Waking up he felt better rested than ever before. Luna had stayed up late reading last night and he had not wanted to ruin the amazing moment. Even Hermione had never been that close to him that long. Even when she had sat close to him before there had always been a distance. With Luna, there was no distance at all.
Making his way into the bathroom he looked over himself as he brushed his teeth. He really wished his scar was gone and smiled as the mirror image of it vanished. Deciding to have fun with his image he started cleaning up his hair by lengthening it out some. When it reached his shoulders, the curls went from messy rats nest to Fabio curls. Laughing he made his hair red in the mirror, a softer red than the Weasley family ginger red, it was more the strawberry blonde of his mother.
Turning away he stopped and stared at the changes, they were real. Looking back into the mirror he didn't know what to say. Luna walked in while he was looking back and forth between the mirror and his hair.
"Harry go outside so I can get ready for the day, please? We can talk about the mirror and your hair in a few minutes. It looks good on you though."
Stumbling out Harry sat down on the sofa and started thinking about what had happened. He was trying to remember what he had decided on for the mirror words when Luna came up and sat in the chair beside him.
"It's called a Changing Mirror Harry, they are rather rare as the only person that could make them died out hundreds of years ago. Only a few are still in existence, ignoring the two you made yesterday. Just by being able to sell one Changing Mirror every few decades or so you would never have to work again."
Luna spent some time explaining how rarity made value and the dangers of everyone being able to freely change their looks. What she was most happy about was being able to keep him from realizing how special the runes he made were.
Playing it off as something more common, she gave a few examples of lost magic being found again. While it did happen it was usually no more than once every hundred years at best. It was not this reinventing of the rules of runes and magic on a daily basis Harry was doing.
"I do like the new hair though, looks good Harry. Looked good before as well though, so do what you want okay?"
She leaned over the sofa arm and gave him a quick hug. Smiling he got up and went back to the mirror. Curly red or messy black, he kept switching back and forth trying to make up his mind. Finally, he choose curly red and had turned all his hair red to match. Blushing he checked and all his hair had changed. Giving it a thought he smiled as it all went away and his armpits were smooth once again.
While deodorant charms worked well he hated having body hair everywhere. It was not a comfortable feeling and he was glad to be rid of it all. Running his hands over his smooth face he smiled and began playing around with growing various styled beards. He found out facial hair was itchy and gave it up, making his face smooth without the typical stubble it normally had.
This was fun as he gave himself a more muscular appearance. Nothing major but a few inches taller and some defined muscles made him look far more manly.
"Awesome, totally keeping this!"
Trying to move was quickly a problem as his clothes were to small and uncomfortable now. Coming up with a quick line he added a runic scheme to his clothes.
"Shrink or grow, big or small, always fresh and clean"
It was quick and dirty but it worked as the clothes shifted around him. He tested them out by growing to gigantic proportions and making himself small as Professor Flitwick. He liked being taller though so he grew to a height that was the upper end of what a 4th year should be and called it good. The muscles were obvious but not huge, more like a professional quidditch player would be.
Stepping out he saw Luna sitting in a chair by the door waiting for him. Walking over he grabbed his shoes and bag letting her lead the way to breakfast.
They sat down at breakfast that Saturday enjoying the quiet together. Few would be up this early on a Saturday morning so they could relax.
"What are your plans for the first task? Do you know what it will be?"
Luna hated to bring up the tournament but they needed to prepare for it. She needn't have worried over much, he was handling the ordeal better now. The shower of cleansing had done a great job, Harry had moved onto the acceptance stage already.
"We were only told it was a test of courage and that we would find out on the 24th. No other hints or clues at all, all I can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best right now."
Luna nodded and then started asking pointed but helpful questions. What were the plans for the stand and banner, did he have any plans for protection, offense, healing or even escape?
They stayed at the table for some time generating ideas before the great hall began to fill up. As it was Saturday they went ahead and went back to their room.
Luna looked up from where they had been working for the past 3 hours and started talking.
"First off wow, this desk and chairs work really well, they are incredible Harry! We didn't lose focus once, and it was all so easy to work here."
It felt good to hear she liked something he had made. He had never made anything before this last week in his life. Sure potions were something but that was different. This was his thoughts and hard work put into creation. It was his, he had made it, and she liked it. Once again he had no idea what that warm feeling was but he liked it.
"Thanks Luna, yeah they make all this work much easier for sure. You have some great ideas as well for me to try. I really love your Time Healer, it will be dead useful."
The phrase was simple and he had used a time turner before so he knew time manipulation was possible. The idea was for the Time Healer to take a snapshot of an injury back in time before the injury. Then it switches the damaged parts with the snapshot of the parts undamaged.
