Nightmare's reawakening(translation)

by dragonqueen909

This is the English translation of Fumseck73's fic (Renaissance du Cauchemar)Chamber of secrets AU. Harry found the entrance to the chamber earlier during the year. After almost having an heart attack when meeting the Basilisk, he realise that she was only lonely and became her friend. Rest of summary inside.

5. Secrets from the Past

Chapter 4: Secrets from the Past

Hogwarts held her breath, metaphorically speaking. Would Dumbledore take the bait? It was a little known fact that Peeves was the incarnation of the children's mischief. Most people mistook him for a poltergeist. Few had guessed his true nature. The chaos he created in the school was almost a natural order of things, with so many children present.

Of course, at times, he could be legitimately dangerous. Burst water filled balloons on a marble floor for example, or plan the fall of a stone bust on someone. However... he was tied to the school. And if Hogwarts asked him to do something, he would do gleefully.

So he had begun to create chaos in the opposite direction of Sephiroth's, and the Bloody Baron, accompanied by the other ghosts, pretended to be unaware of anything, and had gone to the dungeons. Forcing Albus to go and take care of him, and therefore leave his office shortly after Sephiroth.

The Sorting Hat chuckled softly, imitated by some paintings.

"Frankly, Albus is not very clever," said the portrait of a woman with long black hair, visibly amused. "No wonder he landed in your house, Godric."

"HEY!" Protest the portrait of a man with a thick mane of long flaming red hair, giving him the appearance of a lion. "Not everyone has the intelligence to be in your house, Rowena! And why did not you ever tell us that you were the reincarnation of a Cetra?"

Rowena rolled her eyes.

"I only remembered it very late in life, Godric. And then it would have served what, frankly? Certainly, we wizards descend for most part of the survivors of the Sacred Land of Gaia, who fled when Minerva submerged it. But what's the interest? My only role in this life was to protect Sephiroth. It was the task the Goddess had entrusted to me."

Another portrait laughed softly.

"Yes, Rowena, but I find it ironic that your present reincarnation is walking the halls. NO, NOT THAT!"

"So avoid opening your mouth, Sal," Rowena glared at him, lowering her wand she had lifted. "If Albus ever hears us speak like that, he will realize that the school is not as loyal to him as he believes. And, for the moment, it is crucial that he remains ignorant."

A plump woman with ashen blond hair entered the portrait next to the door at that moment, shivering.

"You tell me Rowena. Poor Harry has just been snatch away by Portkey, and his friend Hermione fled the dormitory, panicked. She is looking for Sephiroth. I ordered the portraits to guide her to him, to save time."

Rowena grimaced.

"Thank you, Helga. Hogwarts, warns the paintings that they may have to leave the corridor in which he finds himself when she finds him. Same for the armors."

"That bad?" Godric asked, frowning, while stroking his beard.

"Believe me Godric, an angry Sephiroth in full possession of his faculties is extremely dangerous," Rowena said, shaking her head. "I was able to see him at work, and he is not to be taken lightly."

Salazar nodded thoughtfully.

"From what you told me once, just to kill the Puppy, it took a whole army, and barely, to successfully kill him."

Rowena nodded.

"A SOLDIER 1st Class is extremely resistant. Zack had a good level, and it took more than 200 men to defeat him. Yet he was not the strongest. In the end, it was his stubbornness that allowed him to stand and continue. Would there have been even thirty men less, he might have got away."

Godric let out an admiring whistle.

"And compared to Sephiroth? Or even his Mentor and the Crimson Mage?"

Rowena laughed softly.

"Without Degradation? You can at least multiply this number by 3 or 4 for the other two. Sephiroth, on the other hand... multiply it by 10, at least."

Salazar shuddered.

"That much?"

She nodded.

"He was the strongest SOLDIER there was. None could come to his ankle. If Cloud could kill him, it was above all because he had completely lowered his guard the first time."

"And the following?" Asked Helga gently, coming to be in the same frame as Godric.

"The next one, they were 8 against him. The simple number, calm and concentrated in front of a madman, was enough. As for the last one…" Rowena sighed. "The last, I think part of him just didn't want to fight anymore. And that he took the opportunity."

Helga nodded. At this moment, the hat shivered.

"Oh oh. He's really mad, Lady Ravenclaw. Is it such a good idea?"

She nodded.

"Don't worry, Clarence," she said with a mysterious smile. "Hermione will calm him down."

Her co-founders looked at her with skepticism.

"You know something," Salazar accused, pointing at her. "You are much too calm to be the opposite."

Rowena laughs softly.

"It's a secret, my dear. In any case... are you ready, Clarence?"

The tip of the Hat moved as if to nod, and he replied:

"Hogwarts will always take care of the Heirs, Lady Ravenclaw. Ah, Dobby just took him away."

Salazar nodded.

"Albus?"

"Trying to fix Peeves' mess," chuckled the Sorting Hat. "Flitwick is trying to help him, but... in short, Peeves continues to create chaos all over the area. Oho, they called McGonagall for reinforcement!"

Godric burst out laughing.

"The poor dear didn't deserve that. Flitwick either, by the way. He may have seen nothing of Luna's harassment so far, but it's not completely his fault."

One of the silver instruments on the shelf in front of the Sorting Hat chooses this specific moment to stop with a strangled squeak, letting out a small cloud of black smoke, instead of the usual silver. Helga let out a predatory smile.

"It started. Clarence?"

The Sorting Hat chuckled.

"With pleasure, Lady Hufflepuff."

He leaned his tip towards the instrument, which slowly began to spin again, even letting out the silver smoke as if nothing had happened. A second one stopped a few seconds later, and Clarence repeated the process. Eventually, all the instruments were set back in motion, but only powered by the energy the school brought them, imitating their normal rhythm, but no longer tied to anything. Salazar laughed softly at seeing that.

"Your idea of getting us able to move in any of the school frames was pure genius, Rowena. On the other hand, after what has just happened, I don't know if Sephiroth will accept to let Harry come back."

Rowena snorted.

"Don't worry about that, Sal. Destiny cannot be changed too much, or things will be much worse. Minerva knows it too. She will take care of explaining things to him."

"And he will listen to her?" Godric asked, skeptical.

"Oh, believe me, after what Minerva did for him, he will listen to her. Not to mention that in my opinion, she will probably present him a boon to convince him."

"And what kind of boon?" Godric asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because I don't see what could convince him to let Harry come back here, with what just happened."

Rowena laughs softly in response.

"In your opinion, Godric?"

"The people who were dear to him?" Salazar asked, puzzled.

"Right on, Sal. And a person in particular. They are not yet ready to wake up, however. I doubt that Minerva will allow my reincarnation to wake them before at least the end of next school year, at a minimum."

"Is there a reason for that?" Helga asked, frowning.

"Events must occur. And they must occur in a certain way. Not another. In order to get rid of Riddle permanently, things have to happen in a precise way."

Salazar sighed, rubbing his face.

"About Riddle, I'm really sorry for all this."

Helga snorted.

"You couldn't have know, Sal. But I admit that your descendants have fallen hard. Crossing between members of the same family, to the point of being almost Squib... Besides that, if he managed to get hold of your locket... he probably corrupted it."

Salazar put his hand on his face with a grunt.

"The worst part is that you're probably right, Helga. After what he did to Rowena's Diadem... I'm sorry for what happened to Helena, Rowena. I never thought that Edmund was that hot blooded at this point…"

His co-founder shook her head sadly.

"I knew there was one chance in two that happens, Sal. I am not mad at you. I regret that Helena did not understand what I tried to teach her, especially. But the past is the past. We can not change it anymore."

Salazar let out a heavy sigh.

"At least the future is not engraved in stone. I really would have regret that Harry would have been forced to kill Esmeralda. I imagine if he had not found Sephiroth, that would have happened?"

Rowena nodded sadly.

"Fawkes would have healed him, but…"

"But that would have left consequences," Helga sighed. "Especially with the little Weasley girl."

Salazar pursed his lips angrily.

"She has all the symptoms of someone under Love Potion. It's really only thanks to Albus's compulsions that the nurse did not see anything."

Rowena smiled mysteriously.

"Don't worry Sal, her brother will help her."

"Rowena, stop driving us crazy with your clues!" Protest Godric. "Give us real explanations, by Merlin's balls!"

"Nope!" Rowena giggled, before slipping out of her portrait.

"ROWENA! GET BACK HERE AND EXPLAIN!" Godric roared, going after her.

The other two let out a long, heavy sigh.

"How old were we when we died?" Salazar asked tiredly.

"Almost 70 years old," Helga replied in the same tone. "But I wonder if these two have ever grown beyond adolescence."

The Sorting Hat burst out laughing.

"I don't think so, Lady Hufflepuff. I don't have the impression they did."

