NOTE: I know, I am very, very late regarding this chapter. I have little excuse other than the fact that my muse has about as much attention as Zack on caffeine. The first chapters came almost by themselves... and then other ideas came to parasitize me to the point that I couldn't write anything more about this story (glare at Murphy and another FFVII bunny). Now that I'm back on it, you should have another chapter fairly quickly... at least I hope so.
(yes she took very long to get back to this one even with me poking her for more^^ but now she's back so lets cheer for this long awaited chapter -Dragon)
Chapter 7: Those who accept the protection of the stars
Emma looked up when she heard Sephiroth and Harry come down and raised a surprised eyebrow at seeing the silverette looking much calmer than she would have thought. He seemed almost amused. Harry following behind and keeping a hold on him, she tilted her head to the side, a little intrigued. he gave her the impression of having a little… mentally regressed? In any case, at that moment, he gave her the impression of behaving like a child of ten years, maybe less. The mother mentally shook her head and decided not to ask questions.
She was pulled from her thoughts by Nathan, who had come to sit next to her, kissing her tenderly. Hermione joined them soon after, obviously still half asleep, and she went to sit next to Sephiroth, who was standing next to Harry. The breakfast was quiet, and Emma noticed that Hermione looked really tired, as if she had not slept enough. A question to her daughter told her she had not read late into the night, as she might have expected, just that she had woken up in the middle of the night and had trouble getting back to sleep. Asking if she had a nightmare, Hermione hesitate before answering.
"I don't know if I had a nightmare, I just know that... I felt something that woke me up. But I don't know what," she admitted, visibly frustrated.
Emma exchanged a look with Sephiroth, and he nodded silently. Maybe this outing to the forest would be a good thing indeed, she thought. It would actually change everyone's ideas. A few words whispered in secret to Nathan saw him accept the idea. They hadn't had a picnic for a long time, and decided to take advantage of it. In addition, the day was perfect for that, with a big blue sky, some cottony clouds floating lazily, and a light breeze.
Emma enrolled Nathan and Sephiroth to help prepare the picnic, and let Hermione and Harry discuss how they would arrange homework later, when Harry's arm would be healed. Speaking of which, Sephiroth had asked the couple for advice on a possible shower for Harry, and Emma had advised against this, for the moment at least. If Harry wanted to wash, the best thing was that he did it at the sink with a glove. Sephiroth had recognized that it was the best, and explained that he had rarely kept bandages for more than a few minutes, his enhancements being so great that he healed very quickly, even of fractures.
At Emma's request, Sephiroth miniaturized the provisions for the picnic, knowing that his appetite was really important. Fortunately, Nathan had gone shopping the day before while they were away, seeing how high Sephiroth's appetite was. But he had grimaced, realizing that the former general was going to stretch their budget. However… when he asked him the question, Sephiroth explained that, according to Zack, even if it was possible to survive with quantities equivalent to those that a normal human needs… they always kept a feeling of permanent hunger, and especially the Mako became no longer as effective.
Zack had spent almost a year fleeing the Shinra, and during that time, he had almost never been able to swallow the amount of food he needed, so… that was one of the reasons that he had finally succumbed to the battalions of Shinra's militia. The Mako allowed to survive serious injuries, if they happened at once, but small wounds over small wounds… the more they accumulated, and the less the body managed to heal itself. If the army had been able to kill him... it was above all after wearing him down to his last meager mako reserve. If he had been able to eat properly… his chances of getting out would have been much greater. In addition, Mako increased body temperature, giving the impression that they had a permanent fever, but that was actually due to a much higher metabolism than normal.
Surprised, Emma asked him if she could take his temperature, honestly intrigued. Slightly amused, Sephiroth gave her permission. A few minutes later, Emma stared at the thermometer incredulously. If he had been a normal human, she would have taken him straight to the doctor for an examination, but he assured her that it was normal. His normal temperature was apparently 39°C, just below a dangerously high fever for an ordinary human being. When she asked him if all the SOLDIERS had such a high temperature, he answered in the affirmative, helping to load the car.
"Our bodies… work like that of a normal human on most points, Emma. Only… we digest food much faster, and assimilate more, especially if we are injured. Regarding our body temperature, it starts to increase from the first injection, and stabilizes quickly, in the days that follow. Apparently, it rarely varied according to the subjects, but some of them sometimes reacted a little badly with Mako, and the injections had to be more distant. This wasn't the norm, however, and these cases were apparently rare."
"When you say they reacted badly…" asked Emma thoughtfully, checking that they had everything, "what do you mean by that?"
Sephiroth paused, pensive himself, searching in his memories, before answering her.
"Some reactions were very similar to poisoning, with nausea, migraines, and high fever. These symptoms were rarely fatal, especially because once a subject reacted too badly to Mako, he was removed from the program. They could not climb the ranks of SOLDIER, but often they ended up as Commanders in the Militia."
Emma frowned as she heard that.
"So… even if the candidates could not enter the SOLDIER program, they still remained in their… army?"
The silverette nodded.
"Shinra Sr, despite his tendency to throw more or less money out of the window regarding women, didn't really believe in… "wasting", if you will. Others supported the Mako well physically… but mentally it was more difficult."
"What do you mean?" Said Emma as they returned to the house to pick up the children.
"Remember, Emma" said gently Sephiroth. "Mako is a solid… or rather liquid form of the Lifestream. This is the souls of the dead, so sometimes, when injected into a human being…"
"They get… overwhelmed by the information?" She asked, puzzled.
"More or less," agreed the ex-general, "if I understood everything well. Especially if the person had problems with self-esteem, like Cloud."
Emma blinked, surprised. The kids were clearly excited about having a picnic, especially Harry, whose eyes shone with excitement at his first picnic. Hermione jumped almost in all directions, having Sephiroth gave a slight smile, despite the serious discussion, as he supported Harry to move, Nathan following with the keys to his car, closing the door behind them.
"Yet…"
Sephiroth interrupted her, shaking his head gently, helping Harry climb into the car, sitting next to him, Hermione on the other side. The children were quiet despite the excitement, listening to the story carefully, like Nathan, who had taken the driver's seat this time.
"Cloud… had serious problems with self-esteem, Emma. I will not say more because it is a private thing, but… he was rejected by his hometown for reasons that largely elude me. I know this… because I had access to his mind, broken and more or less suppressed, when he tried to stop me. Part of me… is surprised that he was able to lift Zack's Buster Sword, especially knowing its weight. At the time, it had to weigh something like almost twice his weight."
Nathan nodded, turning at the end of the street.
"Adrenaline can do a lot of things, Sephiroth. Of course, once it left… the body has sometimes suffered because of the effort required. Some realized afterwards that they had been injured, the pain having been blocked by adrenaline."
Sephiroth nodded.
"I see what you mean, Nathan. Still, after passing through the hands of Hojo… the latter wanted to make Cloud one of my clones… a bit like the copies of Genesis, but differently."
"That is to say?" Emma asked.
Sephiroth let out a sigh.
"From what I understand… and what our… friend explained to us, Hojo had a theory… about Jenova's "Reunion" According to him… if Jenova were dismembered… her parts would seek to come back together, to become one again. And yes, Hojo was particularly twisted. He theorized that scattered cells would seek to return to the main body, influencing the spirit of the creatures to which they were injected. Whether they were human or not."
"And that's what happened to you?" Emma asked, intrigued and furious at this lunatic, who was no scientist but in title.
"Not really," replied the silverette. "She… completely took control of my mind when I… dropped my guard at Nibelheim. After that… Hojo injected my cells to Zack, Cloud, and about 15 other people. I don't know where these people came from… because I'm sure I haven't… spared anyone in Nibelheim. Except Cloud and Tifa."
