Chapter Ten: The Aftermath
November 5th, 1984 / Byers House, Hawkins, Indiana
They had established themselves in the Byers House, seeing as it was one of the safest places for them to be at the moment. They had Dr. Huber's guards stationed all around the perimeter of the Byers land, around the exterior of the house, and they had a few guards inside ensuring if those outside became casualties they would still have protection inside. Both Will and Harry had been placed on Joyce's bed, which was the biggest one in the house. They were being monitored by the doctors in Harry's department, which they had been told was named the 'Magical Sciences Department'. They had been told these doctors were the best the U.S had to offer regarding knowledge of extraterrestrial events, and magic seemed to fall under that category.
So while they waited for any sign of Will waking up, or any sign of Harry miraculously coming back to life, they all met in the kitchen to talk. Mike had found the picture Will had drawn of the shadow monster. Hopper spoke. "Harry mentioned that it was some kind of host. It controls all of the things in Upside Down. The vines in the tunnel. The Demogorgon thing. The monsters at the lab. Even Will when he was possessed,"
"Right. A Hive Mind,"
"Hive Mind?" questioned Steve.
"A collective consciousness. It's a super-organism," Dustin explained.
Mike motioned down at the drawing. "And this is the thing that controls everything. It's the brain,"
"Like the Mind Flayer," Dustin realized.
"The...what?" Steve and Max asked at the same time. Mike quickly darted out of the kitchen, tossing himself under Will's bed. He rumbled around down there for a good minute or so before pulling himself out, a book in hand. It was a Dungeons & Dragons book, one with labels sticking out of it filled with notes and names. He moved back into the kitchen, dropping the book onto the table as he opened to a page near the middle, pointing to one of the alien-like creatures on the page. Above the image of the alien was a name. 'The Mind Flayer'. "The Mind Flayer," Dustin spoke. "A monster from an unknown dimension. It's so ancient that it doesn't even know its true home. Okay? It enslaves races of other dimensions by taking over their brains using its highly-developed psionic powers,"
Hopper scoffed. "Oh my god, none of this is real. This is a kid's game,"
"We never thought magic could be real. Or telekinesis. But Harry's in the other room and El's out there somewhere," Mike spoke. Hopper glared at him but didn't argue.
Dustin spoke again. "Besides, it's not a manual. And it's not for kids. And unless you know something that we don't, this is the best metaphor -"
"Analogy," Lucas cut in.
"Analogy? That's what you're worried about? Fine! An analogy for understanding whatever the hell this is," Dustin continued.
"We don't need to understand it. We just need to wake up Harry and let him kick its ass," Lucas spoke. Hopper turned away, rubbing his eyes as everyone but the other kids turned to stare at him. As if he were crazy. But it made sense. The kids had been so consumed in seeing Will that they hadn't paid any attention to Harry. "What?" Lucas asked, clearly uncomfortable.
"Harry's dead," Hopper spoke, cutting right to the chase.
"What? But...he can't be dead. Not after coming back the first time," the boy defended.
"He faked his dead the first time. This one was real," Joyce explained.
"So...he's dead?" Hopper nodded alongside Joyce. The kids didn't know how to feel about this. They had been sad to hear that Harry had been killed in a freak accident in the forest, and had even gone to his funeral. But they hadn't been particularly close with him in the few days they'd known each other. But with Eleven supposedly dead by the Demogorgon, and now with Harry having died for the first real-time. It was a bit much. And they all began to feel the weight of it all. Eleven and Harry had been their strongest weapons against the Upside Down. And now they were both gone. "What do we do?"
"We kill the son-of-a-bitch,"
Harry Potter sat within the shape that was Will Byers. He was accompanied by Will's soul, who was clinging to Harry with dear life as the two tried to untangle. It was difficult, but the two definitely didn't want to become one person, and so they had to sit there for what felt like years as they pulled their tendrils from one another. They had been wrapped together so tight that Harry now saw hints of white in Will's blue soul, something that seemed odd. Harry didn't have any blue in him. Did that mean he had left pieces of himself within Will? What would that do to him when he returned to his own body? Would he forget things? Would he act differently? Harry didn't know, and it scared him to think about it.