The two remaining Founders let out a weary sigh. Even as portraits, their friends continued to tire them. They returned to their quiet vigil, dodging Albus, on the way back.

oOo

Sephiroth put the handset down with a tired sigh. At least the police officer was kind enough to lend him some money so he could make the call. And watch over Harry the time he contacts the Grangers. At least, he knew where Hermione had derived her sense of loyalty and intelligence.

His nerves still tense, he decided to go back to see how Harry was holding out. The poor kid was more used to having negative attention, so he was stressed enough. As far as Sephiroth was concerned, he still feared that Harry would be kidnapped from under his nose. He knew that these chances were extremely low coming now, which did not prevent him to worry anyway. Fortunately, he would soon be able to deal with the remaining spells on Harry. He had already broken the one that prevented peoples from realizing the wounds that were not suffered at school, and how much he had wanted to go and gut Dumbledore by seeing that.

Sephiroth was reassured to see that Harry was still there on his return, and that his wounds were treated. The black eye that the boy wore made his desires for murder rise on the other hand, just like his arm in a sling. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He would take care of the Dursleys if they ever managed to dodge a prison sentence, which, according to the police officer who had accompanied them, was unlikely.

Dan asked him a few more questions, but between what he could see in the house, Harry's condition, and the reaction of the Dursleys, he had practically everything he needed. No way to obtain personal information about Sephiroth however, the guy was closed like a clam about his privacy. All he could learn was that he had been a General, before making a particularly violent burnout and leaving everything behind. He refused to say what he had done in the meantime, and Dan suspected that he had probably lived on the street until he met Harry at his school. The boy had probably bought him new clothes, his outfit was too good to suggest otherwise. In any case, they were good enough to confirm that Harry had to have money. But why did he wear those rags then?

When he asked the question, Harry seemed to shrink back on himself, and only Sephiroth's hand on his shoulder seemed to give him the courage to explain. How his "family" refused to spend a penny for him, even going so far as to buy him glasses in a charity to spend as little as possible. Dan pursed his lips as he heard that. Yet another form of abuse. Because to hear it, if they could have avoided giving him the old clothes of his cousin, they would have done it. From what he heard, they had subjected him to almost every possible abuse, with the exception of sexual abuse. Even punish him for getting better grades than his idiot cousin. They had never given him the opportunity to do his homework properly, whether in time or equipment.

He really hoped they would die in prison. Something told him that Sephiroth would not hesitate to kill them if they ever came out before the end of their sentence. And he doubted he'd want to stop him if the evidence led to him... if he left any. Dan noted the Grangers number, for a way to contact him. He was not sure it was necessary, though. Given all the evidence they had accumulated, the need for Harry to testify against his uncle and his sister (who, hearing him, had done most of the physical abuse, his aunt more "in charged" with emotional abuse) was quite low. The boy seemed relieved to hear that.

Sephiroth nodded with somber satisfaction. Harry had seen them enough like that. If he could never see them again in his life, that would be perfect. Now all he was waiting for was that Hermione's parents arrived. He controlled himself, but the smells of the hospital brought back all his bad childhood memories, when he lived exclusively in the laboratory, at the mercy of Hojo. He was tense because of that, and he was afraid of having an unfortunate reflex if it lasted too long. He hated hospitals with passion because of this madman who claimed to be a scientist. The more he could avoid them, the better he would be.

He unconsciously put an arm around Harry's shoulders when he pressed against him, apparently just as nervous. He was so lost in thought that he almost jumped up and summoned Masamune reflexively when someone cleared his throat behind him. He firmly repressed the reflex, his left hand barely twitching. He stood up slowly, waking Harry who seemed to be falling asleep (probably because of painkillers). Turning to the door, he saw a couple in the opening, and had little trouble understanding that they were Hermione's parents. The woman, especially, resembled her. He greeted them with a nod of his head.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger I suppose?"

The man nodded.

"You're Mr. Valentine yes?"

Sephiroth ignored the vague discomfort at hearing that. He had never had a last name growing up, so he was not used to hearing someone call him that. He could not say anything though, at least not before being at their home.

"Call me Sephiroth, please."

"In that case, I insist that you call us Emma and Nathan," Hermione's mother said firmly.

Sephiroth nodded. Emma was looking at him with interest, but more because she seemed intrigued by his appearance than because she stared at him with desire. Genesis and Angeal had to teach him to realize when women stared at him with desire, because he had never noticed anything. And since She was blind, she had never been able to stare at him like that (and she had admitted herself that she would never have, out of respect). It was also something he liked about that time, he did not have to watch his back to avoid hordes of furious fangirls. Even if the women continued to stare at him with interest. At Hogwarts, the older girls had tried to seize the slightest excuse to talk to him.

And for once, he did not hesitate to let them know what was on his mind. It had calmed some, but something told him he should start regularly.

Fortunately, Harry could walk alone, albeit slowly. Sephiroth didn't let him go all the way through the exit procedures, keeping an eye on the surroundings. Luckily, the Grangers obviously knew these by heart, and seemed well prepared for any possible snags to pose problem. He received the explanation afterwards: the Grangers worked regularly for this hospital. That explained in any case why they had arrived so quickly, he told himself. Dan left them in the middle of the proceedings, having to report to his superiors.

He let out a sigh of relief as he left, which almost turned into a coughing fit in the face of pollution. Ugh, it smelled almost as bad as Midgar. It just missed the smell of Mako. And it smelled a lot worse in the Slums, he told himself while helping Harry move forward. He carefully studied the Granger vehicle as he reached it. He had never been too interested in cars, but he could see that Hermione's family was pretty well off. It must have been expensive enough.

He helped Harry get in the back, letting him buckle his belt alone. He climbed on the other side, fastening himself. Sephiroth had never been very chatty, and he could see that the traffic was worse than Midgar during peak hours, so he let Nathan focus on his driving. He forced himself to respond to Emma, to avoid an uncomfortable silence. Beside him, Harry was half asleep, drowsy because of the painkillers, and the stress that left him. He finally fell asleep about three-quarters of the way, leaning against Sephiroth, who shook his head with amusement. Emma smiled when she saw that. If they didn't count the fact that Harry had been beaten by his uncle, she thought it was adorable.

Sephiroth raised his head, feeling that they were slowing down. He noticed with interest that if the Grangers also lived in a subdivision, it was less... sanitized than that of the Dursleys. More warm. Their house too was very different. Similar in size, but he felt it had a personality.

As he got out of the car, he gently took Harry in his arms, being careful not to wake him up, following Nathan in the house. He nodded, seeing that his first impression was confirmed. The interior was as warm as the outside, and did not have that horrible smell of disinfectant that the Dursleys had. Moreover, where the Dursleys seemed to have exposed expensive and soulless objects, the Grangers preferred handmade objects, or ones that seemed to matter to them.

He laughed softly in his head as he sees the filled bookcases in the living room. Strangely, it did not surprise him. Following Emma, he went upstairs to a room that was clearly used as a guest room. He waited for Emma to make the bed, and put Harry on the mattress carefully. The doctors had warned that he should sleep on his back until his ribs were healed. Sephiroth would have liked to use Cure on Harry, but if he did, he might expose the Muggles to magic. For this time, he would let nature do its work.

He pinched the bridge of his nose with an annoyed sigh, and, with a thought, returned his hair to their normal color and length, making Emma jump in surprise. The latter blinked several times, taken aback, before deciding that no, she did not dream, Sephiroth's hair was silver and long to the knees. She noticed that he seemed quite amused at her reaction, and apologized, embarrassed. Sephiroth just laughed.

"Hermione didn't tell you that I could change my appearance? Or did she not attend that?"

"I think she didn't attend, or she would have spoken of it in her letters," Emma replied, regaining normal use of speech. "I understand better why you had black hairs though, as Hermione had said they were silver. Why did you changed your appearance?"

Sephiroth snorted.

"Even among wizards, silver is not a common hair color at my physical age. And a similar length either. So among people without magic…"

Emma could only nod to this logic.

"In addition," Sephiroth continued, "I knew that changing my hair color would make the Dursleys look even more unbalanced than they are naturally. With them, I prefer not to take risks."

Emma pursed her lips angrily as she thought of these people.

"I had always suspected that there was something wrong with Harry since I met him last year, but as soon as I tried to put my finger on it, it escaped me. Magic?"

Sephiroth nodded.

"There are many spells on Harry, some were connected to his uncle's and aunt's house. I took care of those on the house, but there is still a lot on Harry."

"You will take care of it, I hope?" Emma asked, worried.

"Of course, but some of them will have us need to go see a healer," Sephiroth said, pursing his lips. "I don't know what the consequences will be if I break the block on his magic myself."

"There is a block on his magic?" Exclaimed Emma, horrified.

Attracting the attention of her husband, who had to look at Sephiroth twice before realizing he was the same person. The silverette nodded, furious.

