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.

7. A taste of freedom

Chapter 6: A taste of freedom

Harry didn't know what to think anymore. He had always thought that Dumbledore was the Leader of the Light, like most wizards. What he had just learned went against everything that he thought he knew about him. And he wanted his death? Harry could hardly believe it. Why did he do that? What did he get out of it?

A hand rested gently on his shoulder, making him jump. He calmed quickly however, realizing that it was not that of his uncle or aunt. Too fine to be that of his uncle, but too wide to be that of his aunt either. Raising his head, he met the green eyes of Sephiroth, who was watching him closely. The silverette had resumed his disguise, his long black hair reaching his shoulder blades and his eyes taking on a more human form. He even subtly changed the shape of his face to look like him, and reinforces his "big brother" cover. Harry realized it did not bother him to pretend that Sephiroth was his big brother. The latter had protected him and had taken care of him since the moment they met. And, if he trusted what he had seen among the Weasleys... it was the role of the big brothers. Anyway, he hoped that Sephiroth would not make him the same kind of shots as the twins. In any case, it did not seem to be his style.

"Don't worry, Harry" said Sephiroth, who seemed almost to have read his thoughts. "As long as things do not change, or Minerva gives me the order, I will not let you go back to Hogwarts if I can avoid it."

Harry nodded, partly relieved. It did not diminish the feeling of betrayal. He had thought that Dumbledore was someone reliable. Even if he had refused to tell him why Voldemort was after him.

"Sephiroth?" Harry asked timidly.

"Yes Harry?"

"If you ever... you know, find why Riddle's after me... you'd tell me, right?" Harry asked, hesitating slightly using the familiarity.

After all, it's hard to pretend that someone is your brother if you seemed to barely knew the person. Harry understood that he would have to get used to the charade in public. Sephiroth nodded in response.

"Of course, Harry. I don't really see why I would hide it from you, even though Dumbledore seems to want to do so. You have the right to know, especially knowing that he has murdered your parents, and has already tried three times to kill you too."

Harry felt relieved when he heard that. Until now, Sephiroth had never broken his word. He had always done what he promised, as soon as he could. Even though he had arrived late with the Dursleys... it wasn't his fault. He had arrived as soon as he was able to. Slowly, hesitantly, Harry timidly grabbed Sephiroth's hand. The latter didn't wear his leather gloves, unlike Hogwarts, and had added a t-shirt borrowed from Nathan under his leather coat. Emma had convinced him to do so, explaining that if he walked around without this under his coat, it wasn't said that he would have no problems. The boy could feel the calluses on his protector's hand, and he supposed they were probably more pronounced on his left hand.

For a few seconds, there was no reaction from Sephiroth, and just as Harry, embarrassed, was going to withdraw his hand, thinking he had made a mistake, the powerful hand gently closed on his. Looking up, the boy met Sephiroth's eyes, who smiled gently at him, trying to reassure him.

The silver-haired warrior didn't expect Harry to take his hand, which explained his slower reaction time than usual. He had nothing against the boy taking his hand, however, seeing that he was seriously shaken by the revelations that had been made about Dumbledore and his so-called "family". Sephiroth could bless his control over himself, or there would have been a bloodbath. Dudley might have survived that, especially because he wasn't present. Sephiroth let out a mental sigh. No, unless Minerva orders him, he would not let Harry go back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore obviously knew too much. Way too much. Did he have anything to do with the death of Harry's parents? Even indirectly?

Sephiroth was distracted from his thoughts by Emma, who asked if he wanted to go shopping for Harry or himself first.

"Harry," Sephiroth said firmly. "I want to be able to burn those rags at the first opportunity."

Emma held back a giggle as she heard that.

"Genesis was supposed to be the pyromaniac," she teased him gently. "Not you."

Sephiroth could not help laughing.

"Although I must admit that I favored ice as an element, I didn't manage that badly with fire. Moreover, we mustn't forget that some monsters had elemental weaknesses. Some took almost no damage with fire, or ice, or lightning. Some others resisted magic, and were only really vulnerable to physical attacks. The swords worked wonders on them."

They paused to get out, Hermione reopening the passage for them, and Emma continued once they were in the street.

"What makes me wonder, though, is why they armed you with swords in SOLDIER? Guns wouldn't have been better? Especially since the technology existed, according to what you told me."

Sephiroth snorted.

"The public... admired and feared us at the same time. I caught conversations saying that people were more comfortable knowing about us wielding short-range weapon than a firearm. What they didn't know, or maybe they didn't think about it, was that with our enhancements… by the time an enemy pulled the trigger... we could easily close the distance that separated us. In addition... bullets runs out, Emma. I would have to do a drawing for you to have a point of comparison, but to kill a Behemoth, for example, you would need hundreds of bullets... or a rocket launcher, which is pretty expensive."

"And with a sword?" Emma asked, hardly daring to imagine the size of this monster.

"If you could reach his head... two or three strokes at most for the 1st Classes. Once you had broken his horns... the brain was an easy target, the skull being less solid than the horns."

She blinked in surprise.

"Yet, the skull is supposed to be one of the strongest bones in the body, you're telling me that their horns were stronger?"

Sephiroth nodded.

"Much stronger. To tell you, for a single horn, it took at least between three and four hits to break it. And let's not talk about 2nd or 3rd Classes. Facing a Behemoth... their chances of winning were much meager. For this reason, when there was a Behemoth attack, only the 1st Classes were deployed, and rarely alone."

Emma nodded slowly.

"One or more to distract him while one attacked him?"

"Exactly. Even this strategy wasn't without risks," Sephiroth admitted. "Sometimes the SOLDIERS owed their lives only to the Materias they had on them, and to Mako with Jenova cells added. The two combined allowed for accelerated healing... up to a point," he added. "Many put a point of honor to have a Revive Materia."

"Why ?" Emma asked, waiting for the fire to turn green for pedestrians.

"Revive has a total of two spells on it, Life and Life 2. As long as a body is intact, or at least almost whole, it can bring the person back to life. Most hated to level it to Master level if they didn't have Platinum Bangles or Rune Armlets, which made it easier to level."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, curious.

She and Harry had remained largely silent, listening to the adults talking. Hermione found Sephiroth's stories fascinating most of the time, though sometimes sad.

"In general, to gain experience with a Materia... you have to use it," explained Sephiroth. "And yes, for Revive, it means to die, or using it on a dead ally."

"Is it really the only solution?" Emma asked, uncomfortable.

"The most effective, anyway," Sephiroth replied. "Materia still earns experience when worn, but it's less efficient than using them. I guess you have no doubt that all or nearly all or Genesis' Fire Materias were at Master level," Sephiroth chuckled.

Emma snorted with irony as they reached their first destination, Harrods.

"The opposite would have surprised me more. Be careful, the mall is always pack on Saturday. But this is where we will have the most choice."

Sephiroth nodded, fighting the urge to pull out his wing to protect Harry. Fortunately, most people avoided jostling him when they saw his cast. The others apologized hastily when they saw his black glare. The poor boy clung to Sephiroth, who was doing his best to protect him.

She led their group towards the elevators, and Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at the mirrors surrounded by golding on the walls. Even Shinra had favored functionalism rather than appearance, at least for the SOLDIERS. He shrugged. Different times, different criteria. Emma selected the fourth floor, and the elevator started. On leaving, they fell on the toy department, and Harry looked around in wonder. He had never seen so many toys around him. He recognized some, that Vernon and Petunia had offered to Dudley, but there were so many different kinds!

He suddenly paused when he saw the plushies, attracting Sephiroth's attention. Harry considered himself a bit too old for plushies, but one of them in particular had caught his attention. It was a big, silver-colored cat whose eyes were very similar to Sephiroth's. The latter realized that Harry was staring at the plushy, and even Hermione seemed fascinated by it. No, not by it, he realized then, but by the dog next to it. Jet black with a white spot on it's right shoulder, it had blue eyes, like the sky. Sephiroth exchanged a look with Emma, who had also stopped, and she nodded, understanding his intentions without him having to speak. Gently, she caught her daughter's attention, asking if everything was okay.

"There is one missing…" she murmured in a distant voice, like a trance.

"There is one missing?" Emma repeated, surprised, looking at Sephiroth, who looked just as perplexed. "What do you mean?"

As if startled out of her trance, Hermione jumped and looked at her mother with incomprehension.

"I don't know," she replied in a frustrated tone. "I just know... there is one missing, but I don't know what or which!"

She seemed close to tears, and Emma comforted her as best she could. Hermione had always hated not understanding anything, or not knowing, and every time she was confronted with the limits of her knowledge, frustration made her cry. Seeing her like that, Harry hesitantly let go of Sephiroth's hand, and went to wrap his good arm around Hermione's shoulders.

Sephiroth looked at them with a mixture of amusement and affection. Both were true friends. They reminded him, a little of Genesis and Angeal. They had always been close, and had watched over each other until the injury of the first, and his slow descent into madness. Sephiroth realized that it was something that he would have needed at their age. Zack had tried to fulfill that role, but his education had led him to be extremely suspicious of anything unknown to him... and he had need to die and be brought back to life in another world to come to terms with that kind of things.

He sighed softly. At least he understood the lesson. If she and his friends came back to life... he had every intention of thanking them. They had deserved it for supporting him. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and grabbed the plushies, handing them to the children, who looked at him in surprise. Hermione accepted the dog with less hesitation than Harry, who looked at Sephiroth, a little embarrassed.

"I'm a bit old to play with plushies," Harry protested softly, his cheeks red.

"I don't think there is an age to keep plushies," Sephiroth answered softly, shaking his head gently, taking a plushy to examine it more closely.

It was a cat too, but smaller than the other two. It had the appearance of a kitten, the fluffy fur of a very light brown, almost golden, and blue-gray eyes. It looked so small and vulnerable compared to the other plushies on the shelf that Sephiroth wondered how he had landed there. He gazed at it for a long time, lost in thought. He wondered why it made him think of her, except for the sense of vulnerability it was giving off.

He was drawn from his thoughts by Harry, who had come to cling to him, trembling. Sephiroth looked up, frowning, and found himself confronted by a bunch of teenagers just barely older than Harry and Hermione, who were making fun of the poor boy. He gently give him the plushy he had taken, and he walked towards the teenagers, threatening.