When they were separated and free from each other, Harry pulled himself away from the body, speaking softly. This body is yours. You deserve it. It's not mine. It belongs to you. And it worked. Will's soul took back its place in the shape, glowing brighter than ever as it began to shoot out tendrils towards other souls nearby. It was re-establishing its connection to those that it found familiar. Harry then turned to his own body lying beside Will's, a slightly larger shape compared to the boy. But it was off. It was wrong. While it had once belonged to him, Harry found himself unwilling to settle down in this body. There was something wrong with it. Something that would surely hurt him if he took it once more. So he turned away. Turned to the only thing left to turn to. The forest.
It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It reminded him of something familiar yet distant. As if he had seen these trees yesterday, while only seeing them for the first time within this very place. He reached out for everything. He touched the trees. The grass. The birds flying over them. He reached for the sky. He touched absolutely everything he could get his tendrils on, but then he was pulled away. Pulled from the forest and shoved into a different place. A new place filled with other things like him. He saw millions of them. Billions. Trillions. He could see them for what he thought were miles. They were other souls. Only they took on a translucent color. No blue. No brown. No black. No white. Just nothing. Then a voice called out to him. Take them. They're yours.
Mine?
Yours.
Why?
Because. You need them to live.
Don't these belong to someone else?
No. These are free for anyone. I call for them at times as well.
Call for them?
I use them. To create new life.
So I can create...what exactly?
Anything you want.
Right. A new body?
Yes.
A new world?
Possibly.
A new galaxy?
Perhaps.
What if I don't want any of that?
Then you can leave this place and return to the forest. But you are aware that you have people there that need you.
Right.
So?
How many do I need for a new body?
Take as many as you need.
How many?
For just a new body? Perhaps two would be enough. But I would take more. Harry frowned, and reached forward to the closest few souls he could see. His tendrils were gentle, for he was unsure if touching them would hurt them. If they could be hurt. But when he touched them, something happened. They turned white with hints of black all over. They then began to attach to him, becoming one with him. He began to panic. This wasn't right. He began to push them away. To run. But he was held still by something he couldn't see. They are yours. You are theirs. You are one. The voice explained. Harry frowned. These didn't belong to anyone? Apparently not. Which meant that they were essentially free-use souls. The thought disturbed him. But he accepted the word of the voice and accepted the new souls as a part of him. Now go. Work needs to be done.
What do I do?
Do what you do best. Save the world. With that, Harry was led back to Joyce's room in the Byers house. There, he tried his best to focus on creating a new body. One that was healthy and new. But one question came to mind. Should he make it young or the age he had been when he was in Raccoon City? His choice was made in the span of seconds as he willed a new body into existence. He took everything into account. Every measurement, every function, anything specific that he would need to worry about. And then it happened. His tendrils fired out towards nothing, before coming to a stop. The tendrils' tips then glowed brightly before quickly spreading out with their own tendrils. Before long, a shape began to appear made of his tendrils. A human shape. And when the body was finally completed, Harry quickly moved to inhabit the shape. It felt perfect. It was his. It belonged to him. And he belonged to it.
"Mom?" Joyce Byers spun her head so fast one might think she would get whiplash. But she didn't care. Her eyes were on her youngest son, who appeared as if nothing had changed since a few days before. He actually seemed better. Something that made her both smile and feel concerned. She and Johnathan ran to him at once, pulling him into a very tight hug that seemed to take the breath out of him. "Oh, I'm so glad you're ok," Joyce whispered, her smile beginning to hurt her face. But once again, she didn't care. She was too focused on holding her boy. When she finally did pull away, she spoke. "Are you ok?"
Will smiled, nodding as he accepted excited hugs from all of his friends. Once the greetings were over, Will sighed. "The Shadow was angry when Harry arrived. But we were able to push him out together,"
"The Shadow?" Dustin asked.
"When he arrived? What does that mean?" Hopper asked.