"I am not sure of the extent of the block, but I think it must at least block almost half of his magic. For the rest, three-quarters were used to feed the protections on his house."

Emma was even more horrified to hear that. It meant that Harry had only a tiny part of his magic available. And yet... according to Hermione, he was doing pretty well in spells casting. She did not even dare to imagine his power now that he was free from the burden of all these spells. As if reading her thoughts, Sephiroth continued:

"I don't think, however, that we will go to a healer immediately for the blocking of his magic. Now that he is free from the burden of these spells, he will have to get used to the influx of power. And so, train to master it."

Emma nodded, Nathan joining the conversation.

"It seems logical, it is as if he had to follow a rehabilitation after injuries, but in the reverse curve. Instead of rebuilding his strength, he must learn to moderate it. Do you think you can help him?"

Sephiroth ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

"I will do my best, in any case. Unfortunately, my own strength has always been above normal. So I don't really have a point of reference on that side. Genesis or Angeal would have been better... especially Angeal."

"Why?" Nathan asked, puzzled.

Sephiroth chuckled softly, trying not to make too much noise. Harry needed some rest.

"Genesis was, let's say... famous for two things. His womanizer side, even if his problem was more to sort through his female admirers, and also but especially for his... explosive personality."

"Explosive?" Emma repeated, surprised and a little worried.

Sephiroth nodded, an amused smile on his lips.

"According to Angeal, Genesis has always had a very... extrovert personality. Unfortunately, this trend hasn't subsided over the years. And the day he put his hand on a Fire Materia was cursed by many people, according to rumors. The problem with Genesis is that he always had very… limited patience. So, the cadets knew it was better to do what he was saying when he said it, under penalty of having to dodge fireballs. On the other hand, the cadet's dodge rate soared as soon as Genesis was on the board to take care of their training."

"He was high up?" Asked Nathan, wondering about the mental health of people who could leave such a pyromaniac in charge of cadets.

Sephiroth snorted with amusement.

"He and Angeal were my direct subordinates, just below me. Both had the rank of Commanders, and Zack, even after being promoted to 1st Class, was only Lieutenant."

"The hyperactive young man, according to Hermione, was it?"

"That's it. Angeal nicknamed him The Puppy because of that, and also his limited attention span. To come back to Genesis, he didn't reach that rank for nothing. Despite his explosive nature and his tendency to throw fireballs at the slightest annoyance, he was a good superior. He knew how to effectively command his troops, and he was an expert in Materia. He was not called the Crimson Mage for nothing. Even I wasn't at his level."

"Really? Emma asked, curious. "Still, from what you said to Hermione, you're doing well in the field."

Sephiroth shook his head.

"Our respective strengths in the field were very different. Genesis was like a laser, to give you a point of comparison. Focused and precise, with correct power. But me... I would be more of a nuclear bomb. I don't have his finesse in the use of Materia, and he didn't have my sheer firepower."

Nathan let out a whistle in low voice.

"And Angeal?"

Sephiroth chuckled.

"Angeal... wasn't particularly good with Materia, to the great despair of Genesis. He managed to use it more or less, but he was struggling. On this point, they complemented each other perfectly. Genesis was the duo's Mage, attacking with both magic and sword, a field in which he was also very good. Angeal preferred melee attack or sword, depending on the situation. When they saw them together on the battlefield, it was not unusual for enemies to give up the fight."

"And you?"

Sephiroth sighed.

"Me... the enemies feared and hated me at the same time. One of my nicknames at the time, before I lost my mind, was The Demon. As you can imagine... our enemies did not appreciate my prowess on the battlefield."

Emma shook her head sadly as she heard that. Sephiroth gave her the impression of having lived a very isolated life, between what he had told Hermione and what he had just explained to them. Gently, she took him by the arm.

"Come on, let Harry rest. In any case, he is not risking anything now, is he?"

Sephiroth hesitated for a second before nodding.

"Let me just the time to check that there are no other surprises on his clothes."

Emma nodded, letting him go. Sephiroth went to kneel beside Harry, who had not woken up. Activating his magic sight, he carefully studied the remaining spells on the boy. He noticed another spell of transportation on the clothes of his protege, fortunately inactive. It had to have been programmed to take Harry if the others failed, which was not the case. Pinching the magic threads gently, he took care of the spell. There were lots of spells left to keep an eye on Harry, but he decided to take care of them during the night, when he was sure Dumbledore was sleeping. Sephiroth did not know how much Hogwarts could help, and he did not want to rely on school alone.

Once satisfied with his examination, he got up, and followed the couple to the ground floor. Arriving in front of the living room, he motioned them to wait.

"Dobby?" He called softly.

The House Elf appeared in a loud crack, making Emma and Nathan jump. Realizing that it was more or less normal, judging by the lack of reaction of the silverette, they calmed down. The little being seemed rather nervous, but relatively calm at the same time. Emma blinked in surprise when she saw that he had appeared with a big trunk, similar to their daughter's, and realized that it probably belonged to Harry. Sephiroth nodded, seeing that.

"You could get all off Harry's stuff, Dobby?"

"Yes, Mister Nightmare," answered the elf bravely. "Dobby also took care of the portkeys that Headmaster Whiskers had placed on Harry Potter stuffs. Dobby is sorry he did not see before Headmaster Whiskers placed these spells... Dobby will pinch his ears in the oven to punish himself."

Sephiroth pinched the bridge of the nose with a slightly exasperated sigh. He had not yet had time to talk to the couple about House Elves, and he had hoped that Dobby would not let that escape. Well, too late now.

"Dobby, even I didn't realize anything. Thank you for eliminating those who were on his stuffs, although I think they will end up in the trash. In terms of your punishment... I doubt that even Harry would hold a grudge for this. If you really think you deserve a punishment, we'll talk to Harry tomorrow, okay? But knowing him, I doubt he accepts."

Dobby nodded shyly, before adding:

"Harry Potter also gave his money pouch to his friend. Dobby did not dare to get it back, should Dobby do it?"

Sephiroth raised a puzzled eyebrow, before understanding.

"I think I know why Harry did that. I'll talk to him later, to confirm, okay? Thank you for bringing his stuffs. However, where is Hedwig?"

"Miss Granger said she would take Harry Potter's owl with her," the elf replied. "Familiar dislike transportation by elf. They only accept it at the beginning of the year."

The warrior nodded.

"Thank you Dobby. You can go."

The elf disappeared with a new crack, and Sephiroth turned with a sigh. Emma looked horrified.

"That was Dobby? The elf who tried to save Harry with his extreme methods?"

The silvery nodded.

"Yes. The situation is however much more complex than it seems, and it will take me some time to explain everything. When do you have to leave to fetch Hermione for that matter?"

Nathan glanced at the clock and winced.

"Given the situation, it would be better for me to leave now. I have to not only brave the traffic, but also find a place to park. And I don't want to make Hermione wait longer than necessary."

"I understand. In this case, I will do a summary tonight, when she and Harry are asleep, if that suits you?"

Nathan nodded, grabbing his car keys, and headed for the door without waiting. Sephiroth let out a sigh as he looked at the trunk.

"I feel that the majority of Harry's stuff will end up in the garbage dump, if the condition of the clothes he has on him is representative. We will have to go see the Goblins, so that he can withdraw money."

Emma frowned.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't know exactly why Harry gave his money pouch to Ron, but from what I could understand, he must want to allow him to buy a new wand. From what I understood, Ron's wand was damaged when they crash landed with the car against the school's Whomping Willow."

Emma paused as she took out the equipment to make tea, shocked.

"Sorry? Crash landed? By car?"

Sephiroth could not help laughing.

"To be exact, seeing that they could not get through the barrier, Ron had the bright idea to borrow his father's flying car. If he had thought for two seconds, he would simply have to wait for him to come back out of the Platform and take them to school that way. Apparently, the car was not very complicated to drive, but the landing was another story. In addition, the car apparently decided to become wild later."

Emma stared at him for a long moment, speechless. The more she heard about magic, the less she thought it had logic. And let's not talk about wizards themselves. But a flying car? Who in addition decided to become wild? It was the icing on the cake. Sephiroth looked very amused at her expression, and she recovered. It was only missing that he announced that her daughter was the reincarnation of a warrior of ten thousand years ago, and it would be the cherry on top of it!

With a sigh, she got busy making tea, taking comfort from the familiar actions. She offered a cup to Sephiroth with a faint smile.

"I don't know if it will meet your expectations, but it's the best I have at home."

Sephiroth took the cup, thanking her with a nod.

"Quite honestly, I'm more coffee, especially in the morning. But I didn't disdained tea the rest of the time. However... finding a good one was particularly difficult in Midgar, not to mention that it was usually expensive, because to find a good one, you had to import it from Wutai."

"And coffee?" Emma asked with curiosity, settling in front of him.