"Rewind Time to Find Whole and Hale, Damage Replaced with Time's Embrace"
They had worked hard on that one and finally gotten it just right. They had decided to split the line in half horizontally on a ring. It would be written across two halves that twisted around each other. They would click out of and into place. When they are turned a quarter turn the words would line up and the person would be repaired completely. They drew up some ideas and then set them aside. Once they felt they had a good assortment of items developed they would get them together to send to her father.
Harry was going to go back to the storage room and find an old mirror to set another Changing Mirror rune scheme on. Her dad would trade it for the items they needed to be made from the goblins. Goblins don't ever sell anything, they only lease. They do trade for keeps though, and that is what they needed. These items would be Potter Family Secrets, to say the least.
Harry had provided the materials and was asking for labor, not material, for his banner project. Luna had spent a bit of time explaining goblin practices to him. If he had been setting up his items to become goblin property she would have stopped him before letting him send them off.
Harry was rather proud of a pair of bracelets that could each act as a shield. They hoped that if activated together they would form a more powerful single shield.
"Spring to Life When Needed, Shield House Potter from Harm"
The theory was they would autoactivate as needed. This should help shield from sneak attacks. Not having to worry about activating a shield while fighting would be rather useful as well.
Luna's would have House Lovegood on them, for now at least, until she got her name changed after the marriage. Not that Harry was aware of her plans.
The flight rune scheme had been refined as well along with a rune scheme Luna asked for. It rang slightly familiar for some reason but he agreed to make it for her easily enough.
She had wanted a rune scheme that would make her unnoticeable to anyone besides designated friends and her family.
"Known only to those called True Friends and Family, Luna Lovegood is Hidden"
That had been placed on her favorite ring she always wore so she wouldn't have to worry about losing it.
The offense had been fun as they came up with more and more horrible ways to kill others. Luna had a cruelly creative streak buried deep down underneath that Harry could appreciate. More than a few times growing up, and even the last few years at Hogwarts, Harry had found himself daydreaming about acts of horrific violence.
The finalized plan for the offense rune scheme was not offensive in nature. Instead, the rune scheme made it so any harm was reflected back to the aggressor, with interest.
"Return Three-Fold any ill-deed attempted or completed against House Potter"
This they made, and changed to Lovegood for Luna, right away placing on a pair of Knuts. First, marking the Knuts so they didn't spend them on accident.
They were excited to test the flight runes, so Harry set the updated scheme on two pairs of suspenders. One for Luna, with the other for him, and they started flying around the room learning the basics.
Once they could move about without bumping into everything they played a short game of tag. Feeling confident enough to fly in open spaces now Harry suggested they move out of the room.
With her new ring keeping her from being noticed she followed Harry out into the castle halls. As they got used to moving in large spaces, they began having more fun with it.
Smiling, they swooped about the great hall, flew up and around the grand staircase, and had fun about the castle laughing with joy. Soon enough they made their way outside building up speed and having a grand time. The thrill of flying gave way to hunger after long enough.
They flew into the great hall laughing as they moved about in the air. Harry went to sit down when Luna pulled him up again instead. Whispering to him she told him her idea and he agreed it would be fun.
They floated over the tables grabbing a plate and filling it up. There were many rules in Hogwarts, not that they really cared right now, but Luna was sure flying without a broom eating dinner was not one of them. Not that anyone would notice them anyway.
Harry kept waiting for Snape to spew off at him but the man never gave Harry so much as an irritated look.
Seriously at this rate, he was going to show up starkers to get some attention. Regardless, floating lunch was fun so he planned to do it again for sure.
After lunch they finalized the ideas they had made and Harry showed Luna the storage area. She found a few things she would like for their room and shrunk them. Harry found an old mirror that would work and placed the rune scheme on it.
Making their way to the owlery she sent off the shrunken mirror and parchments to her daddy. Hopefully, he would get back with them soon enough.
The weekend passed with them playing around and getting in some studying. Come Monday Luna had gotten a reply from her father.
The goblins were willing to do all the crafting Harry needed to be done for the mirror in trade. They had offered a few extra items as well, the trade was too imbalanced for their sense of honor. Xeno had thanked Harry for the Suspenders of Flying as well in the letter.
He was a huge fan and took them off only long enough to change clothes it seemed.
Everything would arrive in two days, as some of the pieces were close enough to stock the goblins already had.
Monday was a slog all day, Hermione was ignoring him along with everyone else now. He took a shower to cleanse his mood during lunch and handled it better afterwards.
His life was not measured by the standards of others, it was his self worth that mattered. Even if he needed validation Luna was there for him.
He focused on getting his work done and ignoring everything else. Working in potions by himself without Snape bothering him was a miracle.