"The Shadow. The shadow monster," Will clarified for Dustin, who whispered 'Mind Flayer'. "I was about to give up. I'd been fighting it for a while and I was so tired. But then Harry came in here," He motioned to his chest. He only got confused expressions. "He...I was fighting The Shadow for control. Of my body and mind. And then Harry showed up and fought too. But after a while, he got confused and kicked us both out. I got scared and held onto him. Then he kicked The Shadow out and let me take back control. After that, he left,"
"Left where?" Hopper asked, his face hardening and his voice shaking.
"I don't know. I just felt him and The Shadow with me. Subconsciously, I mean. But then The Shadow left, and all I felt was me and Harry. And then after a while, he left too," Will explained. Hopper was rubbing his eyes again and slowly fell into his seat. Mike Wheeler was the one that came up with the first hypothesis, and what he suggested sounded quite stupid. "It sounds like some kind of soul fight,"
"Soul fight?" Nancy asked.
"Yeah. Will's soul owns his body and mind. The Mind Flayer was fighting for control over his soul. And then Harry showed up and took control. We already know the Mind Flayer is in everything he controls. Maybe a piece of his soul is in everything too," Mike theorized.
"So you think that Harry kicked out the Mind Flayer's soul, helped Will get his back in control, and then...what? Passed on? Went away? If he went back to his own body, he'd be in here right now," Lucas explained.
"Maybe he did pass on," Steve suggested.
"No. He wouldn't," Hopper spoke, shaking his head. "Not with that thing out there. And those 'Demo' things. He would come back,"
"Really? Because he left us before," Lucas said.
"You heard the Doctor. He had good reasons," Nancy retorted.
"Good? He left us here to die!" Mike exclaimed.
"He was working with the Laboratory! Where everything started. He probably figured if it started again, he could stop it at the source," Nancy defended.
"Why are you defending him anyway?" Mike asked.
"Well, someone should! None of you seem to care about him other than how he could be beneficial to you. None of you care that he's a human being like the rest of us. Did you ever think that he left your 'Party' because he simply didn't like any of you? Besides El of course," Nancy explained. That seemed to hit them. "You treat him like an outcast when he killed people to save you guys from that bus. He connected with all of you. Shared his entire life with you, and you still sometimes call him 'Stranger'," She shot a glare at Mike. "Or 'Giant'," She glared at Steve. "But he's just a man who's been abused all his life and is looking for some belonging,"
"And he found it with Hopper. Then he ran off and faked his death," said Lucas. He didn't want to budge.
"You heard Owens. Harry probably figured that with his luck they'd be better off without him. I'm sure none of you would be selfless enough to do that for any of us," Nancy bit back. No one spoke for a while as they digested her words. She was right. They had treated Harry quite badly while he had been here. They treated him as an outcast, just as Mike had with Max; who was still being filled in as to who Harry was by Dustin and Lucas. But looking back, the kids didn't see how they could have come to like Harry. Eleven had been kind, young, fragile, and a trustworthy friend. But Harry Potter had been rude, older, hard and stern, sarcastic, and an untrustworthy person due to his very odd nature. But they could have tried, and the kids began to realize this as they sat quietly in the kitchen.
And then it happened. Screams cut through the house and the lawn outside, startling everyone. Doctors ran out of Joyce's room, fear in their eyes as some fell into the wall opposite of the door. Hopper and the others rushed forward, entering the room to find that Dr. Owens and those in Harry's Department were the only ones to remain beside Harry himself. Hopper's eyes widened as Joyce let out a gasp of shock. The same could be heard from those behind them. Everyone cluttered into the room, where they watched with wide eyes. Harry's body was flaking apart, his skin flying off and turning to dust as it fell onto Joyce's bed. Before long, nothing was left but a handful of hair on the pillow. "What happened?!" Hopper shouted.
"We don't know! We were monitoring him, and then he just..." Dr. Graves covered her mouth, her eyes tearing up slightly as she watch the scene in front of her. This was the worst thing that could happen. The body was gone. There was no hope for a miraculous survival. And even if he had truly been dead, they could no longer study his remains. Harry Potter was gone.