Sephiroth took a sip of tea, noticing that while it wasn't the best he had tasted, it was still more than adequate.

"Regarding coffee, it was unfortunately the same problem," sighed the ex-general. "I wasn't so concerned about the quality of coffee, though. What interested me most was the amount of caffeine it contained."

"At that point?" Emma asked, dismayed.

Sephiroth snorted.

"My days usually began at dawn, and ended very late at night. And considering my metabolism, the quantities of coffee I was getting were quite... consequent. A normal human would probably have had heart problems a long time ago."

His interlocutor shook her head with grief.

"And after that, they blame you for having snapped. With all what they put on your back, they wonder why you did a burnout?"

Sephiroth snorted again, cynical.

"The well-being of their employees was at the bottom of their concerns, I'm afraid. Even leaving the SOLDIER was a constant fight, and they continued to watch you for the rest of your life. The Turks... generally had a relatively short life expectancy. From the little that I saw... there is only one who has survived beyond forty. Most of their missions... could be described as suicide missions. Despite their training, only the best survived."

"The Turks?" Emma asked.

"It was the Investigation Department of the General Affairs Department (or Department of Administrative Research). The Turks acted in the same way as an intelligence agency or investigative office, doing reconnaissance and espionage, or in darker operations, such as kidnappings or assassinations on behalf of the company. Their reputation is that they were real professionals, carrying out their mission whatever it is. Even if they had to kill their family, they would go to the end of their mission. Because of the nature of their work, the Turks were aware of many of the company's secrets, as well as the risks they would incur if they left it. That is to say, they could only leave the company when dead. Shinra had a lot of skeletons in its closet," sighed Sephiroth, shaking his head. "I didn't know most of these secrets until after my third death."

Emma was disgusted.

"Visibly, this... Shinra behaved more like a mafia than anything else. Why did you stay?"

Sephiroth took a few seconds to understand the reference, and he let out a bitter laugh.

"A good analogy, especially concerning Shinra Sr. To answer your question... I've never known anything else," he sighed. "And I think they did it on purpose. After all, how do you compare when it's all you've ever known? Even what Angeal and Genesis told me made little sense. Still, the worst individual in Shinra was Hojo."

Emma shuddered at the venom with which Sephiroth pronounced the name. There was clearly bad blood between them.

"Who was it?" She asked bravely despite everything.

Sephiroth closed his eyes, regaining control of his emotions.

"It all depends on who you asked the question to. For the President, he was a great scientist. For the SOLDIERS... a mad, sadistic scientist who indulged in the torture of living beings. Even the Turks shared this opinion. It is because of him that I hate hospitals. They bring up too much bad memories. He had always presented himself as my father in his notes... which I now know was more of a bunch of delusional lies than anything else. There were some nuggets of truth inside, but in the mental state where I was at that moment... plus this... monster that was banging more or less literally at the door of my mind... I didn't saw them."

The silver-haired warrior ran his hand over his face with a tired sigh.

"One thing I remember is seeing my biological mother's name during my reading, along with Hojo's bird names. According to someone I knew, despite the fact that my mother was married to Hojo, there is a very good chance that another person would be my father."

"Which would explain the insults indeed," confirmed Emma. "Do you have an idea who it is?"

"One of the people who stopped me the second time," confirmed Sephiroth.

"By killing you," Emma could not help but notice bitterly.

Sephiroth snorted with a mixture of amusement and bitterness.

"In the state where I was, they had little choice. Any attempt to reason with me would have been doomed to failure. Because of that... I don't blame them. If I could, once my mind in one piece again, I would have probably thanked them I think. But they wouldn't have listened to me. And I can't blame them."

Emma frowned.

"Yet you were not entirely responsible, from what you said to Hermione."

"Not completely, no," Sephiroth admitted. "But neither Cloud nor Tifa would have listened to me. Both lost everything when I collapsed nervously. I drowned their hometown in fire and blood, killing their loved ones. I was a hero for the people of Midgar and the continent… my fall from this pedestal was as brutal as it was spectacular. That I was not entirely responsible for my actions didn't matter. And given the determination with which I tried to destroy the world… the resentment was anchored too deeply. I don't blame them, for my part. I blame myself more for listening to this monster. I lost everything because of her... even my life."

Emma looked at him with sorrow. She could glimpse the broken man behind the neutral and distant facade he showed to the world. She suspected that Harry must saw another side of this man, the caring protector/big brother. She wondered if he had only lowered his guard once... if anyone had touched his heart. However... even if they had decided with Nathan to welcome them to their house until they found a place to stay... it was a question too personal for her to ask. She decided to reorientated the discussion on a topic that might raise his mood.

"And your friends? According to another student at the school, it is more than likely that they reincarnated, according to Hermione's letters."

It seemed to do the trick, because the smile that appeared on Sephiroth's lips was obviously happier. It didn't fully reach his eyes, but she could see that the question had still make him come out of his dark thoughts.

"The student in question is apparently Luna Lovegood, and I'm pretty sure it's the reincarnation of a person I knew... and that I killed with my hands under Jenova's control," he admitted. "But she's the most compassionate soul I've ever seen. She is probably the only person who had to cry for me, with her boyfriend, and not because of me."

"You didn't tell Hermione her name," Emma said, curious and sad at the same time.

Sephiroth let out a sigh.

"I must admit... that even if she forgave me... I didn't forgive myself. Even if I was not completely in control... it's partly my fault that Aerith is dead. And that she spent years of her after-life trying to counter the damage I caused to the Lifestream."

"More from that monster, from what you said?" Emma objected. "And your friends?"

Sephiroth could not help but chuckle.

"Genesis... was at that moment either running after Zack, in the hope that his cells could heal him, or, after the Puppy bashed his ideas back in place with a sword to the face, sleeping."

"Sorry?" Emma said, not sure she understood.

Sephiroth exhaled deeply.

"Hermione probably told you that Genesis was suffering from Degradation, right?"

"Yes, but she couldn't explain to me what it was," Emma said, frowning as she stood up and poured some more tea. "Was it a form of Progeria?"

Sephiroth blinked, puzzled, before frowning, searching the knowledge brought by the Lifestream. Unfortunately, medical knowledge was scarce and eclectic, and he had to quickly admit defeat.

"I'm sorry, but the name of the disease tells me nothing. Can you tell me more?"

Emma let out a sad sigh as she sat down again, taking a sip of tea.

"Children with the disease suffer from hair loss, joint pains, have very thin skin and hairless, suffer from cardiovascular disorders. They give the impression of an accelerated aging, and their stature knows a slow growth but their cognitive capacities are not altered at all. The disease usually occurs between 18 and 24 months old, and patients who suffer from it rarely exceed 15 years of life. Death is the result of premature aging in all cases."

Sephiroth shook his head.

"Then no, it isn't that disease. Similar, though, but different. Genesis and Angeal had received injections of dead Jenova cells, although the way they were integrated into their bodies differs. Angeal absorbed them naturally while he was in his mother's womb, while they were injected into Genesis while he was a fetus. As a result, Angeal's physical structure was more stable than that of Genesis."

Emma looked at him, perplexed.

"Dead cells? But then... how have they integrated into their bodies?"

Sephiroth shrugged.

"That is the question. However, I am not a scientist, and I don't know much about these cells, except that even "dead", they confer important regenerative capacities to their host... up to a point."

"What happened?" Emma asked softly, seeing a flash of sorrow cross his features briefly.

Sephiroth's gaze was lost in his cup, the bittersweet memories rising to the surface.

"We... used to sneak into a virtual reality room used for training when the 2nd Classes were not here, to spar between us. One day... one of our sessions... degenerate. Genesis... has always desired my reputation as Hero. Personally... I would have gladly given him if I could. That day... he challenged me to duel one against one. Unfortunately... it seems that Jenova has... messed up with his mind, and it has degenerated badly. Genesis... even turned on Angeal, who had interfered when seeing that it was going out of control. Alas, when intervening, the sword he was using broke, and the point sank into Genesis' shoulder."

Emma frowned, lost.

"Hearing you, it was a minor injury. Why has it caused so much problems?"

"In itself, the injury was actually minor," confirmed Sephiroth. "The problem is that it did not healed, but worsened. Genesis kept saying that everything was fine... when it was not. When I heard he needed a transfusion, I immediately volunteered to be the donor. However... I was told that I was not compatible. Not knowing our blood groups... I took them on parole," he admitted bitterly. "But now, knowing the truth about Hollander, who was behind the project that gave birth to my two friends... and who was competing with Hojo... I have serious doubts about it. I think they preferred... watch Genesis and Angeal Degrading, rather than heal them."

Emma was disgusted.

"You didn't exaggerate by calling them mad scientists. We are talking about human beings, for heaven's sake!"

Sephiroth's laughter surprised her with it's cynicism and bitterness.

