Previously on Defiance…
"Now we come to the final and perhaps, the most interesting point. Mister Harry Potter, who for some reason, housed a horcrux all these years without any kind of distinct effect on his person- physically, mentally, magically and psychologically." He paused. He turned to Harry and gave him a scary expression. "The reason for that is that, Mister Potter was not born with a complete soul."
Harry and Sirius looked towards him so sharply that he almost feared they had snapped their necks. "What I mean is, the incomplete nature of Mister Potter's soul gave the horcrux a ….space, for lack of a better word, to co-exist when the dark lord created a horcrux unwillingly while killing the late Mrs. Potter." He regarded Harry warily. "In short, Mister Potter, you were born to be a horcrux."
"I was-born to be a -horcrux?"
"So it seems, Mister Potter." Nagnok replied amiably, as if talking about the weather.
"And- what does that make me?"
"Oh I'm sorry. Let me repeat myself. You were born with an incomplete soul. The empty space hosted a part of the dark lord's horcrux, which was destroyed when you were hit by the killing curse on the night of the third task. Once again, after that incident, you were living with an incomplete soul. Didn't your nightmares begin after the third task?"
Harry nodded, still in absolute shock.
"That settles it. For some reason, something happened during the fight, and more specifically, after you were hit by the killing curse. Something that changed something about you, gave you access to all this information that you find pumping into your mind now and then. Something that caused you to cast a Fidelius and part with some of your memories during the fight, and gave you wandless powers. Unfortunately, what that something was or is, I cannot say."
Harry was confused whether to look surprised or disappointed.
"There is one thing I can say, however. When you entered this room, it scanned you once again, and my inference says that for some reason, your soul is now complete and whole- Not an amalgamation, but you and yours. By some weird process, you have been able to find out the broken fragment of your own soul and merge them together."
"WHAT?" Sirius and Harry cried out in unison. Nagnok cringed at the increased sound but continued. "Let me rephrase that. Something happened between the time you stepped out of this room and the time you stepped back here. Something that somehow, brought you in contact with your own soul, merging it with your own, and now, you have your own, whole soul."
"Tell me if I am wrong." Sirius began, and for the first time, Nagnok did not take offense. "Harry was born with an incomplete soul."
Nod.
"The empty space housed a horcrux all these years and after he got hit with another killing curse, he is now having an incomplete soul again."
Nod.
"That was the point from when I started having these nightmares." Harry dropped in.
"Point." Sirius agreed. "Then you came up here and then, your nightmares stopped?"
Harry nodded.
"Excuse me, your nightmares stopped immediately after you came here?" Nagnok pressed.
"Yeah." Harry replied.
"Can you remember anything, anything at all, that had happened after you left this room?"
"Yeah, after that I just went to take my Lordship and the-" Harry's eyes widened as his eyes turned saucers, staring at Nagnok. "The wand."
"The wand?" Sirius repeated.
"The wand," Harry gushed, bringing his wand out and placing it on the table. "This is a family wand. I got it inside my Family Vault and I felt some kind of energy rushing into me when I touched- but that isn't possible is it, since this wand has been supposedly been in the family for over fifteen generations."
"That's impossible." Sirius snapped.
Harry turned to him. "What?"
"Fifteen generations- that is impossible. Your family- your grandfather and your father told me a lot when I lived with your dad at Potter Manor. You are the fifteenth generation descendant. It is impossible that this wand has been more than fifteen generations long."
"I respectfully disagree." Nagnok intervened.
"Excuse me?" Sirius deadpanned. "I lived with the Potters for over three years."
"I'm not disagreeing with your information. I am simply disagreeing with its authenticity. Every family is descended from some older family or tribe. The Potters have also descended from an older, and much more ancient family known as the-"
"Peverell. Potters are descendants of the Peverells."
"Correct." Nagnok surmised.
"How did you know that?" Sirius asked.
"Part of the information?" Nagnok urged, and Harry nodded. "I thought so." He stared at Harry for a moment and asked, "Mister Potter, may I see this… family wand?"
Harry extended his hand and handed the wand to Nagnok. The old goblin held the wand reverentially and began to mutter some strange incantations in the goblin tongue. The wand glowed with an ethereal glow for a moment before the sheen dissipated. "Just as expected, it has had exposure to soul magic."
He lifted his hands in a Dumbledoresque fashion and urged, "Tell me, Mister Potter, do you believe in reincarnation?"
"Excuse me?" Harry deadpanned.
"By my understanding, I have a hypothesis. I understand that it might sound seriously mind boggling but it is all I have."
