Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Dragon Age.


Previously...

"There was certainly nothing more to her concern than that..."

Or at least that was what she kept telling herself, the snide voice of her mother constantly reminding Morrigan that love was a lie made for fools to convince themselves that their goals were more noble and profound based on emotion rather than reason.

Harry would have sighed at her thoughts, knowing he still had a lot of work to do.

Sirius would have likely made a joke about how deep 'de Nile River runs.

Morrigan took a rather luxurious bath in her quarters and then slipped on the green bath robe before returning to Harry's room and taking up a vigil, just in case his condition may change over night. His skin was cool to the touch when she found him, but his pulse seemed normal.

She had brought a book with her, a soft conjured blue flame giving her just enough light to read by without waking him. But it wasn't long before she lost interest in the fourth volume of spells from his world, and Morrigan found herself drifting off to sleep as well.


It was a different, unexpected blonde that he discovered when Harry found himself back in the Fade that night.

She was waiting for him while sitting in the lotus position. Her dreamy pale silver eyes opened and she smiled. "Hello, Harry. Long time, no see."

"Hey, Luna. How's my..." he counted for a moment, "Ninth favorite blonde doing?"

"I'm only number nine?" she asked.

"Well, I couldn't put you above those I was related to," he shrugged. "Or slept with."

"That was a shame," she sighed. "It's too bad Susan wasn't bi. Oh well, at least I made the top ten. And I'm doing quite well, thank you for asking. I'm also pleased to see that you've improved ever since you had your little bout with dimensional travel."

"Yeah, I'm liking it here too," he smiled. "I'm really glad I found Sirius. It always bothered me that I didn't know what happened to him."

"Yes, Sirius seems happy. I quite agree with his taste in ladies- Leliana is yummy. I suppose it's too bad you had to go and fall for the first girl you laid your eyes on when you got there. That is so typical of you."

"What do you mean? I never had a love at first sight thing before." He scratched his head. "I'm pretty sure I would have remembered something like that."

"No, but you were quick to love those who would show you affection," she replied. "I believe it's due to how starved for anything of the sort you were when you were a child. If only I had met you earlier, I could have gotten in on the action. Maybe in another life. I'm a little disappointed though."

"Why?"

"You haven't taught Morrigan any of my spells yet."

Harry laughed. "Sorry. I thought I would start her out on the normal curriculum before I veered off into, 'here's some things my brilliant friend developed because she loved pop culture.' Though, now that you mention it, that one with the sonic vibrations could have been pretty useful back in the tower."

"I'm glad you remember." Luna's expression changed slightly, losing the grin she'd had. "Now, let's get to the point of why I'm here. The Hallows."

"I should have expected that," he sighed.

"You shouldn't be so afraid to accept your powers, Harry."

"Yeah, well, Death's magic still feels disgusting, so you'll have to forgive me."

"That's because you're still subconsciously rejecting the fact that you are the Master of Death," she responded before shaking her head.

"I don't know that's my subconscious," he snorted. "I hate it."

"I am well aware that you wish you had died. But you didn't, and maybe you should try to see that there's a reason for that."

"You mean coming to this new world?"

"Maybe," she shrugged. "You are good at saving the world, you know?"

"I failed before."

"No, you succeeded at your task. The later problems were not your fault. It would have taken much more than your power to stop mankind from destroying itself."

"So you're here to advise me?"

"Yes," she nodded. "You need to try to let go of the past."

"I've got sixty years of regret," he replied.

"Nobody's perfect," she giggled. "Just, try to lighten up a bit, Harry. You've got enough problems awaiting you in the future of this world that you don't need to hold onto the ones from our home."

"I... I'm trying to."

"Try harder."

"How do I do that?"

"Why don't you try kissing the girl?" Luna said with a grin. "That's always worked before."

"I don't want to push her-"

"Sometimes people need a push, Harry."


He awoke to a pleasant yet strange sensation- one that he hadn't had for a long time.

A woman in his bed.

