Author's Note: In case any of you haven't seen it, I mentioned a surprise posting in the AN of chapter 6. I posted chapter 1 of it a short while back, you can find it among my fics.

It's called A Neon Lily in Night City and is a Harry Potter/Cyberpunk 2077 crossover/AU with a Harry/Fleur pairing, featuring a mercenary Harry, who was raised by The Mox and a Corpo Fleur who needs a job to be done.

Author's Note: WbtS Co-authored by doenerkint, have a look at his work. It's great.

Note for this chapter: I've done away with using () for radio conversations, I don't think it's necessary, and will be editing it out of previous chapters when I get a chance. Instead, I'll just italicise to highlight radio conversations, and trust the context to handle the rest.

SEVEN - Birds of a Feather

"Well, that was bloody useless," grumbled Ron Weasley as their little group exited the Japanese Ministry of Magic into the cool night. Bill was frowning, while the other two curse-breakers followed, they were a man at the end of his thirties by the name of Anthony Thompson, and a woman perhaps a year or two younger than Bill, who went by Sandra Edwards. She was a relatively plain looking brunette but had this air of 'more than meets the eye' about her.

"It's expected, in a sense," sighed Hermione, a blank gaze drawing on her face that best illustrated her feelings on the foreign seat of power. "The mahō-shō have always been very tight-lipped regarding anything they deemed sensitive and more so when foreigners are involved. It's been a regular nightmare to request documents from them on the rare occasions we've needed to."

The other woman in their group nodded in agreement. "I've been told the Japanese wizards can be tricky to work with, but I never expected it to be this difficult," commented Sandra with crossed arms.

"It doesn't help that they don't have the highest regard for curse-breakers, or us English in general," said Anthony, adding a grimace to the latter statement.

"But why? Wha-" spluttered Ron. "Why?"

"Dark magic," answered Bill with a nonchalant shrug. "The Ministry here is incredibly cautious regarding any magic that is even remotely dark. As curse-breakers we study the dark arts extensively and are very unapologetic about it. While they understand that we're necessary, they also aren't afraid to let us know how they feel about us."

"But that's—" Ron snapped.

"Daft, yes," Bill agreed with a quick nod and raised a hand to stop his younger sibling, "but it is what it is."

Steven, Gringotts's legal aid, came up in a huff having finally caught up to them. The man shared a striking resemblance to Anthony which had surprised Ron and Hermione, until they learnt that the pair were in fact, brothers.

"Coming here was a mistake," grumbled Steven with a tense set to his jaw, undoubtedly a response to an earlier encounter in the ministry. "I've tried negotiating a deal with their foreign office but they've all but told me to come back when 'I've got a genuine inquiry and with all the proper paperwork'. I was very inclined to give them a Chelsea welcome, but chances are, they're going to stone-wall any attempts to find information, regardless. The few bits we received from the guys at Gringotts is all we're going to get from the wizarding side of things."

"Then we try the muggles," suggested Hermione, her hands placed on her hips in resignation. "Harry was travelling on a muggle ship close enough to Japan that the local authorities must have picked up an SOS. I'm confident that if his ship managed to send an emergency radio call, they're the ones most likely to have picked up on it."

"So, we find the– what's it you called them? Coast guard? Seems straightforward enough," reasoned Ron.

"I wish it were so," bemoaned Steven.

"We'll have to do it the old-fashioned way," sighed Bill. "If there's one thing the mahō-shō dislike more than dark magic, it's risks to the Statute. If we give them any reason, they'd likely expel and force us to return to England. I'm afraid you'll have to take the lead on this one, Hermione."

"It'll have to wait for the morning, "sighed the bookish young woman. "The coast guard runs throughout the night, but there won't be any public access until at least eight in the morning."

"We should try the south," suggested Steven. "The last known location we have of Potter was in the waters near the Izu islands."

Dust and bits of stone sprayed the air as gunfire tore into the wall which Harry and Lara were tucked behind. Flashes of light lit the dark, accompanying the thundering cracks of exploding gunpowder.

As a particularly brittle bit of the old wall was hit, one of its bricks shattered, a piece of it ricocheting and scraping Harry's cheek. He grit his teeth in anger, it had taken them a good part of the night to come near the palace. With a bit of magic and careful manoeuvring, they had been able to cover the bulk of the distance largely without incident. That was until they'd descended a slope and rounded a corner directly and ran straight into a large group of Solarii. Their ambusher's had been camped in a small outpost, completely hidden in a perfect blind spot.

