Disclaimer; This story, while inspired by Rowling and Bishop is not canon and never will be.

Harry walked out of a bathroom he where he dropped his sight shield and stepped into the line at the customs terminal at Auckland's International air port just after eight thirty am. He handed the man behind the counter his new passport that said he was James Evans. There was a magical customs office, but Harry didn't want to announce his presence. He stopped at a grocer and a chemist before finding a secluded spot to apperate to the gps coordinates Slipjaw gave him.

He set up camp on the plain beneath the rocky peak of the island, sheltered from the wind, but where he would get an excellent view of the sun rising over the pacific every morning. Now that he had a view of how the island was shaped, a plan began to form in his mind. He would carve his kitchen and breakfast nook into the east side of the bluff, a formal dining room on the west. Both rooms would need floor to ceiling windows to take advantage of the view. The entry hall and front door would be on the west side near the base, the bluff provided a deep and sheltered harbor. Living rooms and bed chambers could be carved along either side, with the master's suite at the very top of the bluff so he could have both views. A library could be built buried under the heart of the main part of the island where nothing short of a nuclear weapon could disturb the quiet. Perhaps he would need to research a form of magical lift if he was going to have his rooms spread throughout the promontory. Oh well, that would have to wait until after the war. He didn't have time to build a home.

He popped back to Auckland and grabbed a fist full of tourist brochures and headed for the magical section of town. He picked up a few more brochures and sat down with a local drink they called L&P while he read. Except for the very brief mention New Zealand got in his primary school history class, he knew next to nothing about the land he found himself in. The visitor's center also encouraged people to visit other nations of the South Pacific so he picked up more fliers.

He found himself looking at a mixture of just about everything imaginable. He could travel to the South Island and see fjords, glaciers, and penguins, he could climb volcanoes and swim in some of the best reefs in the world. He had the feeling he would be glad he learned the bubble head charm. There were people and cultures that were completely alien to his European upbringing, and this close to Christmas there were festivals nearly every day. He decided that since today was going to be spent readjusting to the time difference he would take it easy.

First and foremost he made sure to purchase an international portkey back to England for Christmas Eve at ten thirty and Christmas day at five thirty (England time). Just because he could travel fast on the winds didn't make it practical when traveling around the world for his appointment. He only planned to be in Britain long enough to see if the Ministry would give in finally, then he was back on holiday. The New Zealand ministry was more than happy to help, after all it was the season to be with one's family and they didn't know he had just arrived in the country.

At noon he went to Rotorua to watch an exhibition of the art of Haka by Te Puia, a troupe of Maori tribesmen who performed and talked about their culture. They started off with a dance they called Ka Mate, and Harry was beginning to think Dumbledore had the right of it in his first year. After listening to Jaenelle and Lucy singing Witchsongs in the old tongue, dancing at Winsol, and now watching a group of sweaty men wearing only something called a pui-pui dance, Harry was starting to agree that music was a magic greater than any taught at Hogwarts.

The Ka Mate was a fearsome thing, the men brandished wooden spears and moved in symphony. They told the tale of a man trapped in a hole as his village was raided by another tribe. He started worrying about his immanent death but ended celebrating his life and the joys of just having the sun shine on him. Apparently the dance and chant was also popular with the national rugby and quidditch teams and had become a tradition before matches.

There were more dances by men, women, and one by a mixed group before the demonstration of Haka ended. Harry took the time to look around the Maori village and enjoy the intricately carved meeting house. He was quickly gaining respect for other cultures and suspecting that the British were really quite full of themselves. Here was art above and beyond anything he had seen in England, and it was said that the meeting houses that weren't open to outsiders were far superior.

As he was about to leave he noticed a small store that seemed to spring from between it's neighbors as Harry looked at it. He wasn't expecting to find a magical store here, but he figured it was at least worth a look. The store seemed empty of people as Harry entered, but he heard a chime sound in a back room. An ancient looking man came out of the back room. His hair and clothing were typical, but his skin was a clear indication of his heritage.

"Ah, sorry about not being out here but I wasn't expecting anyone today. I usually get visitors only on Monday."

"Why is that?"

"Well Monday is when we hold our demonstrations of our magical heritage, they demonstrate at nine am rather than twelve fifteen like the mundane show. There aren't many magical tourists, but we do one every week anyway. We are trying to educate foreign wizards about our unique magical heritage."

"I will definitely come back for that! I love seeing other ways of doing things, and I am realizing on my own that just because the elite magical schools of Europe teach one way doesn't make it the only way."

