Albus paced in his office, his mind consumed with thoughts. He was worried for his students, because of the mass influx of Dementors from the Ministry and from the fact of Erebus growing. Ideally, Mr. Amamiya would be able to ensure Ms. Granger's growth, and the threat would be taken care of. Thanks to Michael's passive abilities, he was able to withstand the presence of Ren's true self. He had not felt that kind of presence since Nyarlathotep, where he was able to repulse his presence away from the world with the help of Philemon. Albus still felt torn about the fact that Ms. Granger had to be put into this position, but there was no other choice. "For the Greater Good..."
"Headmaster?" Came faintly from the other side of his door, after a knock. "Can I come in?"
The enchantments on his door told him that it was Ren.
"Yes, Mr. Amamiya, please do." The door opened and in came his new Groundskeeper.
"I've asked you before, please call me Ren." said the young hero of another world.
"As I've asked you, to call me Albus?" He asked in return, a small smile on his face. "But alas, how goes Ms. Granger's learning?"
Ren sighed. "It's been two weeks, but still no sign of awakening anytime soon. She has learned of the basic elemental Persona skills. Hermione still has problems with weaknesses, after this month is over, I'll start teaching her how to fight with a weapon. Hopefully, it won't be needed, as I can't get a sense over any other dimensional powers happening. There's no TV world, no Metaverse, no Dark Hour, nothing. It'll be hard for her to change Hearts if she has no way to do so."
Albus merely went back to pacing. "I see. Have you found any other potential Persona wielders yet?"
"Besides Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, and Daphne Greengrass? I've seen one in Ravenclaw, two in Hufflepuff, and strangely two-ish in Gryffindor."
The Headmaster rose an eyebrow, "Two-ish?"
Ren nodded, his own face confused. "Yes, sir. It's a set of twins. Together, they have a full potential of using a single Persona. But separate, even just a few feet, they don't. It's… unheard of before."
"Ah, the Weasley Twins. I think it might be best they don't have anymore power over the rest of the school. Most Persona users are subtle. Having two pranksters have the ability to mess with people? That's one thing I hope to never have to deal with. Ideally, the other seven will be able to help enough on their own." Albus walked over to the cabinet nearby and tapped on the left side of it with his wand. It sprung to life and pulled out a pensieve. "Well, it's time for your teaching review for the week. I'll pull out a memory of one of your classes with Ms. Granger, and we'll see what advice to give you. Please think of one."
Ren stepped forward next to the bowl, and Albus slowly raised his wand to Rens masked temple. Thankfully, he did not meet any resistance like he had the first time. Ren's Awakened Persona, Satanael, rather did not enjoy the mind intrusion. He slowly pulled away from the memory and placed it into the basin. Both he and Ren placed their heads into the bowl and were pulled into the memory.
*flashback to Ren's POV*
"Ah, welcome back Hermione." Ren greeted with a smile as he stood from his temporary chair.
"Hello, Ren." His student greeted.
"You ready to get started?" Hermione nodded. "Alright. The same as yesterday. Only this time, I'm not going to say any of names. Call out before the explosions." Ren swapped over to Uriel and faced the empty wall of the Crimson Room. He felt Uriel's tranquil mind soothe his own thoughts before beginning. Ren threw his arm out, to which Hermione instantly called out, "Bufu!" As soon as the word left her mouth, the wall exploded into ice. He threw an arm out again, and the response this time was, "Garu!" A tornado this time appeared. Again. "Agi!" A bloom of fire. Again. "Zio!" A strike of lightning. "Garu!" another tornado. And so it went on for another five minutes. Before suddenly, Hermione didn't have an answer, and a beam of light exploded out of a sudden rune.