With barely a moment to react, getting his wand out to shield would have taken too long even with a holster. Instead, Harry dove for the nearest wall, his arms wrapping around Lara as he pulled her along – Her startled yelp drowned up by hail of gunfire which echoed through the mountains.

"They had to have been waiting for us!" yelled Lara over the noise, as she held her gun, ready to return fire.

Harry nodded quickly. "Whoever stole Himiko's body must have seen one of us."

"Kchhhh— Lara."

A sound which even in the excitement of their situation rang like thunder in their ears.

"Wha- That's Sam!" She grabbed her radio from her waist, and despite their immediate peril, she trusted Harry would cover them while she answered. He couldn't outright stop bullets, but he could transfigure or conjure objects to block the projectiles and send rubble back to their pursuers. It didn't kill the Solarii butchers, but it kept them occupied long enough for Lara and he to receive Sam.

"Sam! It's Lara, can you hear me!?"

"Lara! Thank God!" answered Sam, desperate relief in her voice, "I stole a radio off one of the guards! You have to come find me, I'm so scared Lara, please!"

Lara felt tears in her eyes at hearing her friend's voice. "We're coming, just hang on, Harry and I are coming!"

"Hurry, please! I don't know what they want with me, they're mad Lara! They keep saying Himiko, and a fire ritual. They— they forced me to change into this robe while they watched," sobbed Sam.

"Ask her where in the palace she is," interrupted Harry after he launched a large rock at the enemy, forcing Mathias' men to duck for cover and give them a moment of quiet.

"You heard that?" prompted Lara, her fearful eyes searching for confirmation. "They're already trying to set up the ritual. Damn bastards."

"I'm somewhere up high, I don't know more than that," her voice quivered. "When I woke up, I was already here." The fact that she couldn't give a better answer worsened her stress.

Lara met Harry's eyes again and he nodded.

"It's enough," said Lara confidently. "We're working our way through to you. Just hold on."

"Alright, I—"

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"A furious male voice came through the radio, followed by the sound of a struggle.

"Sam!"

"Let g—-GIVE I-urting me!—"

"Leave her alone! Sam!"

"-NO! Lar—"

Before Sam could call for help one more time, the transmission cut off and gave way to chilling silence.

"Harry! We need to–" Lara looked up and felt her voice constrain as she met his gaze. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark night. The colour which usually seemed so gentle now appeared devoid of any warmth.

The muscles in his jaw were clenched tight enough that if they became any more tense, she'd likely hear the cracking of teeth. His stare was stoic and unmoving. He also seemed entirely unbothered by the fact that the Solarii had still been firing at them. His mind appeared to be battling with something, and Lara could recognise the moment a decision was made.

Harry raised his wand and stared at the magical focus, with a hardened resolve, he began reciting in whisper, the bits that Lara caught told her he spoke Latin.

A bright orb began forming at the wand's tip, but strangely enough, though she could see the light, it didn't seem to be giving off any light, no new shadows flickered to life in its glow.

The unnatural illumination felt… ominous.

When Harry's lips stopped moving, the ball of light swirled to life, floating an inch or so above his wand. Harry then moved quickly, flicking it over the wall they were behind and turned. When the bright orb disappeared over the cover they had taken refuge behind, the wizard then grabbed her by the arms and pulled her into his chest and squeezed her tight. While her vision was obstructed, her senses became occupied by his scent.

It wasn't the greatest. It smelt of old sweat, grime, dirt, a bit of iron, and then there was a smell she hadn't sensed before. It was nice, gentle, caressing her mind. It was so very like him.

A bright flash lit up the night sky, illuminating everything around them. It was as if a sliver of daylight had suddenly appeared. The dark of night was replaced by shadows. The invisible grip on her bodice was replaced by loving arms and the face she couldn't see clearly before was revealed to show a troubled face that peered over the wall.

"What was that!?"

Her words didn't reach him for a much louder sound tore through the darkness that returned as quickly as someone turning off a light switch.

Screams of pain now rang out through the area. Reluctantly, Harry relaxed his iron grip on her and let go of Lara, his strong hands still holding onto her by the shoulders as he peeked around the corner. Seemingly accepting of what he saw, he stood and walked out to inspect what he had brought forth.

The men who had ambushed them were laying on the ground, some unmoving while others continued to scream in pain, until they too stilled. Their faces were drawn in horror, their mouths torn open from silent screams. Their eyes were gone, nothing but wisps of smoke continued to waft from black, empty exposed sockets.

These men had died horrible, painful deaths. That much was certain from their dying grimaces. Harry was caught up in the internal struggle over another moral conundrum. In his melancholic stupor, he failed to notice that one of their assailants had survived his gruesome onslaught. The lone Solarii stood from behind where he had leapt for cover and with a scream of animal rage, and terror, aimed his rifle at Harry.