"Excellent, that is what we try to do here. The British may have brought their ways and customs here, but we remember our own."

"That is good to know, so now that I know about the magical demonstration why don't you tell me about the shop and what you have to offer."

"Well there are several talismans that are popular among the few visitors, we have a variety of books about the Maori and other Polynesian cultures' magical traditions, and a few more unique items."

"Let me see the talismans, I need a unique gift for a friend and something like that may just be what I was looking for."

"Well, one of the most popular is an enchanted Hei-Tiki. These figures are carved from greenstone and enchanted according to local traditions. They are said to bring luck and fertility. Tiki was the first man, created by the god Tana, he is the father of all."

"I don't think that would be an appropriate gift. The young lady I am looking for comes from a family that is infamous for being a little too fertile."

"Ah, then perhaps this next one will suit. Carved from bone, this is called Hei-Matua Maui or Maui's Fishhook. Maui's fishhook is a powerful symbol and when respected can be any man's best friend. It is a symbol of strength and protection. It is said to bring prosperity. So long as the wearer sacrifices some bit of wealth every day, they will never go completely without. It need not be much, a coin to a beggar or tossed into a body of water will suffice. It takes a week to become useful, and must be continued everyday or else it will take a week before the protection returns."

"That sounds like something that would be wonderful. How does the magic work if you don't mind me asking?"

"No trouble at all. Compared to other forms of magic, our traditions are both enormously powerful and too temperamental. This talisman for instance provides a powerful protection, but involves a constant sacrifice to keep it active. The magic is a bond or agreement with the spirits and forces of the world. A two way street if you will. We do not bind magic to our will, but work with it to achieve both our goals and the goals of nature."

"That is a very enlightened view to take. I think I understand the idea."

"I have here something else you may find fitting for your young lady. This is a Heru or a comb. The enchantments will allow it to hold a lady's hair in any position she desires, even those normally impossible. This one requires very little maintenance comparatively; the comb must be allowed to hear at least one hour of "girl talk" per week. Failing that it will require two hours before it becomes useful."

"That's a very unusual item. I guess magic has a sense of humor in its demands then?"

"It's a modern use of an old idea. These are hardly traditional. They come carved with a variety of patterns, maybe one will catch your eye."

"I like this one here," Harry said, pointing to one carved to resemble a fern leaf unfurling where the prongs for holding the hair met. "You mentioned you had some more unique items?"

"Tell me young man, where do you feel most at peace? If you were truly at home in one place or in one environment where would it be?"

"I love to fly. The very first dream I remember had me flying across Britain on a motorcycle. When I first picked up a broom, I knew I belonged in the air. Since then I have learned to become an animagus. No surprise to me, I am a bird. When I am flying through the sky, it is like the whole world disappears and there is nothing that could possibly go wrong."

"I have something very special for you then." He reached beneath the counter and pulled a brightly colored bundle into view. "This, my friend, is a cloak of feathers. Each and every one of these hundreds of feathers was found in the forest after falling from the birds naturally. The enchantments on it do not allow true flight like a broom, but it does allow you to glide through the air like a bird. A skilled user can catch thermal currents and stay aloft for hours without effort. To any non-magical person you will appear to be a large brightly colored bird. These are rare and expensive due to the difficulty in collecting enough feathers, and the knowledge to make them is a dying art just as using them is."

"I never imagined such a thing existed!"

After some hemming and hawing, they began to bicker about the price. It was just friendly banter and all part of the game. Both men knew Harry would buy the cloak no matter what, but they bickered and bargained because that was proper form. Harry collected his purchases, the hook, comb, cloak, and two copies of each book and was about to vanish them when something resting in a corner caught his eye.

"What is that by the door?"

"That… is my Taiaha and it isn't for sale. If you want to see how it is used come back for the Monday show."

Harry arrived at his next destination shortly after, Hot Water Beach near Whitianga. Volcanism warmed the sands of the beach and people all along the beach were digging large holes in the steaming sands. Harry approached a young girl who looked to be maybe seven or eight struggling to lift her shovel when it was full of wet sand.

"Why is everyone digging big holes in the ground?"

"You are not from around here are you?"

"Obviously not. I am on holiday from Britain. My name is Harry."

"I am Ellie, when the tide goes out like now, everyone digs a pit so they can enjoy the volcanic steam vents. If you dig a hole big enough to sit in it becomes a natural spa. The steam rising out of the earth heats the water and it is relaxing. The minerals in the sand and hot salt water are supposed to be good for you."