"Okay."
"Here it goes. Someone… Peverell, let's call him Peverell since that was the original family-" Nagnok observed how Harry widened his eyes in shock but did not comment- "So this Peverell by some fashion, stores a part of his soul inside a wand, let us assume his own wand, since that would make much more sense. How he did that, is beyond us but never mind-" he paused, "- two millennium years later, he is reborn, but since by the astral laws, only one form of a soul can independently exist at any point of time, he is born with the rest of his soul." He regarded Harry warily. "You."
"Me?" Harry asked, shocked at the revelation.
Nagnok did not confirm. "What's next? Because of the incomplete nature of the soul, the new broken soul houses a horcrux for years until it is free and unrestrained. Then," he paused, "it comes in contact with the wand and the two parts merge together to form the complete, untarnished soul."
"Wait, this cannot be possible." Sirius barked. "Can it?"
Harry did not reply. His mind was racing far ahead. All those memories, all those strategies and ancient spells that seemed to just materialize into his mind out of nowhere and he would use those spells as if he had been using them for years- it all began to fall into pieces together. He closed his eyes as his mind reflected back on the dream…. The battle… the massacre…
This is the power of the Master of Death…
He took his wand back and looked at it. It was strange, how the wand felt so very familiar to him, more than his phoenix wand had ever felt…almost as if he had been using it for years. It all made sense. Could it really be possible?
"Peverell." He muttered softly, not feeling the stares that the old goblin and Sirius were giving him. He looked up. "Well, it doesn't change things, does it? My soul is now complete and-" he widened his eyes as a thought flitted through his mind- "do you think that it is the broken piece that has been giving me all that information?"
Nagnok shrugged. "Could be. It is beyond my expertise to test that. All I can say is, the more you practice and study ancient magic, the more you will get access to your old knowledge. At least that is my opinion."
Harry and Sirius looked at each other. It seemed that Fate herself was pushing him towards the Transfiguration Guild. "I think I have an idea about how to do that." He replied at last.
Nagnok nodded in appreciation. "I will continue to look into the matter, at my discretion. If I find anything else, I will be sure to inform you."
The two wizards got up clumsily, shocked and shaken by the revelations, and bid the goblin farewell. "Perhaps Mister Potter," Nagnok replied with a parting thought, "you should visit your family Vault. Who knows, maybe you could get some more answers to your questions."
Harry looked back at the old goblin. "My answers lead to more questions. I suppose I can leave the quest for some time."
"As you wish, young Lord, farewell. May you do the Warmages proud…"
Harry nodded.
The two wizards walked out from the Chief Shaman's chamber, into the outer compound where the portkey, apparation and Floo points were located. Getting to the Floo, Harry suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Anything wrong, godson?"
Harry tried to gather his thoughts together. "Sirius, this reincarnation and soul thing, I want to keep it secret. From everybody. I think it would be best if we took a secrecy oath about it."
"Are you sure?"
Harry nodded. Sirius took out his wand as Harry whipped his one out. Casting a semi-circular arc, they chanted the secrecy oath in whispers, not wanting to attract any kind of attention. The oath took effect and a blue sheen radiated out from both of them. Casting a privacy ward, Sirius replied, "This… this changes things, Harry. First the family wand, then all those abilities and now this reincarnation thing. Feels weird to think that you might actually be your father and grandfather's I-don't-know-how-many-great's-ancestor."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Doesn't matter, Sirius. They were still my dad and granddad, though I am still wondering about that picture—you know- I had thought that something about this would link with the picture, but- I don't know what to think." He paused. "Even if we agree that this thing, this reincarnation stuff is real, it happened two thousand years ago. That painting was made some forty years ago. I have no idea how to explain that."
"To be very frank, all these reincarnation stuff is creeping the shit out of me. I just want some… normality I guess. Sheesh! Never thought I would ever be involved in such creepy stuff." Sirius looked ill.
"I understand..." Harry returned. "Let's return to school. As it is, I am going to accept Dumbledore's offer anyway. I suppose I should spend some time at Hogwarts before I take off for long."
"Right."
"Where is this Guild, Sirius?"
"Nobody knows, Harry. Every Magical Guild is protected by powerful defenses and anonymity charms like the Fidelius. Only the Masters and the apprentices know about the actual locations."
"Right." Harry returned, "Let's get going."
An hour later…
"So, you are going off to be tutored at the Transfiguration guild?" Daphne asked slowly.
Nod.
"And you will be away for five months?"
Nod.
"Okay."