"What the -!" Everyone but Hopper and Joyce turned towards Will, who was watching the corner of the room. They all turned. And there, in the corner, was what looked like a human body made of white lines. Before long, they saw the human shape fill out. Bones, then nerves, organs, muscles, and then skin. And then he was there. A naked Harry Potter stood in the corner of Joyce's room, his eyes opening wide as he sucked in a deep breath. He then collapsed, avoiding the floor as Johnathan and Nancy caught him. "Get something to cover him!" Nancy shouted. By this point, Hopper, Joyce, and the doctors had turned and were in awe. Harry was alive. And there he was in Johnathan and Nancy's arms gasping for breath.
Joyce was quickest, grabbing a nearby towel as she tossed it to Johnathan. He caught it and covered Harry's waist. The boy was only slightly taller than he had been before, but he no longer had a slim form or skinny arms and legs. He now had a leaner physique, matched with a bit of muscle that showed quite well. His eyes showed a brighter shade of emerald green. His hair was longer, reaching past his ears on the side and nearly reaching his shoulders on the back. And even better, the bright red scar that had once been on his forehead was gone from sight. When he finally seemed to calm down and catch his breath, he began to sob, doubling over as Johnathan and Nancy held him. Hopper was at his side in a second, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's ok, son. It's ok,"
Harry Potter had enough time for a long shower before he was called out by Hopper. He didn't want to leave. The water felt nice. Not as nice as the river water in that forest. But it was good enough for him to want to stay forever. But he couldn't stay. He needed to face his demons and confront the past. His self-exile hadn't lasted nearly as long as he hoped it would, but there was the universe for you. Always finding a way to screw him over and force him down the wrong path before correcting itself, mainly by kicking him out. But he did suppose that of all the reasons to be brought back into the fold of 'The Party', dying was a pretty good one. But it was a bit too coincidental that he just so happened to die the same day that Hopper, Joyce, Mike, and Will are all in the Lab. And of course, he would interfere. It was in his nature. His 'Saving-People-Thing' as Hermione called it.
He felt a sting of pain. Hermione. He missed her. Missed her so much he would do anything just to get back to her and his old life. The one where he belonged somewhere. With his friends. Hermione. Ron. Neville. Ron. Ginny. But they weren't here and he was. So he was forced to make do with what he had. A bunch of kids and adults fighting against a creature with a Hive Mind trying to take over everything it came across. A smile slowly crept across his face as he stepped out of the shower. He could live here. As much as he had once fought himself against starting something new here, the 'new' Harry realized that he couldn't go back. Not even if he wanted to. So he would start a new life here with the chance he was given. And he'd already set the starting blocks. All he needed was to repair a few before building higher.
There were no clothes that fit his size according to Joyce's note on the bathroom counter, but he didn't mind. He simply displaced a pair of clothes that would fit him and made adjustments to ensure everything fit nicely. Harry then took a minute to examine himself. It had worked. He had decided to remain the same age he had been as at fourteen, but he reconstructed his body as had been in his original universe when he had really been fourteen. Harry hadn't noticed back then how much good Quidditch had done him. It had provided a lot of needed muscle to his bones and allowed him to keep his lean and muscular physique. He would have to keep training regularly if he wanted to keep everything the way it was.
When he was done, Harry exited the bathroom to find everyone watching him. They all seemed relaxed except for Hopper and the kids. The kids seemed awkward around him, and Hopper was hiding something. No doubt he was angry at Harry for leaving, something Harry had expected. He took a seat next to Will, smiling brightly towards the boy who smiled back. Harry closed his eyes for a moment to think but quickly frowned. He could still see light. It wasn't very bright, but he could see things. He almost panicked. He could see blue souls, along with Will's white/blue soul. When he opened his eyes, he saw normally. Harry shut them, and the souls were there. After experimenting for a moment, he came to a conclusion. When he inherited those blank souls and this new body, he must have also inherited some sort of altered version of 'Mage Sight'. When he told them this, there were mixed reactions.
"So you can see...souls?" Max Mayfield asked.
"Only when I close my eyes. Some sort of altered 'Mage Sight' I must have gained in my time Outside," Harry explained.
"Outside?"