"Hama," Ren spoke into the silent room. "This is a bless attack. It is an instant knockout attack, should it hit. It is usually more effective on more sinister enemies, such as Pale Rider. We go again." Hermione had barely written down 'instant' before Ren started throwing skills again. Once again, a few minutes in, he threw another one that she didn't respond too. "Mudo." He explained, as she instantly started to write down his words. "This is a curse attack. It is an instant knockout as well. It is usually more effective on more angelic enemies, such as Unicorn. I will now throw in those two skills into our rotation. Once you are able to recognize each one of the skills, we will move on to tactics. Start." Another half-hour of the skill routine went by with Hermione eventually getting Hama and Mudo down. "We're going to take ten for me to recharge my batteries. If you have questions, now is the t-"
"Well, I did some research, Mr. Amamiya, and I found something interesting." If Ren was bothered by being cut off, he didn't say anything, simply allowing her to continue. "I was reading up on Satanael, and there isn't much about him. Only bits and pieces, but the part that stood out the most, was that his name was changed from Satanael to Satan when he was banished, right? So I did more looking, and somewhere along the line, Satan turns into the Devil, who rules over Hell. And nearly every legend about the Devil involves him tricking people into signing contracts." Ren sighed at the moderately accusing look that Hermione was now giving him. "That sounds familiar. Doesn't it, Mr. Amamiya?"
"We've been over this Hermione, I'm pretty positive that I am not the Reincarnation of Satanael. Besides, there are several leaps in logic there."
"Would you mind pointing them out?" Did he detect a little sass?
"Sure," Ren replied, swapping over Personas. "Problem number one: Lucifer!" He called out as he removed the mask off his face, it sliding off cleanly. A pulse of energy appeared as the Angelic Persona fazed into existence. He allowed Hermione to get a good look at the Persona before speaking. "This is Lucifer. He is mentioned as the 'Morning Star' and fell from grace for rebelling against God. He could easily be the Devil you speak of, but he isn't." Ren put on his mask again, dispelling the Persona and swapping to another one. "Problem number two: Satan!" Again, Ren removed his mask, it sliding off just as cleanly. Another pulse of energy appeared as the Giant Snake Persona was summoned. "This is Satan, Prince of Darkness. He is one who tempts mankind to commit sin to show God that mankind can easily be led astray. He also could be the Devil you speak of, but he isn't." Once more, a Persona change. "Problem number three: Beelzebub!" Another summoning, this time the gross fly demon appeared. Hermione flinched at this one's appearance. "This is Beelzebub, The Lord of the Flies He is said to be one of the seven Demon Princes and is often associated with pride, gluttony, and the worship of false gods. He is just as likely, if not more so, to be the Devil you speak of."
"But he isn't." Hermione finished. "So, does that mean someone has a Devil Persona?"
"Possibly." Ren nodded. "But just because they have that Persona, that doesn't mean they are that Persona. The only one I could even say for that argument would have been Minato Arisato. I never met him, but his awakened Persona was Messiah. Minato sacrificed himself for his friends to prevent the entire world ending."
Hermione showed an understanding face. "So does the initial Persona have some kind of influence as well?"
Ren rose a hand to his chin as he pondered. "Well, using Minato again as an example, his initial Persona was Orpheus, Master of Strings. From what I've been told from the Velvet Room, Minato always used to listen to music, even when fighting Shadows. For me, my initial Persona was Arsene-"
"Arsene Lupin!? The Gentleman Thief!?" Hermione interrupted, full of awe.
"Yeah. He's in this world too? Huh. Anyway yeah, Arsene was my first. I was a Phantom Thief, stealing the Hearts of rotten adults to make them pay for doing horrible things."
"What kinds of things?"
"...It's some heavy stuff. You sure you wanna know?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I literally was forced by your mere existence to sign a contract saying I'll save the Universe. I think I can handle a few things."
Ren thought about it, then shrugged. "If you're sure. First was Kamoshida, that bastard. He was a gym teacher that physically assaulted the males and sexually harassed the females. Panther, one of the Phantom Thieves, was next in line after he raped one of her friends. The friend, Shiho, jumped off of the school building to kill herself. Luckily, she survived. Next was Madarame. He was a famous artist who taught students about art. His price, however, was making all of his students' ideas his. His actions caused at least one known suicide. Fox, another Phantom Thief, was one of his students. After that was Kaneshiro. He was a mafia boss who was extorting kids into delivering drugs and then blackmailing them for money. He did the same to Queen and threatened that they would sell her body to pay him back. After that, was the Hacker Group, Medjed. They were threatening to leak peoples banking information all over the country. Thanks to Oracle, the Phantom Thieves Navigator, we were able to stop them. Then there was Okumura, a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. He was treating his employees like crap, and paying them less. Several people were hospitalized because of being run ragged, and a few perished. That was Noir's Father. Last, was Shido. He was a politician who falsely accused me of assault and wanted to run the country into his own perfect world. He caused the death of his son as well. Those were all the main targets."