"For Hojo, everything was an experimental subject... including himself. If I had known... at the time... I would have insisted. To come back to our subject... as I explained to Hermione, Genesis ended up deserting, on the orders of Hollander, who had claimed to be able to heal him. However... he regarded Genesis as a failed experiment, unlike Angeal... who would possibly be his son, apparently. He considered that Angeal was a success... even if I don't know what he thought about the fact that he committed suicide."

Sephiroth took another sip of tea, but his mind was far from it.

"I have received many orders to stop my friends, by any means possible."

"And what did you do?" Emma asked softly, respecting his melancholic mood.

Sephiroth let out a faintly amused smile.

"Oh, I just... misplaced the orders in the middle of all the paperwork I had to deal with. Sometimes I… accidentally put them in my shredder... or "forgotten" when given to me verbally. After all, I was a… very busy man. And you know the funniest? It is that nobody ever made a comment on it."

Emma snorted with irony.

"Otherwise, they would have admitted that they overworked you. And obviously, they did not want that."

"That would have been too much bad publicity," Sephiroth admitted with a dark amusement. "Their poster boy, overworked? The people of Midgar would certainly have revolted. Alas... if I could manage to ignore those orders... Zack was not like me. For him... being part of Shinra was like being a hero. He even fled from home to pursue this dream. I think it took him passing under Hojo's hands to realize how bad the company was from the inside. One thing that always amused me about Hojo, however, was that no one called him by name if he was not present."

"Never?" Wondered Emma.

"Never. Apart from the President and a few people, everyone called him Dr. Creepy. Or Mr Sadist, depending on the situation. The majority of the scientific staff admired him," sighed Sephiroth. "The people who... still had their humanity in this service were rare, and many lost what was left to them, or were fired... when they did not resign, or worse, ended up as guinea pigs."

Emma remained speechless, horrified. She begged him with her eyes for him to tell that he was joking (although she would have thought it was really in bad taste). Unfortunately, she could see that he was extremely serious.

She closed her eyes with a sigh.

"What happened to Zack? He died, according to what you explained to me."

Sephiroth sighed, nodding.

"For you to understand, I still have to talk a bit about Genesis and Angeal. As I told you, after they deserted, I was repeatedly ordered to stop them. Order to which I have always refused to obey. After a while, they changed tactics. Instead of sending them to me, they sent them directly to Zack. And Zack... did not have the mentality of disobeying. He was a good member, though. Despite his overexcited side, he was still able to perform his missions correctly. He did his best to try to help Angeal... who refused to take sides, despite everything. He never fully agreed with Genesis, although he tried to help him, but his honor refused to let him totally abandon the Shinra. Until the end, he kept one foot on both sides, until he forced Zack to kill him."

Sephiroth ran his hand over his face at this memory, accepting a new cup with a nod.

"I still remember Zack's condition when he made his report. He managed to do it in one go while remaining impassive... and he broke down in tears on his chair when he was done. Angeal... was not just a mentor to him. He had also become a father figure or a big brother, I don't know exactly. But they were close, and his death devastated him. Especially because Zack was forced to kill him. I... dealt with his death as best I could, but... he was one of my only two friends. I also remember the destruction of Banora... the hometown of Angeal and Genesis," he said, seeing Emma's perplexed expression. "The city was overrun with copies of Genesis, and instead of wasting time and money to take it back, especially since there were many stolen robots patrolling it, they preferred to destroy it. As far as I know, apart from Genesis and Angeal, there were no survivors."

"Copies of Genesis?" Emma asked puzzled. "What do you mean by that ?"

"Jenova's cells have the property of... conferring the powers of their bearers to the people to whom they are injected. Depending to the people... they keep more or less their wills and their personalities. The copies of Genesis... were just puppets without will. I don't know if it's the consequences of Hollander's treatment or Genesis's will. Probably a bit of both," Sephiroth admitted, "since Hollander had apparently retained some of his own personality after injecting himself Genesis cells to survive, since the latter considered him useless after failing to heal him."

"And Angeal?" Emma asked softly. "Did he also created copies, or is it only Genesis that did?"

"From what Zack told me... no, he didn't actively create a copy. At least, not with humans. Monsters were another story. However... Lazard Deusericus injected himself with Angeal cells for a reason that escapes me. He basically wanted revenge on Shinra."

"Why? He had a high position," objected Emma. "Why would he want to take revenge on his employer?"

Sephiroth chuckled softly.

"He was one of the illegitimate sons of the President. Rufus Shinra, his heir, was his legitimate son, and I learned that he also had a third son, also illegitimate. In addition, Lazard was born and raised in the Midgar Slums. He rose to his position as Director of the SOLDIER by a mixture of pure relentlessness and nepotism, Shinra Sr having placed him in this position... probably to avoid a scandal. Despite all his faults, Genesis was always careful when flirting. As far as I know, he never conceived a child with any of his conquests. Even for one-night stands, he never went out without protection."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"At least he was responsible. So, Lazard has become a copy of Angeal? And what happened to him?"

"He died," Sephiroth replied softly. "Well after me, however, and after Angeal. Although Angeal apparently didn't Degrade, Lazard yes. There was also a... canine copy? A kind of wolf covered with armor anyway. As far as I know... it stayed with Aerith until the last meeting between Zack and Genesis. After I lost my mind... Zack and Cloud ended up in Hojo's hands. They spent 4 years there, until the Puppy managed to escape from his Mako pod. Cloud... was in a comatose state. They fell on Lazard during their wanderings, and he accompanied them to Banora, driven by Angeal's will, where there was the last fight between Zack and Genesis."

"And he really put his mind back in place with a sword?" Emma asked, skeptical.

Decidedly, what did men have to absolutely want to solve their problems by violence? Certainly, they had an excuse, in that they had an alien who made a mess of their minds. But still! Sephiroth looked almost amused, as if guessing her thoughts.

"Jenova made a lots of problems. Angeal was released from her influence at his death, probably because she must have thought him useless. Genesis... was purified by Minerva herself. Unfortunately... he was used as a "donor" by Deepground, a secret branch of the SOLDIER, after he refused to join them. He then sealed himself in a cave under Midgar, waiting to be needed one day, according to what he explained to me."

Emma laughed softly.

"I guess he didn't appreciate being moved to another world?"

Sephiroth joined her in her amusement.

"That's a euphemism. He ranted, moaned and cursed for a little while when I woke him up and he realized that we had changed world. I told him to see that with Angeal, because he was the one who was partly responsible. One thing is certain," the silverette sighed softly. "I don't think I could ever repay my debt to him."

"Your debt?" Emma asked. "What do you mean?"

"After our respective deaths... and while I was trying to destroy the world... Angeal spent months, maybe even a year, looking for the fragments of my soul to reconstruct it. He is also the one who immobilized the nucleus reconstituted by Jenova while Aerith and Zack reconstructed it completely. I would be eternally grateful to him. And I couldn't save them," sighed Sephiroth.

Emma reached out and gently patted his forearm, making him look up. She offered him a sad but compassionate smile.

"According to what you said to Hermione, you couldn't have done anything. Their attackers had literally blocked your access to magic. Genesis... could only defeat most of them at the cost of his own life, was it not? You couldn't have done better any better then him, right?"

Sephiroth could only nod.

"My own abilities are derived from the Lifestream as well. They are more powerful than theirs, because I have received living cells, but they remain similar. However, I don't really need Materia to do magic anymore. They allow me to save energy, but given my reserves... it's not really necessary, unless we're in a world where they cannot connect correctly to the local Lifestream, or whether it is healing magic or protection. Destroying is easy," he explained to Emma's perplexed expression. "Protect or Heal, however…"

Emma nodded. She then looked up to see the clock, and was startled by the time. They had talked so much that she had not seen the time pass, and she had to start dinner. However... Hermione, in her letters, described Sephiroth's appetite as worse than Ron's. At least the ex-general had table manners, unlike the boy. However... they would certainly have to go shopping more regularly if they stayed at home for a long time.

She stood up again, attracting the attention of the warrior, who looked at her, intrigued.

"Seeing the hour, it's time for me to start preparing dinner. Do you see a disadvantage in helping me?"

The silverette laughed, amused, also getting up.

"I'm not Genesis, Emma. I may not be as good a cook as Angel, but I can follow a recipe. Just give me time to put Harry's trunk in the room he's in, and I'll help you."

Emma nodded with amusement, and let him go. She blinked when she saw him lift up Harry's trunk as if it weighed nothing at all. The trunk might not be as heavy as Hermione's, but it should not be light! Shaking her head, she returned to dinner preparation. She had already decided to do something different than Hogwarts did, Hermione was not really a fan of the foods they served at school. She just hoped it would please Sephiroth too. On the other hand, she would have to review the quantities on the rise, if what her daughter had said was right. At least, their guests were not refine and picky dish eater, apparently. It was already that.