"Daphne, I- I know that according to our agreement, I am supposed to tutor you and I should stay here and be with my would-be-betrothed, and now this-"
"It's okay."
Harry glanced at her sharply. "It is?"
Daphne nodded. "Harry- I know that we don't love each other, and that this-this betrothal, is more of a political alliance than a personal relationship, but I understand. While my Slytherin self doesn't agree to the fact that my would-be is going away, leaving me alone to handle with things at Hogwarts; I am not blind to the political connections you will likely build in future through your connections at the Guild."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Daphne- I am going there to learn-"
"Battle-transfiguration, yes. However, you need to understand that to be a member of a Guild is being a member in the Elite group of wizards and witches that hold the true power in the magical world. I suppose you also do not know that every Master of a Guild holds a seat at the ICW?"
Harry shook his head. Daphne laughed heartily, ruffing his hairs with her hand. "Despite all your power, you are politically a dunce, my would-be-husband." She closed upon him as their lips met. After a brief kiss, she looked up at him. "I will manage. Besides, you will have much more to teach me when you return."
"Are you sure all you want me to do is teach?" Harry asked seductively.
"Well," Daphne purred, "maybe my future husband could teach me newer ways of getting pleasure out of things as well." She closed in as Harry held her face and kissed her deeply. Daphne pressed into him as they snogged each other. Finally, the two separated as Daphne looked up at him in the eye. "I may not be in love with you, but I like you, and I like this time we spend together."
"I am starting to think the same." Harry iterated.
"Hogwarts is going to be different without you." She confessed. "This year, it has all been about you. First I spent my time searching for you, then we trained together and then all of that- it is going to be different without you being here."
"Think of the DA." Harry retorted amusedly. "Granger went to such limits to gather the DA, and now I won't be at Hogwarts to teach them at all."
"What about those oaths then?"
"Well…" Harry tried to sound as casual as he could, "-the resident bookworm did not put that in the oath. Therefore, I suppose that the oath is going to hold, as it should. Perhaps when I return from my training, I can hold a couple of sessions."
"So thoughtful." Daphne mocked. "Are you sure you weren't made for Hufflepuff?"
"Nope. Always Slytherin." Harry kissed her again.
That evening… before dinner…
"Come in, Harry."
The door to the Headmaster's office opened up and Harry Potter stepped in. Dumbledore relaxed back into his chair as he observed the young man in front of him. "Come in, take a seat." He offered.
"I must say," he folded his hands in typical fashion, resting his hands on the table over his elbows with his chin held by his palms crossed into each other, "I did not expect you in my office before tomorrow evening. Specifically, after dinner."
"I have decided to take you up on your offer." Harry replied. There was no point in dancing around the entire thing.
"Oh." Dumbledore looked a little surprised. "Well, that is quite a good surprise. Any special reason why you did not want to wait till tomorrow?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't like to waste time."
"Right," Dumbledore nodded, "though I should inform you, Harry. You cannot traverse the Guild at night wearing your cloak as you do at Hogwarts. The rules are enforced very strictly over there."
"I don't need a cloak to become invisible, Headmaster." Harry returned, smirking inwardly that he had just used the Headmaster's own words against him. "I will just use a disillusionment charm this time."
Dumbledore shook his head amusedly and continued. "Very well. I suppose I can use this opportunity to make an open statement in the Great Hall."
"Statement?" Harry inquired.
"Why yes! Harry Potter is leaving Hogwarts for a Transfiguration Guild. This is big news. I would rather tell everyone about it in advance than deal with the political repercussions of not revealing this news before you leave. Just be ready to withstand the madness that is going to follow with my statement."
Harry almost smirked. Almost.
"Well, let's go. It's time for dinner."
The Great Hall…
Every eye turned to the staff table as Albus Dumbledore, wearing jet-black robes entered the Hall from the antechamber. It was quite a change from the usual flamboyant style that he preferred. Whispers from 'senility' to 'change of fashion' to 'something important' to 'imperiused' floated among the student population as Albus Dumbledore walked across the room and took his seat among the teachers.
The Headmaster stood up and addressed the audience. "I'm sure everyone must be wondering about my… rather distinctive change of attire, but worry not; I have merely worn this special and traditional robe for a special occasion today. You shall be getting your headmaster in flamboyant robes from tomorrow once again." Chuckling ensured throughout the Hall.
