Chapter 14: The Return

Harry spent as little time in his flat as he needed to. A quick shower, change, and a note sent off to the Black family. The last piece was to inform them that he would be away on business for some time and would be unable to tutor whilst he did so. Instead, he charged Bella with teaching a few techniques and smaller concepts to Narcissa whilst he was gone. Harry did smile as he thought about Bella needing the patience to have to teach her younger sister. Giving Athena a little bit of attention he grabbed the portkey from Gringotts and was immediately whisked away to the area nearby the stronghold. The portkey got Harry close enough that made apparition less dangerous over the distance. Harry apparated as close as the strongholds wards would allow and made his way up to the gate.

He was greeted with a short wave from the guards, one of which immediately began escorting Harry into the stronghold. There was more activity than Harry thought their might be in the early hours. The guard informed him that several messengers and traders were preparing to leave. The clans were being called. The guard led Harry not to the traditional hall of the Queen but to one of the buildings nearby. The various makings noted that the building was a house of healing, though Harry noted there was an increased amount of guards around this particular building. The pair was let into the building without being accosted, and the guard led Harry towards a specific room. She knocked twice then opened the door, gesturing Harry to enter.

Harry entered the room to find three occupants. The Oracle who is Luna's grandmother was lying on a bed, beside her stood the Queen and a healer. Harry ignored the pair as he sat down on the bed next to the Oracle. He offered a soft smile as he looked her over. She was deathly pale, and her eyes didn't hold the same light that he saw the last time. She smiled in return though Harry knew everything was strained. He brushed some of the hair from her face. In the midst of this little exchange Harry heard the healer leave and the Queen bring a chair over to sit next to them.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Something malevolent attacked them whilst they were traversing the Weave's of Magic and Fate." The Queen answered, "But there will be time for that later. She asked for you, honor her last request."

With that the Queen handed Harry a potion. He looked it over, not recognizing what it was but an understanding began to shape based on the Queens words. He uncorked the potion and gently fed it to the Oracle. As the potion did its work Harry could see some sort of strength return to her features, yet the light in her eyes remained dull. It wasn't strength but it would help with whatever the Oracle wanted to do. No more than a minute later and Harry heard the Queen leave the room.

"You came."

Harry smiled, "I learned very early I just can't help myself. I only wish I could do more."

"You men, always needing to fix something rather than just sitting and doing what is asked of you. You never listen."

Harry couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out, "You aren't the first one to say that to me."

The Oracle smiled, "Come, my last thoughts wish to be of family. Speak to me of what you know of my granddaughter. Tell me of the woman she will become."

Harry smiled as he thought of Luna, a bright spot of the memories that would always exist. Harry would spend the rest of the morning hours lost in his memories, speaking of the quirky blonde woman that would eventually become one of his closest friends. There were so many moments where they were the only people in the world who understood one another. Even Susan, who Harry had relied on so much in later years would never truly understand him the way Luna did. The conversation between the two would last through the very early hours of the morning. They could hear the activity of the stronghold start to get more intense as dawn drew nearer. Harry could also tell that her strength was fading fast. He couldn't help the few tears that were starting to fall. Her hand reached up and cupped his face; they both knew that their time was ending.

"I don't regret it. We are both happy to protect others." Harry nodded before she continued as she pointed out a nearby chest, "Inside there is a small bag, please grab it. Inside are three items for you. The first is for your wand maker." She smiled at his shocked expression, "Take that to her when you return and she will know what to do. The second item is a letter for my daughter. Find her and deliver it. The third item requires a promise. Promise me you will take care of my granddaughter. No matter what might happen."

Harry nodded, "I promise."

"It's a small item that needs to be given to Luna when she is old enough to understand the importance of her gift. It will help her. Protect her. Guide her, and she will become the friend she once was."