A single deafening gunshot echoed through the trees. The scream grew into a strained groan and a drowning gurgle before it collapsed along with the body it belonged to, joining its brethren as he breathed his last. Harry turned sluggishly and found Lara with her gun still fixed on the spot the man had just occupied. She turned and met his eyes, there was no judgement in them, only understanding, and determination.

She stepped up to him and placed a hand on the side of his waist, giving it a reassuring rub. "Come, we need to move."

When she began moving, she knowingly pulled him along with her spurring him into motion. This time, it was Lara who led and Harry who followed.

It was a kindness on her part. His mind was still hung up on what he had done, what he had to do since he was beached on this island together with Lara and the others. He wasn't sure if he could have walked out from the earlier battleground on his own without at least making absolutely sure he was right to do what he did.

His mind was then caught on her, on how she could look him in the eye after witnessing him take several lives, with a single curse. Staring at the back of her head, watching her bound hair sway from left to right in tandem with her gait, a realisation hit him, and he understood.

She would have done the same.

Because they were the same.

A disillusioned Hermione booted up one of the computers in a small library in Osaka, the bulky CRT monitor lit up with the shaky image as the system gave its series of beeps. It was still after hours, and the library in the dark was almost surreal in how quiet it was.

"What exactly are we doing here again?" whispered the disembodied voice of her boyfriend.

"Honestly, Ronald, I've already explained. I need a directory" — She shook the mouse back and forth –" This thing is so slow!"

"What about that big book? The yellow one your parents kept next to the telephone."

Hermione didn't respond.

Ron couldn't help but smirk. He knew Hermione's silence meant she was caught on the back foot and was thus blushing in embarrassment.

With an unnerved swat of her wand, Hermione wordlessly agreed to his suggestion. "Accio telephone guide."

Steven, who stood nearby – book in hand – and had been keeping a lookout, chuckled at the pair's antics.

"Nanishiteruno?"

The man's scream of fright sounded especially loud in the silent library. It reminded Hermione of the protection charms in the forbidden section of Hogwarts' library.

"What happened!?"

"-Steven!?"

Ron and Hermione called with great worry before they rushed over in an instant and found the transparent form of a ghost sticking out of the bookshelf nearest to their liaison associate. The spectral projection was of a Japanese man in his late forties or early fifties. He was dressed in a suit that was half ruined, the kind that was popular around the second world war. Though, the bit that had presumably frightened Steven was likely due to the fact that the translucent ghost's visage was severely scarred by horrid burns and was missing an arm.

"Oh, it's just a ghost," said Ron with a large exhale before his face turned from concern to mild disappointment. "Merlin, mate. You had us all worried."

Ron's words didn't seem to reach the man who had since their arrival been commonly conversing with the immortal remains of the library's oldest resident. The conversation was lively, and both heads were bobbing with excitement as they exchanged words, before Steven finally took note of the two other people's arrival at the scene.

"Gave me a right fright, this fella did," laughed Steven, more at his own expense. "Man's name 's Ueda Masaru. He died back in the forties when the original library was bombed and ruined during an American air raid."

"Kon'nichiwa," the ghost bowed gracefully, greeting them.

Hermione followed suit and bowed perfectly in return. "Kon'nichiwa, Ueda-san."

"Uh, konneecheewa," fumbled Ron with an awkward bow, though the ghost didn't seem to mind, giving him an acknowledging nod.

Hermione stowed away her wand and held the phonebook she'd summoned against her chest. It was quite large and cumbersome but gave her a familiar sense of safety that she could duly appreciate in this foreign place facing an unknown entity.

"Maybe he can help us?" she asked Steven. He was the only one in the group who could speak Japanese.

He nodded and faced the ghost again, who had been watching their little exchange with curiosity. Steven was about to open his mouth to speak, when he gained an expression of realisation and turned back to Hermione.

"What exactly should I ask him?"

Hermione shrugged. "Maybe where we can find maps? Or any information about Yamatai? Even the muggle texts here might have something useful in them."

The ghost had perked up when he heard the word Yamatai and broke the silence first. "Yamatai-shima o o sagashi-desu ka?"

Steven let an excited look draw on his face and swiftly translated what the old ghost spoke. "He asked if we're searching for Yamatai."

Hermione and Ron eyed each other with hope rising in their chests. She then turned to Steven and gave him an affirmative nod, urging him to pursue this new lane of opportunity.

