Chapter 8:

"I must hurry, the axial tilt will occur in a few days. I took too long in building the Heart-Stone. It was only meant to be a backup in case I failed. With it, our way of life will at least survive the invasion, though I fear I cannot foresee the consequences it may cause."

From the Diary of Merlinus Caledonensis; Earth, 537 Common Era.


Professor McGonagall tapped her wand to the aluminium bracelet, and it unclasped from Harry's wrist. He rubbed at the red rash that had started to come up from his sweat. Harry was beyond furious. The shackle seemed to come off on its own! The whole bloody time! But he couldn't figure out how to replicate the effect. There was no spell involved. Just the act of tapping the wand seemed to release whatever power held it to Harry's wrist. He wanted to bash his head into a wall.

"Ready Mr Potter?" Flitwick asked.

He was standing in the middle of a duelling practice chamber, hidden on Hogwarts sixth floor, with Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Lupin. It was shaped like a large amphitheatre, with sloping stands stretching up to the roof and a raised square platform in the centre of the room. Opposite him stood Professor Flitwick, in professional duelling robes. Pitch black with rune work lining the cuffs, collar and hem. It kind of resembled a trench coat, only way more bad ass. Harry wore a similar set of robes, ordered by Flitwick himself for Harry to use in their training. The half-goblin teacher absolutely loved Harry, for a whole host of reasons. And, Harry admitted he felt a similar affection for the charm's professor. He was the type of teacher you just couldn't help but like.

"Ready," Harry said. McGonagall stood on one side of the ring, Lupin on the other. Flitwick drew his wand, and Harry pulled the familiar rush of static into his body. It was so good to have it back. Mak flew beside him, formed in her armour. Ember sat cross-legged in the air, trembling and biting her lip. No one was allowed to witness Harry's training sessions. That didn't stop the faerie in the slightest (though it put one hell of a bee in Ginny's bonnet).

McGonagall raised her wand, and the sound of gong echoed through the room.

Harry flexed his legs, springing up, reducing the pull of gravity on his limbs through the Fusion Force. Three spells (Harry now knew enough of Enchantment to recognise them: Stupefy, Expelliarmus and another Stupefy) flew through the space he'd been not a moment before. Harry flipped in the air and surged the static through his fingertips. A bubble of Division formed around him, and two more spells were sucked into oblivion. Harry completed his flip, dismissed the shield, and pulled at his fusion. He became four times as massive as he shot feet first at his opponent. Flitwick was forced to duck into a roll as Harry smashed into the stonework, leaving a crater in his wake.

He spun around, pulling into his hand a sphere of electricity. He fired at Flitwick as he finished the roll, but the tiny man caught the blow with a shield. Harry had already moved to his next trick. He flattened his hand, and the ground around Flitwick's feet lost its form, reducing to sludge as the Decay Force melted it away.

Flitwick moved to cast another spell as Harry lunged forward, intending to catch the man in a Strength Force trap (which required physical contact), but McGonagall called "freeze!" and both Harry and Flitwick froze in place. McGonagall stepped up into the ring and waved her wand over the melted stone.

"Fascinating. If anything, I would say this is a partial transfiguration. You've turned the solid into a liquid state but haven't actually transformed it into anything. It's still stone. Can you manipulate it?" McGonagall's biggest goal was to find out why Harry couldn't transfigure anything. Regardless of whether he used Enchantment of Design, he couldn't do it, no matter how hard he tried.

Harry straightened up from his crouch, the fight obviously over, and stepped up beside the professor. Flitwick, despite now having sunk to his knees, seemed just as curious.

Harry held out his hand, and applied a soft touch with the Fusion Force, making the liquid stone rise up out of the ground like two tentacles. As he did so, the rock around Flitwick's legs decreased.

"I can't make anything new. But I can use Fusion to shape what I have," he explained. Professor Lupin stood behind them with his clipboard, scribbling frantically. It was his job to record everything Harry did with his powers so they could go back over the notes later and analyse it. A lot of the things Harry did were instinctive, and they'd found reproducing the effects the same way twice didn't always work out right.

Harry was still a bit confused by Lupin. The man had supposedly known his parents, but for the whole first month of his stay at Hogwarts, he'd ignored Harry like the plague. At least now, after a month of secret training with the lost art of the Imagineers, he would actually speak to him, those he wasn't as friendly as Flitwick or McGonagall.