Harry smiled to himself as he found that Morrigan had fallen asleep, her head laying upon his chest, one arm curled around his side. Judging by the open book near her other hand, she had tried to stay awake, perhaps to watch over him.

See, she did care. He smirked but contained his thoughts for the moment.

The little bluebell flame charm was still going on the night table nearby. He wondered how late it was. Or early, as the case may be.

His wand was always close at hand, so he slowly reached for it and then levitated the book off the bed.

Next up, it was time to try to make her a bit more comfortable. That proved to be much harder to do without waking her up, but his movements were cautious and deliberate, and soon her legs were properly stretched out instead of being splayed half off the bed.

With that done, Harry set his wand back down and let himself begin to relax.

He was slow to drift back to sleep though as he was enjoying having her beside him, even if she may have argued that she didn't mean to do so. In an odd way, her contrariness was part of what he found charming about her.


Later that morning, Morrigan awoke feeling very refreshed and pleasantly warm- which could have had something to do with the body she was cuddling against.

She sat up with a gasp, horrified to think what she was-

"Good morning," Harry said, interrupting her thoughts.

"I was... I must have dozed off while watching over you," she blurted out, making him chuckle.

Harry grabbed his wand and waved it at his face. "Much better. Hold still for a second."

"What?"

He pointed the wand at her and she soon discovered a very pleasant minty taste. Then Harry sat up, grabbed her and pulled her lips to his. Without even thinking she began to reciprocate, her mouth opening slightly as she moaned in pleasure.

It was better than she had hoped it would be, and she felt herself melting into his embrace.

When the kiss did finally end, it was only because Harry pulled away from her. He grinned at her as she sighed. "I think that was worth the wait."

Morrigan leaned back and glared at him. "Was there any doubt 'twould be so?"

"No, of course not." There was that damnable smirk again.

She frowned and looked away from his face, being drawn down to his torso. Morrigan inspected it for any signs of the previous night's wound... and she may have lingered a few extra seconds more just admiring him as well. Harry wasn't as large and muscular as a soldier may have been, but he was nicely toned. And just as before when she had been near him, his scent was intoxicating.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

"Yes," she muttered. "You seem to have completely healed from that stabbing."

"I've had much worse," he shrugged. "You wouldn't believe some of the things I've healed from over the years."

"Try me," she challenged.

"Alright. How about decapitation? Been there, done that."

She frowned in confusion. "How could you survive that?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I woke up later and my head and body were once again connected. And I've had even worse things than that happen that I've somehow survived; though it doesn't shut off the pain. Exploding was probably the worst- having a bomb dropped on you and still being conscious as pieces of you go flying everywhere, well, I really wouldn't recommend that to anyone."

Morrigan tried to picture that, and despite the morbid subject, she was curious as well. If he were going to get himself potentially killed in some horrific way, she would have to be there to study how his body might reconstitute itself. That could lead her to learning more about healing, if not immortality itself.

"I wonder if the others are up yet."

She looked over at the door at Harry's query and realized that the others would likely be gossiping away if the two of them emerged together. Especially that Orlesian slut and the old busybody; Morrigan wasn't actually concerned about Sirius, as he would likely save his comments for teasing Harry.

"Morrigan?" he drew her attention back to him. "I can go and distract them if you want to sneak back to your room."

"Do you think I care what others think of me?" she replied. "Unless you're ashamed of me, is that it?"

"Of course not," he said, reaching out to touch her hand.

Normally, Morrigan detested how people always felt the need to touch each other, but with Harry, somehow those thoughts all drifted away.

"I just meant that..." he sighed. "I don't want anyone to bother you about something that isn't any of their business."

"I will merely tell them that I watched over you to make certain-"

"You can tell them about the whole stabbing thing, if it helps."

Morrigan laughed at his suggestion. "Perhaps not."

"Then, why don't I disillusion you so that you can slip back into your room? You can get changed while I make breakfast. This way, you can choose whenever you may want to reveal something about our relationship to everyone else."

"I suppose that may be for the best," she allowed. "For now."