"Would you like some help? If you don't want to share a hole with me, may I borrow your shovel?"

"Thank you Mr. Harry! I usually get my big sister to help but she is sick today."

"There's no mister, it is just Harry."

Soon the two of them were sitting and relaxing in their private spa. Harry idly wondered why there was nothing like this in England as he lay his head back on the sand.

Harry was woken a few hours later as a wave washed over his face. Apparently he had fallen asleep. Compared to what he had been sitting in, the wave felt cold and inspired him to move quickly. He found that his clothes he used as a pillow were now sopping wet and gritty as he struggled into them. A few locals who were grilling food on the beach laughed at him as he tried to maintain his dignity and slunk away. As he looked around, he was clearly the last person out of the holes and they were waiting to see when he would wake up.

After walking a few minutes away he found a spot to apperate back to his camp. He drank a glass of juice and barely managed to shuck his wet and grimy clothes before falling into the cot in the tent and returning to sleep.

When Harry awoke, it was to pure darkness like he had never really experienced. He pressed the button on the side of his watch to make it glow only to find he had lost another watch to water damage. If he was going to keep doing stuff like that he would have to find a quality watch and not a cheap one. A quick Tempus told him it was around half six. He was surprised to see it say December 24th, but remembered he was half a day ahead of everyone else and had already lived the 23rd.

When he exited the tent he gasped at the sky. He never knew there were that many stars in the sky. Near the horizon the stars were washed out by the glow of the sun about to rise, but overhead he could really see the heavens for the first time. He used an incendio spell to light a fire while gathering food for his breakfast. As his water heated for tea and his eggs were frying, he sat and watched the sunrise. He sat and enjoyed the sight of a sunrise at sea and wondered if he would ever become immune to its beauty. He pulled a pair of chinese gooseberries (kiwi fruit for everyone else in the world) from the cold box in his tent and sat down for breakfast. Remembering the advice he had been given the previous day, Harry split the furry fruit lengthwise and scooped the insides with a spoon. A simple breakfast, but far healthier than an English breakfast of sausages and bacon.

Returning to the tent for a change of clothing and a shower, Harry discovered a new problem. Taking off his pajamas was pure torture, he had acquired a full body sunburn except on his back and the area covered by his trunks. After quickly tearing through his charms books, the best he could manage was a numbing charm. Anti-burn potion didn't work, and there was no bloodshed or broken bones for his only real healing charm (Episky thanks to Tonks) to repair. He vowed to find some remedy when he next went into town, a man shouldn't have to live numb or flinching when his clothes brushed his skin. His body seemed to radiate heat, an unusual sensation, and one completely new to him. He thought he had experienced all the ways for a man to hurt after his years at Hogwarts, but apparently not.

He showered and quickly decided not to bother with clothing he would only have to painfully remove later. He just put on a pair of trunks, applied a bubble head charm, and headed to his beach.

Harry was pleased at how much easier it seemed to be to swim in nice warm salt water rather than the Hogwarts lake in February. He spent a while in the shallows learning how to swim (it isn't nearly as hard to kick and paddle when you don't need to worry about your air) before following a few brightly colored fish deeper. A bit of human transfiguration lengthened his feet and gave him webbed toes. Soon he found a small reef on what appeared to be an underwater cliff. Brightly colored sea fans and fish made up for the sparseness of actual coral, but as Harry had only ever seen a reef in a book, it was quite nice.

A voice startled him. "You scare my fish. Move from my home."

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin, he looked around and couldn't find anyone or anything that he should be able to hear. "Who's there?"

"You can speak! I have never heard of such a thing." The voice was coming from in front and just below him. A long gray eel as thick as Harry's arm emerged from a crack in the wall.

"Oh, hello there. I didn't mean to scare the fish. I was just exploring. I am surprised I can speak too. I thought parseltongue only worked with snakes, I never thought it might work with eels. Then again you are the first eel I have ever seen."

"Parseltongue? I have never heard of this. This is my part of the wall, all the little fish here belong to me."

"Ok, I won't eat your little fish. I might eat some of the bigger ones though. I live on the surface, above the water. The island belongs to me now."

"What will I get in return for letting you eat my fish? You may live there but the island belongs to no one."

"No I suppose it doesn't really, but a lot of people think it does. What would you like in return for some of your fish?"

"There is a fruit from above that I once had. One fell in the sea and I liked eating it. It is orange and oblong, the skin was like mine smooth and tough but the inside was stringy and sweet. It was the size of your fist. Bring me one and I will give you a fish."