Emma hesitated before speaking, seeing that the subject was clearly painful and filled with shame for the former general. She still respected the fact that he was able to talk about it, and especially to show that he wasn't proud of it.
"You were… particularly thorough, were you not?" She asked, not without respect.
Sephiroth couldn't help snorting with some irony.
"That's the least we can say, Emma. Normally… it's something I'm proud of. Not this time. Cloud and Tifa… were really the only survivors, and by pure luck in their case. Tifa… tried to attack me after I killed her father. She was lucky that Jenova was more concerned about making me come to her than kill her. After I knocked her out… Cloud intervened."
"And Zack?" Nathan asked, intrigued and a little uncomfortable. "Where was he?"
The driver could thanks the heaven that Sephiroth… watered down the subject for the kids. He didn't really hide anything, but didn't really go into the details either. Sephiroth exhaled in response to Nathan's question.
"Zack… had chased me up to the Nibelheim Reactor. I don't remember the fight very well… but I know he did his best to try to reason with me… and when it didn't work, stop me. Without success. I ended up defeating him, without killing him, because he was still a friend of mine. And even Jenova could not force me to kill him. After that… the father of Tifa, the mayor of the city, came to confront me for my actions, if I remember correctly. His daughter, Tifa… who had been our guide to the Reactor, arrived shortly after his death. She seized Masamune, still there, and tried to attack me."
"Tried is the key word," said Emma softly.
Sephiroth nodded with sadness.
"She had courage, impossible to deny. And strength, because Masamune weights relatively heavy for a normal person. After that, maybe it's adrenaline, as you told me, Nathan. But in front of me…"
"She was helpless," Nathan said softly, stepping onto the highway.
"Yes," answered Sephiroth. "After I knocked her out… Cloud arrived… and grabbed Zack's Buster Sword… and used it to impale me from behind."
Nathan narrowly avoided a swerve when he heard that. And Sephiroth would have survived this injury?! Emma had told him about the size of the sword, which they had seen at a pawnshop. This one should have cut Sephiroth in two! He noticed that if Emma looked as green as him, the children didn't seem really surprised. He probably had told them already… and probably in the same terms. Just enough detail for them to understand, but not enough for them to imagine.
"And you survived that?" He asked, incredulous. "How?"
Sephiroth snorted sarcastically.
"The Mako, which immediately slowed the bleeding until it no longer presented an immediate danger, and the cells of Jenova, probably helped by the latter, who was nearby. Still, I was barely standing, and I would probably have collapsed to the ground if she hadn't been in control. I can bear a lot of pain… but that was too much, even for me. I remember… having beheaded her… and no, there was no bloodshed with her body," he said, unable to restrain a fit of morbid humor.
"It's disgusting anyway," Emma replied, visibly disgusted.
"Honestly, I agree with you, Emma," confessed Sephiroth. "Even today, I wonder why she made me do that… especially since it mustn't have been very pleasant for her either. But from what I know… her head was where most of the living cells were concentrated, so there was probably a reason for that. After I did that… Cloud came back to the room where I was, furious with me. We were above the Mako Basin, where it was stored before being… burned? I believe, to make energy. I remember recalling Masamune to me, and using it to impale him in his turn… hanging him over the Mako."
Emma shivered with sympathy for the poor boy... because at the time he was still a teenager. She could see that it cost Sephiroth to tell them that, which was the main reason why she wasn't trying to stop him.
"Cloud... managed to get back on the bridge where I was, and turned Masamune against me... throwing me into the Mako below with Jenova's head. And that's the last thing I remember clearly enough," admitted the silverette with guilt. "The five years that followed… are mostly fragments of memories without tail or head. The time of Meteorfall… same. Some scenes stand out from the rest… like the fact that I killed Shinra Sr using what was left of Jenova's body, reforming it to my image, body that was at the time kept in Shinra Tower in Midgar, or Aerith's death… but the rest is at best vague, at worst fragmented scenes, atrociously clear."
"And the fight against Cloud and his friends, right?" Harry asked timidly, speaking for the first time.
Sephiroth had already told him all that, more or less in the same way, like Hermione. The silverette nodded softly.
"This is one of my clearest memories, yes. Jenova… had used the memory of my defeat against Cloud, then an ordinary human without any enhancement, to… anchor me, one could say, in the Lifestream. Without that… my soul might have dissolved once it naturally reconstructed itself."
"But Jenova didn't allow it," said Emma angrily.
Sephiroth shook his head.
"No. If that had been the case… I would have refused to do what she wanted. I had suffered too much to want to continue. And after Aerith restored my soul… being in the Lifestream was a relief in the end. Even if she was suspicious of me… she could feel that I had suffered."
Slowly, Nathan nodded, focused on his driving, but still listening and participating in the conversation.
"And concerning Hojo's theory? Why did he injected your cells to these people, Cloud and Zack?"
Sephiroth thought before answering, hesitating.
"I think… he wanted to see if these people were really going to look for Jenova. Except that, apparently, once released… these people just wandered around the city. They didn't have the mental or physical strength to resist my will, and had become puppets without willpower. Zack… totally resisted my control, probably because Hojo's… experiments were too similar to the SOLDIER program enhancements. Cloud… on the other hand, was a victim of Mako poisoning, and found himself in a catatonic state. From what I know… Hojo labeled them as failures, and locked them away. There were apparently scientists who came regularly to take a look at them, and sometimes Hojo himself."
Emma shook her head, disgusted.
"This man was really only scientist in name. In reality, he was nothing more than a sadist."
Sephiroth snorted with sarcasm.
"You tell me, Emma. You already know what happened to them, anyway. The successful "clones" all had a number on them, it seems, ranging from one to fourteen. Five years after my first… death, Jenova had rebuilt my mind enough for me to take control… in appearance at least. In fact, she kept pulling the strings behind the scenes. She made me call my… clones, and use her body as a… vessel, could we say. I sowed chaos in Shinra Tower, and then Cloud and his friends pursued me across the continents of Gaia to the Northern Crater, where Jenova had crashed 2,000 years earlier than this time, that is about 12,000 years from us now."
"Cloud… was doing it of his own free will?" Nathan asked, changing lanes.
"Yes… and no. I couldn't really control him, but he was still influenced by me. When they arrived… I sent most of my Clones to the Lifestream… probably the best thing that could happen to them," he admitted sadly, "especially considering what they had suffered. Cloud and his friends… had put their hands on the Black Materia during their wanderings."
"The one that allowed to call the Meteor?" Emma asked, remembering their conversation.
Sephiroth nodded.
"Exactly. They… vanquished the body of Jenova I was using, which had taken a monstrous form, and recovered the Black Materia it had managed to take from them. They continued wandering for a while in this area… until they found my body, or at least what was left of it, trapped in a Mako crystal. They had also met Hojo, Rufus Shinra, the heir to his father's empire, and some other executives of the company. Hojo had… decided to brag about his Theory, which is one of the reasons I'm aware of this, saying he thought the "clones" would look for Jenova's body, driven by the instinct of the Reunion. Except that my will had been the strongest for that point."
"And how did you come into possession of the Black Materia?" Harry asked.
Sephiroth didn't give much details about it, much less about the Nibelheim incident, only giving the outline. There he learned more about what had happened to Sephiroth, and he was sad for him. The silverette sighed softly in response.
"Cloud… was relatively unstable psychologically, despite the artificial SOLDIER's personality that he had made himself. I… or rather Jenova, taunted him, telling him that he didn't really exist, and was only one of my clones, an artificial and unwilling puppet. That he wasn't real. Cloud… collapsed nervously, but in a different way from me. He gave me the Black Materia, and by doing so, gave me enough energy for me to finish restoring my body, invoke the Meteor, and create an earthquake, causing him to fall into the Lifestream."
"And he survived too?" Wondered Emma.