Harry nodded as a small silence over took them. Her strength was fading fast so Harry reverted to telling another story about Luna. He watched as a smile graced her face, and in the last moments he believed her to be happy. It wasn't long before she took her last breath. Harry let out a heavy sigh as he crossed her arms over her chest and muttered a soft blessing. He pressed one last kiss to her forehead before stepping away into the hall. There was a healer nearby who took the news of the death easily. Harry was led by a guard back to the Queen. The Queen was huddled over a map with various advisors. Everyone stopped and looked at Harry as he entered. A small nod from Harry was all the Queen needed. She issued a few last orders before sending nearly everyone on their way. The people left were the Queen, Speaker, and another advisor. Some chairs were conjured, and the group all sat down. The other advisor passed out small drinks and the Queen lead a small moment of remembrance for one of their Oracles.

After a moment Harry was surprised when the Speaker held out her hand. "Areto." She said as Harry shook her hand.

"Harry." He answered.

"Charope." The other advisor stated

"Aella." The Queen said.

Harry nodded before turning to the Queen, "What changed?"

"You brought us a warning, something we were already somewhat aware of. Yet even before that moment you were honorable towards the blood of one called family." The Queen smiled before she continued, "We are not savages, but we are internal and who you are raises questions."

Harry gestured for her to continue but it was Areto who continued to speak, "We have known something Is coming, there have been changes to the Weave of Magic, yet we weren't sure what to look for. Your request gave us more, in conjunction with the attack on our Oracles."

"Attack?"

Charope continued the tale, "Our oracles were seeking more understanding about the threat that Magic would face. A presence seemed to notice them and made to attack. Whatever it was was dark and powerful. Many reported it attempted to pull them into the Weave itself, Eulalia released her magic into the Weave. She pushed back the presence but was open to the backlash of the Weave. Her magical core was damaged enough to lead to this state."

Harry sighed at that revelation, "How did my revelation help?"

The Queen smiled, "Outside of the improbability of your presence; you informed us about the presence of the Horcrux, which is itself an affront to magic and all that we hold dear. More than someone is traversing and attacking others amongst the Weave. That necessitates a response."

"From the clans?"

The Queen nodded, "The Weave connects us all. This is not something I can decide on my own. Now this man you say will make a Horcrux, briefly speak of him."

So Harry spoke of Voldemort. Not the full as he admitted his memories were still not fully there, but what he spoke caused the women to listen. Harry told them that Voldemort was concerned with domination and the exertion of power and control. He created the Horcruxes to escape death; Harry emphasized that there were multiple, with himself once being a living host. The others he could not speak of but the women did not ask him to go into much further detail. Mostly they wanted his tale as a corroboration that the Oracles were attacked and didn't mess up in their explorations of the Weave. Harry's explanation didn't last long and once he was done Areto lead him to another room.

She handed him a medallion as she opened the room, "Wear this, we will have many unfamiliar faces starting to arrive today, and you are the Queen's personal guest. The funeral rites will begin just before sunset, find a guard and she will take you to where you need to go."

She left Harry in silence. Harry felt his tiredness hit almost instantly from the long night. Setting an alarm charm for a few hours later he let his weariness take him. After some sleep Harry was back out into the stronghold. The activity was still just as busy but less focused than it was when he arrived. It seemed to be more normalized. Harry spent some time walking through the stronghold and definitely notice women wearing different livery and styles. He walked over to the sparring arena and watched as a number of warriors from the different clans were all sparring against one another. Harry noticed a few dismissive and hostile looks from the women around him, yet they kept their distance. He enjoyed the theatrics of the spars on display. Some were pure magic, others with ancient weapons, yet most were a combination of the two.

After a bit of time Harry felt a hand on his shoulder, "Well if it isn't my favorite teacher." He turned and saw the Captain from last time.

"Captain." Harry greeted.

The Captain smiled as she stepped up next to him, "Brei."

"Harry."

"Have you enjoyed the spars?"

"I have, the styles on display have been wonderful to watch."

"Care to test yourself?"

Harry thought for a moment, "No. Not today." Harry caught the questioning look out of the corner of his eye, "Perhaps one day we will do so, but I have another desire."

Brei's eyes lit up at this, "And what would that be, man?"

Harry smiled and pointed towards the area where some horsemanship was occurring, "I've never ridden on a normal horse, and I would love to see the area properly."