"Hmm. Theoretically, if you can influence the chemical bonds of matter to convert a solid to a liquid, you should be able to rearrange electron patterns to reshape the atomic structure of the elements present…" She trailed off, and Harry restored the ground, so Flitwick didn't fall through the floor. The duelling master nodded to him.

"Excellent precision, Mr Potter. And the flip was well executed. Aided by Fusion?"

"Yeah. But I had to let it slacken to pull up the shield."

"Yes. A potential weakness. A wizard can hold a Protego while casting other spells – depending on their relative skill and power. If you can't…"

"Sitting duck," Harry finished.

"Indeed." He ran a hand under his chin, "Perhaps, instead of the leap, you can stay on the ground, but dodge the opening volley with your friction power. It doesn't present the issue we found with shielding first, nor does it leave you exposed as much as the aerial manoeuvre. But not useful in an enclosed space."

"I'll try it in the next bought," Harry said, thinking about how to use Strength and Division at the same time. The two weren't opposing like Fusion and Division were, which meant he'd have an even harder time of maintaining the shield and the slide if he needed it. No. The shield would be a setback if he tried it. If he used Strength from the outset, he'd have to rely on dodging. Or maybe he could try the air-based Decay wave he'd used against the Aurors. But it travelled slowly and would continue onwards to interact with the environment if not interrupted. He wasn't particularly comfortable about using decay against a gaseous substance, as it did release radiation as the particles broke down, and he didn't want to be responsible for causing unintentional damage.

"Perhaps," McGonagall said, still staring at the floor, "it is a matter of combing talents. Strength to bind and Decay to remove. If you used both at the same time, maybe you could rearrange the matter into the form desired?"

Harry shook his head, "Using two forces at once greatly reduces what I can do. It's one at a time, or both will be reduced in strength."

"Hmm… then perhaps it isn't using the two forces separately that is the issue. I will think about this." She glanced at her watch and sighed.

"As much as I would love to continue, my sixth years will no doubt be wondering where I am soon." Harry took a cool cloth conjured by Professor Flitwick and dabbed his forehead. Professor McGonagall pulled out the shackle and replaced it on his wrist. The static vanished from him, and Harry sighed in frustration.

"Professor, I've been meaning to ask. Will the shackle stop me from going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" McGonagall looked at him in suspicion. Harry blushed, red rising to his cheeks.

"I wanted to take Ginny on a date is all. But if you say no, I'll stay here." McGonagall's face softened instantly, and Harry gave an internal whoop of triumph. He did want to take Ginny on a date, but he also had an ulterior motive.

"Well," she said, slightly flustered, "No. It won't let you leave the grounds, but… but, as a reward for all the hard work you've been putting in with us and in your regular classes, I don't see the trouble in letting you go without it. You have to put it back on when you get back, of course."

"Certainly," Harry agreed.

"Minerva," Lupin said hesitantly, "What about Sirius?"

"I'm sure the Dementors are keeping him well away, Remus. I think Harry has earned a break, not to mention, Miss Weasley could use some fresh air." She turned back to Harry, "I'm very proud of you in that regard, Mr Potter. Getting Miss Weasley to come out of her shell after… after what happened is quite the achievement. Getting her out will be good for her."

"Besides," Flitwick said, taking off his robe and draping it over the railings separating the stands from the sunken floor, "without that inhibitor, I dare say Mr Potter could wipe the floor with not only Black but at least half the population of Azkaban. Maybe even two thirds if he had the element of surprise." Harry swelled at the praise.

"Well, there certainly is that," Lupin agreed. Then he smiled softly, "Go, Harry. Enjoy your date. Eat some chocolate for me." It was the first time Lupin had called him by first name. Harry grinned.

"Thanks, Professors." He grabbed his book bag off the floor.

"Just remember to be back before the delegations arrive," McGonagall said as he headed for the door.

"Oh, don't worry, Professor. I wouldn't miss it for the world."


Ginny was having what was quite possibly the best day of her life. She was, as of that very moment, walking down the cobblestone main street of Hogsmeade – her first visit, mind you – on the arm of one Harry Potter: certified bad-ass and wizarding heart throb. And it was a date. A proper date. With holding hands, visits to shops (Harry had bought her several to die for treats from Honeydukes even after she'd told him not to) and now they were heading to the Three Broomsticks for a late lunch, timed so there would be fewer crowds. Harry was being the complete gentleman, holding doors, letting her choose where they went. He'd even asked Fred and George to organise a grand distraction so that Harry's ever-present fan-club wouldn't be hounding them. It was any girls dream… and Ginny wasn't sure she deserved any of it.