"Probably because Minerva wanted it," explained the ex-general. "He resurfaced about a week later in a coastal town… and no, I don't know how," he admitted. "Minerva… is at best difficult to understand. Tifa apparently took care of him when they found him… until they both fell again in the Lifestream because of an attack by a WEAPON."
"A WEAPON?" Nathan wondered, puzzled.
He felt the emphasis that Sephiroth had on the word, just as for SOLDIER. The latter hesitated before answering, searching for his words.
"WEAPONS were giant creatures created by the Planet when Jenova fell from the sky, to counter her. The Cetras, however, managed to seal her, and the WEAPONS sank into a deep sleep. They woke up soon after Jenova started to mess around, using me as her puppet. They also caused a lot of damage, and were defeated by Cloud and his friends one after the other. After that… Rufus Shinra, on Hojo's advice, moved a giant cannon to Midgar. The official goal was to break the barrier I had formed around the Northern Crater… but Hojo's was to give me more energy, and therefore make me more powerful. The last WEAPON, DIAMOND if I remember correctly, attacked Midgar just as the Cannon fired, destroying it. Which was a good thing."
"Why?" Emma asked intrigued.
"This cannon was powered by Mako," explained Sephiroth. "And as the Reactors… destroyed mako when it was converted into energy. It therefore presented an even greater threat than the Reactors, as it was connected to the eight reactors of the city, although only 7 were still functioning. The shot… was enough to destroy the DIAMOND WEAPON, blowing through it with enough force to continue to the Northern Crater, and destroy my barrier. From what I learned later, Hojo took control of it to try to overload it… and send me energy. Despite the total blackout on the city. And the last attack of the WEAPON destroyed the Shinra tower, where Rufus was."
"He was stopped at least?" Hermione asked, worried. "And this Rufus… did he died too?"
Sephiroth smiled gently at her.
"Yes, Hermione, thankfully. And no, Rufus survived, his father having created an evacuation tunnel from the top of the Tower. He took it just in time, by the way. AVALANCHE, Cloud's group, managed to kill Hojo on time, and stop the cannon before it was too late. The overload… would certainly have caused a lot of damage in the city. Alas, he had apparently had time to download a digital copy of his mind into the World Network, an Internet equivalent, to give you a point of comparison. Three years after these events… he took control of a warrior born and raised in Deepground, under the city, who had performed a Synaptic Dive in the Network to try to survive. They wanted to… summon Omega, the ultimate WEAPON in a sense, one might say, to leave the Planet, heading for a new world."
"Omega?" Emma asked.
"This is… the Planet's Noah's Ark, so to speak," explained the silverette. "When the Planet is threatened... even dying, Omega appears, and reunites the Lifestream within itself, before taking flight into space, in search of a new world. You must be aware of what happens to the planet after…"
"It becomes a sterile rock?" Said Nathan softly.
Sephiroth nodded.
"Omega is connected with Chaos, too. Chaos… is the Herault of Omega… and can be considered the God of Death, if you will. Its role is to ensure that there is no life left on the planet by sending all living beings into the Lifestream, before Omega takes off."
"So… he's the Reaper," thought Emma thoughtfully.
"Yes. Normally… it is only summoned when a "polluted" Lifestream basin is filled, in an isolated cave. This basin of Lifestream apparently consists of the souls of those dead filled with negative emotions, which indicates that the end of the world is approaching. Except that my mother… and Grimoire Valentine, my… paternal grandfather apparently… have excavated a Proto-Materia and samples of this polluted Mako, which has been used by Shinra for other experiments in Deepground."
"And the Planet did nothing?" Nathan asked, frowning.
Sephiroth shook his head in response.
"Not really, apparently. However... my paternal grandfather apparently died while protecting my mother when the polluted Mako basin suddenly went wild... but I don't have much details on the subject. My mother… felt a lot of guilt about his death… which is apparently one of the reasons she has so much… hesitated between my father and Hojo. I honestly preferred that she chose my father. He would have been a much better parent than Hojo."
"Your father?" Harry asked, puzzled and wanting to know more.
Sephiroth had hardly spoken of the one that was apparently his biological father or other members of AVALANCHE, at least not in detail. The silverette nodded.
"His name is Vincent Valentine, and he was a Turk."
Emma turned to him, puzzled.
"Why are you talking about him in the present?" She asked, obviously perplexed. "He didn't die either?"
Sephiroth shook his head.
"I doubt it, Emma. As I told you… Chaos is the Herault of Omega. My mother... whose name was Lucrecia Crescent, by the way… infused my father with Mako contaminated by the essence of Chaos, to try to save his life."
"Why?" Hermione asked, disconcerted.
"Hojo… had shot my father, mortally touching him, as he confronted him about experiences on me when I wasn't even born," the ex-general explained gently. "He tried to defend me, even though he didn't know I was his son. I'm not sure he discovered it one day, by the way. My mother… was suffering the consequences of Jenova's cell injections into her, and apparently had… visions of my future actions."
"But that didn't stop her," said Emma angrily.
"No," Sephiroth admitted. "It's… certainly the point about which I blame her the most, honestly. After Hojo… killed my father, and used his body for his experiments… my mother infused him with the essence of Chaos to try to save him. It was more or less successful… but until she managed to implant the Proto-Materia in his chest… he was totally uncontrollable. After these events… and my birth, I was separated from my mother… and brought up solely for the sake of being a soldier."
"And your father?" Nathan asked.
"In a coma for several years," Sephiroth explained. "When he finally woke up… the Mansion in which I was born and these experiments conducted, had been abandoned. Hojo had left some of his research notes within reach, letting him believe that my mother and I were dead. The fact that his body… fused with Chaos… made him immortal, apparently. Because of guilt… he had preferred to lock himself in a coffin in the basement of the mansion… and sleep."
Emma blinked, not knowing if she should laugh or get angry. That idiot… had preferred to lock himself up and drown in his guilt rather than do something. She wondered briefly if that wasn't where the myth of vampires sleeping in a coffin came from.
"Sleep in a coffin?" She asked, incredulous. "Like a vampire?"
Sephiroth chuckled softly.
"Exactly. From what I know, he slept until Cloud and his friends found him while passing through Nibelheim… which had been rebuilt identically by Shinra, with people hired to pretend to be villagers."
"To cover up what you did?" Nathan asked, frowning.
"Yes. Shinra… really dominated the islands of Gaia. Except Wutai, where he didn't have as much authority, the loyalty of the population going more to the Emperor than elsewhere."
"You had talked about Wutai the day before yesterday," remarked Emma, curious. "You said it was like a mixture of… Japan and China, right? And that was where the tea that you liked came from?"
"Exactly," confirmed Sephiroth. "They have always refused to let Shinra build a reactor on their land, as it was against their culture."
And Sephiroth began to talk about Wutai and it's culture to his fascinated audience. The road continued to scroll as he spoke, the others fascinated by what he was saying.
oOo
Dudley was sitting in a spartan room (not that he knew the word), still in shock. Two days before, his life was still what he would have described as perfect. He was at the school where his father had once gone, and he was packing his bags in preparation for the moment his father would come and get him back home. Once home, he would go find his friends, and the next day, indulge in his favorite game, the Harry Hunting.
Except that his universe had collapsed, all because of the Freak, he was certain. The police had come to get him at school, and he had been treated as a criminal (no matter if it was the truth) instead of the Freak. He had been asked a lot of questions about what he had done to him, and Dudley, too conditioned about his actions having no impact, had stupidly answered the truth. He had told everything, and was shocked to see that not only was he not congratulated for his actions, he was even scolded for what he had done. His stammered response "but… it's normal" had been met with extreme severity, and absolute contempt for him.