"Sōdesu," Steven then confirmed to the Japanese ghost, replying in an immaculate city-dweller accent that was native to Tokyo. "Watashitachi o tasukeru koto ga dekimasu ka?"

The ghost nodded and pointed. "Osoraku, jimoto no rekishi no hon ga yakudatsudeshou. Karera wa soko ni imasu"

Hermione followed with great interest, albeit without understanding a single word that was said. When the ghost ceased speaking again, she gazed expectantly at the man of the hour, and he obliged.

"He says we can find the books on the region's history over there." Steven pointed to the same area as the ghost had.

"Anything about geography?" asked Hermione.

Steven relayed her question, and the ghost nodded again. "Forō shite kudasai."

"Follow him," said Steven.

The pair moved through the trees and rough terrain as swiftly as they could, taking added risks as if lives depended on it, because as far as they knew, Sam's did. Anybody that has spent any time outdoors knew how dangerous it was to run in a forest at night. The ground was uneven, there was a plethora of undergrowth or fallen tree branches just waiting to trip you. One wrong move, and you risked a twisted ankle, if not a more severe injury.

Lara, for all her youth and supposed inexperience, Harry found, moved with an incredible grace. She deftly manoeuvred through the dark woods, seemingly foreseeing the obstacles that were ready to block her path. Harry wasn't as nimble through the trees and resorted to shifting into his animagus form in order to keep up.

They kept this pace up until not too long after the palace came into view. Once in sight, it was truly incredible to behold. It stood majestically high up by its lonesome on one of the island's jagged mountains. The only way that looked to connect the large construct with their current position was an exceptionally large wooden bridge that sat on stone foundations. To their frustration though, the area between themselves and the bridge to the palace was occupied by what they reasoned to be the Solarii's main settlement. A shanty town nestled between two cliffsides, running up until the bridge.

"Sam's up there," said Lara, her gaze fixated on the ancient seat of power.

"We'll have to take the bridge, it's much faster than climbing the cliffside," suggested Harry. "If we can move carefully without raising the alarm, I could get us through there undetected." He said as he pointed towards the ramshackle buildings with a vague move of his hand.

Lara nodded; a fight would just bring attention to their presence. For now, they still had some level of surprise.

"Do you think the others are alright?" whispered Lara, ashamed it's taken her this long to wonder about them.

"You mean the others from the crew?"

"Yeah, Reyes, and Jonah, Alex, Grim… Do you think they're still alright? That they're still inside? Well– We haven't heard from any of them since they went inside." She rubbed at her arms while a canine tooth bit her lip. Worry was apparent on her face.

Harry moved to step closer to her and reach forward. He took a hold of one of her hands and rubbed his thumb on the back of her knuckles. The skin was no longer as smooth and soft as he felt it the first time she had offered it to shake hands on their first day on the Endurance.

She had come a long way since and still braved her way forward. He knew exactly how she felt, he'd been there too, spent a year in a tent feeling the exact same way.

"I don't know," he offered, his face honest and devoid of pretence. "Divination 's never been my strongest suit. To tell you the truth, I'm pretty pants at it."

Her face fell and grew strained. She still let him hold her hand, allowing him to rub some warmth into it.

"But I've got a good feeling," he told her, giving her a small smile that brought some shine back to her eyes. "So there's nothing to be worried about."

"What do you mean?"

"You and I, we've come this far," he reminded her. "Reyes and the others are more capable. I'm certain they've made it and are fine."

"How can you be so sure?" demanded Lara softly, leaning forward and placing her forehead against his shoulder.

He placed a kiss on her temple. "Call it a gut feeling, an educated guess."

He felt her rub her head closer to his chest, seeking more of him. "And if you're wrong?"

It was a valid question. And one he had already an answer ready for, albeit one that tasted very bitter in his mouth.

"If I'm wrong," he breathed a long inhale and a longer exhale. Lara's head rose and fell with his chest. "Then you get on a boat, and I'll burn this island to the fucking ground."

"Quiet!" yelled a filthy, bearded man as the stock of his rifle banged against the rusty bars of a makeshift cell.

"We just want some water! We're thirsty," argued Reyes, her arms crossed as she stared at the man defiantly. The other survivors – bar Jonah – were seated on the dirty floor, the Māori man stood beside her, backing her up.

"Look," reasoned Jonah, "We've been in here for ages, at least give us water."

"We aren't asking much," finished Reyes.

The Solarii man shifted his gaze between the pair of them, before grumbling as he grabbed a canteen from a nearby table. He tossed it into the cell and returned to his post, unbothered that a single canteen of water was not nearly sufficient for the amount of people in need.