That sounded like what he had heard a mango described as. Where in the world was he going to find a mango? They weren't even native to New Zealand, where had the eel gotten one? "I will try to find one. I will bring it when the sun is in the top of the sky if you will bring me a fish big enough for me to eat. Where did you find one the first time?"

"A monster from above dropped one. It was six times longer than you and three times as wide. The part in the water was smooth and rounded, the part above water looked tall and flat. It moved slowly north and slept overnight in the lagoon under the cliff."

"That sounds like a sail boat. It isn't a monster, it is a way my people move in the water. It isn't alive."

"Return with the fruit and I will let you eat my fish. If you don't return with my fruit, my teeth are bigger than yours…" The eel opened his mouth in a very scary grin to reveal a very scary set of sharp pointy teeth.

The mango turned out to be more expensive than he had imagined, having been imported from elsewhere, but it was still cheaper than buying fresh fish for a meal and he figured it was a good idea to keep his new neighbor happy. He sautéed his freshly caught fish (Tawi as the eel called himself had caught it for him and it was still wiggling when he traded it for his prize.) with herbs and lightly spritzed it with lime juice and seawater, a second mango was a perfect complement. He decided he quite liked the tropical lifestyle, even if technically his new home wasn't far enough north to be tropical.
After lunch, Harry decided to do some more exploring and headed for the South Island. Several brochures both mundane and magical touted the wonders and beauty of Milford and Doubtful Sounds. They weren't wrong.

Taking in the sights fully would take months if not years, but he would have dearly loved the chance to fly through the fjords without needing to be invisible. The mountains went right up to the oceans edge then dropped hundreds of meters. The sea was impossibly deep too. If he didn't know the drop would kill him, it would have been tempting to try a dive off one of the cliffs. Instead he settled for a long dive only to pull out at seemingly the last minute while flying. He flew down over the waters and found a school of dolphins at play. Acting on impulse, he flew into the water and tried to join them.

The water was cold! What a difference a few hundred miles made in the water temperature! Getting out of the water, he looked for a place to stand while he cast drying and warming charms. He flew to a beach covered in cobbles and pebbles. After he took care of his immediate concerns, he noticed the local wildlife and suddenly decided that he had indeed fallen through the looking glass. He had read in the brochures that he might see penguins, but penguins were supposed to be big birds in tuxedos… These birds stood upright like penguins, swam like penguins, but had blue heads and blue feathers mixed with the black. He summoned the pamphlet on local wildlife and read the descriptions of the different types of penguins.

"The little penguin (Eudyptula minor) can be found in many places around New Zealand and Southern Australia and is the world's smallest penguin. It stands just over 25cm tall and weighs up to a kilogram. Although quite common, its small size and unusual habits make it rarely seen. It prefers to live in burrows, but any sheltered location will do. Near inhabited areas they have even been found living in wooden crates or cardboard boxes. It is also called the Blue Penguin because of its slate blue coloration."

Harry decided to sit and watch the penguins for a while. Apparently that this beach was protected by a depression in the cliff made it a communal burrow for this group. The penguins would not come near him but he found watching them to be quite amusing. Some of them had freshly hatched chicks and he found the feeding both revolting and interesting. The older penguins bent over their young and regurgitated a meal of pulped fish.

He was disturbed from his watching by a high pitched cheeping sound from right beside him. He looked over to see a small fuzzy head poking out of an eggshell. Not stopping to think, he helped the chick out of its shell. Indignant barks met this interference as two penguins who had been keeping a steady distance rushed over. The mother penguin examined her chick, then began to beat it with her wing and peck it. Harry realized that his scent caused her to reject her chick (he had paid some attention in science class and CoMC after all). He quickly snatched the chick up so it wouldn't be hurt. How could he be so stupid? Well, he supposed it was his problem now.

First things first, this chick needed food. The cheeps were only getting louder. A quick "Accio Fish!" yielded a plethora of small fish, which the other penguins capitalized on too. Harry grabbed a few smaller ones and considered what to do. He laid the fish on a flat rock and picked up another fist sized rock. Using them as a primitive mortar and pestle he quickly made his own fish paste which the hungry chick devoured greedily. Now he had to think of what he was going to do with a baby penguin.

A thought tickled him…. No! Wait, no that couldn't possibly work… It was brilliant, and so absolutely… right.

The next morning he woke up and cooked breakfast for himself and made fish paste for the penguin. Though it was technically Christmas, he decided that he would wait the extra day to celebrate with his friends. Damn! He still hadn't taken care of the sunburn. Oh well, nothing to do now but grin and bear it. Another numbing charm held him over as he got ready for his port key to take him to England for his visit with the Minister. It was scheduled to take him at half ten local.