He was then brought to this place, which looked a lot like a prison. And the mockery had quickly rocketed. The others had made fun of his weight, calling him "Fat ball" and other nicknames of the same kind. Furious, he had tried to make them pay… but had to give up running after them. At Privet Drive, his gang would turn his prey towards him. Here… he was alone.
He winced as he touched his aching eye. The day before, he had wanted to force one of the youngest kids to give him his breakfast, finding that the portions were too small. It had been a mistake, the boy being under the protection of an older boy… and most importantly, much more muscular than Dudley. He had given a black eye to him before Dudley had time to react, and told him to leave his protégé alone if he didn't want to have any problems. For the first time, Dudley had found himself in the place of the assaulted, and not that of the aggressor. And things got worse after the newspaper arrived.
The arrest of his parents and aunt for attempting to beat Freak to death may not have made the front page, but it was certainly in the first couple of pages. And the fact that his cousin had been abused since he was left at their home had been widely covered in the article. Dudley was struggling to understand why everyone was so angry with him. His parents had always told him that what he was doing was good! Why did the others not see that?
He continued to ponder this mystery, isolated in his room so as to not be mocked by the other boarders. Alone as he was… he couldn't make them swallow their insults. Or to force them to give him their snack, he thought as his stomach rumbled. He had been hungry all the time since he got here. The portions were way too small for his taste, and he wasn't allowed other serving, not to mention that there was none of his favorite foods, fat and sweet.
Dudley hoped that his parents could quickly afford a lawyer and come get him back, so that he could teach the Freak a lesson.
oOo
Ragnok studied at length the file that had been brought to him by Gnarlfang. He was standing in front of him, nervous. Ragnok had been the champion of the Goblin cause during the last "Rebellion", almost two centuries earlier, which had allowed them to take control of the wizards money. And despite the passing time, it was clear that he had kept fit. And he had never hesitated to take care of the traitors themselves when they were discovered. And there, he felt that Shatterbeak would at best end up shoveling dragon dung, if he was lucky. The interrogator had been very thorough in his questions, and had tried to get as much information from the traitor as possible. And what he had discovered… went much further than they thought.
Dumbledore and Molly had signed a totally illegal marriage agreement between Harry Potter and Ginevra Weasley, specifying that unless a change of Guardianship occurs before the boy's sixteenth birthday, they should bond in an exclusive marriage with the impossibility of separation, with the obligation to produce an heir in the year. The problem, and what made the Goblin really angry, was that Dumbledore had done everything possible to ensure that Harry had no way out. And as for changing Magical Guardian, it was still necessary for the Wizenmagot to accept. Except that since Dumbledore was the Chief Warlock… it wasn't about to happen.
Ragnok pursed his lips. Gnarlfang's conclusions closely followed Shatterbeak's confession, and detailed the activities of the account. The monthly transfer to the Dursleys account at Barclays Bank clearly showed that they had been paid to take care of him… something they hadn't done, according to Gnarlfang. He had meticulously peeled their bank statements since the Potter Heir had come into their care… and, with the help of Muggle employees, quietly investigated their actions. According to the disgusted employees, the Dursleys kept all the money for themselves, or used it on their son, covering him with gifts and buying everything the child wanted.
The only time they had spent the money for him was to buy him glasses. And they were not even adapted to his sight! But even their actions paled in comparison with those of Molly Weasley and Albus Dumbledore.
The latter, using the illegal marriage contract, had literally looted Harry's accounts, taking advantage of the fact that one was the mother of the bride-to-be, and the other, the Guardian of the boy. In addition, Dumbledore had took all the gifts made to Harry for "defeating" Voldemort. Including money or property bequeathed by persons without a direct heir, who had named Harry their Heir in their Wills. He clicked his tongue. For the moment, they could not do anything. Not until the guardianship of the Potter Heir had changed.
He frowned on reaching the part about Molly. The latter had used the money she could withdraw as mother of the bride-to-be to finance the education of her own children. As much as her crimes were less important than those of Dumbledore… the fact that she has signed an illegal marriage contract without the consent of the Head of House was a serious crime under the purebloods laws.
He blinked several times as he reached the last page. His sharp look landed abruptly on Gnarlfang, who looked very pale.
"Is this information sure?" He asked in his hoarse voice.
The Teller nodded, visibly shaken.
"Yes, Champion King. Saul Croaker… knows the old legends, and he knows Gringotts knows them too. Our agreements with the Unspeakables are also the only thing that allowed him to inform us of this."
Ragnok rubbed his forehead with a sigh.
"The Goddess never intervened before in the life of us mortals… why now?" He asked, almost to himself.
Gnarlfang shrugged, just as uncomfortable.
"Can I offer my thoughts, Champion King Ragnok?"
The latter looked at him for a long time, then nodded.
"Go ahead, Teller Gnarlfang."
The Goblin took a deep breath before expressing himself.
"Although I cannot pretend to understand what the Goddess thinks… I cannot help thinking that this is an omen that things… are about to get worse in the Wizarding World. And that the Potter Heir is at the heart of it all, regardless of his survival against this… upstart Voldemort. Moreover… the fact that the Nightmare has been granted his guardianship instead of Dumbledore… shows that the latter is just not worthy of being the Guardian of anyone."
Ragnok nodded slowly, thoughtful.
"We know better than wizards how dangerous the Nightmare is… even if they have kept some details. However… it is clear that Dumbledore is untrustworthy. That he was passed for the preference of the Nightmare… shows that the latter is not as bad as one might think."
Gnarlfang nodded.
"Moreover… he seems determined to protect the Potter Heir. I suppose… that we will bow to his judgment on what to do about Molly Weasley, nee Prewett, and Dumbledore?"
Ragnok let out a sigh at that.
"I suppose that if not, the Goddess will let us know," he said wearily. "Now… I think you should go and prepare Mister Valentine's papers. Make sure they are foolproof. I don't doubt he will be… upset if it is not. And plan a contract as a Bodyguard, for the wizarding world as well as the Muggle one. As far as I am concerned… I will bring this report to High King Jareth."
Gnarlfang paled a little when he heard this, but nodded.
"I don't doubt he will be… unhappy to see what happened to the Potter Heir," Gnarlfang said diplomatically.
Ragnok snorted when he heard that.
"You wield euphemism like a human, Teller Gnarlfang. There is apparently a good reason why the Potters are Friends of the Nation, like Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw. From the little that I could discover… the reason would even go back to the Submersion of the Sacred Land. However… only High King Jareth would know it."
Gnarlfang let out a breath as he heard that. No one really knew the age of the High King, not even his closest advisers or his Champion Kings. Some murmured that he would be immortal, a punishment received from the Goddess herself for acts that he would have committed long ago. Others murmured that he would be a member of the High Goblins, a race as mythical as the Eldar for the House Elves. One thing was certain… his life was filled with mystery.
He saluted Ragnok, and went on his way. He did have identity papers to prepare, and he wanted them to be flawless. The outline has been created, all that remained was to take care of giving him "life" in the Muggle world. Fortunately, there were enough more or less secret organizations on that side to find one doing the trick, and discreetly add papers to their own records. Of course, that meant negotiating with the American Branches of Gringotts, but… the Potter Heir had let it be known that he was bearing the costs. And if High King Jareth had given his permission… he only had to make it so. He just had to add a contract so that his status of "bodyguard" is legal.
During this time, Ragnok put the file in order, and went down from his own office to meet Jareth. He honestly apprehended the discussion with the latter, which was sometimes… unpredictable, even if it was far from the Red Mage level. No human had ever entered this area of Gringotts, which stretched even deeper than the oldest created Vaults. He groaned as he entered the Labyrinth area, as it was called. The latter was totally absurd, and he wondered why Jareth had created it, if the rumor was true. Perhaps to filter the people who came to see him, he thought, taking a staircase that made him find his head upside down. It was true that only those who were determined could go and find him. Even knowing the way, because the passages changed from time to time. This time, however, the passages were the ones he remembered, and he quickly reached his destination.