"You have a problem with my little brother?" He asked softly, but on a warning tone.

The smart ones froze in front of his tone, recognizing the threat for what it was, but the others continued to laugh.

"What is he, a queer, to have fun with a plushy at his age?" Sneered the one who seemed to be the leader.

"A child who was abused by our uncle and aunt after the murder of our parents," Sephiroth said quietly, discreetly letting out his aura, "and that I just only came to rescue. You have a problem with beaten children, brat?"

The leader froze, finally realizing that he had attacked stronger than him.

For a second or two, it had been like crossing the eyes of a tiger. An implacable, untamed and ferocious look. Stammering some excuses without conviction, he fled, quickly followed by the rest of his gang. The warrior shook his head, disgusted. It was moments like this that made him think that humanity was worthless. Yet... his gaze fell back on the plushies that Harry still held. And especially on the kitten. And she came back to his mind. The way she had trusted them... she had loved them... she had never asked for anything in return. Just, maybe, that they returned her feelings. Genesis and Angeal had little difficulty with that... more for the idea of... "sharing" her between them all.

Sephiroth had never had the opportunity to incorporate forbiddens and other taboos specific to a society, or very little. Monogamy was something he knew in principle, but did not integrate. The idea of having multiple relationships hadn't shocked him or put him off, unlike his two friends. And even they had ended up getting used to it. What they wanted above all else was that she be happy. And if it was with them three... well, they weren't going to refuse her. Not after all she went through. Those who insulted her or mistook her for a prostitute generally paid a high price for their behavior.

Gently, he took the kitten plushie in his hands, turning it thoughtfully. No, just for her memory, he would try to not kill if he could avoid it. Destroy reputations, though... it was much more satisfying and effective. And if they decided to attack him... he was largely able to defend himself. If they attacked those who were dear to him on the other hand... he would not answer for anything.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Emma, who had gone to get a basket while he was distracted. He saw that Harry had already put his plushie in, while Hermione continued to hold hers in her arms, as if it might fly away. Harry had also moved closer to him, and clung to his coat again. Shaking himself mentally, Sephiroth hesitated, then dropped the stuffed toy with the others. He was reluctant to spend money on such frivolous things for himself, but something told him that there was a reason the plushie had caught his attention. At least he consoled himself by saying that it was cheaper than the others.

He gently took Harry's hand, with the latter pressing himself against him with some relief. They left in the direction of clothing for children/teenagers. The priority here was the underwear for both males. As Sephiroth had said, buy second hand for the rest, especially for Harry, who might be subject to a growth spurt. Shoes would not be too much either, he thought as he studied Harry's tired sneakers. The sole was so worn that it was practically smooth. In places, we even saw holes. That was one of the things they would change immediately. The clothes would go at least once in the washer, Emma had explained to him, to wash everything that could have been deposited on it and the products whose manufacturers were soaking them to protect them from the insects among others.

Sephiroth could only bow to this logic, which did not mean he would not burn the rags Harry wore at the first opportunity. Arrived in the underwear section of Harry's age group, a brief conference between him and Emma saw the latter take Hermione to select sneakers for Harry. The mother of the family suspected that Harry would be very embarrassed to find himself choosing undies (or other) in the presence of women.

Sephiroth himself was a bit lost in the choice available. Undies, briefs, boxers... there was a little something for everyone. Some had a cartoon character pattern on it, which was sometimes unknown to him. He still encouraged Harry to take them if he liked them. The latter was a little overwhelmed by the experience. For the first time, he was encouraged to choose something, and he could give in to his heart's desire. If it was up to him, Harry would have taken almost nothing. Maybe a pack of three, and that's it. Sephiroth insisted he take more than that, at least a dozen or fifteen. After having hesitated for a long time between the different types, he finally decided on boxers briefs. Dudley had never worn anything but undies, and if the boy was not ready for the relative "freedom" the boxer shorts offered, he wanted to wear something other than his cousin's.

Sephiroth kindly reminded him that whatever he chose was his decision, and that of no one else. Sephiroth would not impose anything on him. The socks were easier, and Harry was content with simple white sports socks. These would not be damaged like the others, he promised to himself.

Emma returned a few moments later, some boxes in her arms and Hermione's. Not knowing exactly what Harry would like, they had chosen different types of sneakers in Harry's approximate size, as well as one size above. The ex-general insisted that Harry only take shoes that he would immediately feel comfortable with.

Finally, he chose black and silver sneakers and a pair of white sneakers. He refused to take a third, saying he did not need it. Emma and Sephiroth didn't insist. Already, convincing him to take two pairs was a victory in itself. Sephiroth agreed to go see for his own underwear, mostly because he didn't want to come back and strain Harry even harder.

After another elevator ride, they found themselves in the basement. And again, the choice was rather broad. Sephiroth, however, knew exactly what he wanted. He selected a few choices of particularly colorful underwear, quite amused by Emma's taken aback expression. It wasn't because he favored black for his clothes that he didn't wear colors at all. And he had always loved wearing colored underwear just for fun.

Once the choice was done (with bright red socks for Sephiroth), they went to the checkout. The final amount made the silverette give a slight grimace, especially because of the price of the plushies. The big ones cost about £30 each. The kitten, only half. The shoes had not been given, and yet Emma and Hermione had taken care to choose the cheapest possible. Sephiroth sighed. At least, Harry finally had new stuff. It was more than time he did.

On leaving, they sought a quiet little street, so Sephiroth could use Mini on shopping bags. They quickly found such a street, and as soon as he could, the silverette took out his Transform Materia and fitted it on one of his armlets, the Dragon Armlet to be precise. He quickly equipped it in one of the orifices, chuckling softly before the shocked expression of his companions. Emma had not been paying attention the day before when he had taken out Scan of the armlet, but there she had been able to see the crystal sphere of a size slightly smaller than that of a tennis ball being almost literally absorbed by the hole in the armlet, miniaturizing to about the size of an average marble that kids used to collected. The green glow surrounded the purchases, which they had placed on the ground, and these immediately shrank to about 1/10th of their original size.

Fascinated and delighted at the same time, Emma hastened to put away the shopping in the school bag of a Hermione just as delighted. Only one box of shoes fitted, however, because the other had already end up in the trash, with Harry's old sneakers inside. As they prepared to leave, Sephiroth's eyes fell on the front of the pawnshop near which they had stopped. And it was as if his heart stopped beating.

In the storefront was a sword that looked like a perfect copy of Angeal's Buster Sword and, later, Zack's. He could even see Materia on the handle. One Summon, and three magics at least. He felt a curious burning sensation rising in his eyes, and it took him a moment to realize he wanted to cry. There were so many memories associated with this sword… as good as bad. Part of him was dying to retrieve this sword. The other, the tactician part, told him it would be a bad idea. On the one hand, they could not afford to buy it, even if he was dying for it. On the other… how could he have transported it? He had never owned a 1st class harness, never having needed it. He had discovered early on how to summon Masamune and send it back where it was when he didn't need it. So… he had never been concerned about a harness. And Mini wouldn't work on it. Like most of the SOLDIERS' swords, it had runes engraved in the guard, which immunized them against magic.

Harry's hand in his interrupted his reminiscences filled with grief and melancholy. He looked down, meeting the worried look of the boy.

"Are you alright, Sephiroth?"

The latter gave him a sad smile, forgetting his stealing ideas.

"Yes, it's just that this sword… looks exactly like Angeal's, which he had passed on to Zack. It even looks like… there are Materia in it."

Emma glanced at the sword in question, and blinked in shock at the sheer size of the sword.

"But… how did they manage it?" She asked in disbelief. "And above all… how much does it weigh?"

Sephiroth couldn't help but laugh, his dark thoughts more or less cast away.

"Mako, Emma, large amounts of Mako. That and training. As for its weight... I think it had to weigh heavier than me, around a hundred pounds."

Emma was speechless when she heard that. She wondered if Sephiroth could wield it, before deciding that she didn't want to know in the end. He would have been able to tell her that he was capable of it! Sephiroth wanted to laugh at seeing her face, frankly amused. He was used to incredulous looks when people were trying to move the sword and they were failing. He always found it very funny, even though he rarely showed it. Even in SOLDIER, not everyone was able to do it.

They then went back to the metro, Sephiroth not hesitating to make use of his aura to make sure that the women were not bothered. He even took a pickpocket with his hand in the bag (literally). A dark look on his part was enough to convince the thief to apologize and give up, before running away, terrified. A few minutes later, they arrived at their destination, and got off the underground.

Fortunately, the shop was not more than a ten-minute walk away, but they still paused for Harry, aware that Harry had been educated to never complain. Neither Sephiroth nor Emma wanted to tire the boy's leg too much, so as not to aggravate the wound. On the way, they came across a fast food restaurant, and decided to stop there. The cashiers looked at Sephiroth with bewilderment at his gargantuan order. And even more, seeing that he could eat it all!

This time, Sephiroth didn't really need to push Harry to eat, the boy being hungry enough to swallow everything. In addition, the attraction of the novelty was too strong for him to resist for a long time. The poor boy had never had the opportunity to taste that, and if it was not the best, it was passable, in his own words.

After the meal, they went back for the shop, taking their time to show the city to Sephiroth and Harry. Emma hadn't been to this secondhand shop often, but she remembered where it was. She greeted the cashier, and they began to explore the place. The choice was smaller than Harrods, but Harry didn't know where to turn anymore, and Emma and Hermione seemed to have decided to play doll with him. Fortunately, they remained respectful of his opinion, but Harry couldn't help but be uncomfortable. And Sephiroth wasn't much help, he was clearly chuckling in his corner. Emma, meanwhile, was looking forward to dealing with his case. He was going to wear color elsewhere than on his underwear!

Sephiroth had looked around as the girls worked on Harry. There was nothing that really fascinated him here, but he had spotted two or three things for his protégé. He let out a discreet sigh. Harry had suffered so much that Sephiroth would rather deprive himself to allow him to live as a true child for the first time in his life. He had also the vague impression that Harry had slightly regressed mentally. Not much, certainly, but he seemed to behave more like a child of ten than thirteen.