He conjured a small cardboard box and shredded paper bedding for his small penguin friend. After making a few large holes for ventilation he moved the chick to its new home. A wave of his wand changed the color of the box and tied it closed with a ribbon. A hastily scribbled note discussed feeding. It and the flier he originally read were tucked under the ribbon just before the portkey whisked them off to merry old England.

A trip to an all night grocers completed the idea. Harry then apperated to a certain house, set down the penguin's box and several tins of sardines (in water not oil, he didn't want to kill the poor thing) before ringing the bell and apperating away. His penguin problems were solved and in less than twenty four hours, that had to be a new record for a Harry mess.

The visit to the Ministry did not go well. From the moment he arrived at the visitor's entrance, where his badge read "extortion and hostage taking of world", the press wanted to talk to him. All the questions he would want to ask really if it were anyone but him making these demands. Things like "Are you really going to abandon us all?" "Do you think you really have a chance against Voldemort?" "I want to have your baby!" (To which he replied "Luna, go home!") "How did you come back from beyond the veil?" "Why do you want all that money?" "How could you do this to us?" and others too numerous to mention.

The Minister wanted to insist it was a matter of his civic duty and he should be glad to do it for free. He said something pithy and likely anatomically impossible. Then they tried to start bartering with him. Their first offers were insulting, but they claimed that after war clean up would be costly. Eventually after an hour of heated "discussion", during which Harry contemplated the benefits of wall-to-wall counseling, he slightly revised his offer.

In addition to immunity and sovereignty after the war, he would get forty percent of the liquid and stock assets, all the libraries and magical objects no matter the content (much better than the half originally which probably would have ended up a highly censored half) and thirty five percent of the real estate. The last he even negotiated to be included in his sovereignty deal, it would be like having safe houses or embassies all over Britain. Since he was planning to make his homes unplottable it wasn't likely that the muggle government would ever stray across them and ask the wrong questions. If they did, a few memory charms and an "official" suggestion that they avoid the area ought to work. It would take a lot of work (and money), but it would be worth it for privacy and assurances that he and his family wouldn't be harassed by small minded ministry bigots.

As he left, he stopped long enough to tell the press that yes; he had reached an agreement with the ministry. Yes, the war would officially start on New Years and that was the last day for death eaters to turn themselves in and beg for mercy. No he didn't get what he originally wanted, but it was "a sacrifice he was willing to make for the greater good".

Another mango secured him another fish and he enjoyed his evening just wandering around the island. Now that he knew what to look for he was surprised to find three blue penguin burrows on his island, but he had the common sense not to get too close this time. He was pleased he wasn't the only thing living here. A few birds, some penguins, the fish, and Tawi the eel, it was nice. One day, this had potential to be a real home. He considered asking the goblins to see about having "James Evans" emigrate to New Zealand so he could live here in the "winter" months and stay warm year round. Sure he wouldn't be immune and untouchable here, but who cared about that really…

He made an early bed that night and made sure all his gifts were wrapped and put away in his craft storage space before settling down.

A loud thump and a girly scream was the first indication the Weasley family and Hermione had that Harry had just arrived in their living room. Apparently one should be standing up and awake when using a portkey instead of wearing it to bed.

Harry didn't even have time to apply numbing charms to himself before Mrs. Weasley bustled into the room and gave him a bone crushing hug. Harry just whimpered as all that sunburn flared up.

"Oh you poor dear you're positively burning up! And you are so flush! Are you sick? What's wrong dear, you sound like you're in pain? I knew we should have dragged you back here, then you wouldn't be so sick, my poor son!"

"Mum, please just let go for a minute and I will be fine I promise! Oh god, please let go…"

She released him and watched as he applied his numbing charms.

"Dear lord it's cold!" He called in his winter cloak and wrapped it around himself, "If you will excuse me for ten minutes I need to go get dressed properly."

He ascended the stair past a clearly pondering Hermione. He nipped into the bathroom and dressed in warmer clothes. He got downstairs and assured Mrs. Weasley he was fine and she didn't need to worry before she hurried back into the kitchen. Hermione was flipping through a first aid book while sitting on the couch with Ron. Ginny occupied one of the chairs.

"Come here Harry and I will take care of that sunburn for you. Honestly, to get that bad you must have fallen asleep."

"Thank Merlin! I haven't had time to visit a healer and the best I could do was these numbing charms. I roasted my entire front except what was covered by my trunks."