The throne room had hardly changed since his last visit, except for the addition of a Goblin's head in a corner. Another idiot who did what he shouldn't have, thought Ragnok as he approached the throne, on which his sovereign was draped. Jareth didn't look like any Goblin, not even the Champions Kings. He was taller to begin with, as tall as an average adult human male. His long, slightly messy hair was blond, unlike the majority of Goblins who had white or, in rare cases, black. His skin was also the same color as that of a human, and, if it were not for his pointy ears or his spiked teeth (though straighter than those of other Goblins), he could have easily passed for a human.
Jareth was currently reading papers, sitting sideways on his throne, the very picture of boredom, but Ragnok dared not disturb him anyway. He knew that the last one to have disturbed him during his reading had ended with his head on a spike, even if it would have been hard to know who had been the offender, or even if he had a valid reason. He waited patiently for the High King to notice him, perfectly motionless.
Finally, Jareth reached the end of his page, and put it on the table behind him, to the right of the throne more exactly. He then turned his head towards Ragnok, his blue eyes piercing the Goblin.
"Ragnok. I hope you have some information to tell me about Harry James Potter's finances," Jareth said in his deep, calm voice.
Ragnok nodded, ignoring the cold thrill that ran through his back at the underlying threat in his sovereign's voice. Jareth was one of the few Goblins to be in possession of Materias, and no one knew where he got them from. Some thought he had inherited them from his family, others that he had obtained them himself before the submergence of the Sacred Land by Minerva, if he was really so old. No one really knew, and the last to ask the question had lost his head… literally. He handed the file to the High King, and retreated to his previous position, crossing his hands behind his back. Even among the Goblins, only the champion Kings and his advisers knew that he existed. Very few Goblins outside these people… and, as far as he knew, no human. He just hoped that no urgency that required his presence (like an angry Nightmare that came to destroy the bank) would happen during his absence.
Jareth slowly read the file, sometimes frowning, until he came to the passage that had made Ragnok paused, where he blinked, obviously surprised, and reread the lines several times. He then looked up at Ragnok, sitting up properly.
"Is this information reliable?" He asked, a dull anger in his voice.
The latter nodded in response.
"Saul Croaker is the one who apparently brought the information about Minerva, and I know that the interrogator was… meticulous in his questioning, just like Gnarlfang and Bloodfang in their investigations."
Jareth pursed his lips, anger clearly visible in his expression.
"Actions are to be taken against Molly Prewett-Weasley and Albus Dumbledore. However… the latter is also powerful in the non-wizard world. To destroy him… even without killing him, will not be easy. And it's not like humans listen to us."
"No," Ragnok admitted. "Only humans could destroy this person effectively. We… would be ridiculed at best, and at worst, we would have problems for our… "interference" in wizarding business."
Jareth nodded thoughtfully, obviously lost in his thoughts. After a few minutes, he suddenly got up, making Ragnok blink, and headed for a door at the back of the room, ordering the Goblin to follow. The latter hastened to comply, not really understanding why, but not daring to disobey his King, wanting to keep his head on his shoulders. He almost had to run to follow Jareth's stride, and the latter wasn't even running, just advancing fast. The corridor in which they were advancing was sloping down, and Ragnok wondered where they were going. Nobody knew where this particular door led, and it only opened to Jareth's magical signature.
Finally, they arrived at a new door, and the High Goblin King pushed the doors with an elegant gesture, making them open wide, letting out a pale green glow coming through. Ragnok gaped, wondering if he was dreaming. He approached cautiously, and realized no, he wasn't hallucinating. In front of him was a Mako Spring, perhaps the last one in the world. The whispers of the Lifestream were audible in this room, and he wondered incredulously why he had the honor of being admitted to this sacred place. He had heard the rumors, yes, that there would be a room, far away in the depths of the palace, where you could hear the Goddess, but he never imagined having the chance to have access to it.
He stood respectfully at a distance, watching Jareth kneel at the edge of the pool, and imitating him after a few seconds. Humans may have forgotten the voice of the planet… not the Goblins. But Dumbledore was certainly about to rediscover it… and probably very painfully, he thought, shuddering.
Speaking of pain, he was drawn from his thoughts by Jareth who was swearing, and looked up to see him lean his head toward the Lifestream pool, something in his right hand and rubbing his forehead with the other.
"Alright, I understood, it wasn't worth throwing me a summon Materia to the face! Okay, the kid can have it," he grumbled, almost looking like a kid who was sulking. "I will not keep it, anyway, I have no use for it."
Ragnok blinked in disbelief at the way he spoke to the planet. Either he was suicidal… or he was actually so old that he could afford to talk to it that way. Jareth stood up, turning to Ragnok, his expression clearly annoyed. He threw something small and red to the Goblin, who caught it by reflex… and almost dropped it realizing that it was indeed a Summon Materia! He understood, however, why Jareth didn't want to keep it, the spirit inside, although as intelligent as they were, had the curiosity of a three-year-old child in the middle of the "why?" phase. The name of the spirit in itself (Carbuncle) told him absolutely nothing, but he didn't have the impression that it was an offensive type.
He looked at his High King, speechless, perplexed. In front of his expression, the latter sighed and explained with a weary air.
"Minerva herself said that we must let the Nightmare take care of Harry James Potter situation. According to her, he will make the right decisions about him. In addition… this Summon is for the child, to protect him apparently. Send it over to him, saying that this is a gift from me."
Ragnok blinked in disbelief, and decided not to ask questions. The ways of the Goddess were decidedly impenetrable, he told himself going back the opposite direction, following Jareth. Once back in the throne room, he politely ignored Jareth disgusted expression at the paperwork that had accumulated on his table, and bowed respectfully when he dismissed him with a wave of the hand, returning to slouching on his throne with a grunt, seizing a new sheet.
Ragnok took the path leading back, returning to his own post. For the moment... they had nothing more to do than wait for Sephiroth's response to the identity papers that would be sent to him. And make him an appointment with Bloodfang, he reminded himself. The Champion King didn't doubt that he would be... furious at the machinations of Dumbledore and Molly. He just hoped the bank would survive. Maybe he should get something to allow him to let off steam, he told himself. It would not hurt.
oOo
Sephiroth chuckled softly at the expression of others. The situation was particularly comical from his point of view.
They had arrived safely where Nathan had told them, and he explained that they had stumbled upon this place with Emma a long time ago, even before their wedding. The advantage was that there was no living soul around for miles, and they might have seen five or six people since they started coming here. Sephiroth nodded with satisfaction, and activated his Scan Materia to look around. He couldn't see any surveillance stones close by, and had informed the others with satisfaction. However, since the trip had taken at least three and a half hours, and everyone was getting hungry, the decision was made to eat before doing anything else.
Nathan had rolled his eyes with a sigh as he saw how much food was coming out of the cooler, especially after Sephiroth had reused Mini to make their food back to normal size again, but he didn't say anything about it. Given Sephiroth's appetite, he understood why they had done that. And Harry still had that amazed look on seeing Materia work. The boy had also looked around him with fascination, looking at the forest with curiosity. The forest didn't look like the Forbidden Forest at all, and at least there were no giant spiders there. Emma had shuddered when she heard that. She hated normal spiders, so one the size of a truck... The mother was at least reassured to know that if Harry was forced to return, Sephiroth would be with him.