He was amazed at how much easier it was to work like this. He had always assumed it would be harder without a partner though it seemed that was far from the case.
After supper with Luna they made their way back to their room and got started on their homework.
One of the benefits to the room was it's close to both the Library and the Great Hall. Having a private dorm room on the first floor cut down on travel time significantly.
How such a valuable place was abandoned was beyond him though it was not the only one he had found. A few others on the first floor along were the same as this one.
After staying up and talking with Luna somewhat late Tuesday morning arrived soon enough. When an owl arrived for Luna bearing the Gringotts seal they smiled to each other. Harry decided to skip classes today and get to work on the rune schemes.
All the rune work had been easy enough with all the practice Harry had gotten this week. He was at the point where he would quietly cast rune schemes on his quills and ink pots when we was bored.
The issue came with the Banner Pole Stand made of Basilisk Skull, Banner Pole made of Basilisk Ribs and the heavy Banner flag made of some unknown fabric. The materials resisted magic to begin with, much less his ambitious plan.
He wanted to cast all four rune schemes at once on all four objects. It would tie them together powerfully reinforcing his idea for them.
He had spent all day since half past breakfast working on just this. He was refining his technique but it was slow going.
Luna finally dragged him out of their room for supper. He was stewing over it all dinner and could only make small talk with Luna as they ate.
He didn't need them for the first task most likely. He really wanted them for the first task though and they would likely be of great help to him
After supper, he explained the issue he was having. Trying to focus so much at once was difficult to put it lightly.
She suggested he build a rune scheme to help him focus and better control his magic. He was hesitant about doing that and agreed to do so tomorrow night if he couldn't get it by then.
Harry felt that this was important for him, it was challenge that he would grow from overcoming naturally. That was what kept him so focused, the opportunity for growth in this new field.
It was the 23rd and then first task was tomorrow. He was nervous and determined to finish his rune scheme today without help.
He worked through lunch though Luna had brought him a sandwich. Taking a shower to clear his head he made it back to the four items.
He began writing out the full verse slowly, slower than ever as he filled each letter and word with just enough magic to not fall apart hanging in the air.
Call to Arms True and Clear, House Potters Clarion Call arouses Fear
Heed the Call, present the Stand, Enforce the Call upon the Land
Banner Pole of Truth and Trust, Ensure House Potters Cause is Just
Banner, Pole, Stand and Horn Unite and Grant Victory in this Tribulation, Protect House Potters Continuation
The whole thing was huge and the last rune sentence was the largest yet. It took him over 20 minutes just to get the words all written without exhausting himself. He had to work abnormally slow as he went letting his magic recharge just a bit faster than he was filling the words out.
It was after supper when Luna came in and saw a paragraph of words hanging in the air above everything burning brightly.
This was the most magic he had controlled yet and she could see the strain on Harry's face.
Coming up slowly beside him she gently took his free hand into hers. Softly whispering encouragement to him hoping to grant him extra strength.
He noticed Luna and felt her grip his hand in hers. Her quietly whispered support marshaled him on as he continued.
Still he could feel more room for magic so more magic he continued to press into the floating runes. It had been an unknown amount of time after Luna had shown up and she was still there. Still whispering her quiet encouragement and gently holding his free hand.
The words were beginning to gain weight now, he would see them warping the weave and weft of the air around them from the sheer amounts of magic in them.
No normal runes could hold this much magic. It was the sheer amount of them supporting each other as they were intended to that kept them from exploding.
Finally, the air seemed close to catching fire around the runes when he started lowering them to the items below.
He could see them warp when they settled, changing the nature of the items into something more. They were now the symbols of House Potter.
With the arduous task complete Harry allowed himself to relax. Luna led him over to the sofa where she settled down next to him.
"That was amazing Harry, you did it!"
He felt wiped out, not only some magic exhaustion but also from finally having finished the work. He smiled at Luna thinking of how she was so helpful.
"Thanks for the help Luna, you're the best."
She had not let go of his hand yet and squeezed it. Harry really was a nice guy, fairly handsome to boot as well.
"Harry, I'll always be there if you need me, promise."
It felt good that at least one person was there for him still. He may have not known Luna before this all started yet he still found himself relying on her so much.
After an hour of relaxing together, they got up and went to their bedrooms calling it a night.
A/N
A fair bit of what he is doing and they style of writing for his rune words are cringe, to put it mildly. He is a teen boy trying to make items of power. His only companion and voice of reason is Luna Lovegood. We all do silly stuff when young that we cringe at as we grow older. Also though his freedom to be cringe lets him be far more free with his creations than perhaps a responsible and mature person would be. It's a toss-up for me between being youthful and cringy while being a bit mature. Either way hope you all like it and have a happy first day of Christmas!