Meanwhile, the silver haired man silently dropped the trunk at the foot of the bed where Harry was sleeping. The boy hadn't even stir, and Sephiroth shook his head with a touch of amusement. Well, the poor boy had had a horrible day. That, plus the painkillers, no wonder he's still out. He decided to let the boy sleep, he would wake him up at meal time. Closing the door behind him, he slowly descended the stairs, going to join Emma in the kitchen.

Marking a pause in the doorway, he waited for Emma to notice him. She finally saw him, and offered him a smile.

"Come on, you'll be able to help me prepare the salad. I hope you have nothing against raw vegetables?"

"On the contrary," replied the silverette, joining her near the worktop. "I must admit that I have a preference for green vegetables, and the kitchen of Hogwarts was sorely lacking them in meals. I can thank my high metabolism indeed, or I think that given the quantities I have to swallow daily, I probably would have taken a few pounds."

Emma snorted with amusement as she heard that.

"I suppose you'll be glad to know that Hermione is not a fan either, and I rarely make those when she's here. On the other hand, what did you mean to say about the fact that you weren't Genesis?"

Sephiroth burst out laughing as he dexterously cut tomatoes.

"Have you ever heard the phrase "burn water" Emma? It sums up Genesis in the kitchen perfectly. He was not just a pyromaniac in combat. As a result, Angeal forbade him to touch the kitchen. Genesis was an expert when it came to making things burn, but cooking…"

"How did he do when he was alone?" Emma asked, amused.

Sephiroth slid the tomatoes into the salad bowl, before seizing what was apparently a cheese. Mozzarella, he absently read before answering Emma's question, cutting the cheese into dice as instructed.

"Genesis was rarely alone, but if Angeal was deployed in combat without him, he'd invaded my home to eat... or order take-out," Sephiroth said, rolling his eyes. "After Lazard and his predecessor gave him a scolding, and the cost of repairs deducted from his pay the few times he tried to cook himself... he gave up all forms of cooking."

Emma burst out laughing.

"He set fire to his own apartment?"

Sephiroth nodded with amusement.

"At least three times in the beginning, when he was promoted high enough to have his own home. Two more when he tried to "help" in cooking at mine or Angeal's."

Emma shook her head with amusement.

"And during your travels? I imagine that the only participation you allowed him was to light the fire, right?"

"Exactly," replied Sephiroth, chuckling. "A common friend nicknamed him "Pyro Commander"."

Emma almost asked who it was, thinking that maybe it was Aerith. But the expression of sorrow and pure pain that stealthily crossed Sephiroth's face made her realize that it was probably not her. Turning the conversation aside, she asked him if he could grate the carrots. Drawn from his dark thoughts, the ex-general complied, Emma deliberately talking about Harry and Hermione, helping him to anchor in the present and stop mulling over the past.

They continued to talk about the children during the meal preparation, until they heard the front door open, and precipitated footsteps. Sephiroth put down the ingredients and the knife he had in his hands, before teleporting just behind Hermione as she climbed the stairs four at a time, catching her gently by the collar. Nathan gaped, blinking in amazement. Okay, what?

Hermione raised her head as she was lifted off from the floor, surprised, and met Sephiroth's half-amused, half-stern gaze.

"Hermione, I guess your father had to tell you that Harry was doing relatively well, yes? And that he needed rest?"

The girl blushes.

"I know but…"

The warrior set her gently on the ground, seeing that he had at least got her attention.

"I'm not against the fact that you go see him, but quietly, okay? Let him rest for the moment."

Hermione nodded, and went in direction of the bedrooms, walking normally this time. Satisfied, Sephiroth returned to the kitchen, laughing internally at the shocked expression of Nathan and Emma, who had seen him disappear and reappear in a cloud of black smoke. His amused question about what she wanted him to do now rebooted her brain, and she asked him what he had done.

"The teleportation mode of wizards is called Apparition, and, honestly, from the information transmitted by the Lifestream, it has little to do with mine," he explained calmly, resuming what he was doing at the time Hermione and her father had arrived.

"That is to say?" Asked Nathan, who had come to join them, serving himself a glass of fruit juice.

He would not have been against a little alcohol, but it was still too early for that.

"Apparition requires focusing on three things almost simultaneously," Sephiroth said, mixing the dressing carefully. "They are nicknamed the 3 D, because of the first common letter to each thing: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation. The problem is the danger inherent in this mode of transportation."

"What danger?" Emma asked, placing the roast in the oven.

"The... splinching," Sephiroth replied, stumbling slightly on the strange name, without their noticing. "Basically, the person leaves pieces of their body behind them if they are not determined enough. For this reason, you have to... get a license? To Apparate. In addition, the sensations are apparently very unpleasant, judging by my experience with Dobby. My own teleportation is different, as you can see."

Emma nodded, wiping her hands and starting to take out the plates.

"Yes, you... disappeared in a sort of black smoke cloud. I guess the sensations are different?"

"Like Day and night," Sephiroth confirmed, leaning against the counter. "However... describing them is not easy. With Dobby, it was... like being compressed in a very narrow pipe. My own teleportation... is hard to define. How do you explain that... I feel... like... disassembling myself, before reassembling myself to my destination. The sensation is... strange, but not really unpleasant. On the other hand, I never tried to discover my maximum range," he added thoughtfully.

"There is a maximum range for teleportation?" Asked Nathan, curious.

"For Apparition, yes. The higher the distance, the more dangerous it is and the risks of splinching are higher. And it's even worse above water. As for my own teleportation, except for entering the Dursleys' house, I've never used it more than for short-distance dodging," admitted Sephiroth thoughtfully. "Moreover, I was in a full fit of madness. My memories of that day... are both confused and crystal clear."

Nathan and Emma exchanged a glance, and decided by mutual agreement not to push. This day seemed to be a sensitive point for the silverette, and that clearly revived painful memories. Nathan spoke again, drawing Sephiroth's attention:

"In this case, why don't you do tests this summer? We can take care of Harry during this time, and you won't even need to be away for a long time. Are there other prerequisites for your teleportation?"

Sephiroth briefly pondered the suggestion. Nathan wasn't wrong, indeed. Defining a range could be useful, just in case. Moreover, he hadn't tried to test it in Hogwarts, where he would probably need it most. Realizing that Nathan was waiting for an answer, he nodded in his direction.

"You're right for the tests, Nathan. Thank you. And to answer your last question, even though unlike Apparition, I can do it blindly, it's always better to have a clear picture of your destination. I would not necessarily try to do it blindly, though. Too risky."

"And how did you do it in Harry's house?" Asked Emma, curious.

"Scan Materia," Sephiroth explained, removing the Materia in question from his bracer, showing them. "Above all, it allows you to know your opponent's state of health, his magic reserves, and so on. It requires a little practice, but using it to detect presences around you is perfectly possible. Evaluating the size of a room is a little trickier, but still possible."

Emma took it in her hands with curiosity. The Materia was soft to the touch, a pale yellow that almost shone. She raised her head as she heard the amused voice of the warrior.

"You can try to activate it, Emma. It's not dangerous."

"Activate it?" Emma wondered, surprised. "But I don't have magic!"

Sephiroth's laugh was sincerely amused, with no trace of bitterness or cynicism.

"Emma, what are Materia?"

The latter had to think to remember the answer. Hermione had told them about it, and, hesitantly, she replied.

"Crystallized fragments of Mako, which mean the Lifestream, why?"

"Mako is raw magic, Emma. Whether you have it naturally like Hermione or Harry or not, it doesn't matter. Materia gives you direct access to the source of magic, in a sense. Wands... are a more diluted form of magic, which require a magical core. I don't know exactly why Angeal had so much trouble with Materia. He had will, but maybe not the right one?" Asked Sephiroth softly, almost to himself.

Emma looked at him in puzzlement, then shrugged. Deciding to try it, she focused on the crystalline sphere. Sephiroth gently spoke again, guiding her.

"Try to send your energy into Materia, Emma. Try to feel it's presence."

Emma lost the notion of time very quickly. The Materia didn't even heat up, even if she was pretty sure to follow his instructions correctly. She felt that she was starting to tire, and frustration was also rising. Suddenly it was as if something was giving way, and she was overwhelmed by the information coming from Sephiroth and the Materia... before everything was abruptly cut off when the Materia was suddenly removed from her hands.

She faltered, and felt someone catching her. Faintly, she heard Nathan worrying in the distance, almost as if she were underwater. Sephiroth's answer seemed a little too calm for her taste, despite her somewhat cottony mind.

"Emma is just magically exhausted. I must admit that it was largely my fault for not having realized earlier that she was spending too much energy, but especially for giving her a Mastered Materia."

Emma felt that Nathan coming to support her on the other side, and the two men helped her to sit on one of the armchairs, in which she fell down with gratitude. A glass of water appeared before her eyes, and she took it gratefully... or at least tried. Luckily, Sephiroth was visibly prepared for this, and caught it before it left her fingers. Handing it to Nathan, he let the husband take care of Emma.

