CHAPTER 14:

OF COVNENANTS, FRIENDS AND MAGIC

Harry stared at the girl for a long time, before he finally said, in a flat tone, "What."

The girl sighed. "…I know this will be hard for you to accept, Harry. For one thing, you have little reason to believe me. For another, my memories are fragmented, and my power is, admittedly, much-reduced. And you have every right to be suspicious of me, given what you have been through. But I am on your side. I always have been."

Harry, after a moment, tried to snark, "Oh, really? So why, assuming you're some embodiment of Hedwig, did you turn your nose up at me using another owl to contact Sirius during my fourth year?"

The girl flinched, before looking away. "I was jealous. That, and my memories and abilities of myself as Godwin had been sealed away at the time. I was irritable, to say the least, thanks to the trauma of having a good part of myself locked away. But yes, I am truly Hedwig. But I am more than that."

Harry looked around the strange version of the Common Room. "Okay, so, let's assume for the moment, and it's a pretty big assumption, that you really are Hedwig, only, somehow, you have a connection to the Velvet Room, and you're not my enemy, not some hallucination caused by Voldemort or my own fucked-up brain. I want explanations."

"And you'll get them, Harry," the girl said. "But let me warn you, my memories are still significantly fragmented. Whoever or whatever sealed them wished to hamper any attempt I could make to help you." Her eyes then narrowed. "Also, mind your language."

"Sod that," Harry said bluntly.

Godwin or Hedwig or whoever she was closed her eyes and sighed. "…Where to begin? This is not the true Velvet Room. Rather, it is a makeshift emulation of it, created by me from your own mind. The Velvet Room changes its appearance to reflect the state of your soul. I don't know what Akira's Velvet Room looks like, but given the appearance of his Attendant and the door that I saw in your memories, it may appear to be a prison. For another, it appeared to be a massive office in an elevator. And in another, it appeared to be a luxury limousine, always on the move."

"It looks like the Gryffindor Common Room," Harry said.

"Because despite everything you went through, you viewed Hogwarts and Gryffindor Tower as your true home," she said. "The Velvet Room lies between dreams and reality, mind and matter, so my creator used to say. Your world is some way away from this one you currently reside in. But my creator foresaw a time when you would need his guidance and mine. So, he created me, and influenced Hagrid subtly into buying me for you. I would act as a watcher of sorts, until the time was right, and the power of the Fool, of the Wild Card, awoke within you. However, something went wrong. Not long before your name came out of the Goblet of Fire, I was attacked from within. Something tore parts of my soul away from each other. When you went through the Veil, something compelled me to follow. Unlike you or Sirius, I didn't end up in a Palace. Instead, I ended up in Mementos, and it took some time for me to emerge. And before you ask…I don't know whether it is possible to go back to our timeline, at least not yet."

Harry considered the story she had spun him. He had to admit, he was still suspicious, after everything he went through over the last few years. How could he be sure this was Hedwig, after all? Or that she meant the best for him?

After all, it sounded like he had a destiny forced upon him. Not that he hadn't had that happen already, what with Magical Britain dubbing him the Boy Who Lived, but this sounded like someone else had a destiny in mind for him. And he didn't like it.

He decided to ask the pertinent question. "So, why bring me in here now?"

"You may be able to see the Velvet Room as Akira is using it, but I am worried about using it yourself. Some instinct screams at me to stay away. But as an Attendant, I have some abilities governing the growth and transformation of Personas. As a Wild Card, you have many Personas at your disposal. I have the ability to strengthen them, or fuse them together. However, such a process is risky at the best of times, and as this isn't the true Velvet Room, that risk becomes greater. It won't harm you, but resulting Personas may be weakened if there is a Fusion Accident."

"That wasn't quite what I meant. Why help me now?"

"…Because while your original destiny has been derailed for now, I care for you, Harry. As an Attendant, it is my duty to help Wild Cards and those they hold dear, and I have grown fond of you, as much as my station allows me to be. Much of your power has been bound, probably by the same entity that hobbled my power. Wild Cards have the ability to strengthen themselves through their links with others, as Social Links or Confidants. But that ability has been locked away, and I cannot undo it. The best I can do is offer something like the services of the Velvet Room to you."

Once more, Harry considered what he had been told by Hedwig or Godwin or whoever (or whatever) she truly was. It was an extraordinary story, and one he wasn't sure he wanted to believe. After all, why hadn't she helped him sooner? What was this about him having a fucking destiny? And was everything about her a lie?

But…she had followed him through the Veil. And if she really was Hedwig, and she really could help him, he could use that help. So, a little reluctantly, he asked, "What do I do?"

"Choose the Personas you wish to fuse or strengthen. Don't worry, any you fuse will simply return to the Sea of Souls, and you may be able to retrieve them at a later date. In addition…" She held out her hand, and a notebook appeared. "I also keep a record of them. For an appropriate fee, I may resummon those you have fused or dismissed from your service. Don't ask about the payment, it appears to be a tradition. Though for your first resummoning, I will waive any fee in exchange for a different payment."

"…And what's that?"