"I hope Harry and Lara hurry up and find us," moaned Alex, when the canteen reached him, the bit of water left in it sloshed around.

"You think they'll be able to get us out of here?" asked Reyes, her words and face hiding no scepsis.

"Aye," answered Grim in place of Alex. "They're fighters, both of 'em."

"Harry too?"

"Aye, 'im too," was all Grim said, with a surety that came from experience. "That lad is something else."

A disillusioned Harry pressed his back against the cold, rusted metal wall of one of the small buildings as a pair of islanders walked through the spot he'd just recently occupied. One of them, a large man with a patchy beard, came close enough that Harry had to hold his breath to avoid detection.

Once they'd gone, Harry allowed himself a moment to breathe. He turned as he felt Lara approach from the left, the slightest glimmer in the light was the only visible sign of her presence.

He was about to speak, when he felt the first drop of rainwater and cursed inwardly, being disillusioned does not suddenly make you incorporeal, and with how magically charged Himiko's storms were, there was a chance it would affect the charm.

"We need to pick up the pace," said Harry seriously, and as if to prove his worries, thunder roared across the island. At least, the rain had one unexpected benefit, outside of the few men who were forced to remain at their guard posts, the rest sought shelter indoors. This meant that Harry and Lara were able to easily traverse the shantytown and make their way onto the bridge.

"This does not seem safe," observed Lara's from beside him.

He could only nod. She was right, the bridge which likely existed from the time of Himiko, had been repaired and maintained using whatever scraps were available.

Harry clutched his wand tighter and eyed some of the holes in the rickety surface, if either of them fell through, he'd be ready. Lara followed in his exact path, both of them testing their weight before committing. The rainfall had made the already treacherous bridge slippery, furthering their frustration at the slow pace.

The sudden sound of the wood breaking along with Lara's yelp had Harry reflexively grasping at her silhouette in the rainfall, successfully clutching the fabric of her jacket in between his grip of steel. Despite being unable to see her clearly, he felt the fabric of her jacket within his hands pulling down toward the terrifying depth below. Furthermore, his hold on her was waning as the jacket was growing slippery with water and trying to escape his grip. With a determined tug to avoid catastrophe, Harry pulled her up and then towards himself before feeling her slender form crashing against himself. He clutched her tightly against his chest, his own heart beating like a drum in his chest.

That was far too close for comfort. He inspected the spot behind her, which had broken and could see the distant jagged land below. A wave of fear coursed through him, and his mouth felt dry as a desert at the thought of Lara's crippled form between the stones.

"That was too close," whispered Harry.

Lara took a second to catch her breath and nodded into him. "Let's keep moving."

Harry nodded as well with his chin rubbing against her soft hair.

Unfortunately, the commotion had attracted the attention of the guards stationed at the end of the bridge. The two men had their rifles raised; their eyes peeled while they tried to find any hints of an intruder. They'd be hard-pressed to find them, with the disillusionment charm and the heavy rains, seeing the pair at a distance was near impossible.

It took perhaps another minute or two before the guards relaxed, having likely determined the break to have been a result of the miserable weather. Even so, once pressed into a state of alertness, you don't truly relax, at least for a while.

The guards would be more sensitive to any signs of movement. Harry knew they had to risk removing the threat before proceeding.

"We can't get closer," he shared with her, "not without them hearing us."

She quickly picked up on what he was alluding to and drew her bow with an arrow. "Then on three, I'll take the one on the left."

He nodded, and conjured several pieces of thin, but sharp metal rods and aimed towards the man on the right. The rain did its bit to hide the floating bits of grey steel.

"One, two, three!"

The bow string was released with a whistling snap, right as Harry propelled the metal rods with the strongest banishing charm he could manage.

The two men were dead on impact. One with an arrow shaft through his neck, blood sputtering out of the corner of his mouth. The other, with a body and face riddled with bits of metal jutting out. The rod which hit his eye was the most likely to have killed him. It was bloody, and cruel, and unfortunately necessary.

Harry exhaled, releasing the breath he'd been holding. He knew they couldn't leave the bodies out in the open, so he hurried over, the section of the bridge being more reinforced meant they didn't have to be as cautious with their steps.

The sight of the man he'd killed brought a grimace to his face. Like every previous time, he let the deaths weigh on him, and like the previous times, it was Lara who gave him a brief knowing glance. For him, that was enough. A reminder that he wasn't the monster that he made himself out to feel like. It was as if a switch had been flipped. Now, he wouldn't hold back any longer.

With a wave of his wand, he transfigured the bodies into bits of wood, and tossed them off the side of the bridge.