The silverette had agreed to show Nathan his Shadow Creepers when he spoke about it just before they ate. He had laughed softly when he heard Nathan swear in fear when the creature had come out of the ground in a black cloud, a bit like him. And he could understand the poor father. With their long claws, skeleton dog-ish look and their rodent skull type, all the size of a horse, the Shadow Creepers had something to impress. Strangely, Hermione was the one who was the least frightened by them. He quickly dismissed the monster, however, and Nathan, half jokingly, said that he wouldn't have been against a glass of alcohol after that. Emma had replied that given the swears he had just spewed off, he would be very happy to not sleep on the couch. Nathan moaned in response, entering the game, and Sephiroth smiled, amused, seeing that. He could see that neither of them was really serious in saying that, and it helped break the tension.
The meal had been calm, and discussions had revolved around the food that was in Midgar at that time. Everyone had laughed when Sephiroth compared army mess food to dog food, especially for Cadets targeting the SOLDIER or infantry. Nathan had reassured him that it was the same everywhere, and that the food for the base soldiers was not much better, according to his own experience in military service.
Finally, everyone had finished, and Emma asked if he could tell them more about the Summons. Sephiroth had to look into his memories of the Lifestream before answering. From what he had been able to learn, a Summon Material was formed when a soul attached itself to a fragment of magic, and it was this fragment of magic that determined the Summon that would be "born" in a way.
"So," said Hermione, "if a soul clings to a fragment of ice magic…"
"A Shiva is "born", in a sense," confirmed Sephiroth. "And it's the same thing when they reach the master level. For Summons like Bahamut, it's a dragon soul. And so on. Choco/Mog and Odin are a little apart in this category, however."
"Why?" Emma asked, puzzled.
"Both are actually two distinct entities: Odin is a man and a six-legged horse, Sleipnir according to what was explained to me, and Choco/Mog consists of a Chocobo and a Mog who rides him. Mounts can be summoned separately when needed, but their riders do not. Invoking the rider will automatically summon the mount with him. Bahamut and his "brothers", however, have no proper elements, like some other Summons. Some, like Kujata or Typhoon, even attack with several elements combined."
Nathan let out an admiring whistle.
"The fights had to be... interesting with them," he said. "How did you do?"
Sephiroth couldn't help but laugh with amusement in response.
"Honestly, Nathan, it was quite rare to fight with Summons, for two reasons. The first was that they cost a lot of magic to call them, even if they like you. And the second, which was also the main reason, is that you had to find their Materia first."
"Were they so rare?" Harry asked, curious.
"Extremely rare," confirmed Sephiroth. "As far as I know... there weren't more than a few copies of their Materia... Phoenix being perhaps the most prolific, for a reason that escaped everyone. Otherwise, the best way to have more, was to bring them to the Master level, as for all other Materia."
"It had to take a long time, if they cost so much magic to summon them, right?" Emma asked, giving a can to Harry.
Sephiroth nodded.
"Everything depended on the people, and if they had the necessary equipment for that, but yes, it could take a long time."
"And why is it that you were talking about if they like you?" Nathan asked, puzzled.
"Most people... even the SOLDIER... didn't really have the ability to be able to... hear the Summons. Me and Genesis... were among the few people who could do so. I know that Angeal wasn't able to do it anyway, unless he summoned them. Same for Zack. Aerith... explained her being able because she was an Ancient or Cetra, as I explained to you, Emma."
"I see…" said the latter thoughtfully. "And if you summoned one of them, could we talk to it too?"
"Of course," Sephiroth agreed." Even our... friend, who didn't come from our world, could talk to them when they were present. She got on particularly well with Shiva", he chuckled, "despite her being easily cold. But Shiva liked her a lot. Ifrit too, by the way. However, Genesis couldn't call him often because the Materia couldn't correctly connect to the Local Lifestream."
"Ifrit liked Genesis?" Hermione asked, amused.
Sephiroth burst out laughing.
"He even loved him, first of all because Genesis was an inveterate pyroman, I think. However, he doesn't like me, especially because I tend more towards ice in element... which makes Shiva appreciate me enormously, I think. For this reason, Genesis rarely summoned Shiva if he could avoid it, just as I prefer to avoid summoning Ifrit if I can. I have plenty of mana to call him if needed, but I still preferred to leave his summoning to Genesis or even Angeal, who had no real preference in element."
"Can we see her?" Harry asked, his tone mixing pleading and curious hope.
Emma smiles with amusement as she sees this. She must admit to being curious too.
"It isn't likely to get too much attention at least?" Nathan asked, frowning.
Sephiroth laughed softly as he got up, digging in his pockets, and took out a clearly miniaturized bag. He returned it to normal size thanks to Mini, while responding to the family father.
"No risk, Nathan. I would be more worried if I had to summon Bahamut or his brothers, or even Leviathan, because their summoning takes place from the sky or a fairly wide body of water. In addition, they are imposing, which would immediately alert the authorities. Shiva, like Ifrit, Titan or Odin, are more or less human in size. They can vary their size easily, but in general, it is perfectly possible to summon them in your living room if you want... or your garden," he says with humor, taking out a blood-red sphere from the bag, and miniaturizing it again, then putting it back in his pocket. "Sleipnir is about the size of a big horse, which puts Odin at the same height as a normal rider."
"So, can they adapt their size to their environment?" Emma asked, fascinated, as he placed Shiva in one of his armlets.
The silverette nodded.
"Most often, Leviathan and the Bahamuts took a size close to their "normal" size because they were called in open spaces, to deal with tough enemies like say the Behemoths. So to call on all their power…"
"They are forced to take their real size?" Hermione asked, curious.
"I think we can say that," Sephiroth agreed with amusement. "So... Shiva?"
Everyone nodded, and he focused on the Materia with an amused smile. Shiva had turned her attention to him the instant he had inserted her Materia into his Dragon Armlet, surprised and curious. She hadn't been summoned for millennia, so she responded enthusiastically as he channeled his magic into the Summon Materia. Snowflakes appeared in the air, concentrating abruptly in a precise area after a few seconds, and forming Shiva's body. Sephiroth barely paid attention to Nathan's strangled cry, half outrage half-embarrassed, slightly astonished. He had rarely seen Shiva in this form, except when she was really furious. Normally, Shiva had the appearance of a rather tall woman, almost naked except for a kind of ice bikini (which was probably the reason for Nathan's embarrassed indignation) with long snow white hair artistically styled and pale-skinned. This time, she had appeared with no less than SIX arms, such as the Hindu deity who was probably inspired by stories of survivors of the Sacred Land.
He blinked in surprise, however, seeing her squeal with delight and return to her normal form (with only two arms), and literally jump on Harry, hugging him to cuddle him, cooing with joy.
He laughed softly in his corner, seeing the reaction of the others. The situation was particularly comical from his point of view. Nathan was in a corner, red with discomfort and embarrassment in front of Shiva's outfit (or rather her lack of outfit), Emma had her hand over her eyes, embarrassed, and giving him the impression of not knowing where to go. Hermione seemed to be divided between confusion and amusement, with some embarrassment, and Harry... was red like a tomato, and obviously didn't know what to do to get out of this situation... especially since Shiva didn't seem determined to let him go.
Sephiroth was particularly amused by all that. He finally took pity on the family, and addressed Shiva with amusement, drawing her attention.
"Shiva, could you make clothes? I think they are a little... embarrassed at your lack of outfit."
Shiva looked up, distracted, and raised an eyebrow at the parents' expression. She laughed softly, her voice resembling a windchime.
"It looks like it, indeed. I guess they have no preference for the style of clothing, as long as I wear something more... covering?" She asked with amusement.
Emma, like Nathan, frantically nodded, making the ice goddess laugh, who released Harry slightly, much to his relief, and snapped the fingers of her free hand, making a traditional Hindu saree. Snow white like her hair, with dark blue embroidery forming patterns of snowflakes. She then cuddled Harry again, who seemed much less embarrassed now that she was "dressed".