"Allow me to introduce you to the Transfiguration Masters Guild. I myself am an accomplished Master, having apprenticed under my former Master Thüringen for years before acquiring my own Mastery. This Guild has the distinction of having the most accomplished Transfiguration Masters and Mistresses the magical world has ever seen. Tonight, one of our own is going to officially leave Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to formally join the Transfiguration Masters Guild as a willing accomplice and train under the revered Masters there." He paused.
"I am of course, talking about Harry James Potter."
Every eye turned towards the antechamber as Harry James Potter walked in, dressed in immaculate black robes, ostensibly similar to the one Dumbledore was dressed in. They even looked kind of, Master and apprentice. His dress lacked the Gryffindor colors and instead, the thin film of armor over the black robes made him look quite formidable, and knowing what everyone knew from the duel, it enhanced his persona as someone not to be trifled with.
"Harry?" Hermione could not resist. "Harry is leaving Hogwarts?" She yelled out, distracting everyone else.
"Yes, Miss Granger. I have formally taken in Mister Potter as my official apprentice, and hence effective immediately, Mister Potter is awarded a formal transfer from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to the reverential Transfiguration Master's Guild with a certificate of good behavior and considerable achievements to back his educational background. We wish him the best in life." Dumbledore ended the formal statement as the entire staff table began applauding, a reaction that was mimicked by everyone in the Great Hall.
"What about his OWLS?" Hermione asked, rather loudly.
"Mister Potter has decided to self-study for his OWLS, and has requested an intensive teaching program at the end of the session to clear his doubts before the OWLS." Dumbledore answered, while Harry just remained silent, observing everyone's reaction.
"Typical!" Malfoy commented snidely. "Potter always gets partial treatment." Unfortunately, for him, no one agreed this time, much to his consternation. Ever since the duel, everyone in Slytherin had changed his or her idea about Potter. The Dark Lord might be back, but there was no way any of them wanted to get on Potter's bad side, not if the fifteen-year-old could give Albus Dumbledore a tough fight.
"He is not of age." Commented Zacharias Smith. Besides, the Guild takes in people who are magically adults. There is no way Potter could go in as one."
"Mister Potter just had his magical maturity after the duel." Dumbledore replied, astonishing everyone. "That magically classifies him as an adult. Since he is formally emancipated as Lord Potter and Black, there are no such issues." He paused. "Is there anyone else that has any issues with Mister Potter's selection and subsequent transfer? If you do, speak now or forever hold your peace." It was a tradition for an apprentice to be cleared of all charges and accusations before he could be formally accepted into the Guild. Since Harry was his apprentice, it was his duty to make sure it happened.
"No? Very well. I Albus Dumbledore, declare Harry James Potter to be of sound mind and character and transfer him to the Transfiguration Masters Guild with appreciation. So I have said, so mote it be." A bluish sheen radiated out of him as his formal statement took place and was accepted by Magic. Instantly, Harry's robes materialized into formal apprentice robes with the banner of a hippogriff with two swords in the background, on his right.
"Thank you." Harry replied finally. He walked up and sat on the Gryffindor table and Dumbledore continued. "Mister Potter will be finally leaving the school premises tomorrow at noon. Till then, he will be occupying a place in Gryffindor tower."
No one objected to that.
"Now that I am done with the notices, let's get down for the meal. Thank you." He sat down and instantly, the four House tables were flooded with the dishes.
"Hey Harry," Lee questioned, "What is going to happen about the DA?"
Harry looked back sheepishly. "I know I agreed to teach you all, but with this sudden change of plan, I am unable to provide the instruction you deserve. Perhaps Hermione will be able to come up with something?"
"What about Umbridge?" Angelina proposed. "If you are gone, we will miss our entertainment." She closed in conspiratorially, "there wouldn't be anyone to duel her, now that you are gone."
Harry gave a quick glance at the despicable woman. From what he had heard from Daphne, Umbridge had stepped down from her relentless pursuit of her madness; that is to say, she had almost numbed down and was just focusing on making sure that no meetings were held among students and reporting every tiny detail to the Minister. Ever since the duel, she had stopped mentioning both Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, and if Daphne's version of events were to be believed, she had gone out of her way to negate topics about him from being raised in the school compound.
"Well she will be happy, now that I am out of the school. She always wanted that, I garner, though not in this way." Harry smirked.
"Bought your way out using fame, didn't you?"
Harry spun back to look into the usual brown eyes of his once-best friend and mate, Ron Weasley, whose eyes were green with jealousy. "Whatever do you mean?"
Ron grit his teeth. "Nothing. You become Lord Potter and Black, emancipate and flaunt your skills and power, and now go on for cooler things, leaving your best friends behind. Some Gryffindor you are." He seethed.