He was drawn from his thoughts by the boy in question, who had come to take refuge behind him, trying to escape the two crazy shoppers, who giggled like mad. Sephiroth shook his head with amusement, and looked at the girls selection with a critical eye. A few t-shirts, three jeans, and sweaters as well as jackets for summer. There was even a jacket for winter, just in case. He nodded. It was not bad for a start, now to take care of his own case.

He kindly but firmly refused their help, and instead suggested they look for toys for Harry. He had seen the corners looks that he threw at a football. Dudley's toys were mostly broken in his "room" at Privet Drive. So Harry rarely had fun with them. He had admitted to reading the books whenever he could. As long as he was careful to put them back, the Dursleys were not aware of anything. Sephiroth was at least relieved to know that those days were behind him. He was going to have to deal quickly with telling the Goblins to add the word "bodyguard" to his fictional resume, he realized. He had forgotten that detail this morning. But with everything they had discovered... it went a little out of his head.

He shook his head, dropping back a t-shirt whose cut didn't please him. He suspected that Emma would have been pleased to have him wear something other than black, but he liked the contrast between the silver of his hair and the dark leather. And as she had told him, this palette of colors was inseparable from his character. He snorted, remembering that. What irony anyway. A long discussion on the subject between her and Genesis had concluded that her world was perhaps a Nexus. A place where people "saw" things from other worlds. Was that why Minerva sent them there? He wondered, selecting black pants. That would explain why she knew so much about them. And on those worlds in which they found themselves.

He let out a sigh. At least he knew the correspondence between his size and those of the clothes here. He wouldn't have to try on clothes until he found out which size fit. Pulling out another t-shirt, he could not help but laugh at seeing the drawing on it, which represented a grumpy red cat, the fur in battle, a cup of coffee in one paw, and the other giving the Bird, with above and below a caption saying "I get up early… or I get up friendly". The color of the t-shirt was closer to midnight blue than black, but the cat just made him laugh, and he decided to take it. He continued to search, but found no other t-shirts of the same kind. He sighed with disappointment. Pity. She liked those kinds of t-shirts, her favorite being one with two cartoon characters upside-down, with the caption "Stay Different, Stay Weird" below. He would have liked to find it, but never mind. After all, from what she said, they'd been out two years before for her… which meant at least a dozen here, if they ever went out.

He went on searching, finding some t-shirts that suited him, and putting back those that didn't suit him. He also selected an autumn/winter jacket for himself, although the cold didn't bothered him compared to a normal person. The shoes, on the other hand, were a real headache, and he resigned himself to go see the wizard side, or in a specialized shop. Harry had grown up with sneakers… but that kind of shoes did not really exist in Midgar, and, also, he had never put anything but combat boots. And he was used to the comfort they offered. Putting on something else… made him uncomfortable, he didn't feel comfortable enough to fight. He had known of only that so long… that he had to make a conscious effort to get out of this model of thought. That or a very… specific distraction.

He sighed, forcing his mind away from that, it wasn't the moment. All he was hoping for… was that he could find his friends… and her. Frowning, he remembered the last days with them, trying to ignore the feeling of something missing. After giving Genesis and Angeal his blood, in an effort to protect them from eventual Degradation in the future, they began to be able to communicate mentally, and the connection became clearer as time passed and the living cells multiplied by absorbing the dead ones in their bodies. Oh, they kept their individuality, and they did not hear the thoughts of the others unless they were willingly sent… or distracted. He chuckled softly thinking about it, vaguely embarrassed anyway. Sometimes… they accidentally sent each other their desire… which didn't help to calm themselves down. He shook his head, a little saddened anyway. Sephiroth forced himself to finish his initial train of thought. With the Jenova's cells that they had… hum, transmitted to her during their activities, at the end, they managed to feel her emotions and to locate her more or less.

The ex-general sighed, closing his eyes with grief. That's how he knew she was dead… and Genesis too. He had felt it, even though he didn't want to believe it. Feeling her spirit go out… shocked him. The grief, pain and anger from Genesis had taught him everything he needed to know. His death, mere moments later, had shaken him even more. And the resigned despair of Angeal… the feeling that he had nothing left to lose… And he had been too far away to communicate effectively with him. And remind him that he was not alone.

Sephiroth narrowly restrained himself when seeing that frost was forming on the clothes he was holding. With a muttered curse, he regained control of his emotions and aura. If only she were here… He would not have so many problems. Another sigh escaped him. With a bit of luck… Jenova's cells would have clung to her soul and were present in her current incarnation. If she ever woke up… what he prayed for… he would be able to feel her presence. In any case, he hoped. Brushing the frost of the clothes he had chosen, he was relieved to see that no one seemed to have noticed anything. Sephiroth mentally added everything he had, and decided it would be enough for the moment. They could always come back later when needed. For now… the budget was already going to be struggling with all their expenses. Maybe they could still take something, but not much more.

The ex-general went in search of the others. Not surprisingly, Hermione was in the book corner, her mother flipping through some books on her side, making him smile. He frowned slightly, however, as he saw Harry sat on a chair next to them, the clothes for him on his lap. He gently made his presence known, and the two bibliophiles jumped in surprise, making Harry giggle. Sephiroth winked at him, before smiling at the girls, who looked embarrassed.

"I think we'll probably stop there for now, Emma. If I have to go back to the Goblins, maybe we can take advantage of it to get more things, but I think we've got enough things for today."

Emma nodded as she put her book back.

"A good idea, Sephiroth. Harry was getting tired, but the owner was kind enough to bring him a chair when I explained to him that he had an injured leg."

The warrior nodded with satisfaction at hearing that. He could see that Harry looked a little pale indeed, but luckily they were done for this time. Sephiroth noticed that Hermione was reluctant to put her book back, and he blinked in surprise as he saw it. Could that be…

"Hermione, can I see this book?" He asked gently.

A little surprised, Hermione nodded and handed it to him. Sephiroth took it gently and turned it between his hands. No, he wasn't dreaming, it was Loveless. What was the book doing here? Delicately, he opened it, looking for a name written inside. And indeed, against all odds, the name of Genesis was inside. Sephiroth delicately flipped through the book, noting that a Fifth Act completed the poem in this copy. The ex-general knew only one book having the famous lost fifth act, and it was indeed that of Genesis. The question being… how could it be still intact after more than ten thousand years? The cover was slightly worn, which was hardly surprising given the number of times Genesis had it in his hands. A sad smile stretched his lips as he remembered their lover. She had liked to hear him declaim the poem, especially when she wasn't feeling well. Closing the book, he gently stroked the golden ornaments.

He had serious suspicions now. First the plushies, then Angeal's sword, and now the book that was almost as inseparable from Genesis as his red sword? Just… what was Minerva doing? Why did she put all these clues in his way? He let out a sigh. Aerith and Zack had been the only ones interacting with the Goddess on a regular basis. Even she had spoken to her only once, and asked her to join the Lifestream of Gaia. For the rest… Sephiroth had never seen her himself. He doubted, however, to ever see her. He didn't see what could push Minerva to speak to him. He didn't venerated her with the same fervor as Genesis, and he himself had seen her only once… and Minerva hadn't spoken to him.

His gaze fell on Hermione, who was looking at him anxiously, as if she feared he would put the book back on the shelf.

"Does this book interest you?" He asked gently.

She nodded shyly.

"It intrigues me," she admitted softly. "Do you recognize it?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Sephiroth confirmed softly. "This book… Loveless… belonged to Genesis. And the reason I'm sure of it… regardless of whether his name is inscribed inside… is that there is a Fifth Act in the poem in his copy."

"And to hear you, it's an unusual thing," Emma remarked, helping Harry get up and grabbing his things.

"Loveless's Fifth Act was considered lost by those who devoted themselves to Loveless's study, Emma," the silverette replied, adding the book to the pile of purchases. "The stones tablets on which the poem was engraved on at Banora contained only the first four acts. Carbon dating of the stones indicated, according to Genesis, that they dated from the era of Cetras, ie at least 2 to 3000 years. The last stone containing the Final Act was in pieces, and the surface worn away by erosion caused by a trickle of water running down its surface."

"So it had become completely unreadable," Emma said thoughtfully, giving the money requested. "Tell me, do you know where this book comes from?" She inquired curiously as she pointed to the book.

The woman who cashed them looked with surprise, turning the question over for a few seconds before answering.

"Honestly, I cannot tell you exactly where it came from, it was already there when I bought the shop. I am surprised that you take it though, it must have been ten years that I took this shop, and no one ever wanted it. It's as if it had chosen you."

Sephiroth held an amused snort at hearing that. This person was probably much closer to the truth than she imagined. He raised an eyebrow at seeing Emma pay the book apart with her own credit card, before realizing it was probably because it was something for Hermione. Seeing that Harry was limping slightly, despite all his efforts to hide it, Sephiroth exchanged a look with Emma, who nodded, taking the bags. Sephiroth squatted in front of Harry, to everyone's surprise, and looked at him over his shoulder. The boy seemed ready to die of embarrassment, but the silverette didn't intend to drop the matter.

"Get on, Harry," he said softly but firmly. "I think we've forced enough on your leg for the moment. I don't want to aggravate your wound, okay?"

The latter hesitated a moment longer, but Hermione gently pushed him forward, and he complied, a little reluctantly. Hermione exchanged a victorious glance with her mother, who was smiling smugly. Fortunately, the bags were not too bulky, so she decided not to ask Sephiroth to miniaturize them. Sephiroth waited to feel Harry clinging to his shoulder with his good hand, then gently grabbing his passenger under the thighs, making sure he had a firm grip before getting back up.

Harry clutched on with his good hand, red with embarrassment. He buried his nose in his protector's hair, not daring to look at the people around him. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply. Sephiroth's hair… smelled in a strange way. Not the usual products for washing, he remarked. When Petunia was washing him… before he learned to do it alone… she always used a cheap product that smelled of chemicals rather than soap. Even to go to Hogwarts he had nothing else. Fortunately, Dean and Seamus had been kind enough to share their bath products with him, and the following year they had bought them for him, sharing the costs between them. Sephiroth… smelled especially of ice, strangely. But not ice cream, no, more like a lake frozen in winter, accompanied by leather, which surprised him less… and something that looked like dark chocolate. There was also residual smell of shampoo, and Harry had insisted on paying Dean and Seamus back when they had to write home to ask for additional bath products for Sephiroth. Fortunately, he had the idea to change the length of his hair to shower, explaining that otherwise he would empty a whole bottle in two shower maximum. Which was not surprising, given the length of his mane.