"It's a temporary spell. It won't hold very long, likely only an hour or two and then they'll turn back," he explained, feeling Lara's curious gaze on him.

She didn't voice a reply, but her silence spoke of understanding. Again, he was impressed by her capacity to rationalise, witnessing unbelievable things, putting them in a box and moving on. Her reaction underlined a difference between them. They were very much the same indeed, but perhaps she was made of even sterner stuff than he was.

After reaching the end of the bridge, they were left with two choices of paths. One which led directly up towards the palace, and another which branched off towards the right, along the edge of the mountain. Though the latter appeared as safe to traverse as the bridge they'd just crossed.

"How exactly are we going to find Sam?" asked Lara once the entrance to the massive palace was in sight. It was far too large a building to attempt to search room by room. There were no guards, but then again, the bridge had been guarded.

Harry checked their surroundings, before nodding to himself when the revelation spell registered nobody. He knelt and lifted the disillusionment charm on Lara and himself.

"We could ask someone," he provided vaguely before an idea seemed to occur to him. "In fact, let's do just that."

Lara first thought that he meant they'd interrogate another Solarii man but when Harry remained still and instead pointed his wand at the ground, she was left to wonder about what he had in mind.

"Serpensortia." Harry pronounced as clearly as possible, before a snake came flying out of his wand.

It hissed at her, but Harry snapped at it in a hiss of his own. The snake then seemed to shut its mouth and coiled in place and waited.

Harry turned toward her and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, they're always a bit disorientated at first."

She swallowed apprehensively. "Perfectly normal reaction."

"Yeah," he agreed but his wry smile gave her pause. "Just bear with me on this."

Harry turned back to the young snake before him and readied his wand again. He spoke the spell again and again, summoned snake after snake, filling the area in front of them.

The snakes, who numbered in the dozens now, faced them, some hissing, while others rose into defensive positions. A few of the cobra family flared their hoods and showed their fangs.

Lara reached a hand out to stop him but held back at the last second. Her eyes widened when she heard him speak in the strange hissing language again that made her hairs stand.

$Find the female human who smells of fear. Protect her. Inform me of her whereabouts. Do no harm to her or the one beside me. Go, now!$

The snakes immediately slithered off into the depths of the palace.

"So, you can talk to snakes?" The disbelief was clear in her voice.

Harry chuckled as he stepped into the empty entrance hall of the large, majestic building. "It's a… gift, of sorts, yes."

Lara sputtered as she followed him. "Can you speak to other animals?"

"No," he shook his head, "just snakes. It's actually an extraordinarily rare ability. I'm probably one of a handful of people, if not the only one alive, who can speak it."

"Let's wait here," said Harry, and Lara opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off as Harry quickly explained.

"Trust me, the snakes will be back within a few minutes. They're very quick and diligent."

"You've used them like this before?"

"On occasion when the need arose. Parseltongue, that's what it's called, has a pretty bad rep. The two most famous speakers were pretty nasty blokes, it doesn't help that most people find snakes off putting."

She'd opened her mouth to say something, but his words persuaded her to pin it for another time.

"Once, I was separated from my team. We were in this forest in Peru, and there was this enchantment which confused us, muddled our thoughts, and messed with our sense of direction. Before we knew it, we were too far away to even call out to each other. Snakes, they see the world differently, they're not affected in the same way as we are."

"So, you had them lead you to the others?"

"Exactly," he replied, as Lara stared down one of the passageways impatiently.

Harry winced as a sudden, sharp pain radiated from the area where his arrow wound had been. He frowned, that wasn't a great sign. He quickly walked a circle around the room, placing some rudimentary wards. Enough to alert him and turn away any who meant them harm, should they begin to approach. Or at least it would give pause before anyone pressed on. With how this island had affected his spellwork, he couldn't be too sure how well his magic worked. For now, it'd do, he had a suspicion that he needed to confirm. Once he was done, he removed his jacket and shirt and sat on one of the steps that led to the centre passage.

"What are you doing?" asked Lara in a surprised fluster as her eyes trailed over his bare upper half. She lingered on the multitude of scars that littered his form. A particularly large one at his right shoulder had her wondering just what had caused it.

"I was in a bit of a rush when I healed my wounds earlier. It's hurting, need to make sure I don't botch it all up…" He answered, while a soft glow lit the top of his wand as he held it against the area where the arrow had pierced.

"I thought so." He frowned, the wound was tender, and the skin was weakening.

"What is it?"