"Good morning, Shale," Harry said as they all gathered outside the tent.

"It is as any other morning," the golem shrugged. "Perhaps the young mage can find something more fun for me to do today though."

"I'll do my best," he winked at Shale.

A few minutes later, they were joined by Bann Teagan, the local noble who had been trying to rally the townsfolk.

"The people of Redcliffe owe you a debt, my friends."

"Glad to help," Harry replied as he shook hands.

"Now, I'm afraid I require even more of your aid though."

"Oh?"

"If you will, come with me to the windmill," Teagan said.

Their journey there was cut short as a woman in fine clothing and a single guard came running up to them.

"Maker's Breath! Isolde?"

"Teagan! Thank the Maker you yet live," she replied.

"Isolde... you're alive. How did you... what has happened?"

"I do not have much time to explain. I slipped away from the castle as soon as I saw the battle was over, and I must return quickly." She paused and nervously looked over to the castle standing over the lake. "And I need you to return with me Teagan. Alone."

Harry sighed. She was obviously hiding something.

"These are Grey Wardens, Isolde," Teagan explained as he motioned to Harry's group. "They are the ones who saved the town."

"Then you have my thanks," she said with a nod. "I know you need more of an explanation, but I don't know what is safe to tell. Teagan, there is a terrible evil within the castle. The dead waken and haunt the living. The mage responsible was caught, but still it continues. And I think Connor is going mad. He has survived, but he won't flee the castle. He has seen so much death. You must help him, Teagan. You are his uncle, you could reason with him. I do not know what else to do."

"What of Arl Eamon?" asked Wynne.

"He is being kept alive," Isolde answered. "Something the mage unleashed, so far it allows Eamon, Connor, and myself to live. The others were not so fortunate."

"Why are you here?" Harry asked.

"It allowed me to come for you, Teagan, because I begged," Isolde replied. "Because Connor needs help."

The woman continued to explain about the mage who had infiltrated the castle and poisoned Arl Eamon, supposedly on the orders of Teyrn Loghain. The same man who had fled the battle at Ostagar, abandoning King Cailan and the Grey Wardens.

After more of Isolde's pleading, Bann Teagan agreed to return with her to the castle, but not before revealing in private that there was a secret passage underneath the windmill that led to the dungeons of the castle.

"So we are just going to send him with that woman?" Leliana asked. "It seems so dangerous."

"'Tis obviously a trap," Morrigan drolly replied.

"Obviously," Harry agreed.

"We'll just have to sneak in and save the day," Sirius suggested.

When they entered the mill and opened the hidden trapdoor with Teagan's signet ring, the group saw a problem.

"I do not believe I will be joining you," Shale sighed.

The golem was way too large to fit inside.

"Perhaps you should go around to the castle gates," Harry said. "Once we get inside, then you can join us."

"If it will make you feel better, I will go with you, Shale," Wynne added.

"The elder mage does not need to show so much concern," the golem replied.

"I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better," Wynne smiled. "Besides, these old bones don't like the sound of crawling around through tunnels, anyway."

"We'll try to hurry," Harry said. "With any luck, there won't be too much resistance, and we'll all be able to meet up and deal with whatever lies within."

"Sounds like a plan." Sirius clapped his hands together. "Let's do this."


The four soon found themselves in the old stone dungeons beneath the castle.

"The Veil feels thin here," Morrigan said.

"Is that what that is?" Harry asked. "I'm going to have to get used to it so I'll know what to look out for."

"I suppose that means we should be on guard," Sirius added.

"Maybe Prongs could help us out again," Harry replied, quickly conjuring up his Patronus. "With any luck, that may help keep spirits from trying to cross over and bother us."

"Let's hope so," Leliana said. "I've seen more than enough abominations and undead."

"Hello? Is there anyone out there?"

Just down the hallway they found themselves in, a man in mage's robes was standing in a cell. He gasped when the glowing stag stopped in front of the door.

"Oh my! I've never seen such a spirit!" he proclaimed.