He looked at Hermione and noticed that she was trying her best not to gag. "H-how could they?"
"Easily. Very easily. Their desires were twisted. Distorted. These might be things you have to deal with. The Phantom Thieves killed a false god. The Investigation Team stopped a serial murderer and prevented the whole world form being covered in a fog by an actual Goddess. The S.E.E.S stopped the Universe from ending. Who knows what else those teams had to go through." What her team would have to go through was left unsaid.
"I-I need to awaken my initial Persona." Ren saw her eyes looking around the room. "I have to. I have to help people. I have to save them." It looked like she was about to panic.
"No. You don't." The way her eyes zeroed in on him was unnerving.
"I do! You pressured me into signing a contract-"
"That says you will take responsibility for your actions. Nothing more. Nothing less."
"So you did! You admitted it!"
Ren was confused now. "Admitted what?"
His student shot up now pointed an accusatory finger at him. "I said you pressured me into signing a contract! You didn't deny it!"
Ren tilted his head. "Did I?"
"Yes!"
"How?"
"Huh?" came Hermione's clever response.
"How did I pressure you?"
"Y-you swapped to Satanael. The pressure was so immense. It felt like you were going to erase me if I didn't do what you wanted."
"Is that effect really that strong?" Ren asked quietly to himself. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I… didn't mean to make you feel pressured. I was just… trying to give you an example of what I was saying."
"'Your third option will make you so much more than you could ever be without it.'?" She asked in return, making her voice deeper. "Well, you did give the impression that I would be able to 'travel to different dimensions, to change the way this world is written, and to save all of life'."
"Was that supposed to be me? And you can. Once you as the Wild Card ascend above yourself, you'll be able to do many things." Ren sighed as he stood up. "But that will be once you gain your Persona."
"How do I gain my Persona though?" His student questioned.
Ren scratched his head. "That's the problem. Nearly every group's awakening was different. The Phantom Thieves witnessed injustice in the Metaverse that threatened them. The Investigation Team faced their Shadows in the Shadow TV World, the parts of them that they reject. And S.E.E.S. performed actions that forcibly pushed their Persona's out of themselves, for a temporary summoning. Minato of S.E.E.S. was the only one who didn't need to force his Persona out, and that was in the face of Nyx, Goddess of Night, after he Ascended. I know that Dumbledore himself has a Persona, but I don't know how he obtained his. I'll have to ask him later."
*Flashback ends*
Before the rest of the class continued, the memory faded away. Albus pulled himself out of the Pensieve, and Ren followed shortly behind, rubbing his head. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that Albus."
"Don't worry dear boy. For your question you wanted to ask, I received my Persona from Philemon himself after playing the Persona game. It was over a hundred years ago, in 1892."
"1892!?" The Phantom Thief gave him a once over. "I gotta say, you don't look a day over sixty. Is it the whole magic thing?"
Albus heartily laughed. "Perhaps. That is a question that many people have accepted as an answer. Even I have stopped investigating after dedicating most of my free time for over 20 years to it with nothing to show for. But alas, I digress. The Persona game no longer functions anymore, since Philemon is recovering from his fight with Nyarlathotep."
Ren snapped his fingers. "Drat."
"What about the devices you mentioned S.E.E.S. using? Can you get in contact with Igor and see if you can get one?"
The Groundskeeper shook his head. "Too Risky. They're shaped like guns. I'm not sure if they would work here since they are mechanical. Besides, the user would have to shoot themselves in the head. I'd rather your students not be used to the action coinciding with suicide."
"No, definitely not. Let us forget that one, shall we? What about facing themselves? Like the Investigation team?"