A slight smile spread to Sephiroth's lips as he felt Harry slowly begin to relax against his back. He felt his breath tickle his neck, but it didn't bother him. Finally, Harry relaxed enough to put his chin on Sephiroth's shoulder, to his satisfaction. The boy's face was partly hidden by his hair, but he had at least adopted a comfortable position.

Emma wanted to coo at the scene, but she refrained out of respect for Harry. She exchanged a triumphant look with Hermione, who gave the impression of sulking slightly, as if she envied her friend. Her daughter was holding the pale pink book in her arms, almost as if it were about to disappear, as with the plushy. Emma was a little puzzled by Hermione's reaction, though. For a moment… her daughter… had made her feel like she was no longer there. As if her mind was light-years away from her body, lost in a distant memory. Emma didn't really understand why, and that worried her somewhere. However… a look at Sephiroth, who was negotiating the crowd with skill and elegance, reassured her. Whatever may happen with her daughter… the warrior would watch over her.

Thinking about enlisting Hermione elsewhere made her sad, if what Sephiroth said was true. Maybe she should think about enrolling her in another country, she thought. Maybe in France, since they spoke good French and their diplomas would be valid there. In any case, she was sure he would not stay in England. Maybe in America in this case, or even in Australia, since Harry spoke only English. She sighed. Emma didn't want to separate Harry and Hermione, but moving to France would already be barely within their budget… and she didn't want to ask Harry too much. He would be able to insist on paying for the move!

She sighed again as they arrived at the subway station. Sephiroth had at least the presence of mind to place his ticket and Harry's in an easily accessible pocket, and raised an eyebrow at the controllers nearby, challenging them to say anything. Harry had fallen asleep on his back, and he didn't want to wake him if it wasn't necessary. He exchanged an amused and indulgent smile with Emma, feeling Harry snuggle a little closer to him like a kitten. The latter seemed to regret not having a camera on hand, just to immortalize the scene in front of her. The silverette was almost certain that if she could, she would have gone to buy one on purpose just for that. Because once he got to the car, he was going to have to wake Harry up to tie his belt himself.

The trip was calm, without any problem (and no pickpocket tried to do their pockets this time), and they quickly joined the vehicle. Once there, Sephiroth gently woke Harry, who looked supremely embarrassed to have fallen asleep on his back. Sephiroth just reassured him. If Harry had fallen asleep, it was because he needed it, and especially because he trusts him enough to do so, which the silverette considered a compliment. Sephiroth let him get on his own, and helped Emma put the last shopping in the trunk… which consisted mostly of taking Hermione's bag, which then climbed into the back seat, tying herself next to Harry, while Sephiroth discreetly miniaturized the shopping's bags as Emma passed them to him. She couldn't help but chuckle as the objects in Sephiroth's hands almost disappeared, including the Football, which was reduced to the size of a tennis ball, before disappearing into Hermione's bag.

Once all the shopping in the school bag, Emma closed the trunk while Sephiroth moved to the front. She noticed that he stared at the gear shifter thoughtfully, and asked why as she started the car.

"I'll have to ask the Goblins to get me a driver's license," he explained in response. "I know how to drive both automatic and manual cars, but I've… lost my hand at it," he admitted, slightly embarrassed. "And I don't know if the Goblins have thought of adding a driver's license in my papers."

Emma nodded, checking the traffic with a glance.

"Indeed, it seems logical to me. If you want, can we try tomorrow? This way, you will be able to see how much you need to practice."

Sephiroth thought for a few seconds before nodding.

"You're right, Emma. Thank you. I promise to do my best not to crash your car into a ditch," he joked, making her laugh.

"I'll take your word for it, Sephiroth. I'd tell you to pay for repairs, but you don't have any money… and Harry has already paid enough for things like that."

"Exactly," Sephiroth confirmed, amused. "Maybe I should see with the Goblins to find a job," he said thoughtfully. "But I don't want to leave Harry alone."

Emma nodded with a sigh. After what had happened... she could understand that Sephiroth was on his guard. Something told her that he would probably not relax before they were in another country, out of Dumbledore's reach. She didn't know what the other spells that had been on Harry were, and didn't ask about it.

She then looked at Harry in the rear-view mirror, who was plunged into a heated discussion with Hermione about Charms, one of their classes. It reminded her that Sephiroth had told them about the likely power of Harry, now that he was free from the burden spell placed on his… she didn't say home because it was clear that Privet Drive had not been a home for Harry. Rather a prison. She looked at Sephiroth, who was also staring at the children with amusement, and decided that she would approach the subject the next day, when he would certainly have had time to talk to Harry about the spells in question.

She took the opportunity to ask more questions about the magic of Sephiroth's time, the children silencing themselves to listen to the conversation, just as interested. Even though the ex-general hadn't been an expert in Materia, he knew enough to explain at least the basics. And since Angeal wasn't good with Materia, and Genesis an explosive pyroman, teaching the basics to the cadets often fell on him. He didn't tolerate any nonsense during his classes, however, and anyone who fooled around during his explanations were excluded, with no possibility of returning. Emma approved this severity wholeheartedly, especially when it concerned the offensive Materias. The curatives were treated less severely, but the one that could poison people was generally covered at the same time as the offensive, and he agreed to teach its use only if the younger cadets also had a Healing Materia with Poisona or Esuna.

She didn't see the time pass, and was almost surprised to arrive in their neighborhood. Slowing down, she parked in front of their house, chuckling as she imagined Nathan's face in front of the few bags they had brought back... at least in appearance. Sephiroth helped Harry down, letting Hermione get her bag back, Loveless still in her hand. Emma opened the door for them, and the silverette helped Harry move to the sofa, where Nathan was. The latter raised an eyebrow at seeing that they had apparently nothing with them, and looked at his wife, perplexed.

"You left almost all day, and you come back with nothing? Are you sure you went shopping?" He joked. "I see that Harry has new shoes, but other than that, you didn't find anything for them?"

Emma giggled with amusement, and motioned for Hermione to give her her bag. She complied with an amused smile, much to his father's perplexity, especially when he saw that she was taking out what looked like miniature plastic bags, lining them on the coffee table. His wife made an amusing gesture towards Sephiroth, and the latter cast Mini again on the purchases, returning them to their original size and snatching a shocked exclamation from Nathan, making everyone laugh, including Harry. Nathan had jumped in surprise, before looking at Sephiroth reproachfully.

"You could have told me you could do that! You haven't had trouble with the Ministry of Magic?"

Sephiroth laughs softly at that.

"Nathan, remember what I told you last night. Knowledge about Materias was lost about ten thousand years ago, around the Fall of the Meteor. The exploitation of Mako had proved too dangerous for the Planet, despite the fact that it was concentrated in a very small area of the planet. My actions, paradoxically... helped save her, while Jenova wanted to destroy her. After Meteorfall... Mako began to be replaced by other energies, including oil and gas, and Materias gradually ceased to be used. I would be surprised if more than a handful of people still remember their existence when Minerva submerged the Sacred Land."

Nathan nodded, absently pushing the football, which had rolled up to him, while talking.

"So, wizards don't know the magic of Materias, and cannot detect it? I thought there was a... Trace on the wands, right? Who detects the magic used? By the way... how did they detect the Levitating Charm on the cake? It seems to me that Dobby was responsible, right?"

Sephiroth nodded, sitting next to Harry, putting his arm around his shoulders.

"The Trace... is a hoax, Nathan. I'm sorry to tell you that, but if they say that, it's all about preventing Muggleborn children from practicing magic outside of school. In reality, it is a mesh of stones detecting the magic spread over the whole country which allows them to detect the magic. In addition, I think Dobby probably imitated the signature of a magic wand. In a house where wizards live, they are unable to determine who used a spell."

Hermione looked furious.

"But... it's absurd! That means Purebloods can do magic when they want, and they never have a problem with the Ministry!"

"Unfortunately yes, Hermione," Sephiroth replied softly. "And that's why we'll have to go to the forest, regardless of whether I want to show my Shadow Creepers or an Invocation to Nathan."

"Why?" Harry asked timidly.

The silver-haired warrior looked at him with a hint of sadness, surprising Harry.

"Harry, aside from the spells on your house, the spells for hiding unapproved owls except the Ministry, Hogwarts or the owl called Errol, weren't the only ones that were affixed to you and fed of your magic."

"Besides, why was Errol approved?" Hermione asked, frowning. "Why the Weasley family owl and not another? And how could Hedwig find Harry?"

Sephiroth leaned against the backseat thoughtfully.

"I suppose a clause had to be woven into the spell, in case Harry decided to take an owl as a companion. To come back to the spells on you, Harry... there were many spells to watch you. Many others were related to the protections on the Dursleys house, as I told your aunt yesterday. And these... literally devoured your magic. If you had a quarter of your magic at your disposal, it was already a lot. And there is also practically half of your magic blocked."

Hermione, like Harry, was speechless when he heard that. The only thing that kept Harry from bursting into tears or having an episode of accidental magic under the effect of anger was Sephiroth's comforting arm around his shoulders. They had used him like a battery, without any consideration for his intimacy or his state of health. The boy realized that he was crying only when Sephiroth's hand gently wiped his tears. The stifled sobs made their way out of his mouth, and it took longer to calm down. What Dumbledore did... it was pure cruelty, Harry realized in the depths of his mind. He wouldn't like not being able to see Hermione, Neville, or even Ron, yes, but the idea of being in the same building as the one who did that... terrified him even more than the idea of coming face to face with Esmeralda. At least she had been kind, and had done her best to make him comfortable.

Finally, Harry stopped crying, and he whispered a thank-you to Sephiroth when he helped him clean his face, before allowing him to blow his nose. He looked at the ex-general imploringly, sniffing. He didn't know how to formulate the question, but Sephiroth could apparently read it in his eyes. He smiled sadly, but gently, before comforting him.