"Is there anything special about a Mastered Materia?" Asked Nathan, helping his wife to drink, his tone a bit angry.

"Power, above all. There is also the number of spells you can access following the Materia, which ranges from two to three on average, at the mastered level. In the case of Scan, this is more the amount of information you can get with. And here, I guess Emma must have been... overwhelmed by the information she got."

She was starting to regain her senses, and she absently thanked the sky in a corner of her mind for the fact that she had just put the roast in the oven. At least it wasn't likely to burn. She nodded to Sephiroth.

"The information was also somewhat... incomprehensible," said Emma, her voice slightly pasty, as if she were exhausted. "I didn't understood much, probably because I'm not used to Materia, but I could understand that you were... particularly powerful."

Sephiroth nodded.

"Exact. Moreover, you have apparently managed to activate it almost to the maximum of its power. It's a good thing that I gave you a Materia that could not do any damage in the house," he added, not without humor. "I do not dare to imagine the damage with a Fire or Ice Materia. You could have rivaled Genesis."

Emma could not help but snort.

"I don't know if I should feel flattered to be compared to that pyroman. Is there a risk if he reincarnates?"

Sephiroth laughed.

"Whether he's flirting with you, or throwing fireballs in your house?"

"Both," Nathan grumbled.

"The answer is no," says Sephiroth, without hiding his amusement. "Despite his womanizing side, when Genesis knew his... "target" was married, he gave up immediately. And yet, I have sometimes seen married women insist. But unless they manage to divorce their husband for good reasons, he has always refused. He still had certain principles."

"And for fireballs?" Emma asked.

"Genesis was educated by a fairly wealthy family. Manners... are something that his preceptors have insisted on. If he was invited to someone's house, he would put his Fire Materia in one of his pockets and not touch it his entire stay with that person."

Nathan nodded.

"He had good manners, despite his explosive temperament," said the dentist.

Sephiroth nodded.

"Before he deserted because of the Degradation... he was intelligent, charismatic, charming, had very good manners, was cultivated, even if obsessed by this damned Poem, and he put all his soul into what he was doing. And above all, he was loyal to his friends. One of the best allies you could hope for on the battlefield... and one of the worst enemies if you had the misfortune to be in the opposite camp."

"As long as he was not trying to cook," said Emma, amused, having almost recovered.

She was not yet able to dance the tango, as the saying goes, but she was at least pretty sure she could take care of the meal without making a mistake. And in the worst case, Nathan was there. The latter also went to check the state of the roast, he would not miss it being overcooked. Fortunately, the cooking progressed nicely, and the roast was not yet ready.

Sephiroth chuckled.

"I must admit that it was a recurring joke between us, Emma. Of course, given his dramatic nature, it was always very amusing to see him protest with exaggerated frills. I'm pretty sure he did it on purpose, by the way. It was sometimes a little too strong to be credible, even for me."

Nathan chooses this moment to return to the living room.

"Well, the roast is not quite ready yet, but the time to eat the entree, it should be. On the other hand, next time, can I ask you to avoid Materia of too high level, Sephiroth?"

The silverette nodded with amusement.

"I have a copies of just about all my Materia at Level 1 as well. Some of my Materia are also about to reach the Master level, I could use the babies to teach Magic to Emma or Hermione if they wish. No Summons however, unless they are ready to go in the middle of the forest."

"Babies?" Repeated Emma.

"The forest?" Nathan asked at the same time. "Why?"

"Most Summons are... quite imposing. Only a minority is human size. A Summon also tends to be very flashy, so if you invoke them, you can forget the discretion. To top it all, they take a lot of magic to activate, compared to other Materia."

Nathan glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost time for dinner.

"Why not discuss it around the meal?" He suggested. "It sounds like a subject that would interest Hermione."

Sephiroth nodded.

"Do you have a problem with me going to fetch them?"

Nathan shook his head.

"No, and then it seems that Harry is your responsibility now, according to Hermione, is it not?"

Sephiroth let out a sigh.

"I chose to take him under my wing... also figuratively as literally," he said, not without a little dark humor, "because he needed it. I suppose... that I will have to see with the Goblins to have papers that will pass the examination of the authorities. Mine... are somewhat... outdated."

Emma chuckled as she stood up again.

"After ten millennia, the opposite would be surprising. Nathan, where is Hedwig?"

"I think… she had to enter Harry's room," Nathan admitted. "Hermione released her when we got home, and she headed straight for Harry's room. Speaking of which, is the second guest room ready?"

Emma shook her head.

"No, I haven't had time to do so," she admitted, a little embarrassed. "We talked a lot... after you left."

"If you don't have anything prepared yet," said Sephiroth, "do you have a cot? I would rather stay with Harry. At least for the moment."

Nathan and Emma exchanged a brief glance, and decided by mutual agreement to accept. For the moment… Harry needed Sephiroth to be near him. The boy seemed to be dependent on Sephiroth, and if that could be a long-term problem, in the short term it was probably what the child needed. Moreover, the couple doubted that Sephiroth let Harry depend too much on him. Strategically speaking, it was dangerous.

"We don't have a cot," Nathan admitted, "But I have an inflatable mattress somewhere in the attic. I'll go get it after the meal."

"In the worst case, I could do without it," says Sephiroth, amused enough. "I already had to sleep in much worse circumstances, I can assure you."

"Not under our roof," said Emma firmly. "And then, you did your best to protect Harry. I guess in the future, you'll be looking at Harry's stuff to avoid surprises like that?"

"Absolutely," Sephiroth said firmly. "Even if I doubt to let Harry go back to Hogwarts, unless Minerva herself orders it."

Nathan paused at that, surprised.

"Minerva herself? You mean... the very consciousness of the planet? Why would she intervene?"

"Who knows," Sephiroth replied, shrugging his shoulders while heading to the bedrooms. "But after what she did for me... I would probably listen to her. No happily, but I would listen to her anyway."

And no one refuses the orders of a goddess in any case... was the sentence that remained silent. Because it went without saying. Sephiroth went up the stairs in silence, and poked his head in the crack of the door. A smile escaped him in front of the scene that presented itself to his eyes. Hermione was sitting on the edge of the bed, stroking Harry's hair, who was still sleeping.

She raised her head as he entered, and he saw that she had tears in her eyes.

"How can anyone be so cruel to a member of his own family?" She whispered softly, not to wake Harry.

Sephiroth shook his head gently.

"Unfortunately, you ask that to the wrong person, Hermione," he said sadly. "I was "educated", so to speak, by a man who claimed to be my father, but who spent my childhood torturing me in the name of science. This kind of relationship is all I have known. In a way, I am well placed to help Harry. I know suffering."

Hermione stood up and, to his great surprise, wrapped her arms around him. He had ever known only one person who could thus come into physical contact with him. Most people... did not dare to approach him. Even with Genesis and Angeal... physical contact was limited to certain specific circumstances. Hermione spoke, pulling him from his thoughts:

"No one should suffer like that," she sniffed.

Sephiroth caressed her back gently.

"A person I knew also said that. She also said that it was not because one could bear the pain that one deserved to suffer, even in the place of another."

Hermione nodded, releasing her grip to look at him with big sad eyes. She did not know why, but Sephiroth's words seemed almost familiar. As if she had heard them somewhere. And, from her point of view, they made sense. Part of her didn't want to leave his embrace. It was both familiar and reassuring. Even at Hogwarts, she felt safe in his arms. And nothing but his words were needed to reassure her. Why?

Her train of thought was gently interrupted by Sephiroth, who released her. Almost regretful, it seemed to her. He would have liked to keep her in his arms, but he knew she was still a child, at least physically. And even if she reminded him of someone, as long as she hadn't woken up and his suspicions were confirmed, or she hadn't reached her majority, he wouldn't try anything. It wouldn't be... morally right. And if you could blame him for a lot of things, being attracted to children was not part of it.

"The meal is ready, Hermione," he said softly instead. "I guess you have to go change, right?"

Hermione nodded with a sigh. She gave one last worried look at Harry before leaving the room. Since Harry had saved her life in their first year, she had become friends with him and Ron, but especially him. She tolerated Ron more than anything else. After all, it was his fault that she had ended up in that bathroom. Harry had quickly become a best friend/little brother for her, who was an only child. She knew that her parents had tried to have another child, but their hopes had never borne fruit. Loneliness had sometimes been stressful at school, her intelligence having quickly put her away from others, and she had never really had real friends. Harry had been her first friend. Ron... was more a leech than anything else. At least Harry was politely asking for help with his homework. And according to Madam Pomfrey, Harry had come to see her almost every day, unlike Ron.