Hermione muttered a few words and slowly moved here wand over him. "So, ready to tell us where you went?"

"Nope, I want to hear what you think first. You recognized this as sunburn so you have some clues to go on. Let me hear your guesses."

"Well, first of all, your sunburn and the clothes you showed up in tell us you were somewhere warm. You mentioned going to see the mountains and ocean. That could mean a number of places. Jamaica, Cuba, a few countries in Central America, Brazil, Chile, a number of African countries, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand are all valid choices. You hit the floor from the portkey horizontally. You were sleeping when it went off. So now we are down to the last three thanks to time zones. Indonesia is getting on noon and you don't usually sleep that late. So we are down to two."

"Wow, excellent use of logic and from so little. You never cease to amaze me. You haven't even had a chance to see your Christmas gifts yet."

"Yay! Presents," Ginny cheered, "We've got some for you too."

"Neat, you three and Luna got really unique gifts this year and not just because I am a bum and waited to go Christmas shopping. Hermione, here is yours. Ginny, these two are for you. Ron, be careful this is really rare and the maker would be quite displeased if I asked to buy another one."

"You were behind Luna's mystery gift?" Ron asked, "She mentioned earlier that she got something special, but she wouldn't let us know what it was."

"Oh, I'm glad she liked it. I got here a special pet. She's the only person above third year I know without a familiar. And I found something that was just totally Luna when I thought about it."

"Oooo! New books! Magical Traditions of the Polynesians, Talisman Creation; a Guide to Spiritual Pacts, and Community Magic; Collective Curses and Shared Will. I've never even heard of the last two branches of magic. And the first will be an interesting read I am sure."

"Yes you have, I mentioned Hogwarts' greatness in my Theory lectures as an example of shared belief and intent. That is a great example of Community Magic. If you wait a few moments you may get a chance to study another."

Ginny opened her gift and didn't say anything as she ran her fingers over the intricate carvings. Each detail of the fern leaf was duplicated. Harry took the time to explain about the necklace and comb, and about their pacts.

"These Hermione are Talismans. Ginny, come here and let me show you something special about that hair comb."

He inserted the tines of the comb above her hair tie and grabbed her pony tail. With a simple swish of his hand all of her hair was spread like a fan around the hair tie. She looked rather like a peacock strutting its stuff. Ron was nearly on the floor laughing as Harry conjured a hand mirror for her. "If anything disturbs it, it will pop right back to how it was styled as soon as it can. It will stay that way until you change it or remove the comb."

"Count yourself lucky I look good like this, or you would be in for a world of hurt!"

Harry had decided to give Ron the cloak of feathers. Harry could fly any number of ways, but this was a way for Ron to stand out and be unique. He explained about it not being true flight and about it being a dying art that the maker wished to see revived. Ron was enthusiastic and wanted to go try it as soon as possible but the others held him back.

Dinner was a riotous good time for everyone. Harry told them what he had done so far (except for owning the island or even living there, he only admitted to being in New Zealand). Charlie tried to convince him that he needed to visit the Antipodean Opal Eye reserve on the South Island and even offered to give him the name of one of his former coworkers to make everything happen. Harry didn't know if he would have time, but he thought it might be fun. New Year's was going to be busy. Aside from wanting to see the fireworks in Sydney Harbor, there was a Samoan Fire Dance on New Years Eve that people told him not to miss, and he had tickets to a quidditch match during the day.

Luna showed up after dinner and showed everyone her new familiar "Alfred." Harry tried to point out that Alfred was a girl, but it didn't help. The others told him later that he was completely right, a penguin was so totally Luna. Harry and Luna talked for a few minutes about where he had come from and his care. Luna told him that as long as she didn't lock it Alfred seemed to prefer her trunk. She had to pull him out several times and eventually decided she would just have to build him a nest in there. Apparently he would get his blue feathers in two or three weeks and be full size before summer, she had searched her extensive creature library when she discovered him. Fred and George offered to help charm his black feathers bronze so he would be wearing Ravenclaw colors, but Luna was thoroughly against it.

It was fun to hear how the newspapers were playing his new deal. The Prophet was clearly beginning to understand who owned the company and he like theirs best. The headline read "Potter's Christmas Gift to the World" and took the stance that he was being gracious and benevolent by giving the "people" a greater share because he felt they would need it more. They took his "sacrifices for the greater good" comment and ran with it. All told the backlash was decidedly Pro-Harry something that would never have happened even a year ago.