"…Bacon," she said. "And the good stuff. And actual bacon, not any of that fancy prosciutto stuff I had once."

Harry stared at her, before laughing. "Oh God, you really are Hedwig!"

Hedwig, or Godwin, pouted. "Please do not laugh. I like bacon…"

Harry, under Hedwig's guidance, experimented with at least a couple of Fusions, but he kept a couple of other Personas ready, albeit out of personal preference. He kept Pixie and Jack Frost, albeit partly because they were cute, though their abilities were useful. And, of course, he kept the Doctor.

Still, even as he left the Velvet Room, he was still admittedly wary. If someone like Hedwig's creator had been watching him, and had sent Hedwig to help him, why hadn't they done more, and sooner? And why couldn't he use the normal Velvet Room, the one Akira used?

Those thoughts chased him even as he woke up the next morning and headed to Leblanc after breakfast, Sirius heading out to make enquiries about potential work, despite Sae's offer. Futaba was already there, chatting away with Sojiro. "…Dangerous, yeah, but it's one more piece of the puzzle, Sojiro. Mom would've given an arm and a leg just to set foot in Mementos."

"That's as maybe, Futaba, but you can't blame me for worrying," Sojiro said. "Leaving aside the company, Mementos sounds extremely dangerous, especially with these Shadow things." But then, a smile touched his lips. "Still, you're so much like Wakaba. She would've charged right in like you did."

"Makes me wonder if she'd be a Gryffindor or a Ravenclaw, then," Harry remarked. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah. I'm still a little shaken after what that Nijima woman said about Uncle Youji, but at least we have some warning, right?" Futaba said. "Sojiro and I have been working on our case, and I did a little digging last night. Can't submit it as evidence, 'cause I hacked it out, but if we can find evidence of it elsewhere, it'd be great. Turns out, Youji's been wasting money on gambling. He's deep in debt to some scary people."

"He probably only wants Futaba back for the remainder of her inheritance, as well as the payment from the government for adopting a foster child," Sojiro said. "As Futaba said, we can't use that information directly if it does go to court, but if we can find it out through more legal means, it could help matters. I've warned Kurusu to be on the lookout for her uncle, discreetly, but just be careful if he comes here. Don't antagonise him or give him any ammunition."

Harry shrugged. "No worries, I'll just Memory Charm him so hard, he forgets his toilet training."

Futaba snickered, while Sojiro said, his eyes wide, "You can do that?'

"I've seen a Memory Charm backfire so badly, the would-be user forgot who he was entirely," Harry said, thinking back to Lockhart with a chuckle. "I'm sure Sirius knows a few spells that would discourage him from coming here again."

Sojiro scoffed. "That's as maybe, but don't make any reckless moves. I tolerate Futaba's hobby, but that's because Wakaba ensured Futaba is careful while she does her hacking, and as long as she doesn't undertake identity theft or fraud or espionage or anything like that…" He sighed. "Never mind. Futaba also came here because…she wanted to ask for your help with something. And she wants you in the house to do it. So, I'll remind you, no funny business…"

"It's a sty."

Futaba chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I…kinda can't argue with you on that point. I wanted your help to clear out the rubbish and organise my room a little."

Harry looked around at the room. Papers littered the floor, small hills of garbage bags…he was reminded of how much crap was cleaned out of the spare bedroom at the Dursleys just prior to his first year at Hogwarts. In fact, it said a lot about the Dursleys that, despite the spare room being used as a dumping ground for Dudley's old toys that he got bored of, it was still cleaner than Futaba's bedroom.

He was also astonished by the posters and figurines around the place, and by the massive computer set-up at a desk. Hell, Futaba even had a small fridge, filled with drink cans and snacks. Eventually, he said, "Sojiro really spoiled you, didn't he?"

"…Yeah," Futaba said, a little more solemnly. "I mean, believe it or not, a lot of this is just an upgraded form of what I had when I was still living with Mom. Anyway, my physical stamina isn't that great, so I need your help in clearing up stuff. Just take out the bags of crap, please, I'll organise the rest."

"Have you ever done this?"

"Believe it or not, yes. Every once in a while, I'd at least take the rubbish bags out while Sojiro was at Leblanc and leave them ready for them to go with the rest of the trash..."

It took a few trips, but eventually, the room was mostly clear of the rubbish bags. Futaba, meanwhile, was organising the papers on the floor. The room was now much clearer, and Harry decided to use some cleaning spells he had learned from Hermione and Molly Weasley to get rid of the dust and grime on some surfaces.

"That's a hell of a set-up," Harry said, even as he cleaned the windows. He was indicating the computer systems. "How good is it?"

"Good enough for gaming all the latest games, and doing some hacking, and I mean the good stuff. Not the amateur script-kiddy crap. I used to be a major hacktivist years back, before everything went sour, never mind with Mom. I was inspired by a book by Suelette Dreyfuss called Underground, which was about a number of Australian, British and American hackers. One of them turned out to be Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, not that you know who that was(1)."

"I don't, no," Harry said.