The latter had been surprised when she had gathered him in her arms for a hug, cooing on the fact that she had an extraordinary chance for meeting a blessed child of the Goddess. He would have expected her skin to be icy, because she was apparently of the ice element, but it wasn't the case in the end. Her skin had been cool, but not cold, as if she was just coming out of a cooler area than the rest. Sephiroth finally intervened, reminding her that even if she controlled her powers perfectly, the coldness that emanated from her would eventually cause problems for Harry, especially since it was summer.
Shiva just laughed with amusement, deciding to sit cross-legged on the picnic blanket, Harry on her lap.
"Don't worry, Sephiroth, it's not like I can hurt a blessed child of the Goddess. If I can ask the question... what prompted you to invoke me here and now, out of curiosity?"
Sephiroth laughed softly before answering her.
"Let's say that Nathan and Emma were curious to see a Summon, and Nathan also wanted to see one of my Shadow Creepers. Moreover, now that Harry is free from the burden of spells that siphoned his magic, I wanted to find a secluded place for him to practice."
Shiva's eyes narrowed, her amber eyes taking on a hard, icy glow, snowflakes appearing in the air around her.
"Someone placed spells draining the magic of a blessed child of the Goddess on him?" She asked in an icy tone. "WHO dared to do this blasphemy?"
Sephiroth shook his head.
"Albus Dumbledore. However... Minerva herself deprived him of all authority over Harry. And that old fool... is mine," he said softly, but with intensity.
If Shiva had been a mortal, she would have shuddered at his expression. In any case, it was the case of the family, from what she saw. Shiva could have left if she wanted, but she had to admit that she was curious to see what the boy was capable of. She didn't need a Scan Materia to feel the potential of the child she was holding against her, but potential didn't necessarily mean reality.
Sephiroth shook his head with some amusement this time, and decided to let Shiva do what she wanted. Despite the fact that she was made of ice, she had a particularly warm personality. Returning his attention to Harry, he decided that, as long as they could, they could start testing to see the boy's power. Cleansing a portion of the clearing, he made a small fireplace, before turning to Harry.
"Do you feel able to do a little magic?" He asked his protege kindly.
Harry hesitated, then nodded. Shiva's embrace... disoriented him a bit, but he didn't find it unpleasant. Not like Molly's embraces, who kept him from breathing. It was more like those of Sephiroth, which gave him a sense of security... something he had been sorely missing since the death of his parents. Hermione helped him take a hold of his wand, and, helped by Sephiroth, helped him practice the wand movements necessary to cast a spell. When he was pretty sure he could, Sephiroth suggested launching an Incendio. Nathan objected to it, asking if it was not too dangerous.
"Don't worry Nathan," reassured the silverette. "Even imagining that Harry lost control, I am largely able to stop a possible fire before it presents a danger... if Shiva didn't take care of it first," he added, bowing in direction of the Ice Summon.
The latter laughed softly.
"Indeed," she said in response, amused. "Don't worry, blessed little child of the Goddess, she added towards Harry, "Sephiroth knows what he's doing. And I'm there when needed."
Harry hesitated a bit more, wondering if he should tell him his name was Harry, before he gave up. After all... it was always nicer than being called "Boy" or "Freak". Taking a deep breath, he cast the spell on the little fireplace created by Sephiroth ... and on the three meters radius around it. Before anyone could panic in front of the spell's area of effect, Shiva snapped her fingers, freezing the entire area that had caught fire. There was a big blank, Harry even dropping his wand in shock, and he dared not take it back. Finally, it was Nathan who spoke again, contemplating the ice thoughtfully.
"I think it was indeed a good idea to come to the forest for Harry to practice, Sephiroth. I dare not imagine the damage in the city."
"I admit," murmured the latter, thoughtful. "I think we will have to change our method…"
"What do you mean?" Harry asked fearfully.
Sephiroth smiled gently at him.
"Nothing to worry about, don't worry. You just have to learn to "feel" your magic."
"How do you plan to do that?" Emma asked, intrigued.
"Using a spell to deprive Harry of his senses," explained the silverette. "It only lasts a few minutes, but that way he can focus only on his magic."
"Can you cast it?" Asked Hermione, curious and worried.
Sephiroth hesitated before answering.
"Surely, but I might use too much power," he admitted with some embarrassment. "This spell would be better casted by you, Hermione."
She looked at him with wide eyes.
"Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly.
The ex-general nodded.
"Sure, Hermione. I can teach you how to cast the spell, and I'm sure you will do just fine," he assured her.
"Okay," said the teen bravely, "I'm going to try."
She didn't feel sure she could get it right the first time, whatever Sephiroth said, but she wanted to try anyway. And he was right when he said he might overload the spell, which wasn't the goal. The silverette explained to her the wand movements and the incantation, and let her practice in a low voice in her corner, taking out the bag where he had taken Shiva. Searching it, he ends up taking out a bracelet. A simple Iron Bangle, but for what he wanted to do, that would be more than enough. Under the intrigued gaze of the others, he took Shiva's Materia from his Dragon Armlet, and put it in the one he had just taken out of the bag.
Without cutting the magic link between him and Shiva, he approached her and Harry, and installed the Iron Bangle on the boy's unharmed wrist, to the boy's perplexity. Before the teen's puzzled gaze, Sephiroth explained, while adjusting the strap so that the Bangle held properly.
"Since the spell will cut off all of your senses, except for touch, you will need a way to communicate. Shiva can mentally communicate with you if her Materia is in a Armlet in contact with your skin, and orally with us. So you won't be alone, and if you feel that you are afraid, she will be there to reassure you."
Harry nodded, reassured that he wouldn't be left to fend for himself. He shivered, however, when Sephiroth removed his hand from the Bracelet, and Shiva began to draw her energy from him instead of his protector. The feeling wasn't unpleasant, but strange and vaguely familiar, making Harry realize that this was what he felt with the spells that protected his "house". However… he still preferred to give his magic to Shiva, who, at least, had never hurt him. The latter gently tightened her embrace, addressing him gently:
"Don't worry, blessed child of the Goddess. I would never hurt you... and I don't think the other Summons will do it either. You are too precious for that."
Harry nodded, cheeks a little red. He just wasn't used to being given positive attention, and that made him a little uncomfortable. But he still preferred that to the negative attention he received at Hogwarts or with the Dursleys.
Finally, Hermione indicated that she was ready, and Sephiroth nodded. Looking at Shiva and Harry, he addressed the Summon first:
"Shiva, could you create a block of ice please? Approximately my height?"
"Why?" Harry asked with curiosity, even as Shiva did so, amused.
"I think after what happened with the Incendio, you're going to want to avoid offensive spells, right?" Sephiroth asked with an amused smile at Harry's embarrassment. "A Levitation spell should be within your reach, and will currently be less dangerous and more easily controlled if it ever gets out of your control."
"Yes, but a ball of ice that size?" Emma asked in disbelief, looking at the ice mass about two meters in diameter.
"Believe me, Emma," Sephiroth said, perfectly seriously, "I suspect it would have to be at least two to three bigger for it to become a problem for Harry."
Emma blinked in surprise, and almost objected... until her gaze fell on the area still covered in ice, where Harry had accidentally overloaded his Incendio earlier. From what Hermione had explained to them, normally, the spell created a small flame, perfect for lighting a campfire, and which would ignite an area no larger than a few inches. However, Harry had managed to set fire to an area of several square meters. When you take that into account... she could actually understand that Sephiroth had faith in Harry's ability to lift something so heavy.
Finally, Hermione felt confident enough to cast the spell, and indicated that she was ready. Asking her friend if he felt ready, he nodded bravely. He was at least reassured to know that he wasn't alone, Shiva's arms surrounding him and comforting him despite their coolness. Taking a deep breath, the teenage girl cast the spell, and completely cut off Harry's senses.