The night wore on and everyone had a good time relaxing until it was time for bed. Harry reluctantly activated his portkey after thanking Hermione profusely for teaching him how to cure sunburn.

Harry enjoyed the Maori magical demonstration; it included a magical version of Haka as well. He never made it to the dragon preserve, but he did get to see a few other interesting things. He visited Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngauruhoe, a pair of volcanoes almost in the dead center of North Island. He collected some volcanic glass and other interesting rocks. He trekked through forests searching for kiwis. He didn't find any of the strange birds that were a national symbol but he did find a small piece of greenstone in a creek bed.

Both magical and mundane versions of the Samoan Fire Dance were absolutely fascinating. The dancers flung fire and magic around their bodies with almost reckless abandon. The magical version included several spells Harry knew he had to learn. Breathing fire was impressive enough for dragons, but to become a living torch or to exhale a long fiery snake was downright awesome!

Fireworks in Sydney were nice, it was good to have something to celebrate and Harry made his all important New Year's resolution. No longer would he just wish to survive another year, this time he would defeat Voldemort.

Harry arrived in Wellington for the quidditch match in time to watch all the pre-game fun. In preparation for the World Cup this summer, Samoa and New Zealand were facing off to decide who advanced forwards. On "his" side, there were the All Blacks. On the other, Manu Samoa. The All Blacks would be dressed in Black and Silver, Manu Samoa in Blue and White.

The All Blacks took the field lacking in both robes and shirts. They lined up and began their war chant, allowing their magic to summon a small cloud that rained on their opponents while they danced.

Ringa pakia!

Uma tiraha!

Turi whatia!

Hope whai ake!

Waewae takahia kia kino!

Ka mate, ka mate

Ka ora, ka ora

Ka mate, ka mate

Ka ora, ka ora

Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru

Nāna nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā

Ā upane, ka upane

Ā upane, ka upane

Whiti te rā, hī!

The New Zealand fans went wild at this traditional challenge to the field. Manu Samoa chose to respond in kind with their own war chant and dance. Their magic conjured jets and animals of fire that burned off the cloud and dried the pitch.

Le Manu Samoai le malo faifai,le manu samoai le malo faifai
Le Manu Samoa lenei ua ou sau
Leai se isi Manu oi le atu laulau
Ua ou sai nei ma le mea atoa
O lou malosi ua atoatoa
Ia e faatafa ma e soso ese
Leaga o lenei manu e uiga ese
Le Manu Samoa
Le Manu Samoa
Le Manu Samoa e o mai I Samoa

That was the most bizarre way to start a quidditch match Harry had ever seen, but he had to admit he liked it. Maybe he should convince the team to challenge the Slytherins to a dance off before the Cup final… It was certainly working up a lot of team spirit here, the crowd was near to rioting and the captains hadn't even shaken hands or mounted their brooms yet.

The Samoan team was downright deadly in the main stream. Their beaters were huge and deadly accurate. The chasers might have been a little slower than the All Blacks, but they took hits like no ones business and protected whoever had the quaffle with the same reckless abandon for personal safety they seemed to use in the fire dance. The All Blacks were fast and brutal, a well oiled machine. Their seeker was faster and seemed to have the advantage in broom speed too.

A sudden collision midfield tore Harry away from the seekers. A Samoan chaser had intentionally collided with the Kiwi carrying the quaffle knocking it from his grasp. Chasers from both teams were rushing to grab it, wait… One of the Samoan chasers was flying lower than the others. Harry would never have believed what happened next if he hadn't seen it. The other Samoan had been high above field and Harry saw a move he had only heard of one man pulling off. The upper Samoan chaser pulled a "Dangerous Dai Death Drop", leaping completely off his broom and falling between the two Kiwis snatching the quaffle. His teammate below them caught him and they recovered his broom.

Meanwhile the seekers had torn off chasing the snitch. They were neck and neck. Harry caught a glimpse of the small golden ball and couldn't tell who would catch it. Both seekers reached for it… And the Kiwi caught it! The final score was 260-180 Manu Samoa would not be advancing, which was too bad in Harry's opinion they were a tough team.

Harry waited outside the locker rooms, hoping to get a chance to talk to that crazy bastard who jumped of his broom. Eventually he walked out with his team mates patting him on the back.

"Excuse me, if you don't mind I'd like to ask you something…"

"Hey guys, I'll meet you at the bar in a few, I gotta talk to this bloke here!"

"Thanks, I just wanted to say that move you did today was perhaps the most insane thing I have ever seen. Did you go over that in practice or was it all luck? I've never heard of anything like that."