"Don't worry about those spells, Harry. Except for the one who restrains your power, and for which we will go to see a professional healer in a while, I took care of all those who siphoned your magic."

"Why?" Harry asked without understanding.

"For two reasons, Harry," Sephiroth explained gently. "The first is that I am not a healer, and that I don't know if there will be consequences if I destroyed the block. The second is that you first have to get used to the increased power, which is one of the reasons we will go to the forest, so you can practice magic. In this way, even if you accidentally use too much power, no one will be there to realize it. In addition, the magic net surveillance doesn't cover all the forest surfaces, and since these stones use magic to work, I would be able to locate them."

"You do not know where they are?" Asked Emma, curious.

"Not precisely," the silverette explained, looking at her. "I know more or less where most are thanks to the Lifestream, especially in urban areas, but in the forest it is more difficult. Otherwise, I suppose we could ask wizard families if we can practice at their home," he said thoughtfully. "It's an idea to explore."

"Not the Weasleys though," Emma said, frowning. "If their owl was allowed to bring mail to Harry, but no other…"

Sephiroth shook his head, to her surprise.

"I doubt that the whole family is in the loop, Emma. Surely not the kids anyway, and maybe not even their two parents. I'll probably know more once the Goblins have finished their investigations, but I certainly wouldn't forbid Harry to see them if he decides to."

"And if they don't accept that you come?" Hermione asked anxiously, having finally managed to calm down.

Sephiroth's gently amused laughter sent chills down everyone's back, and each person in the room blessed the fact that Sephiroth wasn't their enemy. The latter replied with amusement to Hermione's question.

"Whether they like it or not, I'd come anyway if Harry goes to see them. I don't intend to stop him from going to visit them, it's true, but it doesn't mean that I will abandon him. And currently, Dumbledore has no idea where Harry might be, because even the spells for Hedwig's location are taken in charge by Hogwarts, who probably simulates their location."

"There were spells for locating Hedwig on her?" Harry asked, upset. "But why?"

Sephiroth shook his head in response.

"I'm not really sure, Harry. Is it to locate you if you accidentally manage to destroy the spells intended to inform of your location? Who you write to? Honestly, I'm not sure of anything right now."

Harry could only nod, and he closed his eyes, snuggling up against Sephiroth. The latter hadn't once blamed him for crying, but he was still afraid of receiving a hit when he began to sob. Sephiroth's arm hadn't left his place around his shoulders, comforting him. His life had completely changed since the silver-haired warrior had come into his life, and if he was still struggling to adjust to the changes... he had to admit he preferred them to what he was going through before. When he did something, Sephiroth asked him his opinion beforehand, or explained to him why he was doing something. Unlike Dumbledore, who had sent him back to the Dursleys after his first year without giving him any explanation or a word of comfort... the ex-general had explained to him why he had made that decision, and then comforted him. When he said something... he did it, or would do it. Sephiroth didn't change his mind like the Dursleys, who seemed to take pleasure in changing the rules just to be able to yell at him afterwards. They hadn't really raised their hands on him since he had start Hogwarts... but that didn't stop them from continuing to shout at him for a yes or no. And that without counting last summer, where they had locked him in his room, almost without feeding him.

The rest of the evening was pretty... gloomy, despite the efforts of Emma and Nathan. Harry lit up anyway when Hermione suggested watching Space Jam. He spent most of the movie chuckling at the nonsense of the characters, and remained pensive after the end. Sephiroth did not know if Hermione had suggested the movie for the comic side (even if he had to confess to laughing himself in front of it) or the message behind it. Believe in yourself and in your dreams, and everything becomes possible, even the impossible. He gently carried Harry into "their" room, and helped him change, cleaning his wound. It didn't look as good as he would have liked, but it hadn't worsened as much as he had feared.

Sephiroth decided that he would wait until the next day to suggest a shower to Emma and Nathan, to see if they would have an idea on how to protect the wound from the water. Hedwig had returned to rest on the head of the bed, having spent the evening perched on Harry's shoulder, smoothing his hair as she would have smoothed the feathers of another owl, making the boy smile, who had petted her at the same time. Once Harry was asleep, Sephiroth laid down on his own mattress, closing his eyes and meditating. He may have been a lot slower to explode than Genesis... that didn't mean he didn't have a temper. And this time... he had no one to calm him if he started to get upset.

What he didn't know was that he was going to have to do this very often in the next few weeks.

oOo

Sephiroth opened his eyes, disconcerted. He would have sworn he'd fallen asleep... so why was he in a field of flowers? Frowning, he studied his environment. It wasn't until he looked up at the sky that he realized where he was. Above him, the sky wasn't blue, as one might have been expected. On the contrary, it was composed of pale green filaments, around which floated tiny points of light. A fairly accurate representation of the Lifestream. Sephiroth looked around him, perplexed.

Normally he came to this place, which could have been related to the famous Limbo, only when Aerith and Zack needed to talk to him. And the last time it happened... was just before their last trip between the worlds. Before sealing him, Aerith had apologized for not being able to intervene. Sephiroth didn't blame her, though. Angeal... had made it clear that they had been... "blocked" from the Lifestream. And as Zack and she were part of it... they couldn't do anything to intervene.

Except that now... neither the Puppy nor his Flower Girl were present. Usually... they showed up very quickly, as soon as he arrived or almost. Sephiroth was still thinking about this mystery when a voice came up behind him. Powerful and profound, it gave the impression of being a chorus of millions of voices speaking in unison.

"Greetings, my Silver Sword."

Surprised, he turned around, before kneeling, bowing his head. For before him stood a woman with long golden hair, dressed in an imposing armor covered with gold and silver, and whose long pieces of cloth gave the illusion of forming wings. Other ornaments on her back formed small wings around a wheel, and a ruby was set on her chest. She held a scepter in her right hand, and an imposing shield of gold and silver in the other. Even without ever having seen her with his own eyes, Sephiroth could easily have recognized her, thanks to Genesis passionate descriptions.

He had Minerva herself in front of him. A small part of his mind told him that Genesis would probably have a fit of jealousy if he ever learned that Minerva had given him the honor of speaking to him, another was puzzled by the title she had given him, another wondered why the GODDESS in person gave him this honor, and the rest feared the reason for which she was present.

"Minerva," he murmured respectfully. "To what do I owe this… honor?"

"Rise, Sephiroth Valentine," she ordered softly. "And look at me. I am not angry against you."

The latter obeyed hesitantly, disconcerted. Even if Minerva wasn't mad at him... Why did she appeared to him? He noticed that she was watching him attentively, and forced himself to remain calm. Finally, Minerva nodded royally, and spoke again.

"Your actions towards Harry James Potter are worthy of praise, my Silver Sword."

Sephiroth bowed respectfully, before answering, controlling his voice. The fact of facing the very consciousness of the Planet made him extremely nervous, especially considering the fact that he had tried to destroy it, even if it wasn't of his own free will.

"It's an honor to hear you say that, O Minerva. However... I cannot imagine that you have decided to deign to honor me with your presence only to congratulate me."

He noticed the sad, approving smile of the Goddess in response.

"No, my Sword. I know you do not want to let Harry James Potter go back to Hogwarts."

Sephiroth clenched his fists when he heard that, his fears being confirmed.

"No," he conceded. "After what Dumbledore did to him... I doubt I could be in the same room than him without giving to the urge to destroying him... in every sense of the word."

Minerva nodded as she heard him.

"Sephiroth Valentine... my Silver Sword... Destiny is often cursed by many people, even by us Goddesses," she said softly, making him blink with surprise. "However... sometimes it cannot be changed completely. Deviated, yes, but not changed."

Sephiroth looked at her, almost horrified. She could not possibly mean...

"You mean Harry... must go back to Hogwarts?" He asked, unable to stifle the horror in his voice. "But…"

Minerva gently raised her hand, interrupting him.

"If the child doesn't return to Hogwarts... things will be much, much worse. The future is already dark. It will be entirely under the sign of Darkness if Harry James Potter doesn't return to Hogwarts."

"To what point?" Sephiroth asked, his mouth dry.

Part of him wanted to challenge the Goddess. Had Harry not suffered enough like that? As if reading his thoughts, Minerva made an elegant gesture with her hand... and the landscape around them changed. Sephiroth watched, horrified, a future where Harry, isolated and mistreated to the end, sacrificed his life for the world... before being used by Ginny, enslaved by Love Potions. Minerva's voice pulled him from his thoughts, anchoring him in the present.

"This future is already obsolete, my Silver Sword," she said softly, relieving him. "What you saw... is what would have happened if he had never found you."

Sephiroth nodded with some relief. Knowing that this future wouldn't happen was helping him, but... what would happen if he didn't let Harry get back to Hogwarts? Sephiroth wanted to be selfish and take Harry as far away as possible from England to protect him. Once more, as if in response to his thoughts, Minerva waved her hand, and the landscape around them changed again.

Sephiroth fought his urge to vomit when he saw what would happen in this hypothetical future. A strange and completely absurd house razed to the foundations, with the bodies of Weasley family members lying all over the place, fatally burned. Ginny, used as a sex slave by people who were clearly Death Eaters. Hermione... slaughtered by these same animals, forced to watch her family being murdered atrociously in front of her, unable to save them. Luna, suffering the same fate as Ginny. Neville, broken, used as a handyman by these monsters, treated like a house elf. And so many others, whom he barely knew, or had only crossed in the halls of the school.

"Enough, please," he begged painfully. "I understand."

The pictures stopped at his request, relieving him. He looked at Minerva, his expression defeated.

"I understand why you showed me all that. But... if I let Harry go back to Hogwarts... what tells me that Dumbledore isn't going to cause any problems? Or that he will not be able to seize Harry?"

Minerva looked at him with sadness and indulgence.

"This arrogant fool doesn't imagine that his plans can be countered. Besides... how do you think this child was able to find you?"

In front of Sephiroth's look of incomprehension, Minerva conjured up other images with a gesture of the hand. The ex-general felt his heart squeeze as he saw the scene of Harry's parents' death. His father's attempt to give his wife time to escape with their son. His failure. The panic of Harry's mother, realizing she was trapped. The time that gave the impression to stop at the death of the young woman, a spell bustling on the cradle... but insufficient against the Killing Curse. Her plea to the Goddess to protect Harry. Even if her soul was to disappear. All that mattered was that her baby survived. The Goddess, touched by her prayer, reinforcing the protection around the child. The spell, bouncing back to its caster. A leap forward, showing tiny touches of the Goddess, pointing Harry towards this or that direction, as subtle as the caress of a downy feather. The way she had pushed him to see the paper in Hermione's hand. His decision to go down alone.