She still hadn't told him what had happened to her. He hadn't asked, but he had to be wondering. What stories had he heard? Why was he even giving her the time of day? But no. She wasn't going to dwell on that. She'd been good the last few weeks. Working with Harry, studying with him, partnering with him in classes. He let her, and only her, use his private room. Harry's presence and his charisma had motivated her to actually try in her studies. The previous day she'd received her first homework grade better than an Acceptable since the beginning of her first year. Before the Diary. Before Tom. Even thinking about it left her shivering. No. She wouldn't let him ruin her perfect day. Even Ember and Mak, their ever-present companions, had agreed to some alone time. She thought Harry might have given them a mission of some sort, but she couldn't be sure.

"You okay?" Harry asked suddenly, cutting through the crisp fall air and breaking Ginny from her thoughts.

"Yeah. Yeah, why?"

"You went a little pale for a second there," he observed. Ginny flushed.

"It's nothing. Just thinking about how much better my life has been since you came to Hogwarts." Harry smiled softly.

"It wasn't me, Ginny. You always had the power to pull yourself out of your despair, you just needed a reason. I can't think of anything better than preparing to rescue helpless faeries." She nodded; not sure she believed his words. It was his power – his presence – that had drawn her back out of the shell she'd hidden inside. She didn't have any power. Tom had taken that from her.

They approached the Three Broomsticks, and Harry opened the door for her. She smiled graciously before selecting a table near the corner to minimalize the chance of being seen. Madam Rosmerta came to take their orders. Ginny ordered before Harry could interject. She'd long since learned that if she didn't force him to eat or drink, he had a tendency to simply forget to do either. And considering his clear malnourishment, that was something he definitely couldn't afford. As a result, she'd channelled her mother (something she'd previously promised herself she'd never do) and forced him to eat three meals a day. He could still only eat minute portions without becoming sick, but she was making progress.

Harry smirked at her Madam Rosmerta walked off. Ginny blushed and asked the question on her mind to divert him.

"So, you said you've been working on a plan?"

Harry grinned. "Oh yeah. I've figured it out. Tomorrow night, when Dumbledore is all wrapped up in the Triwizard Tournament selection, will be the perfect time to sneak into his office and steal the artefacts. I'll take them and hide them. When Dumbledore realises they're gone, it'll be too late." He leaned back in his chair as two Butterbeers were delivered to them.

"Okay," she said hesitantly, "but where will you hide them? He's bound to suspect you after all."

"True," Harry admitted, "which is why I'm going to hide them in Ron's trunk. Between that, and the fact my bloody shackle will be still on when he finds me, I should be in the clear. Besides, it only has to last one night. The next day, I don't plan on sleeping until I've rescued those faeries. Faeries don't have a physical body. Their kind of like… like mental projections of pure thought. So, if I destroy the objects themselves, it should release them." Ginny nodded rapidly, growing eager.

"What can I do?" she asked.

"Dumbledore. I need you to watch him like a fucking hawk. If he so much as twitches wrong during the feast, I want you to send Ember to warn me, and I'll bail." She nodded rapidly, but something was nagging at her.

"It can't be that easy, can it?" She asked.

Harry shrugged.

"I don't think Dumbledore has a very high opinion of me. That, plus how he expects everyone to just do as he tells them, means he has a tendency to underestimate his adversaries." Harry sipped his Butterbeer hesitantly and swallowed, a look of surprise on his face.

"That's not bad actually. Is there alcohol in this?"

"Not sure." They lapsed into companionable silence as their lunch came. Once again, Ginny was forced to make sure Harry ate at least half of what was on his plate. When they finished, Harry stood up, took her hand, and led them from the restaurant… straight into the flash of cameras.

What happened next occurred so fast Ginny had to go back and process it all later. The second Harry opened the door, a blast of white light went off in their faces, blinding the pair of them. Ginny was so shocked her brain shut down for a precious few seconds. Harry's did not. As soon as the flash occurred, Harry thrust his hand forward, making a flicking gesture with his fingers. The cameraman, the woman in a bright green coat with curly blonde hair beside him, and the two dozen other reporters and camera crews, all flew backwards as if hit by a blast wave. The paparazzi crashed on top of each other, and the crushing of numerous cameras echoed through the street as they struck stone. Harry grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into his chest and sucking the breath out of her. Then the ground vanished from under them.

She finally figured out how to scream.