Harry wasn't sure where he had gotten the name for where he had been, but it had come to mind like any other name. It was the Outside. That's all he knew. Harry nodded. "As far as I understand it, the Outside is a place completely outside of the Omniverse. Existing outside of any single universe. I know because I've traversed through universes before. They're all crammed together, taking place in the same space while being invisible to each other. But this place...it was dark and filled with empty souls. I grabbed a few and came back here. That's when I made the new body," Harry motioned down to himself. "I must have gained some added benefit from visiting the Outside. Including my new 'Soul Sight',"
"Right. So you fought the Mind Flayer's soul -"
"Mind Flayer?" Harry questioned.
"A stupid character from their game," Hopper supplied, earning offended looks from the kids.
Mike continued. "You fought the Mind Flayer's soul, took over Will's body, then kicked the Mind Flayer out, gave Will's body back, and then left?"
"Pretty much, but it wasn't that simple," Harry replied.
"How did you even get into his body like that?" Lucas asked.
"I'm not entirely sure. I was sure it wouldn't work, but I had to try something. So I pumped my shadows through his body and willed myself to take over. And then I felt this...this tug. Like an old portkey," Before anyone could ask, he supplied the answer. "It's a magical transportation technique. We charm an item to transport us somewhere, and when we use the incantation 'Portus' it pulls us through a tight wormhole of sorts that takes us to our destination. It pulls you by the navel and sometimes causes you to throw up. This felt like that. I was tugged through something, and then there I was. Standing in the same room only it was different. It was how I see things with my new 'Soul Sight'. Everything's black. I see an outline of everyone. Their basic shapes. And at their center is a soul that reaches out. Most are blue. Some are different,"
"Different how?" Joyce asked.
"The Shadow's was black. It was evil, and it uses its powers for evil. Its soul was as corrupt as possible. Mine is white with hints of black. All of yours are a hint of blue, while Will's changed,"
"Changed? How do you change your soul?" Dustin asked.
"When we were...wherever we were, we were fighting The Shadow together. But we weren't strong separately, so we clung to each other. Pushed everything we had at it. But we had clung so tightly to each other that some of me got stuck in him, and some of him might have gotten stuck in me. While Wills' soul remains blue, it now has hints of white. I haven't seen blue in mine yet, but I could just not be seeing it," Harry explained. "But when we untangled, I knew I couldn't stay. Will had his body, and mine was dying. So I left,"
"To go...where?" Hopper asked.
"Well, I tried to pass on. But something pulled me back. Pulled me into the Outside. It told me to take the souls and come back. And so I did," Harry replied. Everyone was watching him carefully. Clearly, they didn't like hearing that he had almost allowed himself to die. But they weren't him. At the time he had been so tired. And the thought of staying in that forest was the best thing he could think of doing. And then the voice took him away and led him back here. He couldn't even blame it, he was glad to be back. Harry had a lot to do. "So. We need to kill The Shadow,"
"Mind Flayer,"
"Right. That. What's the plan?" Harry questioned.
"We...figured you'd have one," Nancy admitted.
"Well, I proved last year that most of my plans don't work and fail spectacularly. So why don't we figure out a plan together, and I'll go with the flow?" Everyone seemed to approve, and they were about to begin when gunshots began to be heard outside. There were screams and roars as the Demodogs drew closer. Everyone shot to their feet, arming themselves with everything at their disposal. The guards and Hopper readied their guns, Nancy was given an old rifle, Steve readied his bat, and Lucas armed himself with his slingshot. Harry stood in front of everyone else, two black orbs forming over his palms, growing energy as they did so. He was ready for war. And if they did go to war, he would win it. That he was sure of.
But then the cries for help stopped, the screaming died down to nothing, and the roars turned to animalistic screams. Before they could even blink, a Demodog was sent hurling through the window directly into the living room. It was dead, and it slowly slid into the corner of the room with its mouth wide-open. Everyone stared at it in relative shock, before the door swung open. And then she stepped through. Harry's eyes widened at the sight of her. And he was met with equally wide eyes. And then he let a smile cross over his features. Eleven was back.