The images stopped, and Sephiroth looked at her. He understood better why Harry had been able to find him. All these subtle little encouragements...

"Why?" He asked softly. "Why did you do all this?"

"Your lover had told you about parallel worlds, was it not?" Minerva asked softly in response. "Sometimes... holes open between the worlds. And we can communicate with other versions of ourselves. And too many versions... of these events show a dark future, which never really clears up."

"Then... you decided to change things," Sephiroth murmured.

"Yes," confirmed the Goddess. "Also... if you accept that Harry James Potter returns to Hogwarts... you will be rewarded."

Sephiroth looked at her without understanding, anger and hope fighting in his heart.

"What do you mean?"

Images appeared in response around him, and he felt his heart clenching painfully as he contemplated them. Genesis, who was practicing with his sword or reciting Loveless passionately, sitting under the shade of a Banora apple tree, a familiar figure lying next to him, her head on his legs, enjoying the sun. Angeal, who took care of plants, or polished his sword, talking quietly with his childhood friend. Or, who also took a nap in the sun, the same silhouette using his belly as a pillow. And his heart missed a beat when he saw her turn in his direction and smile at him. He also saw Zack, lifting a young woman in his arms, making her twirl around with a laugh. Aerith. He could see there were subtle differences in their appearances, but his brain was just not able to integrate them. When the images stopped, he took a deep breath and looked at Minerva imploringly.

"They... reincarnated?" He asked, not caring about the fact that his voice gave the impression that it was going to break.

Minerva nodded slowly.

"They aren't all awake yet, but what do you think their reaction will be if they learn that you have deliberately brought darkness to their country, not to mention the world?"

Sephiroth closed his eyes when he heard that. Oh yes, he could easily imagine it.

"They will be furious with me," he said softly. "But... that does not mean that I'm happy to do this."

He raised his head, surprised, feeling a hand caressing his cheek, and his breath caught in his throat when he met the blue eyes of the Goddess, who was looking at him with compassion.

"And I am not asking you to," she said softly. "All I ask of you, my Silver Sword... is patience. Some things must happen so that Tom Marvolo Riddle can disappear for good."

Sephiroth let out a sigh, closing his eyes briefly.

"One thing that's certain," he said softly, his voice holding an implacable promise, "is that I will not let Harry finds himself on the front lines of a battle or kill if I can avoid it. He had suffered enough like that."

Minerva offered him a tender smile.

"I know it, my Sword. And I approve of it wholeheartedly. Do not worry about Harry James Potter's guardianship," she said as their surroundings dissipated in a bright, blinding mist. "He no longer has any rights over him."

Before Sephiroth could ask her for details, his world dissipated, and he felt himself fall.

oOo

Sephiroth sat up abruptly on his mattress, panting, and looked furiously around him. He took several seconds to understand that he was awake, and closed his eyes, tears running silently down his cheeks. He didn't want to wake up Harry, but by Shiva, he wanted so much to cry with all his heart. Seeing these pictures... had shaken him to the bottom of his soul. He wanted so much to curse the Goddess... because all he wanted now… was to find his friends and her… and never lose sight of them again. Part of him… just wanted to kidnap them and lock them away so that they would never be harmed again, as with Harry. But he knew his friends. They would never agree to do that. And he knew they would stand by him to the end, whatever the fight.

Sephiroth laid back on his inflatable mattress, struggling against his grief and the emptiness in his heart, trying not to lose control of his aura. He was afraid to freeze the whole house if it happened.

In another room in the house, Hermione awoke with a start, crying without understanding where the endless sorrow and pain were coming from, crushing her heart. And that feeling of emptiness in her soul... as if she were missing a part of herself. She took hours to go back to sleep, trying to forget this incomprehensible sensation.

oOo

Harry was curled up in the darkness, shaking and crying softly. Around him he could hear voices ringing. They were those of people he knew, both those he liked and those he hated because they were the ones who mistreated him.

"Freak!"

"You should have died with your freakish parents!"

"You are not wanted here!"

The voices of his uncle and aunt were the strongest, followed by Dudley and his friends, who were laughing cruelly. In fact, their voices didn't really bother him, because what they said he expected. It was the other voices that hurt him. Hermione, looking at him with a disgusted air, saying, "Why do we want to be friends with someone like you?" Ron telling him that he didn't want to be friends with him anymore, and he attracted too much danger to be worth the risk, Neville saying he didn't want to be hurt by staying close to him... but the worst was Sephiroth, who looked at him contemptuously, telling him that he was a burden, and that he didn't see why he was encumbered with him.

Darkness had gradually swallowed Harry, who hadn't struggled. His head had begun to hurt him shortly before, and the pain had continued to rise. He had quickly stopped begging for it to stop, seeing that it was useless. He had of course heard a faint murmur of voices in the background at first, too weak to distinguish the words, but it was quickly drowned by the hateful voices of his "family" and others. The boy had the impression to hear another voice among the others, filled with malicious joy. The latter grew stronger and stronger, until a blinding light came out, visible even through his closed eyes, silencing all voices except the choir in the background.

Harry remained frozen, disoriented. The darkness seemed to have disappeared, if he trusted the soft light that filtered through his eyelids. He also felt like a slight breeze ruffled his hair, but it was something tickling his nose that made him open his eyes, surprised. His gaze fell on an endless meadow, the grass gently undulating in the breeze, with white and yellow flowers vaguely resembling lilies, but which would have had only one flower at the end of their stem, which gently undulated too.

Slowly, Harry straightened up, and looked around him, perplexed. The fact that the nightmare seems to have stopped... was nice, but he was afraid that it would resume at one time or another. Looking up, he gaped at the strange pale green sky, with its millions of luminous filaments surrounded by tiny points of light. The boy stood hesitantly, looking around. He was apparently alone, which he counted as a good point for now, although he would have appreciated a little company. Just when he thought that, a movement drew his attention to his left, and he turned his head, seeing a silhouette in the distance. The latter was dressed in what looked vaguely like armor, which disappeared at the same time into millions of pyreflies, like the crystal that had hold Sephiroth within it. Harry was surprised to realize at that moment that he could see it perfectly well, then shrugged, deciding that it was surely a dream, and that anything could happen.

He looked at the silhouette in the distance, whose long blond hair was lifted by the breeze, hesitating to approach. He felt instinctively that this person, whoever they were, was infinitely more powerful than any mortal, even Sephiroth. Finally, it was the whispering around him that made him move. He didn't even really understand why he followed their advice, but something deep inside him... told him that this person would never hurt him. He walked slowly into the field of flowers, not daring to run, and trying to avoid trampling the flowers. The person continued to turn their backs on him, preventing him from determining whether they were a man or a woman, even though he would have said it was a woman, despite the fact that Sephiroth's hair was just as long. However... the build of this person was finer and more graceful than that of the silverette.

Harry froze when she turned as he came near her. The woman standing before him was at least as tall as Sephiroth, perhaps even taller, and of an ethereal beauty that impressed him, despite the gentle smile she offered him. Her fine, elegant face made him think of an elf, this impression reinforced by the sort of gold tiara she wore, set with a pale sapphire in its center, the golden filigree chains being lost in her hair, and forming a complex pattern on her forehead, around the pale sapphire. Harry could only look at her silently, mute with admiration. He blinked, however, when she bent down, surprised, putting her face leveled to his, her blue eyes containing an old wisdom. Her dress fanned around her, laying on the ground.

"Hello ma'am," said the boy timidly.

She laughed softly, visibly delighted to see him so polite. Her laugh made him think of a carillon, as if a million voices sounded in perfect harmony. She reached out, stroking his forehead, and the pain gave him the impression of being drained out of his head, to his utmost relief. She smiled slightly at him, her expression reminding him of Molly with her children... and at the same time, subtly different. He would have been unable to say why, having never met another mother.

"So much politeness for a soul so marked by suffering," she said softly, making him blink, puzzled. "You should never have had to endure all this, my treasured child."

"I don't understand," shyly dared Harry.

Again, that crystalline laugh, almost tinkling... sadly, it seemed to him.

"Your bloodline... seems destined for strife, my treasured child. And luck... has never been on your family side. One day, you'll understand," she said softly. "For the moment... your fears are unfounded, my treasured child."

"My fears?" Harry questioned hesitantly.

Around him, the atmosphere darkened slightly, before a breeze dispersed the shadows that were trying to form, the elegant woman stroking his cheek.

"Those fears that have darkened your dreams, my treasured child, are unfounded," she repeated softly, caressing his forehead, her fingers lightly brushing against his scar. "Sephiroth... has never had more than one word. He will never abandon you. And neither your friends."

"Really?" Harry asked, his imploring voice. "You are sure?"

Minerva then yielded to her desire to take him in her arms, unable to resist those green eyes any longer, so similar to those of a Cetra who had given her life to save her. Harry stiffened at first, took by surprise, before slowly relaxing in that warm embrace, which vaguely reminded him of something. A memory buried deep inside him, that of having been loved more than anything else in the world. He began to cry without being able to stop himself, clinging to the dress of this stranger, who began to hum slowly, the words incomprehensible… and yet so familiar. Finally, he managed to stop crying, barely surprised to realize that the dress of this lady wasn't even wet. The latter hadn't let go, and continued to caress his back.

After a while, she released her grip slightly and gave him a soft smile.

"Do you want to see why I told you that your friends will never abandon you?" She asked gently.

Harry nodded shyly, before letting out an exclamation of surprise when she lifted him, propping him on her hip like a little child. He was pretty sure it shouldn't have been possible... then he remembered that it was definitely a dream... and that anything could happen.