"The arrow, when it hit me, tore right through my shield charm without slowing even a bit. I had a feeling there was more to it," Harry explained before contemplating something. "Lara, you wouldn't happen to be any good with stitches? I don't really have the finesse to pull this off myself, even with magic."

Lara eyed him with trepidation. "I've sown before, but that's the extent of my needlework experience." She came closer and knelt down in front of him. Harry was clearly in need of a shower, but she didn't mind.

"Same thing, really," he joked.

With a tender touch, she inspected the area.

"It's starting to bleed," she said worriedly.

"Dark magic… It's nothing sinister, but it's enough to interfere with healing."

Lara grabbed his shoulder and manoeuvred him forward so that she could see behind him. "This side is worse."

He nodded, his chin brushing against the top of her head. "I'm going to conjure up a needle and some line, and I'll reopen the wound fully. Can you stitch them please?"

"I can, but we need to hurry. This is not the best place to be doing this."

"The wards will keep people out, but you're right," noted Harry while retrieving some dittany, along with another vial filled with a grey-white powder from his bag. He handed them to her along with a needle and some fishing line which took barely a second to create.

She looked at the powder questioningly, prompting him to explain. "It's willow ash. When you're done stitching. Mix some of that with a bit of dittany in your hand until you get a paste."

"I've heard of ash used in tribal healing to treat wounds, but I've never given it merit before. I take it some of the more superstitious traditional medicine have some factual basis in magic?"

"Sometimes, though the effectiveness can be quite varied. But the ash is brilliant at helping to heal wounds which have traces of dark magic being a pest. It'll scar and quite badly, but it'll heal at least."

"Is that how you got your other scars?" asked Lara as she began threading the line through its eye and dipped the entire thing in the bottle of dittany. She watched him reopen the wound with a touch of his wand.

"Aren't you worried about infection?"

"Shouldn't be an issue," he answered with a clench of his jaw when the needle pierced his skin. He didn't numb the pain, best to keep the magics affecting the area to a minimum.

Lara watched as the muscles in his chest and shoulders tensed whenever the needle passed through his flesh. She could imagine how much it must hurt and resolved to finish it quickly and smoothly. The fact that he hadn't made a single moan or gasp of pain, thoroughly impressed her.

Once she'd finished his front, she moved behind him to stitch the other end. As she worked, Lara couldn't help but notice how broad his back was.

"I'm done," she said after several moments of careful suturing.

She grabbed her canteen and poured some water over her hands. Once the blood was cleaned from them, she repositioned the canteen over Harry's back and wiped as the water washed down, clearing the blood. She felt him shiver beneath her hands at the feel of the cold liquid.

Harry sat in complete silence as he watched her do the same with the blood on his front. He didn't ask her to do that, he'd actually just planned on using some cleaning charms. But he couldn't help but relish the feeling of her hands.

With the area cleaned of excess blood. She tipped some of the ash into her hand and wet it with the dittany. The resulting paste felt thick, almost sticky. She dipped two fingers into it and rubbed it carefully over the stitched wound.

When she was finally finished. Lara looked up and found him staring at her with a blistering intensity. A sudden bout of shyness had her tear her eyes from his.

"T-the gauze?"

"Hm?"

"The gauze, I need to cover it."

"Oh, sorry, here." He reached into his bag and took out an old t-shirt which he transfigured into a roll of white gauze.

Lara took it from him, her fingers brushing against his hand. Every bit of contact between them felt charged now. As she unrolled it, she realised Harry hadn't given her anything to stick it with. With the intensity between them, she opted instead to figure something out.

She tore two small strips which she folded over and placed against his stitched wound.

"Hold this here," she instructed him.

The rest of the roll, she used to wrap over his shoulder, to under his arm and then horizontally across his chest, and over the spot on his back where she'd fastened the other bit of gauze. She tied it all in place with a knot that she tucked away.

"There," she stood and helped him to his feet.

Before they could speak, a small group of snakes returned and made their way to Harry. He knelt down to listen to what they'd found. The one at the forefront, a pit viper if he recognised it correctly, spoke up.

$There are two females who smell of fear. One is down, trapped with males, they have the same taste. The other is up, alone$

Harry's eyes widened. "They say they found two women, one's below us, in a group, trapped. The other's above us, she's alone."

"I think they're talking abou—"

"Reyes and the others!" She interrupted him with relieved joy. "They're still alive, thank god."

After a moment of unadulterated joy, she regained her composure.

"We can't leave them here." She met his eyes, and he could see the desperate desire to save all of her friends.

"We'll get them out, but I think we need to get Sam first before we do anything else."