Brei smiled, "I think that can be arranged."

She led Harry away from the spars towards one of the stables. Brei introduced Harry the horse that he would be riding. Harry spent some time with the animal letting the horse get used to his presence. Once the stable hand arrived, Harry got out of the stall to give them room to work. It was there he noticed a more open area in the back of the stable that housed some thestrals. Harry walked up to them and they instantly perked up at his approach. He smiled as two approached, demanding some attention. He gave it to them for a few moments feeling his magic stir in response. Harry gently radiated out some magic. He watched every thestral sort of perk up for a bit before returning to normal. The two closest to him pushed forward further, attempting to reach the source of the magic that they desperately craved. Harry chuckled as the continued to rub their heads. It was only a few moments before the hand called him to say the horse was ready. One final pat and Harry made his way back to the horse.

Brei helped Harry get up before getting on her own. Two other riders joined them and after a quick instruction Brei led the group out of the stronghold. The ride was relatively slow and gentle, and Harry enjoyed every minute of it. The trio of women around him spoke about the area they had come to know as home. None of them were actually born in this area. They were all from different clans around the world; choosing to come live and work in the stronghold of their Queen. Harry enjoyed the discussion and the company. The land itself didn't hold the same appeal to him but he understood their pride in who they were. The women loved the land and the history it held for them, and the fact that the stronghold remained showed the love the people as a whole proclaimed for it.

The ride took the group to a site of a historic battle. Harry could still feel the imprint of it on the magic in the area. He listened to the trio speak of the battle; an old warlord had united some of the warring tribes and clans around him, and started a campaign of conquest into the lands that surrounded him. Eventually the conflict stood on the borders of what the Amazons held. They had seen this coming and met the warlord on the field of battle. Harry got of his horse and walked out onto the field, feeling the buildup of magic.

Without warning everything threatened to overwhelm Harry. A memory of Luna burst forth. Magic is memory. It imprints and remembers everything that occurs around it. Sometimes if one listens or is specially attuned to it, Magic may speak and reveal the memory so that it is not lost. Magic remembers. It is humans that forget. Harry stood up and looked around only to see the battle waging around him. Men and women on the field, magic and ancient weapons clashing. Harry was stood on a hill, far out into the distance ran the frontlines were the fighting was the fiercest.

"He was a fool to engage us here." A female voice spoke up nearby.

Harry turned and saw a man and a woman, both surrounded by separate honor guards on the hill. The woman was clothed in the livery of the Amazonian Queen. The man was different. A magical who chose to wear armor and bore traditional weapons. Magic pulled Harry's attention to the insignia on the man's breastplate. The head of a raven. Yet the eye is what captured everything, as the eye was represented by a symbol which Harry recognized as the symbol for the Hallows. As soon as the recognition happened the insignia of the raven turned and looked at Harry before cawing.

Harry was violently thrown from the vision. The three women were all on foot and around him. Brei knelt beside him, while the other two stood guard. Water was shoved into his hands and he sipped at it while his heart returned to normalcy.

"You saw something." Brei stated.

Harry nodded, still a little out of breath, "Yeah. The battle. It was fiercer than even you described."

Brei snorted, "Doesn't surprise me."

Harry grabbed her shoulder, "There's more. Peverell's were there as well."

At this Brei face turned solemn, "Now your beginning to understand. Come. We need to return."

The trip back was quiet and efficient. The guards conversed between themselves and Harry absently wondered what they were speaking about. When they returned to the stronghold Brei left Harry with the stable hand, who in turn told Harry that he could leave and she would take care of it. Harry walked over to the thestrals again. They perked up but appeared more sedate in the way they approached Harry. The same two as before approached Harry and they just spent time enjoying the attention that Harry gave them. He spent some time there before giving them a fond farewell. It was time to honor the life of someone who could've been a close friend.


A/N: Based on some changes to my life I have decided that I am changing the update day to Monday. This will just help me have more consistency with everything. Hope you all have a fantastic day and that this chapter was enjoyable.

Next upload: Monday 12/5