Sephiroth watched her leave with a touch of sadness. But there was also gratitude in his heart. Hermione seems to be a loyal person, who would stay with her friends to the end, like Angeal. Ron... he wasn't so sure. The boy had potential, it was certain... at least, if he decided to get his head out of the ass, as she would have said. The thought snatched him a smile. The trust she had given him had sometimes surprised him... but even in the end, she said that she didn't regret anything.

Shaking his head gently, he decided to wake Harry up. The boy was likely to have a short night, even with painkillers. But well, he wasn't going to deny him some rest, especially after what he himself had experienced. Gently, he shook Harry awake. The poor boy woke with a start, frightened, before calming down seeing that it was only Sephiroth. The silverette gave him a reassuring smile.

"Slept well?"

Harry nodded, rubbing his eyes.

"What time is it?" He asked, still half asleep.

"Dinner time," the silverette replied, helping him stand up when seeing that Harry had the reflex of trying to use his injured arm. "Harry, as long as the doctors haven't given the green light, I don't want to see you use your right arm, am I clear?" He asked softly but firmly.

Harry blushed.

"But I'm fine," he protested, before blushing even more in front of the flat look of his protector.

"Harry. You talk to someone who has been used as a human guinea pig for most of his life," said Sephiroth softly, but in a tone that did not suffer any argument. "I know that "I'm fine". You're clearly not doing fine. I can understand that with "them" you were forced to swallow your pain and continue standing, even when you suffered agony. But I'm not them," he added, his tone softening. "You will never have to play comedy with me, or with Hermione and her family."

Harry stared at him for a few seconds, unable to answer, then felt the tears begin to flow. He was vaguely aware that Sephiroth was taking him in his arms, a firm yet gentle embrace, obviously aware of his wounds. It was the first time anyone had worried about his health. That he was told to stop pushing himself. At the same time, Sephiroth had lived much worse. He knew what he was talking about.

Finally, he managed to stop crying. He realized that Sephiroth was rubbing his back, and even though part of him was panicked because of the contact, the rest felt comforted in the embrace. Because he felt that if he really wanted to, he could get away. In the end, it was Sephiroth himself who put an end to the embrace. Knowing that he should help Harry change himself.

The boy was a little uncomfortable in front of the help, but Sephiroth had been clear. With his wounds, he didn't want to see him push himself. Opening the trunk, he let out a cluck of tongue in front of the things that were there. Yes, a shopping session was clearly needed as soon as possible. With a little luck, Emma would not have any problem accompanying them to London. He just hoped it would not be a problem with her work. Shaking his head, he selected the best clothes he found, and sighed. If he had had Genesis' talent with Materia, he would have tried using Mini to make the clothes fit a little better to Harry. Unfortunately... he didn't have that precision. He was going to have to look for a wand and study the wizarding magic theory in his spare time. Oh, and carve a wooden sword for Harry, to at least teach him the basics when he was healed.

Pulling out of the trunk, he helped Harry change, checking that he had not forced too much on his leg. The bandages had to be changed, but he decided that he would do that after the meal, when Harry would go to bed. Once the boy in clean clothes, he helped him to stand up and down the stairs.

Downstairs, they found a Hermione smiling at Harry, hugging him carefully. Harry realized that he miss the bear hugs, where Hermione was holding him tightly, but these too were nice. He greeted Emma and Nathan again as they arrived in the dining room, a little embarrassed at having been in too much daze at the hospital to greet them properly. They dismissed his apology with a laugh, assuring him that it wasn't a problem, and that they didn't blame him. They understood.

The meal surprised Harry by his friendliness. Among the Dursleys, even when he ate with them, he was usually ignored, at best. At worst, he was degraded, even struck if he dared to say something that didn't suit them. And trying to talk about magic was the kind of subject that would instantly earn his uncle's wrath.

Here, not only could he speak, but his opinion was even sought. He couldn't help laughing when he heard Emma's misadventure with a Materia. He laughed even harder as he imagined the wizards' heads if their wands behaved like Materia, and produced another wand when they reached their maximum level. Emma's expression on hearing that Materias were "reproducing" had been hilarious, and even Hermione and Nathan had burst out laughing. At least Emma understood better why the ex-general had talked about babies. Sephiroth himself had admitted to not understand the logic of Materias "reproducing", and that wasn't a question he had asked Minerva.

Emma had asked some questions about Minerva, but Sephiroth could not really tell her much. He had never really met her in person, only her interim's, Zack and Aerith. Genesis was the only one who saw her directly, and he couldn't remember hearing her speak. Sephiroth had told his story to Harry and Hermione, but he had stayed away from the darkest passages. Or sensitive.

At one point, almost shyly, Emma had asked him what he had mean about literally taking Harry under his wing. So Sephiroth explained this particularity of Jenova's cells. The wing they had developed... or wings in the case of Angeal. Slowly, Hermione had timidly asked if they could see it.

At one time, Sephiroth would certainly have taken offense. Before meeting her, it was even a sure thing. But all he saw in their eyes was an almost childlike curiosity. Even Harry was looking at him like this. So he accepted. Fortunately, the living room was big enough for him to unfold it, so when the meal was over, they moved into that room. Quickly assessing the size of the living room with a look, he positioned himself where he could unfold his wing without touching anything.

Closing his eyes, he focused on his wing. He let out a hiss, inaudible to the human ear, as it unfolded. No matter how many times he did that, it was always painful when it went out or in. And yet, with what he had suffered as a child, he was desensitized to most pains. He heard the exclamations of surprise from his "public", even if they had been clearly stifled.

He slowly opened his eyelids, and met the gaze of the Grangers. None of them seemed terrified or disgusted. On the contrary, even. The children, in any case, had a look of wonder. He felt a weight leave his heart as they didn't reject him. She had told him that some might accept it. However... his life had been so filled with mistrust and rejection that he was struggling to believe it. Yet... she had never lied to him. She had always been as honest as possible. If she didn't know something, or she wasn't sure, she would tell him.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Harry, who had timidly approached.

"Can I touch it?" He dared to ask, his big emerald green eyes looking at him imploringly, looking for once like the child he was supposed to be.

And how could he say no to such a look? Gently, he lowered his wing so that Harry could touch it without having to stretch. The boy's left hand timidly passed through the feathers, tickling him slightly. Hermione approached, and he gave her permission a smile. The amazed gaze of the children was a balm to his heart. Both were way too mature and serious for their age. But there, for once, they finally looked like normal children.

Harry's yawn caught his eye, and he realized the poor child was starting to tire. He retracted his wing, making feathers fly everywhere, and Emma stifled a chuckle. He gave her an amused smile, laughing softly at the disappointed look of Hermione.

"Sorry Hermione, but Harry clearly needs to go to bed. And you too, I think," he added, seeing her yawn too. "Either way, we won't go anywhere without one of you in the next few days. So don't worry, okay?" He asked gently.

Hermione nodded and after a last hug to Harry, went to bed. Nathan gave a bag containing what was needed to take care of Harry's wounds to Sephiroth, who thanked him gently. Following Hermione, he helped Harry up the stairs. He didn't lie to the police when he said he had first aid bases. Sometimes the body was too saturated with magic, and nature had to be taken over. Especially with the SOLDIERS, whose body was generally saturated with Mako. So yes, it accelerated healing, but even it had its limits.

Helping Harry to put his pajamas on, he pulled up the pant leg up. Yes, Harry definitely needed a new wardrobe. And he too, for that matter. Removing the bandage stained with blood, he nodded with satisfaction at seeing that the wound didn't look bad. He cleaned it quickly, and put a clean bandage on, before making Harry swallowed the medicine.

The boy didn't resist, almost submissively, noticing with humor that at least the pills didn't taste as bad as the potions he had had to swallow. Sephiroth laughs softly as he hears that.

"I can assure you that even in my day, they had a foul taste. The Ethers were pretty much the only ones with a fair taste, and that's all. I think it's a rule of all healers, to make healing potions disgusting."

Harry laughs weakly, lying on the mattress. He felt Sephiroth tuck him in, running his hand through his hair. He could get used to it, he thought absently as sleep creep in. He hoped that Sephiroth would continue this ritual in the future. It was reassuring. It was his last thought before falling asleep, reassured.

Sephiroth looked at him for a few minutes, making sure he was asleep, before silently stepping out and closing the door without a sound. He had promised Nathan and Emma an explanation after all.

They were waiting for him in front of the kitchen table, glasses of alcohol in front of them. Something told them that the discussion would deserve it.

To be continued…

There! Another chapter done!

Harry is now safe at Hermione's, and he'll spend the summer there. I don't know yet if I would make them go in search of a house immediately, but the visit to the Goblins will be in any case in the next chapter.

Another heavy chapter in explanations, but the next will be a little lighter.

Keep an eye out for clues! ;) - Fumseck_73

*cooing* Harry is a cute little kitten ^^ - Dragonqueen909