"Yeah, it's not a spell you would have seen before," Harry replied. "Who are you?"

"My name is Jowan."

"Are you by any chance the mage who supposedly poisoned the arl and set loose all these demons?" Leliana asked.

"I am afraid that I did poison the arl," Jowan slumped. "But I swear, I have no part in anything else that's going on here."

"Is it true that you did so on the orders of Loghain?"

"Yes. He offered to help me, and I thought I was working for a hero, a noble who had saved the country so-"

"Heroes don't usually order assassinations of their political rivals," Sirius snorted.

"They do in Orlais," Leliana begged to differ.

"Did he say why he wanted you to poison Arl Eamon?" Harry asked.

"No, I... I was desperate enough that I didn't ask questions," Jowan admitted.

"Why were you desperate?"

"I used to live in the Circle Tower. But my Harrowing was delayed, and I feared that meant the First Enchanter was going to have me made Tranquil," Jowan explained with a shiver of fear. "Plus, I was involved with a young lay sister, and both the older mages and the templars would have forced us apart. So, I found a mentor, Uldred, and he... pointed the way towards some texts that taught me more power. But they-"

"Let me guess, blood magic?" Harry asked.

"Yes."

"Considering Uldred was a blood mage himself," Morrigan scoffed. "It seems his corruption ran deep in the tower."

"I was discovered, but I used blood magic to flee," Jowan added. "I turned to Loghain because I didn't want to be hunted for the rest of my life."

Harry sighed. It seemed this fool had been in over his head, a pawn used by different bastards, but the question was if he was dangerous or another potential ally. There was one simple way to tell. "Jowan, I'm going to need you to look me in the eye."

"Why?"

"So I can figure out if you're worth saving."

"I am at your mercy," Jowan nodded.

"Legilimens!"

It was only the work of a few moments for Harry to find the answers he needed. "Jowan is telling the truth. He had nothing to do with the undead; he'd already been captured and locked away when it started. There's another point that we need to keep in mind though: Isolde brought him here to tutor her son. It seems the boy is a mage, and she was terrified of losing him to the Circle."

"If the boy is a mage, he could be responsible for all this," Morrigan pointed out.

"Young, untrained magical people occasionally made messes back home too," Sirius agreed.

"I do not like the idea of having to kill a child, even if he may be an abomination," Leliana sighed.

"With any luck, it may not come to that," Harry replied.

"But what do we do about him?" Leliana asked, motioning to the captive mage.

"I think 'tis pointless to leave him caged here," Morrigan suggested. "If he was capable enough to escape the chains at the Circle Tower, he deserves a chance to live."

"I might be able to help," Jowan said.

"Any survivors in the castle would likely attack you," Sirius responded. "And they may attack us for freeing you. Sorry, but you'd probably cause us more problems in the long run."

"He's right," Leliana nodded.

"Well, I guess it's your lucky day, Jowan," Harry said. "I'm going to give you a chance to do something better with your life. With the darkspawn armies on the march, mages are going to be more needed than ever. So, I want you to get out of here, and some day in the future, I will probably find you and put you to work in the battles still to come."

"That seems fair."

"Good," Harry smirked. "I may even be able to teach you much better and safer ways to use blood magic. Like this one."

He made a small cut on the back of his hand, waved his wand and intoned the spell he needed as a trickle of blood floated over to Jowan and landed on his neck.

"I've never seen anything like that," Jowan said, rubbing at his throat while a tingle of magic settled into him.

"That's because I come from very far away, and the use of blood in magic was very different there," Harry explained. "That is a blood based tracking spell. In a way, it is fairly similar to the phylacteries used here in Ferelden, only in this case, I created it willingly, and no one else will be able to find you."

"Why not?" Leliana asked.

"Because it's my own blood that I would be tracking."

"Fascinating," she replied. "That is so very unlike the horrors of blood magic that are so prevalent here in Thedas."

"Yeah, that's going to be one project that will likely take a long time for me to make any progress on," Harry shrugged. "But we've got work to do."