They hurtled into the sky, Hogsmeade becoming a tiny blip on the ground within seconds. Across from them, the Black Lake sparkled in the sunlight. Ginny clung to Harry as tightly as she could, ragged breathing, face buried in his chest. They passed into a cloud, and Harry slowed them to a stop. She tried to suck in a breath of air but coughed instead as she found almost nothing to draw in.

"Don't breathe deeply. Their air is too thin for it up here," Harry said softly. She tried to slow her rapid heart. It didn't work. Instead, she clutched Harry tighter. Rationally, she knew that if she let go, Harry would catch her. However, rational thought was still a bit beyond her at this point.

Ginny wasn't sure how long they stayed there, floating in the sky with their arms around one another, but eventually, she started to calm down, and then the butterflies in her stomach found a whole other reason to be imitating a cyclone. She pulled her head out of the crook of his shoulder and blushed scarlet.

"We're flying," she whispered.

"Yeah. We've been flying for several minutes now," he confirmed. She pulled her eyes away from his face, full of mirth at her embarrassment, and looked down. The cloud had passed, and the sun was starting to sink towards the horizon. Hogwarts, looking small enough to be a toy below them, was bathed in golden light.

"It's beautiful," she said.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." She didn't notice that Harry wasn't staring at the view as he said the words.

"We should probably head back…"

"Right," Ginny said, rapidly nodding her head. She was just now getting around to wishing she had a broom. Then…

"Can you teach me? Can I learn to fly?!"

Harry beamed, before beginning to lower them to the ground.

"I'm amazed it took you that long to ask," He told her.

"I didn't think about it. I mean, you haven't been allowed to use, um, our type of magic, around me, so it kind of just slipped my mind." Harry chuckled as Hogwarts grew beneath them. Slowly, elegantly, they drifted towards the castle gates, where Fred and George were serenading the Gryffindor Quidditch Girls with about how their prank had gone.

"So then we transfigured Malfoy into a ferret and… Oh heya Harry," Fred said, seeing them just casually float out of the sky without brooms. The others all turned towards to stare in the direction Fred was looking, and the girl's jaws all dropped open. George just elbowed his brother, and Ginny groaned internally. She was never going to live this down.

Their feet touched down on the dirt, and Harry steadied her.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah. Brilliant," she breathed, her voice coming out huskier than she meant it too. Harry flushed slightly, but it was gone in a second, replaced by his charismatic and cheerful persona. The mask she'd since realised was his default facial expression, designed to hide what he was really thinking.

"Wow…" Alicia whispered in awe.

"You can really fly without a broom!" Angelina exclaimed.

"Yeah. It's not that hard," Harry said flippantly, taking Ginny's arm and subtly guiding the group through the gates.

"You know Harry," George said, the evil grin on his face announcing to the world that his next words were not going to be anything Ginny would like to hear, "I've heard of this thing called the Mile-High Club. I don't suppose you and our darling sister just joined it did you?" Katie choked on air, and Fred looked about ready to burst with laughter. Ginny frowned. Mile-High Club? Was it a sports thing? Harry laughed.

"That, my good friends, is for us to know, and you to guess at." He winked at them, and the twins broke into hysteria. Together they walked towards through the gates and made their way towards Hogwarts for the processions.

Best day ever.

Then the sun flashed green.


Authors Notes:

Heya Guys, Miracle here (We've just arrived at Ghost's parents' house, and he's asleep on the bed behind me). So sorry for being late, but we've had a big weekend, and were a tad busy. Ghost asked me to marry him! I haven't stopped smiling for three days.

So, here's how this is going to affect you guys. We are going to be going on hiatus starting the back end of November. We were going to be going on break anyway because we planned to go backpacking across Europe. We've decided, that, as we were already planning to go, we're going to merge the trip we've planned with our Honeymoon. We don't know what time we'll be coming back online.

As a result, we will absolutely have Gemini Curse finished and posted 100% before we leave. Shards of Heaven, unfortunately, will have to go on hiatus. However, we plan to post all the chapters we have in the vault before we leave, which is up to chapter fifteen or so, depending on if we write anymore before we go.

I want to apologise, on behalf of the pair of us, to all of our fans and readers who will be inconvenienced by this. We absolutely love writing these stories and have every intention of coming back to Shards of Heaven, and we are going to get started on the sequel novella to Gemini Curse: Harry Potter and Blessing of the Phoenix. But we've been preparing for this trip for a long time, and we don't know how much, if any, time we'll have on the road for writing, or how steady our ability to post will be.

Thanks, so much for your understanding, and we can't wait to bring you the grand finale of Gemini Curse, and all we have for Shards of Heaven.

Love Miracle and Ghost.