The golden-haired woman made an elegant gesture with her hand, and Harry watched the landscape change around them with big eyes, fascinated. He saw Sephiroth take care of him, and stand between him and creatures dressed in tattered black cloaks, cutting them into pieces with Masamune like leaves in the wind, the frost flowing back at their death. He saw him interpose himself repeatedly between him and people who clearly wanted him harm, including Voldemort himself. He shuddered seeing this, especially because he had found a physical body, and the fact that Sephiroth had literally cut into pieces people wearing skull masks. Ron was next, a fireball in one hand and a long red sword in the other, fighting at his side and supporting him in trials he didn't understand, but always by his side, loyal as only true friends knew how to be. Hermione, her gaze burning of passion, diving into books, offering the solution to riddles that bothered them, and wielding magic with skill to support them. Neville, to his great surprise, who helped them by offering them plants for their needs, or commanding them to neutralize their enemies, a huge sword on his back. The Weasley twins, laughing and joking and throwing pranks of their own creation to their enemies, humiliating them while hampering them to neutralize them. A man with long black hair, who looked a lot like Sephiroth, wearing a blood red cape, a headband of the same color holding his hair so they would not bother him, casting spells with his left hand, covered with a golden glove with fingers forming claws, his other hand wielding a multiple barrel gun. Nathan and Emma, welcoming him home as a member of the family, allowing him to rest.

Throughout these visions, Harry had remained motionless, not daring to blink his eyes for fear of missing something. Finally, they stopped, and the boy looked timidly at the woman who was holding him.

"Is it true?" He asked in a very small voice. "Is it gonna... really happen? The good things... and bad ones?"

She smiled gently.

"Of course, my treasured child. Perhaps they will not happen exactly as I just showed you, because the future is ever changing. However... once these events have passed... you will be entitled to your happiness. Never forget the past, because it is it who forges you, but always looks to the future, because after the rain comes the sun."

Harry nodded timidly, the distant chorus making him feel like singing for joy. There were more sad passages in the choir, but still, the joy ended up returning. The long-haired woman smiled tenderly at him, with a touch of sadness.

"Your future contains darker darkness than most people... but your soul is too pure for them to last very long. Never forget one thing, my treasured child. Sephiroth will always be at your side, like your friends. Believe in them and in yourself... and you'll be an unequaled force," she said softly, before kissing him on the forehead, right on his scar.

Harry blushed, surprised and embarrassed, barely paying attention to the gentle warmth that blossomed around the lightning mark he had worn on his forehead since Voldemort had attempted to kill him. It had sometimes been more or less painful, especially since Quirrellmort during their first year, but then it gave him the impression of falling asleep, and he felt a profound relief.

His eyelids were heavy as the woman began to hum slowly, the words incomprehensible to him, but the deeper meaning of the song as clear as crystal for his soul. Resting his head against her shoulder, he let sleep take him, feeling safe again. He knew that Sephiroth would be there when he woke up, and that thought was enough to soothe him enough to slip back into a deep sleep.

Minerva looked at him with a mixture of tenderness and sadness. She had so little opportunity to express her maternal side... Most often, it was the warrior side that was needed. She raised her head, feeling a presence. Her gaze rested on the souls of James and Lily Potter, who looked at the scene with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow. Part of the... pact with Minerva to save Harry... was to give up any chance of getting in touch with him while he was alive. The sacrifice was immense, and sometimes Lily wondered if it wasn't too much. But to see him so peaceful told her that it was worth it. And now that her baby was safe... she finally felt that she could join the flow of souls. James looked at Minerva, the Goddess whom his family had worshiped since time immemorial, and bowed deeply to her, without a word. Because no words could express his gratitude. Minerva had protected their baby from Voldemort, and now from Dumbledore.

After their deaths... they could see how far away he was from the image they had made of him. And if the Nightmare was dangerous... he, at least, had taken care of Harry, and protected him, instead of sending him into the Nundu's mouth. And for that... James considered that not being able to talk to Harry, even if he ever found the Resurrection Stone, was a meager price to pay. For there, at least... he was safe.

The couple stepped back, re-entering the Lifestream, and Minerva stood alone again with Harry. She watched the sleeping boy, so small and thin, and felt her heart squeeze. She stretched her free hand in front of her, calling on Magic itself. The millions of filaments making up the latter materialized before her, and she moved them until she found what she was looking for. An avenging smile appeared on her lips. Dumbledore might have been powerful for a human. But in front of her... he was little more than an ant facing a blue whale. So insignificant that he wasn't even worthy of its attention.

oOo

In a room in the depths of the Ministry of Magic, pale green filaments emerged from the ground, the bright spots of light around them dancing like fireflies. The filaments waved gently for a few seconds, before moving towards the rolls of scrolls on the shelves. The Wizarding World Archives has been in this room for nearly a millennium, but the purpose of the filaments was a very specific section, concerning Magical Guardians. They touched the scrolls one after another, seeming to look for something, before stopping on a precise roll. The latter left the shelf by itself, floating in the air as if someone held it in their hands, and unfolded, as of its own free will. Most of the information noted on the paper was apparently not of great interest to the filaments... until they came to the name of Harry Potter. A dash of ink appeared on Albus Dumbledore's name, scratching it almost furiously. As if someone had grabbed a quill and angrily crossed his name, before starting to write next to it, leaving the name Sephiroth Valentine in place, tracing the letters with an elegant hand.

As if satisfied, the scroll rolled up again and returned to its shelf, the light filaments withdrawing... just as an Unspeakable entered the room before freezing at the sight. He swore copiously at seeing that, ignoring his colleague, who had followed him, and leaning against the doorway, panting. Croaker cautiously entered the room, wand in hand, scanning the scrolls. Bode looked at him carefully, testing the Wards on his side. Eventually, Croaker grabbed a parchment scroll, a sense of dread filling his whole being. Slowly, he unrolled it, looking for what could have been changed by the very Leylines of the Planet.

The Unspeakables were practically the only ones at this time and age to have even a vague idea that the planet had its own consciousness. The Department of Mystery was also the only place where you could find Materias, the crystalline spheres used in the past to do magic. Only a minority of their members were aware of their existence, and few chose to take the extremely restrictive oaths that allowed access to these famous crystalline orbs. Other objects dating from the same period accompanied them, and unless they took the famous oaths, it was impossible to even know of their existence.

Bode found no alterations on the Wards of the room, and made a surprise jump when Croaker began to swear like a sailor, warrior, and other professions known for their rudeness. He looked at him worriedly, especially when Dumbledore's name was added to the profanities.

"What's the matter?" He asked carefully.

He stepped back uneasily as he saw his supervisor turn angrily towards him.

"What's the matter? Albus Too-Many-Names Dumbledore has found a way to piss off the very Planet, that's the matter!" Exclaimed Croaker furiously, waving the scroll. "This moron has just been removed from the title of Harry Potter's Magical Guardian, no matter how he managed to become so in the first part, for the benefit of a total unknown, but who, if I rely on rumors from Hogwarts, would be the fucking Nightmare in person!"

Bode looked at him with horror. He had heard the same rumors, but had given them little faith. After all, the Nightmare was known for its dangerousness, so to see him entrusted with the custody of the Savior of the Wizarding World (even if he seriously doubted the veracity of this title) in place of Dumbledore... he was struggling to believe it. However... a glance at the parchment showed him black on white that Croaker was right. A few detection spells on the scroll later, he couldn't help but shudder. In addition to the magic of the Leylines, so powerful that it gave him the impression of being an ant facing a whale... there was a feeling of righteous anger on the parchment. Whatever the Hogwarts Headmaster decide to do... he wouldn't find any help from the Unspeakables side. None of them were stupid enough to oppose the Planet herself. Dumbledore was fucked... he just didn't know it yet.

oOo

Sephiroth had been unable to go back to sleep after Minerva's visit, and had given up around 3 am. With a sigh, he got up, careful not to wake Harry, and went into the kitchen to make tea. He took a mental note to find a way to get a typical Japanese tea set... since it was the one closest to Wutai at this point. He was at his third teapot when Emma entered the kitchen, freezing in surprise when she saw him, blinking.

"Sephiroth? What are you doing up at this hour?" She asked, surprised, looking at the time.

The silverette snorted sarcastically in response.

"Oh, almost nothing, Emma," he couldn't help but respond sarcastically. "I just had a little divine intervention in my sleep. I hate meddlesome old goats that poke their noses everywhere," he grumbled, emptying a new cup, "almost as much as Goddesses who give you orders!"

Emma blinked, surprised, looking at him without understanding. Sephiroth was almost always polite, according to Hermione, so seeing him this rude... was disturbing. He didn't look angry at her, though, more towards Minerva it seemed. Having not taken her morning cup of coffee yet, Emma was still barely awake, but she was reluctant to approach the coffee maker, Sephiroth giving a disturbing impression. The latter finally raised his eyes, and sighed when he saw her.

"You can approach, Emma," he said more gently. "I will not hurt you, I promise. It's just that... I'd like to have a Virtual Reality Room on hand. So I could spend my nerves on one of my favorite simulations."

Emma nodded, cautiously approaching the coffee maker, relaxing as she saw that Sephiroth wasn't trying to tear her head off. She poured herself a cup, asking for clarification with curiosity.

"A virtual reality room?" She questioned, puzzled. "So your technology was so advanced?"

Sephiroth nodded with a weary sigh, thinking back to those days with his friends.

"Of course Emma, I told you about it when we arrived Friday, remember."

Emma frowned, before nodding, slightly embarrassed.

"You're right," she admitted, embarrassed. "And so, you had a lot of programs inside?"

Sephiroth had to think for several seconds before he could answer.

"Hundreds, I think. Genesis... especially appreciated those allowing him to char Behemoth, as you can imagine."

Emma snorted with irony before taking her cup of coffee.

"He had to appreciate all those who would allow him to burn everything that came up, I guess. And you?"

Sephiroth chuckled softly, refilling his cup.

"Mine... was made by a programmer who couldn't convince his son to eat vegetables. He had asked me in return to go to his home to do a little... scare to his son, so that he eats them. You must suspect my reaction."

"A categorical no, I guess," Emma said with some amusement. "But... why do you say he programmed this simulation in this case?"

Sephiroth laughs softly.

"Right on target. However, he gave me a CD-ROM with a video to watch on my computer, telling me that he could implement the full simulation in the hour if I accepted. It took me a week to have time to take a look at it... and the next morning I sent him a message saying that he had better be adding it on time to our usual Virtual Reality Room."