Harry calmly stood up. Now that he was leaving Hogwarts, he might as well create some miniature explosions as well. Clearing his throat, he applied a low-powered sonorous to himself, enough to make his voice audible but not enough to make it uncomfortably loud. "What can I say, Weasley? After all, the Sorting Hat had chosen Slytherin for me. It was only because of my unfortunate meeting with Malfoy of all people that I decided, that being in Slytherin meant living alongside that git for the next seven years of my life. Given how he got on my nerves with his daddy-talk, I might as well as attacked him by the end of the first week. That was the reason why I settled for Gryffindor."
"WHAT?" A chorus of undisguised surprise pervaded the entire Hall.
Smirking, Harry faced the entire Hall, addressing everyone. "Oh yes, the Boy-who-lived was meant for Slytherin. After all, I even speak Snake." He hissed incoherently for five seconds, scaring the crap out of some of the students, but amazingly, none of the teachers stopped him. Either they did not mind it, or else they were themselves dumbfounded by the revelation.
"So the reason we are on opposite sides is because of the git?" yelled Tracey Davis, who looked midway between exasperated and indignant.
"Yes, Miss Davis, You are absolutely correct." Harry controlled his amusement, seeing the number of glares Malfoy was receiving from the rest of the House. He ignored the blank and stupefied looks his own House members were giving him. Umbridge looked ready to yell out in indignation, while Snape looked like he was about to vomit out the contents of the meal. Luna Lovegood had her trademarked dreamy look and a sweet smile fixed to her face.
"Any other secrets, you would like to reveal Harry? Before you go?" Fred enunciated, amused at the turn of events.
"Umm… I am sure I can think of something. Oh yes, Daphne Greengrass is my betrothed, legally speaking. Any attack of any kind on her person will be deemed as an attack on me." He paused, "the same goes for Luna Lovegood, whom I consider a dear sister." Given the dreamy look, either the girl was in her own world and did not hear his declaration, or she was the most accomplished Occlumens in the world.
Hermione seemed almost devastated that Harry did not even mention her or Ron in his speech, but said nothing. Harry turned back to the youngest Weasley male standing before him, seething at him. "Now Ronald Weasley, I had taken you and Hermione Granger as my best friends, but both of you betrayed me and revealed my secrets to a third person without my express permission. For that, I consider you oath-breakers. From now on, I officially break all kinds of ties with the both of you."
"Harry?" George asked, standing up in shock. "What did they do?"
"Ask your brother, and his girlfriend." Harry snapped. Then, his face relaxed and he continued, "My anger is only towards those two shits. The rest of you are my friends, even Ginny." Ginny smiled hesitantly at him. "For the record," he cancelled the charm and cast a privacy ward, "I would advise you to send Ginny to a mind healer, since I know she hasn't received any mental treatment after her… altercation with the Diary. Tell Bill, he will know what to do. If needed, I will personally bear the burden of her treatment."
George nodded.
Hermione looked completely shocked and devastated by the turn of events. This was not supposed to happen. All that she and Ron had done was for the Light. This was not the way they were supposed to be treated after everything that happened. She glanced at Ron who was literally seething with rage, as he sat down and began to gulp in more amounts of food down his throat. Not able to control herself, she burst into tears before running out of the Great Hall.
"I guess that is enough surprise for the night." Dumbledore commented as he stood up. Nobody refuted his statement.
Sometime later...
"That was some show." Daphne pressed against his chest as they lay on a bed procured in the Room of Requirement. Harry looked at her and kissed her forehead gently. "I suppose. I thought that since it was my last night, I should provide some entertainment, as a passing gift."
Daphne lifted her head up and laughed. "Never do change, Harry. Never change."
"If you wish." He returned, kissing her earlobe, as she squirmed.
"It is going to be… odd without you." Daphne confessed. "I am going to miss you."
"Bah! You will just miss the romance." Harry taunted with a cheesy grin.
"I was talking about the training. Who knew that you were actually a decent teacher?"
"Umm… you?" Harry returned. Daphne laughed again.
"When am I going to see you again?"
"Uh, I guess in a couple of weeks?" he offered. Daphne sat up on the bed. "A couple of weeks?"
"Yes. Dumbledore said that I could take a day's break every couple of weeks. He said that being his apprentice, I was welcome to stay at Hogwarts for the break as well."
"Well," Daphne paused as she kissed him fully on the lips, "that is something, I guess." Her hands went over his neck as she drew him closer, and felt his hands entwine around her waist, as they settled into another heated snog.