"Alohomora!" Sirius unlocked the cell. "Good luck. I have a feeling you're going to need it."

"Thank you," Jowan answered as he staggered out into the hallway and stretched. "I swear, you won't regret this."


They made it further through the dungeons and even found a maid who had survived by hiding in a storage closet. Sirius turned into Padfoot and escorted her back through the tunnel so she could escape back to the town. The other three cautiously searched the rest of the way as they waited for him to return.

Eventually, they all found the passage up into the main courtyard.

While Prongs had driven away any spirits that may have tried to attack them in the dungeons, there were plenty of undead and abominations already waiting for them outside the main stairs up into the castle.

"Get the gates open!" Harry shouted.

Padfoot was already running across the courtyard. Leliana covered him with a barrage of arrows while Morrigan and Harry went to work at blasting their foes with spells.

A moment later two boulders came crashing into the chaos- one conjured by Wynne and the other pulled straight out of the ground by Shale, and Harry had to laugh at the matching smashed corpses they produced. Who would have thought that those two would have made such a good team?

Other than one particularly strong undead foe that took a number of spells to fall, the battle was little challenge.

"Man, you guys couldn't have waited for me to get in a turn?" Sirius whined once he had shifted back from Padfoot and looked around at the carnage.

"The dog mage shouldn't worry so," Shale replied. "I am fairly certain there will be more enemies inside."

"Well, let's go find out," he grinned.

The entryway of the castle was empty but after going through a couple of doors, they found themselves in a large meeting hall. Standing in front of a roaring fireplace was the lady Isolde and whom Harry assumed was her son, a small boy of no more than ten.

While in front of them was Teagan, only now he was dancing, tumbling, and cavorting around as if he were the court jester.

Judging by the goofy look on his face, Harry had to assume mind control was involved. Either that or this world had much more potent hallucinogens than he had realized.

"So these are our visitors?" the boy asked in a deep voice. "The ones you told me about, Mother?"

"Yes," she stammered.

Harry could feel the group tense up around him. A possession seemed likely.

"And this is the one who defeated my soldiers?" the boy looked at Harry specifically. "The ones I sent to reclaim my village?"

"Stupefy!"

A red bolt knocked the boy over.

"What have you done?!" his mother screamed as she rushed over to cradle her son's body.

"I stunned him," Harry shrugged as he walked forward. "You should be glad that's all I did. The boy is possessed; if the Chantry and their templars were here, they would execute him. Of course, they would also probably arrest you for hiding his magical abilities, not to mention hiring an apostate to train him in secret."

"And look at all the damage your selfishness has wrought," Morrigan chuckled. "Does your husband even live, or was that another lie you've told?"

"Eamon lives," she spat out. "He is sick and unable to wake, but he lives. I should have known better than to trust the Grey Wardens would know mercy."

"If I weren't feeling merciful, I would have killed him," Harry replied as he approached her. "Now, if you want your son back, I would suggest you get out of my way. I'm probably the only mage who can save him."

"There is a ritual to drive out spirits possessing people," Wynne corrected him. "Normally, it takes a number of mages and a lot of lyrium to prove successful."

"Or a blood magic sacrifice," Morrigan added.

"Ah, well, luckily for everyone involved, I've got a simpler way," Harry said.

"Are you going to try what you did in the Circle Tower?" Morrigan asked. "Following him down into the Fade with that one spell of yours?"

"Yep," he nodded.

"Why should I believe you?" Isolde glared at him.

"Would you rather I leave him to be the play thing of whatever demon has taken him over?"

"No," she whimpered.

Harry knelt down in front of her. "Then let me save him."

"Please," she whined. "He is my only son."

"Hold his head just like that," Harry instructed, peeling back one eyelid. "I should be back in just a few minutes.

"Legilimens!"


Harry found himself floating down through the sickly greenish haze of the Fade before landing on a chunk of twisted rock where the boy lay asleep in a bed. Standing in front of him was another desire demon, another of the succubus-like creatures.

