave it, Dennis, I don't care if you had a dream about confronting Harry. A dream isn't trustworthy enough to guarantee that you will even manage to do more than shout at him. I appreciate the attempt to defend my honour, but I'm happier now than I was this time last year."
"But Harry should pay, someone should make him, he is the reason you can only talk about magic with me. If it wasn't for him then we would be getting on the train together tomorrow."
"Stop that, Dennis! I know I blamed Harry for my circumstances at first, but now I realise that I am entirely to blame for what happened to me."
"It's not fair, we're the Creevey brothers, we swore to be together forever."
"I'll always be your brother, but just your Muggle brother now."
"I will find a way to unbind your magic, Colin, trust me," Dennis finished darkly.
/_-_^_^_-_/
"It's quite alright, Harry," Blaise said via their rings. "We can afford to wait to see if Mr Filch has had any side effects before we continue with anyone else."
"Are you still not mentioning it to Nora? Dudley wants to know if he should avoid the topic entirely."
"I haven't said anything, even knowing that it worked, I don't wish to build up expectations only to have them destroyed."
"Perfectly understandable, we're leaving in the morning and heading to King's Cross under disguise. Not just physical disguises mind you, but also disguising our magical cores. I have to speak to Daph before I go to sleep, so I'll be going now."
"I'll see you tomorrow then." Blaise heard the empty silence that followed the disconnection of the rings and went back to his notes on the ritual, which he could probably quote from memory at this point.
/-_-^_^_-/
Luna could hear everything, every ant and blade of grass, every brick of her house was crying out. Normally she enjoyed all of the sounds around her, but today was different, today they screamed of her mother's death, the anniversary of which was today. She wanted nothing more than for tomorrow to come so she could board the Hogwarts Express and return to listening to old stones complain about trivial matters.
Theodore Nott and Neville Longbottom were practising raising different plants, with the former only being able to raise mundane flowers while the latter could raise nearly any plant he wanted, at any stage in its development. He had managed to raise a silent adult Mandrake, something that he could do simply by imagining the changes he wanted in a plant and bringing them through.
He was currently trying to create an entirely new plant, though he wanted to let his heart guide the properties, and so he closed his eyes and focused on the earth around him. Where one moment there was only grass, there now sat a white flower with red stains in the middle of each petal, almost like an eye.
When Neville leaned over to smell it, he came to realise that it had no scent, but it hummed with magic. Opting to remove the small chunk of land with them in, transferring them to the greenhouse to be separated and reported, Neville would bring one or two with him to Hogwarts, to observe them personally.
/_-_^_^_-_/
"I have been here for a year, or at least the part of me that was Lord Gaunt has been here, and you neglected to tell me that you had discovered a Horcrux, let alone that you decided to wear it," Tom Riddle said accusingly.
"There's nothing that can be done, Tom," Albus replied calmly." All of my best people have failed to do anything more than slow it down."
"At this point, there is nothing I could do, but if you had told me of this within the first month, maybe two months, I would have been able to fix it for you."
"Alas, hindsight is a truly wonderful perspective to have," Albus sighed, dismissing the other man and retreating to his Chambers.
Tom left Hogwarts through the fireplace in the Headmaster's office, wondering what could have led to his reluctance to part from the ring. After all, there should be nothing about it that was valued outside of the Gaunt family, even with the fact that it was a Horcrux. Albus surely understood that when the soul shard was removed and reabsorbed then it would go back to being a normal ring.
/_-_^_^_-_/
As had become a normal occurrence for September 1st, there was a large Auror presence, with them even boarding the Express this time. When Harry, Dudley, and Elias found their friends and discarded their disguises, they were interrupted only by the trolley lady, who left after the group purchased a large quantity of stuff from her. They relaxed and let the train take them to school.