For several seconds, the latter was no longer aware of anything around him, plunged into silent darkness. Just Shiva's arms around him, and her voice in his mind, soft and soothing, ringing like a chime.
Breathe gently, blessed child of the Goddess. Feel around you. What do you feel?
Harry hesitated before answering, disoriented.
A… pulse? He thought hesitantly in her direction.
The boy wasn't really seeing how to associate what he saw with something known. And it was the only image that came to his mind, a wave that pulsated gently, to the rhythm of a slowly beating heart, the luminous filaments of a pale green becoming visible for a few seconds before disappearing almost entirely, then coming back. And the feeling whenever they were visible... reminded him of Minerva's hug, a warm and comforting embrace. He heard her laugh softly, visibly delighted.
Exactly. What you see... corresponds to the magic that exists in this world. Now… I'm going to point your wand towards the sphere of ice that I created earlier. I want you to cast the spell when I signal you.
But... what if I use too much force? Harry asked fearfully.
Shiva laughed again, amused.
Don't worry about that. Since I was the one who created this ice, I still keep some control over it. I will let you lift it, but it will not go higher than the treetops. So don't worry about it.
Okay, thought Harry, relieved to hear that.
He felt her gently take hold of his arm, directing it in a specific direction. Hearing her say "go on" in his mind made him swallow, but he bravely cast the levitation spell. Almost immediately, he saw the magic react around him, fascinating him. The filaments gathered around a specific point, drawing the contours of a sphere, and he realized that it was certainly the ice ball that Shiva had created earlier. Harry almost panicked when he saw it almost literally take off in the air... before it suddenly stopped the next second, much to his relief. Showing that Shiva did have some control over the ice she created.
Still, he could feel that his levitation spell was forcing to try raising the sphere in the air, and he wondered how to reduce its power. Observing the magic, he instinctively realized that there were far too many filaments around the ice. Frowning, the boy tried to eliminate parts of it, trying to diminish the power he put in his spell. It was slow and methodical work, but he was determined to succeed, if only to make Sephiroth proud. It was the first time... that someone actually believed in him for something that wasn't about defeating Voldemort... and he didn't want to disappoint the silverette. Finally, Harry could see the sphere stopped wanting to go into space, stopping its pressing against the "ceiling" defined by Shiva, even losing a little height.
Encouraged by this success, the teenager continued to remove the filaments of magic, until he felt that the spell was starting to struggle to support the ice sphere... just when the spell cutting his senses ceased to take effect. Harry lost control as a result of the surprise, the sphere falling to the ground with a thud, causing a shock wave that made Nathan wobble, which he narrowly kept his balance. The boy was on the verge of apologizing, but the father just laughed.
"It's alright Harry, don't worry. And you? You're not too tired?" He asked gently.
Harry shook his head in response, still embarrassed.
"No," he said bravely. "Not really."
Although he was beginning to have a headache, he wanted to continue, if only just to get to master his magic. Sephiroth intervened at the same time, however, drawing everyone's attention.
"Even if you're not tired, Harry," he said kindly, "I'm pretty sure you should have started having a headache, right?"
Unable to lie to his protector, and remembering that the latter had told him that he didn't have to pretend to be okay with him, he nodded, ashamed. The large hand that came to rest on his hair made him jump in reflex, even if the blow he expected more or less out of habit never came. Looking up, he met Sephiroth's feline gaze, who looked at him warmly, although slightly saddened.
"Harry, there's no shame in admitting that you don't feel well," he said gently. "What you just did requires a lot of concentration, and believe me, concentrating so much can quickly give you a headache. Plus... we have all summer to help you train. There's no need to rush."
The boy nodded, and Sephiroth ruffled his hair, making him protest, even though the others didn't really see any difference from his usual hairstyle. Nathan couldn't help but watch the scene with amusement. Sephiroth… really behaved like a big brother, despite his social handicap as clear as day. However, the father could see that the silverette was doing his best, and from his point of view... he wasn't doing that badly. And it was reassuring for their relationship. The former warrior was careful to encourage his protégé without overdoing it, and tried to help him gain independence, in every sense of the word.
The latter turned his attention to Shiva, visibly amused. She was still holding Harry against her, and the boy seemed to be more or less resigned to the fact that she didn't seem to want to release him.
"Okay, Shiva, I think you're going to have to go for today. If you want, can I call you again the next time Harry trains?" He suggested, seeing her pouting.
The teen... had to admit that he wasn't totally against the idea. The ice goddess... had been gentle and kind to him. Helping and reassuring him with his magic. He didn't know if she could do more to help him... but he wanted to see her again. Harry didn't know if he would have an affinity with ice in particular or not... but he would appreciate being able to call on her if she agreed.
Shiva let out a chiming laugh at that.
"With pleasure, Sephiroth. Meeting a child blessed by the Goddess ... is an event rare enough to be celebrated by us Summons. I'm sure the others will find a way to visit, Materia or not," she laughs while tightening her grip on Harry one last time. "Well then, see you next time, blessed child of the Goddess," she said while putting the boy back on the ground, straightening up. "I'm sure we'll meet again soon," she finished with a wink.
Before rising into the air, her sari dissipated into a multitude of snowflakes that swirled around her, concealing her briefly from their view… before dissipating as if they never existed, leaving Nathan and Emma agape. Sephiroth shook his head in amusement, before starting to help Hermione tidy up the picnic items. The parents finally recovered, helping to put away the trash. Harry helped in his own way, even if Sephiroth refused to let him do too much. He was still recovering, he explained to the worried boy, and, unlike his "family", none of them intended to overwork him. When he wanted to return the Iron Bangle with Shiva's Materia to Sephiroth, however, the latter gently refused.
"Shiva obviously likes you a lot, Harry. This means that it is more than likely that she will come to your aid without you having to consciously summon her. Plus, it will cost you a lot less magic than normal."
"Won't you miss her?" Harry dared shyly, relieved to know that he could keep her.
He had so little belongings to his name that he treasured the rare gifts he received. And the presence of the Bangle on his arm... was a comforting weight, he thought. Especially that he could feel Shiva's presence through the Materia, even if she was no longer material. It was a bit... like having a big sister near him, always there and present when needed, but without being intrusive. Sephiroth shook his head in amusement and sadness.
"This Shiva and I... are old friends, Harry. I must have been your age when I found her Materia, and she has accompanied me for years. I don't deny that I will miss her, it is true, but I am also reassured to know that she is with you. Because I know she'll protect you the best she can if I'm not around. And if I really need the help of a Shiva… I have another Summoning Materia at level 1. Besides…" he added, taking the Materia bag out of his pocket again, "I think it must be almost level 2."
Returning the bag to normal size, he quickly searched the bag, taking out another Summon Materia and studying it. Nodding, he placed it in his Bracelet, smiling at Harry as he put the bag away.
"That's it. So don't worry," he said, helping the boy get up, the others having finished putting everything away during this time. "Even if I will miss her... I can manage without her," he assured. "Right now you need Shiva more than I do. So don't worry about it."
Harry nodded shyly, unable to help feeling a little guilty anyway. The remnants of the Dursleys' conditioning, who had educated him to feel guilty about everything, would probably take years to disappear, guessed the silverette. But he would be there every step of the way, he promised himself, helping the boy to get into the car, Emma taking the wheel this time. And if someone tried to separate them... he would get to know Masamune, and very, very closely.
To be continued…
Sephiroth is in "protective big brother" mode ^^ He tries to do his best to give Harry self-confidence, without overdoing it, or letting go of him without any rules.
Jareth is the real King of the Goblins, yes ^^ And he's old enough to have crossed paths with Sephiroth. For his appearance, take David Bowie in the movie Labyrinth, but with pointed ears and teeth. For the rest ... he and the Goblins are very angry with Dumbledore and Molly. They will have difficulties with the Bank, without understanding why ^^