Emma blinked in surprise when she heard that.

"I wouldn't have expected you to say that," she remarked with surprise. "What kind of simulation was it for you to accept so easily?"

Sephiroth snorted with amused irony.

"Honestly, Emma, me neither, until I saw the video. As I explained to you... Hojo tortured me during all my childhood. I must confess to having had many desires to murder him... but as I thought he was my father... I never had the will to kill him. If I had known... I wouldn't have just been content to kill him in this simulation, but also in reality."

"Sorry?" Emma asked with surprise. "You mean... that this simulation was to... slaughter Hojo?"

Sephiroth laughed softly at her shocked expression.

"Remember, Emma, that this is the same person who was taking his pleasure torturing human beings. Believe me, if I told you even a hundredth of what he did to me, you would not sleep for weeks. To kill him in simulation... even if it wasn't as satisfying as killing him in real life... at least allowed me to spent my nerves. And to be exact… they were Wutai fighters, whose appearance he had replaced with a Hojo skin. I must admit that after spending a few hours in the clutches of Hojo... to let off steam by killing him repeatedly was doing me good."

Emma sighed, shaking her head.

"And you... launched it often?"

"In good times, once a week, minimum. It could go to once a day in bad," admitted the silverette. "I guess... you have an idea why I want to run it, right now?"

Emma hesitated before nodding her head hesitantly.

"You spoke of the Goddess, and old goats who poke their noses everywhere. I guess... does that mean... that Minerva ordered you to let Harry go back to Hogwarts?"

Sephiroth nodded with a sigh.

"Exact. If it was up to me... I would have refused, and I would have taken Harry as far as possible... and your family as well, but…"

"But?" Emma asked gently.

She was surprised to see him put his hand over his eyes, his shoulders shaking slightly, as if he was restraining himself from crying. When he lowered his arm, his eyes were just... haunted by something, and for a few seconds she had a pretty good glimpse of just how much he was... broken, before he lifted his defenses again, and resumed his calm air. He looked at her sadly in response.

"Minerva... apparently had access to other versions of our Planet, and she was able to exchange information with them. According to her... if Harry hadn't found me... the future would have been dark… but not as much as if I were taking him away from here," he admitted reluctantly, surprising her.

"To what point?" She dared to ask with concern.

The ex-general let out a sigh before answering, his voice weary and tired.

"The Weasley family... had been almost completely slaughtered in this vision, Ginny being the only survivor... but it would have been better for her to have been killed with the rest of her family," he explained with a mixture of grief and anger. "Hermione... was also horribly killed after being forced to see you being slaughtered in front of her. Neville... one of Harry's comrades... had been broken and reduced to the status of handyman. Luna... had suffered the same fate as Ginny. And so many others had suffered the same fate... those I hardly knew them or only crossed them in the halls of the school. I may have been a monster Emma, but at least I never prolonged the suffering of those I killed. Never, even in the depths of my madness. I know pain way too much."

Emma shivered as she heard these explanations. Said like that... she could understand that he could have agreed to let Harry go back to Hogwarts, even reluctantly. She stared at him for a long time, noticing the way he looked at his cup, as if it contained the secrets of the universe. Gently, she spoke again, drawing his attention.

"This is the only reason you accepted?"

Sephiroth hesitated, before shaking his head.

"Not exactly. That's one of the reasons, along with the one I told you the day before yesterday. We don't refuse the order of a Goddess. My last reason... to accept, was selfish enough, I have to admit it."

"That is to say?" Emma asked, puzzled.

"Minerva... told me that if I agreed to let Harry go back to Hogwarts... I would be rewarded," he admitted in a guilty tone. "Until then... despite Luna's words... Aerith... I wasn't sure that my friends... and she reincarnated. The Goddess confirmed that... and showed me that they were reincarnated. I could... see that their appearance was subtly different, which is apparently normal when someone reincarnates."

Emma blinked in surprise at the guilt that was coming from him. She realized he didn't want to be so selfish, when Harry had suffered so much. But the idea of finding those who mattered so much to him... and this woman, whom she was now almost certain that he had loved... was as important as protecting Harry. Talking about that…

"And Harry?" She asked with concern. "He isn't risking anything?"

Sephiroth hesitated before answering.

"Minerva explained to me that... Dumbledore, I think, would have no rights over Harry anymore. I don't know exactly what she meant by that, but I guess she is referring to the Magical Guardian status."

"She would have deprived him of it?" Emma asked thoughtfully, going to make coffee again.

"That's my theory too," Sephiroth confirmed. "Plus... as I told you, I don't intend to leave Harry to the wolves. If they want to raise their hands on him… they will have to pass over my dead body first."

Emma nodded as she heard that. It didn't even surprise her. Sephiroth wasn't one to break his word. She sat down, looking at him.

"I guess you will not want to try driving today?" She asked, not without humor.

Sephiroth couldn't help chuckling hearing that.

"Honestly, Emma, in my state of mind, I'm afraid to get upset and tear off your shift gear. That would be kinda... difficult to explain, don't you believe? In addition, magic and electronics don't mix very well."

Emma snorted.

"I seems to have understood that. Don't worry, I think we'll have time to do that this summer. It can wait. In the meantime... you should go wake Harry, if he's still asleep. I don't know if he might panic when he wakes up, but…"

Sephiroth laughed softly.

"Yes, you're right. Besides... maybe Nathan will take us to the forest? That would change my ideas, to me and Harry."

Emma smiled at him.

"I can always convince him, Sephiroth."

The latter nodded his head with amusement, before getting up, putting his cup in the sink. He then went up, poking his head in the room, and smiling softly as he saw that Harry was still sleeping, and that Hedwig was still faithfully keeping watch on the headboard. Gently, he went to wake the boy, who jumped opening his eyes, before calming down to see that it was only Sephiroth, who smiled gently, but with a touch of sadness.

"Hello Harry, sleep well?" He asked gently.

The boy nodded, rubbing his eyes with his good hand.

"Yes, but I had a nightmare," he admitted, sounding ashamed.

Sephiroth paused, surprised. Since knowing him, it was the first time he had ever heard him admit to having a nightmare, even though he had sometimes heard him whimper and move in his sleep. Usually he was content to say that he had slept badly and refused to say more. Taking out clothes for the boy, he helped him to get up to get dressed, continuing to talk.

"There is nothing shameful about having a nightmare, you know, Harry. Even I sometimes do get them."

Harry looked at him, surprised.

"Really?"

The silverette nodded, helping him take off his pajamas.

"Of course. To have a nightmare... means you survived, Harry. And that you refuse to let yourself be shattered by these events."

Harry nodded slowly hesitantly, before asking innocently:

"Did you have a lady who offered you a hug to comfort you?"

There, Sephiroth's brain paused, not understanding what Harry meant.

"Sorry?" He asked in a tone expressing all his perplexity at this innocent question. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, Harry. Do you want to talk about this nightmare?"

The wild-haired boy hesitated for a moment, Sephiroth helping him get dressed, then launched himself courageously.

"In my nightmare... everyone I knew told me nasty things," he explained softly. "Even you... you said... that you didn't see why you would burden yourself with a burden like me," he whispered, tears beading in his eyes.

Sephiroth felt his heart squeezed at seeing him like that, and took him gently in his arms.

"I would never tell you that, Harry. You are still a child, so it is normal that you are not as strong as an adult. And you know that my own strength is far beyond normal, so it's useless to compare yourself to me. And I will never abandon you."

Harry nodded, sniffing and wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"That's what the golden lady said too."

Sephiroth blinked in surprise.

"The golden lady?" He repeated with astonishment.

"A tall lady with long golden hair," explained the boy, "who had a kind of crown on her forehead. She was wearing a long white dress. We were in a large field of flowers... with a sky full of very bright green filaments."

Sephiroth's brain stopped working completely by hearing that. What Harry was describing to him... looked like the plain where he had met Minerva. Which meant…

"Does she had a golden armor?" he asked.

Harry hesitated, tilting his head to the side.

"Maybe? She was far away when I saw her, and the armor disappeared in a cloud of fireflies when I saw her, like the fireflies of your crystal. She called me… "my treasured child". And she said… that you would never leave me, and that you always kept your promises. She gave me a hug too," he admitted, visibly embarrassed, "and kissed me on the forehead. She said… I think… that once the dark events were over… everything would be fine. And that you and my friends would always be by my side."

Sephiroth blinked repeatedly, struggling to believe what he was hearing. Minerva… had appeared to Harry? And gave him a hug? He sighed softly, and looked at Harry with a slightly amused smile.

"You know Harry… if we find Genesis… he will most likely be jealous of us both. And maybe more of you."

"Why?" Asked the child curiously.

"Because we both had the chance to being addressed by Minerva herself," he explained gently, "and you were lucky that she took you in her arms. Genesis only saw her once… and she didn't speak to him."

Harry giggled softly.

"Are we special people then?" He asked hesitantly, as if he didn't know if it was a good thing.

"For Minerva, in any case, yes," said the former general with amusement. "Come on, it's time to get up. I'll open the window for Hedwig to go hunting, and we'll go down for breakfast."

Harry nodded, and watched him open the shutters for Hedwig, who took off without hesitation, visibly trusting Sephiroth to protect him. The boy would have lied saying that the idea of returning to Hogwarts didn't frighten him, but… even if he didn't remember the whole dream, the fact that the Goddess herself appeared to him… reassured him. If she said that Sephiroth would never give him up… it was probably true, was it not?

To be continued…

*laugh*

Yes, Harry is special for Minerva, just like Sephiroth. The latter is not happy to let Harry go back to Hogwarts, but… we do not dispute the orders of a Goddess. And yes, Minerva herself deprived Dumbles of his rights on Harry. (Dumble is doomed, you can't really do shit if the planet herself is against you. *evil cackles*-Dragonqueen909)

Next Chapter, we cover the summer, and we will discover more about what is happening behind the scenes!

Since Harry will be returning to Hogwarts… I would like you to give me prank ideas to do to Umbridge. I plan to make her go slowly crazy in Harry's fifth year (at least, more than she already is), and cause Fudge downfall by cascade effect. I already planned her end, but I'd like ideas for the rest of the year :)