"A bit of both. We have practiced jumping to a team mates broom in case ours get damaged, which you may be able to tell happens a bit. We never specifically practiced for a death drop, but with luck we pulled it off. You look familiar, have we met?"

"I'm Harry Potter. I'm a bit famous back in England, and I play for one of the Hogwarts House Teams, Seeker. I was also at the last World Cup Final if you were there."

"Yeah, I remember you, you're that crazy little pom! I came to the tournament to support my friend Krum, but even I have to admit that was some fine flying to get past the dragon. I am Mils Muliaina."

"I am not sure I like being "that crazy little pom" but it is nicer than some of the things I've been called lately. Yeah I was in the tournament, Victor's an alright guy. Too bad you guys lost today, I was really impressed with your team."

"Nah, that's ok, I play for the other team sometimes too. I'm on one of the Kiwi rugby teams, and I am hoping to join the All Blacks when I get old enough. They took second in the muggle world cup last year and I might get a tryout before the next one."

"What? How old are you? I figured since you were playing for your national team you were already graduated."

"Nope, this will shock you, but I was born just a few hours before you, 31 July 1980. I've been on the reserve team since the last World Cup, which is how I met Krum and was in England for your first task. I wouldn't have been playing today except one of our guys broke a leg in practice yesterday."

"Wow, that's crazy. Great job though. Mind if I tag along to the pub with you and your team? I'll buy a round. In fact, I've got a few drinks that haven't come out in England I'm looking for some opinions on."

"You're offering to buy? Let's get going. Rugby players never turn down a drink, and most of us play that too. I hope you've got deep pockets, because you just bought yourself a new group of friends!"

After a few rounds with guys, and much "quality control sampling" from his private stores, Harry even managed to convince the Samoan seeker to teach him the fire dance spells. Mils had coerced a promise to be at the finals in Bulgaria if he wasn't too busy offing Dark Lords. Speaking of Dark Lords, his stories got him a few rounds for free, which his friends promptly swiped, but he didn't care. They all got pissed and had to be physically rousted by the Aurors before they would leave the bars. It was only through fast talking by the team manager, who had just shown up, that they all managed to avoid at least a night in prison. It seems that they were a bit careless with practicing the fire spells pissed as they were and managed a bit of damage.
"All in all, this was a great holiday, I need to come back down here after this is all over." Harry mused to himself as he packed up his campsite two days later. "It's been fun, and I learned a lot, but now it is time to get to work."

He grabbed a wind and vanished.

"Harry, great to see you, how are you doing?" Ron asked as he stepped onto the platform and got ready to return to school, "Lucy got back last night but came to the Burrow because you were too far away."

"Oh crap, I forgot Lucy. Thanks a ton Ron, I can't believe I would forget her. As for the holiday, it was great. Me and the entire Samoan National Quidditch team are no longer welcome in Wellington without an Auror escort! By the way, I got you a signed picture."

"What? What happened? Thanks for the picture. Hey wait a minute… you're in this picture too. You're all drunk! And why are you breathing fire?"

"Yeah… about that… Let's just say that picture in your hands was exhibit A in something that almost got me a chance to visit the Antarctic Asylum for Atypical Criminals. After we bribed er… persuaded the barrister that we didn't even know those ruffians in the picture, they set that whole "Auror escort" thing. We each got a copy of the picture and I asked them all to sign mine, I signed theirs."

"But…"

"Look, I don't want to talk about it. So, let's talk about the Quidditch Cup, I've got some ideas for the final match…"

A/N; Yes, I am proud of my Kiwi heritage. I had fun with this chapter, hence it being double length. I didn't know what or how to do Maori and Samoan magical cultures, so I just kind of improvised. I took muggle things like carvings, and the feather cloaks, and magiced them. Maoris are good at weather control magic, Samoans at fire magic. Neither use a wand for those magics. I am well aware that the fire dance is a recent invention, but you know what, my story my rules. It was invented in the muggle world recently after someone saw the wizards doing it without all the burning petrol and torches.

I didn't just give the Kiwis the match because I am biased (oh yeah, you better believe the All Blacks are my team!), but I also wanted a reason to have Harry able to meet the Samoan team. Getting to meet the winners is impossible after a match. I stuck Mils Muliaina in there for two reasons. 1) He is a Samoan sportsman and a damn good one.. 2) I thought it fun to have him play for both countries even if he wasn't on the All Blacks line up untill several years later.

I've got some pics for this chapter up in my profile, so check them out.