Ren grimaced. "The problem is if any of them reject their shadows, they go berserk and turn into monsters. Should the Shadow win after that, the Shadow would replace them. And considering that the potential of Mr. Potter, his shadow could be a huge problem, as he switches from Fool to Death."
Albus paled. "We should not do that one then. If I am correct about the fact that his Arcana changing is from a Horcrux from Tom Riddle, it would inadvertently bring him back to life should Harry fall."
Ren sighed. "That leaves mortal danger. Which leaves another problem, so far I haven't sensed any kind of smaller universe, like the Metaverse where Shadows do show up."
Albus had an idea pop into his head. "Well, with all the magic in the air, it might mess with your Third Eye abilities. That Crimson Room you made, it's originally the Room of Requirement. While you are in the room, request the room for more information on any kind of Shadow Realms. It may give us useful information."
"I see. I'll go about my patrol duties. I have the Dungeons today. See you at dinner?" Ren asked as he turned towards the door.
"Certainly. Oh, and could you whip up some of that Coffee you gave Rubeus on the first day of class? I'm more of a tea drinker, but the way he went on about it has piqued my curiosity."
The Groundskeeper simply nodded in response. "I'll make you a thermos full." Ren then left the room, allowing Dumbledore to sit and start working on his paperwork.
"I seem to have forgotten to advise him on his teaching skills. I'll just have to double up next time." He spoke to himself, as he charmed a piece of paper to alert him for the next meeting.
Ren was certainly not expecting his student to ambush him after lunch on their next day off, Sunday. "Mr. Amamiya!" She was in a rage, for some reason.
"Yes, Ms. Granger?" As he turned around to face her, he noticed several students behind his own.
"Sorry, sir." It was another Gryffindor behind her that spoke, a Hanged Man arcana dignifying her. "She was upset by one of Professor Trelawney's tarot readings." This caused Ren to raise an eyebrow.
"Oh?" He asked, gently touching his mask to swap to Uriel, the most suitable Persona currently on hand for teaching. "And what was this reading?"
"That you'll die," Hermione said bluntly. "A terrible death. With nothing else."
Nothing else? No reasoning or anything? Chihaya would be furious, let alone Igor. "Well, that's not good reading. What was the Arcana she drew?"
"Death." was the simple response.
"That's not what-" Ren started before sighing. "Let me show you all how reading works. Come with me." Without even seeing if anyone was following him, he turned around and led the way to an empty classroom on the fourth floor. "Alright everyone, this is a one time class. Don't get used to it. You, ginger Gryffindor. Can you tell me what the Major Arcana are?" He asked as he pointed at the said student.
"Ron, that's you." Mr. Potter 'quietly' whispered to the student.
"Oh uh…. The Fool, The Magician, The Priestess, The Empress-"
"Good." Ren cut him off. "Five points to Gryffindor. You, black-haired Ravenclaw, continue the Major Arcana." Both she and 'Ron' were taken aback from the sudden changes.
"The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, The Strength, The Hermit, The Wheel of Fortune-"
"Nice." Once again he cut off. "Five points to Ravenclaw. You, reddish-brownish Hufflepuff. Continue.
"Oh… uh... Fortune, then Justice, the Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil-"
"Cool, five points to Hufflepuff. Mr. Malfoy? The rest?" He noticed the boy hanging towards the back and brought him forward with a wave of his hand. Unlike the other students, he immediately responded.
"The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, and The World."