Futaba nodded. "Well, never mind him. I considered joining the Anonymous hacktivist group, but decided against it. I decided to found my own hacktivist group. At the time, there was a fuss over an Egyptian exhibition at the Mori Art Museum, one Mom took me to at the time. It showed a page from the Book of the Dead, depicting a mysterious Egyptian deity called Medjed, which became a meme in Japan for a time. Because he was supposedly an unseen deity, I thought it'd be a perfect name for a hacktivist group. But…well, eventually, I didn't like the way the group was going, so I left. I changed my online name to Alibaba, after the character from the 1001 Arabian Nights."

"Why was that?"

"Ali Baba stole from the 40 Thieves, and he figured out their password by overhearing them. You'd be surprised at how much hacking is social engineering, that is, tricking people into giving you what you need, rather than tapping away at a keyboard," Futaba said. "Plus, I wanted to disguise my gender online. As a girl, I might not be always taken seriously, and some corners of the internet are misogynistic as all hell. I'd either be sneered at, or considered fresh meat."

"Fair enough," Harry said. "Honestly, though, when I think the world in 2016…I would've picked something more like Back to the Future. You know, the second one?"

"Yeah. I mean, flying cars scare me, given how people drive normal cars like idiots, but hoverboards are cool. Plus, the Delorean…I dunno which is the cooler time machine, that or the TARDIS." She then turned to her computer system, squatting on her chair, and pulling up the Phan-Site. "I should get a hold of the guy who set this up. He isn't bad, but there's more than a few vulnerabilities some guys can take advantage of. I can plug quite a few of those holes. I think they also need to put in some rules if there's going to be people asking for a Change of Heart. That Nakanohara guy straddled the line, but…Sirius is right, it's not far off brainwashing, and we need to be sure they deserve it. Kamoshida definitely deserved it, he was an abuser and a rapist towards his students. But we need to be sure with others."

"Like with Madarame?"

"Yep. I'll be researching him over the next few days." She swivelled in her chair to face him. "You know, you're the first person I've let in my bedroom for a long time. Not even Sojiro was let in here, at least until you helped me out. He's probably stressing over a boy being in my bedroom. Mwehehehe…"

Harry rolled his eyes. "We only met each other recently, Futaba. Plus, we're a bit young for him to be worried about that sort of thing, right?"

"Yeah. But…we're friends, right?"

The question struck him in all the fact that it was unexpected. True, he had been dancing around the subject mentally, partly due to his wariness and her social phobias, to say nothing of his anxieties around his friends back home. Plus, he had spent most of the time in this world getting to know her Shadow, not the original Futaba.

But Futaba, once past her social phobias and the quirks caused by her Asperger's Syndrome, was easy enough to get along with. True, she didn't like talking about mundane topics, but she could be surprisingly friendly. Plus, Harry had experience dealing with odd people and personalities at Hogwarts. If he could befriend Hermione or Luna, who both marched to the beat of their own drums, or tolerate Trelawney, then Futaba was a doddle.

"Yeah, we're friends, Futaba," he said, with a smile that was matched on her own.

With that, she hopped off her chair, and gave him a hug. "…You know what? Ali Baba needed to loot the treasure of the 40 Thieves to feel happy. But I just needed one wizard to save me. And now I have a friend IRL. I…" Her voice caught in her throat, and she looked up at him, her dark eyes glimmering with tears behind her glasses, even as she smiled. "…I have a friend. A friend who's a British wizard from another world. And you know what? That's not just awesome. It's the best gift I have had for ages. Thanks, Harry. I…thank you."

"Futaba…thank you too, for helping me. Your Shadow helped save me, and she is you. You saved me from that monster Cognition of your mother. That shows that, deep down, you're a brave and compassionate girl. You just needed something to get you to show it."

"…You're full of it," Futaba said, albeit with a teary smirk. "But that doesn't matter. We're in this together, to find a way home for you, to find out who murdered my mother for me, and we're going to take on as many corrupt people as we have to for it."

And so, they stood there, affirming their newly-acknowledged friendship. The reclusive hacker, and the wizard from another world, now united as would-be picaresque heroes, to fight against a corrupt world sliding towards ruin. Their fight would be long and arduous, but for now, they treasured this moment…

CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:

D'awwww…the feels. Seriously, Futaba and Shiho need all the hugs.

Review-answering time! kyugan: Not yet.

cheshiresmile322: Thanks. I should point out that one of my reviewers, long ago, called the Potterverse the 'little black dress of crossovers'. In other words, it was easy to fit with anything, with the right work. Of course, doing so is rarely so simple. Pairing Harry with Futaba required quite a bit of effort to work out, partly due to her many, many issues. But difficult pairings to write can often be the most rewarding.

WearyCurmudgeon: Interesting, but I did some quick digging on the wiki for Shin Megami Tensei and TV Tropes, and there's no thematic naming for Shido, unlike many other characters. However, TV Tropes believes that he may have been a pisstake on the politics of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, particularly his right-wing populist policies. The game was also released around the time that Donald Trump was rising to power, too, and Shido certainly and unpleasantly reminds me of Trump.

1. I read the same book many years ago, and I was genuinely surprised when I later learned that 'Mendax' was actually Julian Assange.