Lara paced back and forth, "I—You're right, but—They might hurt the others if we rescue Sam—No, no, we'll need to get them both at the same time."

"You want to split up? no, it's too dangerous!" He shook his head and stepped into her space, stopping her from pacing.

"You've seen what's happened so far, nothing has gone smoothly. If we save Sam, and word gets out, who knows what they'll do to Jonah, and Reyes, and Grim—"

He grit his teeth. For all his misgiving about her suggestion, he knew she was right, the islanders were unhinged. They might do nothing at all, or they might hold them hostage to bargain. Worst case they all lose their nerve and kill them all.

"I hate this idea."

"I don't like it either, but it's the only way. You'll go on ahead to get Sam. I'll go after the others."

"Don't you think—"

"No, they want to use Sam in some ritual, that's your area. Besides, if you have to, it'll be easier to convince Sam that magic is real than trying to convince Reyes, or Alex."

Harry sighed – it was a moot point – and looked down towards the snakes.

$One of you, lead her— He pointed at Lara –To the female trapped below. Protect them. Do you understand me?$

The snake on the left bowed its head and slithered to Lara.

"Follow it, it'll guide you to the others." Harry's voice was strained, as if he had difficulty saying it. They were about to be separated again, and he hated it.

Lara recognised his struggle and placed a hand on his cheek. She smiled softly when he leaned into it. "I'll be fine. I saved you, remember?"

Harry couldn't help but chuckle. "You did."

She stepped away from him and looked down at the snake, it felt strange to her, seeing a serpent with such an expectant gaze. Like a kitten, or a puppy.

Before she could leave though. Harry reached out and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her back towards himself and the next thing Lara felt were his lips upon hers.

He held her close as he kissed her, her body moulded against him. The motion caused a bit of pain in his recently bandaged shoulder. But he ignored it, too lost in the feel of Lara. It felt so right, her in his arms.

Once the surprise had worn off, Lara wrapped one hand behind his back, the other found its place at his side, right beneath his ribs. He tried to deepen the kiss, and his heart soared when she moaned and responded in kind. It was as if a floodgate had crashed open, releasing every ounce of their pent-up attraction in one another. One of his hands slipped up the back of her shirt, sliding across her back and sending a pleasurable shiver through her slender body.

They were filthy, and sweaty, and neither cared.

Eventually the need for air became too strong, and they separated with their breath caressing each other's skin. Harry leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. Neither voiced the unspoken question. They knew what that kiss meant.

"If we aren't able to find each other, get to the cave where we spent the night," whispered Harry with longing in his voice.

Lara nodded and placed a soft, lingering kiss on his lips before she reluctantly turned to leave and all he was left with was the ghost of her warmth on his skin.

Ron's head banged against the solid wood of the desk, a strained groan wheezing out of him in agony. "I thought after Hogwarts I was done with libraries. I need a nap."

Steven looked up from his own work at the whine coming from the grown redheaded man.

Hermione's laugh was muffled by her lit wand which she held between her lips, her hands busy dancing across the walls of text in the book. The Lumos charm at its tip served to illuminate each page that she skimmed through.

"How do you do that?" Ron muttered in renewed curiosity with his head still laid on the desk and his eyes looking up at her.

"DewWHat?" Hermione replied muffled before she realised her mistake and removed the wand from her mouth. "Do what?"

Ron vaguely motioned with his head at the wand in her hand. "Keep the spell going without holding your wand in your hand? I've seen you do it before."

Hermione blinked owlishly and peered at the object in question. "I don't know. I've never actually given it any thought until now."

Ron sighed with a tone of little disappointment, raised himself off the desk and leaned lazily back onto the chair. "What were you trying to find in that book anyway?"

Where the bookish young woman would usually perk up at such a question, she instead looked mildly annoyed. "It's an historical record about Japan's Imperial Navy. It holds some records of the major battles, and incidents where entire ships and their crew disappeared and were considered killed. Ueda-san says there were rumours in his time that the Navy had found the island. So, I'm trying to cross-reference some of these locations with the waters around Izu Island, but it's rather difficult when it's all in Japanese."

"Perhaps, if you permit, I may be able to be of assistance?" spoke a heavily accented familiar voice, to the shock of the living.

"You can speak English!?" Ron was wide awake now, his back ramrod straight.

Behind the ghost, Steven could be seen gaping as well.

"You did not ask," joked the ghost with a laugh. "Before my time here, in this library, I was a professor."

"Well, that's certainly fortunate for us," said Hermione testily with her arms crossed. "If you please, help us find our friend"

She pushed the book towards him. "Help us find Yamatai."

END CHAPTER SEVEN