"Perfect Mr. Malfoy. And you were listening intently as well. Take six points to Slytherin. Five for the answer, one for the self-improvement. Now, let me explain the basics of the Major Arcana for you. We will be ignoring the reverse meanings for now. First, The Fool. The Fool holds a white rose a symbol of freedom from baser desires in one hand, and in the other a small bundle of possessions, representing untapped collective knowledge. On the Fool Tarot card, a young man stands on the edge of a cliff, without a care in the world, as he sets out on a new adventure. He is gazing upwards toward the sky (and the Universe) and is seemingly unaware that he is about to skip off a precipice into the unknown. The Fool is a card of new beginnings, opportunity, and potential. It could be a journey of self-discovery, or knowledge, power, love, life. It's the beginning. It also has the most potential, because it is the number Zero. Empty, yet full of possibilities. Next is the Magician. He stands with one arm stretched upwards towards the Universe, and the other pointing down to the earth. His positioning represents his connection between the spiritual realms and the material realms. The Magician uses this relationship to create and manifest his goals in the physical realm. He is the conduit that converts energy into matter. The Magician's robe is white, symbolizing purity, and his cloak is red, representing worldly experience and knowledge. As a master manifester, the Magician brings you the tools, resources, and energy you need to make your dreams come true." Here, he paused to give the students a chance to take notes if they wanted. His own student had already written a full page of notes, before getting a new sheet out and making direct eye contact with him. "The High Priestess." He touched his mask slightly to try and make it more noticeable for her to pay attention, as it was her Arcana. "The High Priestess sits in front of a thin veil decorated with pomegranates. The veil represents the separate conscious and subconscious realms, the seen and the unseen, and serves to keep casual onlookers out. Only the initiated may enter. While the Magician is the guardian of the conscious mind and the tangible world, the High Priestess is the guardian of the subconscious mind and the teacher of sacred knowledge and hidden mysteries. Sitting at the threshold of the conscious and subconscious mind, the High Priestess has an innate ability to travel between these realms effortlessly." He nodded, seemingly to himself, but still staring at his student, and only looking away as he continued the Arcana descriptions to his impromptu class.
He continued until he got to death. "Next up is Death, which is where I will stop for today. And, I will go into a little more detail, as with everything that is happening in today's society you all should come to know more about endings. The Death card shows the Messenger of Death– a skeleton dressed in black armor, riding a white horse. The skeleton represents the part of the body which survives long after life has left it; the armor symbolizes invincibility and that death will come no matter what. Its dark color is that of mourning and the mysterious, while the horse is the color of purity and acts as a symbol of strength and power. Death carries a black flag decorated with a white, five-petal rose, reflecting beauty, purification and immortality and the number five representing change. Together, these symbols reveal that death isn't just about life ending. Death is about endings and beginnings, birth and rebirth, change and transformation. There is beauty in death, and it is an inherent part of being alive. In nearly every Death Tarot Card, A royal figure appears to be dead on the ground, while a young woman, child, and bishop plead with the skeletal figure to spare them. But, as we all know- especially to some in this room- death spares no one. After a period of pause and reflection with the Hanged Man, the Death card symbolizes the end of a major phase or aspect of your life that you realize is no longer serving you, opening up the possibility of something far more valuable and essential. You must close one door to open another. You need to put the past behind you and part ways, ready to embrace new opportunities and possibilities. It may be difficult to let go of the past, but you will soon see its importance and the promise of renewal and transformation. If you resist these necessary endings, you may experience pain, both emotionally and physically, but if you exercise your imagination and visualize a new possibility, you allow more constructive patterns to emerge." Joker looked around the class and saw a few students looking like they would barely remember the knowledge, but a different few looked thoughtful and contemplative.
"There is no test for this sudden class, and I'm not going to ask for any homework from any of you. But I urge you all, to look inside yourself, and see which stage of the Fool's Journey represents who you are. You may just find some answers to some questions you have been having." Ren felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. He had been talking for almost an hour now, and some of these classes went on for two and a half? Ugh.
"Um, Professor Amamiya?" Professor? He could get used to that.
"Yes? Ms?" Might as well find out which student he struck a chord with. It was the Hufflepuff he called on at the beginning.
"Bones, Professor, Susan Bones. Can… you go over the other Arcana? Maybe next Sunday?" Trying to butter him up with the Professor Schtick. If only it wasn't working.
"Why? Professor Trelawney should be teaching you this."
His own student spoke up. "But she isn't. She's just predicting Harry's Death or Grave injury every other day. She finally mixed it up today with you dying." Hermione sounded done with her, with a few other students nodding in agreement.