"Why must you interfere, human?" she asked, her body undulating as one hand reached up to caress one of her barely covered breasts. Harry was almost amused by how the spirit threw in that little temptation without even meaning to. "The boy struck a bargain; I only want what was promised."

"You don't actually expect me to believe that you are honorable, do you?" Harry quirked up an eyebrow. He was curious how much this creature might protest at that.

"I had warnings of your coming," she replied. "The one who is dead and yet not. My sisters refused to help me thwart your plans."

"That was wise of them. I'd rather not war against demons unless necessary."

"And that is wise of you. But perhaps we may strike an accord of our own. You want the boy. What will you give me in return for him?"

Harry smirked. "I have heard that part of what causes you spirits so much anguish is the need to feel things from the real world. That is why those of you considered demons are always striving to cross over, is it not?"

"What of it?" the desire demon hissed in anger.

"Therefore, is it not your wish to feel real human desire? That which calls out to your very nature-"

"Yes! You will allow me to-"

"I can show you something that I doubt any other spirit in the Fade has ever experienced," Harry answered. "In return, you release the boy and trouble him no further."

"Only if your offer is satisfactory," she said with narrowed eyes.

"We should sit down first," Harry agreed, smiling as he conjured a couple of plush chairs for them.

"Why?"

"You won't want to be standing," he smirked. "Trust me."

"Very well."

The demon sat down across from him and Harry reached out, taking her large hand in his own. It was surprisingly soft, but the long, claw-like fingernails were a bit off putting. He'd hate to see what those would do to a man's back after a night of sex.

She watched him expectantly and with a small amount of surprise at how easily he touched her.

"Look into my eyes, relax, and fall into them," he whispered. "Be at peace for the moment, and soon, you shall know a human's desire on a much deeper level."

Still holding the creature's hand in his left, Harry raised his right and slowly stroked her cheek before raising his thumb to her temple.


The desire demon gasped as she felt the press of flesh. Images of women flew by- red hair, blonde, brunette, blonde again- and forms and curves that varied greatly and yet all were treasured. The sounds of panting, moans, pleasure seeping out of sweat slicked bodies.

She felt not one orgasm, but thousands stretching across time and yet all somehow linked. Different erogenous zones on different bodies that fed back into her own form.

But below it all, she felt something deeper. An immense and unquenchable longing for fulfillment. For something more than passion and the pleasures of the flesh.

For love.

In all her uncounted years, she had never really understood that mortal ideal.

But now, she knew she'd at least had a glimpse of it.

And then, something completely different.

Pain. Loss. Unbearable mourning and grief. The terrifying opposite... and yet, somehow it too was desire.

Perhaps she had not realized it so before, but now she did.

And in the aftermath of that, the mage then showed her something else. A soft light glimmering just over the horizon. A faint hope.

A desire born anew.


She wept.

The reverberating two-toned voice cracked as he released her. "Thank you, human."

He smiled softly at her. "My friends call me Harry."

"Friends?" she croaked out a laugh. "You are a strange man to think such a thing possible with one like myself."

"I think you spirits could be more than what most people assume."

"Is that what you gave me? A chance to be something more?"

He shrugged. "I just gave you a different perspective. What you do with it is yours to decide."

She nodded and stood up. "The boy is yours."

"Thank you," he replied.

She began to walk off before stopping herself and turning back. "May we speak again sometime in the future?"

"I seem to come around here most every night," Harry grinned. "I'm sure we'll meet again."

"Until next we meet," she smiled. "Fare well, Harry."

He nodded as she faded from view. A moment later, the boy started to wake.


"Mother?"

"Connor! Is it really you?" Isolde pulled him tightly to her as he tried to sit up.

"There was a woman in my dreams," the boy answered. "She was crying, and..." His eyes went wide as he caught sight of Harry. "You were there too!"

"Welcome back."

"This is a mage of the Grey Wardens," Isolde replied. "He is the one who brought you back to me."

"Glad to be of help," Harry replied as he stood up and stretched his neck.

"How can I ever repay you for this?" Isolde asked as she tearfully clutched her son.

"Why don't we see about trying to fix whatever ails your husband?"

"You two should rest for now, Isolde," Teagan said. "I can show them upstairs to my brother."

A few minutes later, the group stood in the large bedroom where Arl Eamon slumbered.

Other than Shale that is; the golem had wandered back outside hoping to find some enemy stragglers to smash into a bloody pulp.

Wynne was doing her own diagnosis as she checked on Eamon's body and found no obvious way to cure the poison that had induced this magical coma-like state.

For his part, Harry had waved his wand a few times and come up with no easy solutions.

Meanwhile, Teagan and Leliana were discussing a rumored relic- the ashes of the prophet Andraste- that were said to be able to cure anything. Morrigan had immediately scoffed at the notion of a religious miracle to save the day.

Harry couldn't help but agree with her.

Plus, he had his own idea of a sort of miracle that he wanted to try. He was curious to see how well she may work with him, and if it could be one more thing to show his skills in a different light.

Assuming it worked, of course.

"Excuse me," Harry said, interrupting the talk of the knights that had been sent off on this 'holy quest' and he had to force himself not to think of the grail myths from back home.

"Please tell me you've got an idea for all this," Sirius groaned.

"I do, actually."

"Excellent!" Sirius clapped his hands together in relief. "I was really not looking forward to wandering the world. So, what do we do?"

"I'll need a few feet to conjure up a runic circle," Harry began.

"Do you need any help?" Sirius asked.

"Not from you."

"Then who?"

Harry turned to Morrigan with a confident smile. "Do you trust me?"


In the days and weeks to come, it would always bother her how quickly and easily she had said yes.

The next few minutes flew by as she watched entranced while Harry used chalk to draw a circle on the stone floor and then a number of symbols, some almost familiar to her while others were completely foreign. When he stepped back and looked down to check his work, she noticed the pleased smile on his face.

"All is well?" Morrigan asked.

"Yeah, it should be," he grinned. "I haven't tried this particular ritual in a long time, but everything is as I remember it."

"What next then?"

"Next is the part where I could use some help from you." He took her hand and led her to step into the circle and sit down. "You'll need your wand for this part, but there isn't a particular spell involved. Mostly, what I'll need from you is some extra focus and power to sort of boost things."

"I see."

Harry sat down in the center of the circle, turned partially towards her so that she was near his left hand. Morrigan watched as he rolled up his sleeves and conjured a knife.

"More blood magic?" she asked.

"Not really," he chuckled. "This has very little to do with my blood, but what else lies within it."

"What do you mean?"

Harry pointed down to a faint scar on his right forearm. "Many years ago, a friend healed a wound and saved my life. I'm hoping that some of that residue will allow me to contact him. The only question is if he'll be able to hear my call."

With that brief introduction, Harry slashed his own arm open and took a dab of blood on one of his fingers. She raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. "This might tingle."

Tingling was certainly one way to put it. Morrigan felt herself shiver as he pressed his fingertip to the center of her forehead.

"Now, I need you to close your eyes and focus on the magic within you."

She did as he asked and began to relax.

"Feel the connection between yourself and the magic in the wand. Open yourself to the wand, allow yourself to appreciate and understand the magic that it gives you. The conduit that runs from the wand to you and back, the energy that transfers between you and builds more strength as you connect. Focus on that feeling."

Morrigan could feel the warmth of her wand as he spoke. It...

It sang to her.

She nearly dropped the wand in surprise, her eyes flashing open as she knew something was out there, responding to whatever she and Harry were doing.

But his eyes were closed.

He took a deep breath. "I could really use some help."

Morrigan thought he was speaking to her, but a burst of fire appeared in the air above her.

And the song the wand had sounded in her mind rang out through the room as the bird of flames circled and joyously cried out.

Harry smiled as he opened his eyes. "Hello, old friend."


Author's Note: Due to IRL stresses and whatnot, this chapter took a bit longer than I would have liked, but I like how it eventually turned out. Hope you all enjoy!