Choosing Fate with a single card reading? "No reading is 100% accurate. No matter how intricate the reading, or how precise it can be, it won't be 100% accurate. Fate can change like this." He emphasized with a snap. "We will meet here next Sunday for the rest of the Major Arcana. The Sunday after that, I will perform some readings to show you how they are supposed to be read, at the least. You will not mention this to any other student or teacher. If they come to me, I will deny it. But for now, I will leave you with these words. Things are never as they seem. There are people out there out to be evil and cruel for their own amusement. They can take your World, They can take your Heart, even cut you loose from all you know. But if it's your Fate? Then even for a moment, every step will lead you closer to home. As long as you need us, Hogwarts will be your home. Class dismissed." With that, he left the students before he could be pulled back in. He had a coffee to brew and a Headmaster to question.
It was now time for the first quidditch match of the year. A full month had gone by since his arrival here, and Ren was pretty intrigued. Several of the students had tried talking to him about the sport, but a lot of it flew over his head. Apparently, two teams from two houses would fly on actual brooms and throw enchanted balls around for points. Today's match was Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, and it was storming. Apparently, this universe didn't postpone sports for bad weather. Some of the students' parents came to see the game, in a different box from the others. On the end closest to the Castle, were where the parents and scouts were stationed. Normally, one of the professors were here, but Albus told him that it would probably be best if he was in this box. He had to agree, it did make sense for the guard to be stationed with the guests. He just wished some of the guests would actually pay attention to the kids instead of him.
"So how do you know Dumbledore again?" Came the persistent man next to him.
He held in a sigh. "I don't. My boss lent me to him because of the escapee Sirius Black."
"Ah. So you fancy yourself a Hitwizard, then? Didn't know the Headmaster got that desperate."
Was that supposed to be an insult? To me or Albus? "Anything to keep these kids safe. They are the future."
"Indeed." Came the woman behind him. "The talent and potential of some of these players are simply phenomenal!"
"Lady Greengrass! I didn't see you there, Hello!" came the man next to him again. Ren glanced back at the woman and took in her drastically similar appearance to one of the students he talked to one the first day of class.
"Lady Greengrass." He greeted with a nod.
"You must be Ren Amamiya." She replied. The man seemed to sense something he didn't, as he scooted away. Lady Greengrass moved to take the spot instead.
"Yes, Ma'am. I take it you heard of me from your daughter?" He asked in response as he looked around the pitch again. He was having a hard time seeing from all the rain and would have to take the commentators word for it.
"I did. She said you were immensely powerful. Able to take a claw swipe from a hippogriff, and then shove it away without so much as a scratch on you? Quite Impressive." There was something in her tone that made his spine shiver.
"Anything to protect these kids." He repeated as a response.
"You know, it's rude to not look at someone when they are talking to you."
She's playing that card now? "Yes, just as rude as trying to distract a guard from their job," Ren said casually.
Before their banter could continue, Ren spotted them. Dementors. Black Robes high in the sky, circling someone. What were they doing that high? He then noticed that person fall. "Oh!" Ren faintly heard the Lady Greengrass say as he leaped from the stand. He had fallen from this height before with only Arsene, and he made it out okay that time, so this time should be no different. He landed with a roll, staggering only slightly from the impact. It was like the ground itself was cushioned. Maybe for the sport? But still, from that height, this student would be done for. The body was getting too close to the ground, and he was too far away. He wasn't going to make it.
"Arresto Momentum!" He heard Albus shout from across the field in the teacher's box. The body slowed to a halt right above the turf, as Ren reached the body. It was Harry Potter. He heard the noise of the teams coming to check on the boy and looked up at the sky. Behind the incoming teams to check on the fallen competitor, were the Dementors closing in.
"MOVE!" He yelled as loud as he could over the pouring rain. "UNICORN! MAKOUGAON!" Ren pulled off his mask, and Unicorn appeared in a flash of light. He felt a sudden wash of darkness and blankness surround him. He dropped to a knee before the skill activated, a giant glyph forming in front of him and Unicorn before pulsing with a beam of light shooting outward. The darkness that surrounded him faded, allowing him to stand again slowly. He pushed as much energy as he could into the skill, feeling the beam sap him of strength. He felt Unicorn's hatred for the dark beings flow into him, giving him new energy to pour into the attack. "BEGONE FOUL BEASTS!" He called out as the beam stopped. Everything seemed darker, without the weaponized light. His vision had yet to adjust, but with his third eye, he saw what he needed. Several of the Dementors were fleeing, but he did see less of them. There was a small amount of residue slowly fading from where the beam shot, implying to him about their destruction. Ren took a deep breath and let it out. His eyes drooped, exhaustion setting in. Usually, Makougaon only lasted a second or two, but for him to make it last for over ten seconds had drained him a lot. It was a shame that Unicorn didn't have Victory Cry. He could really use the sudden boost in energy. Ren put his mask back on and knelt down to the unconscious student. "Diaharan." He cast, a hand placed on the boy's chest. That was another pull on his already depleted energy, making his vision flicker slightly. How much spirit did he put into that skill? Not to mention that being in the presence of those beasts with Unicorn as his Persona made it nearly unbearable. Beings of darkness with one of the symbols of light just equaled bad news for one of the parties. Maybe he should have a soul drop or chew… maybe some curry? That should help-
His vision went black and he collapsed.
Hermione Granger was mentally exhausted from the worry she held. Not only was her best friend in the Hospital Wing, but so was her secret teacher that happened to obliterate at least eight Dementors in an explosive display of power with that giant beam of light. And so once again, here she sat, waiting for her friend to wake up. Madam Pomfrey had diagnosed Ren with Magical Exhaustion, and Harry with shock. With up-close exposure with Dementors and falling from almost a kilometer up, she'd be surprised if it was anything else. What was unexpected to both Hermione and Madam Pomfrey, was that Harry didn't have a bruise on him. Granted that Harry's fall was slowed by the Headmaster, it was not enough to gently place him on the ground. Hermione thought it could've been a spell done by Ren, however, he can't use magic. A Persona skill then? That's the only logical option that made sense, they had just finished up with Elemental skills. Oh, Merlin, she was tired of just sitting here! Hermione wished that she could do something to help, but with a lack of Healing spells, and the lack of a Persona there was not much she could do.
An idea immediately popped into her head that she couldn't shake away. If Ren was able to make a room that was able to help facilitate growing her abilities, maybe it would have something in it to help awaken her Persona! Tomorrow, they were supposed to be learning some basic hand-to-hand as to not have a problem with the exhaustion of using a Persona, and right now would be the only time that he would not be in the room to stop her! But she'd feel bad about leaving them here in the Hospital Wing… Oh, what to do?
Just as Hermione got up, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. She did her best not to screen in surprise. "Hermione. Where do you think you're going?" It was Harry, blinking away the sleep he was in. She didn't even notice him put on his glasses. "I haven't seen that face since you went to the library last year. Before you were petrified." That stopped any kind of resistance she was going to put up.
"Harry-" The young Wild Card was cut off again.
"I'm not letting you go alone. Regardless if you are taking another trip to the library or not, the last time your face looked like that I lost you. I'm not doing that again." Hermione desperately tried to think of a way out of this. Should she find a way to summon a Persona, Harry would have been with her the whole way, and surely Ren would be furious for letting the secret of 'the world potentially ending in a few years' out so early. Harry's eyes were glistening. "I can't lose any more family, Hermione. I can't lose you too." His voice broke, and his grip tightened. Hermione's heart couldn't take it. Her best friend, strong in so many ways, was terrified of something happening to her. Harry was crying. Harry was not supposed to cry. He was Brave, he was strong, he was the embodiment of Gryffindor.
And he was a boy who lost everything.
"Oh, Harry!" Hermione tugged him out of the hospital bed and hugged him tight, now crying along with him. It took only a moment before Harry returned the hug, now openly sobbing into her embrace. A few minutes passed until they both calmed down enough for Hermione to take charge. "Okay, Harry, if we are going to do this we need to do this now before Mr. Amamiya wakes up. You can't tell anyone about this Harry. I'm not even supposed to tell you. Follow me."
She tugged him to follow her to the Crimson Room.
