"That was the coolest thing I have ever seen!" Nick gushed to Harry as the two sat on top of Harry's bed back at home.
"Well, it didn't really have anything to do with me." Harry said modestly. "It was the potion that did all the work."
Thinking back on the sight Harry had created after reawakening from his potion induced dream, he did have to admit it did look pretty cool. Though the people kneeling for him was a bit awkward, Harry couldn't help smile at the acceptance the people had shown. Luckily, people had rose after only a few moments. Cyrus and Lyla had quickly rushed to Harry afterwards, demanding to know if he had been hurt at all.
Harry had only just reassured them he was alright when Nick had run up and stated in a matter-of-fact voice that he was coming home with Harry so they could get to know each other better. Harry had quickly accepted, eager at the chance to get to know Nick better but had been unable to talk to Cyrus and Lyla privately because of this.
"Aw, don't be like that! I can't make my wings appear yet. I've been trying hard but nothing! I made a feather appear once and Cyrus made fun of me for a week about it."
"Yeah, the wings are pretty cool." Harry agreed with a wicked smile. Dante had told him that the potion would reawaken his abilities but he was still shocked at seeing the wings. They were the only thing he could control at will for now, knowing he would have to work towards anything else. He could only imagine that's what Dante had been alluding to when he mentioned giving Harry a present. "You can make portals appear and everything though!"
"You're right. Only cause of this ring though. I'm still happy with my progress." Nick said with a small smile. He glanced around the room, taking it in. "How do you like the room? Lyla had surprised me with it when I was younger. She's a great artist."
"I love it! I just feel bad that I took it from you. That's amazing though that she painted this."
"Don't worry about me. I'm sure I'll be here enough that I won't even realize it's not mine anymore. Cyrus and Lyla are basically my second set of parents, so that almost makes us brothers." Nick said with a smile.
"Brothers?" Harry asked quietly. "I'm not sure I know how to be a brother. Ryan and I never really got along."
"Well," Nick frowned, seeing the sadness in Harry's eyes. "I guess we'll both have to learn as we go. I don't have any siblings either, so now we both gained one."
The simple statement caused Harry to smile brightly. Dante's words were still running through his head, and he was less worried about how to act around his new family. He knew he would be more than happy to have Nick as a brother. The boy had an easy way about him, as if he could make a conversation about almost anything with you.
"So what do you normally do around here?" Harry questioned. "What's it like to be a prince at such a young age?"
"It's not all that interesting honestly. I don't normally participate in a lot of the political stuff. If there's a really formal meeting, I have to be there. I don't make a lot of decisions though. It's an all right life though. I've recently started my training around my birthday last year. I'm sure you'll probably be starting soon too."
"What king of training do you do?"
"I mean, it's nothing crazy intense right now. A lot of it is history and politics and boring stuff like that that comes with being a prince. The other stuff is pretty cool though, like sword fighting and the different abilities we have with shadows. I've been promised to be taught how to fly as soon as I can make my wings appear."
"That still sounds pretty interesting. Probably just because everything here is so new to me, you grew up with all of it."
"Yeah, you're probably right. So… Can I see your wings again?" Nick asked sheepishly. Harry smiled, glad that Nick was so interested. It had taken a couple tries to get used to the feeling, but Harry was more comfortable with the transformation now. He could always feel the wings there, but it was as if they furled in to his back. Harry had been informed by Cyrus that most of the clothes produced here were enchanted to allow the wings to pass through the material, that way you didn't have to take off your shirt constantly. Harry focused on unfurling his wings and smiled pleasantly as he saw them appear from his back. They were a little bigger than he was, and he was told they would grow with him.
"They're so cool." Nick said reverently. "The color is nice too. Most people's wings are just shades of one color, but the highlights in yours are nice."
"Thank you." Harry beamed at the praise.
"Do you want to try flying?"
"Cyrus told me to wait until he can train me. He doesn't want me to get hurt…"
"I suppose you're right." Nick said as he glanced outside with a longing look.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to try…" Harry surrendered, not able to stop the smile that popped to his face when Nick exclaimed in excitement and scrambled off the bed to go outside.
"Let's go!" With a laugh, Harry raced out the door behind him, finding that he quite liked having a brother.
Once outside, Harry decided that the feeling of wind flowing through his wings was on the best feelings ever. It made him want to jump towards the sky and see just how great it would feel while he was actually flying.
"How do I start?" Harry asked as Nick looked at him expectantly. Sheepishly, Nick admitted that he didn't know. Concentrating, Harry tried to feel out the muscles that ran through his wings. Experimentally he tried to flex each one, observing how it made the muscle move and how it made the wind feel along his wings. He even gave a few tentative flaps of them, laughing with pleasure when he rose a few inches above the ground.
"It's amazing." Harry gushed, as he rose a few inches higher.
"I'm glad you think so, Harry." Cyrus called happily from the door leading from the house. Surprised, Harry dropped down the few inches to the ground, landing with a grunt.
"Sorry Cyrus." Harry apologized sheepishly, causing Cyrus to chuckle as he informed them to come in for dinner.
"You're probably wondering why I've summoned you here, Harry."
Harry wanted to laugh from nervousness, but he figured Darius wouldn't find it funny. He was pretty interested in why Darius had summoned Harry, alone, to the castle. Cyrus had brought him here this morning after waking Harry and Nick from their sleep. He knew that Cyrus was somewhere in the castle, probably talking with Tyler, so Harry wasn't extremely worried. Plus, it wasn't like Darius would do anything to him… Would he?
"Yes sir." Was all Harry chose to say.
"I felt it was best to properly introduce myself to our new Shadow Keeper, as well as my grandson." Darius said with no emotion in his voice. Harry swallowed down his nerves, trying to fight off the tension in the room. He figured this would probably be a personal talk as Darius had invited Harry to his personal study.
"I think that would be good sir. Our first meeting wasn't exactly, ah, a good start."
"Yes, you're quite right. I feel that I should apologize for it." Darius replied sincerely, shocking Harry. "I do not take kindly to strangers. I have seen firsthand the type of damage they can do to my land and my people. I've lost a lot of good men and woman to strangers. I don't intend for it to ever happen again. When I saw my own son and daughter-in-law, who know all we've lost, say they wanted to bring you into our circle, I was angry. Not only would you be a stranger, but you would be in the royal circle and have intimate access to many important people."
"I'm only a child, sir." Harry said helplessly, trying in some way to defend himself.
"That matters not. I have seen the type of things children can do. I've seen children kill before for their families. I did not know where your allegiances lay. After calming down a little bit, and after witnessing the ritual, I realize I may have been wrong." Darius said, taking a sigh. Standing up he walked over to a cabinet in his office. "Can I offer you a drink, Harry? Non-alcoholic of course."
"Yes sir, thank you." Harry said as Darius handed him a glass of water. He didn't drink immediately, instead focusing on Darius as he continued his speech with a glass of amber liquid in his hand.
"Where was I? After the ritual, I was forced to reconsider certain things. I've also had a few chats with Cyrus, well, arguments would be a better word. He has forced me to see certain things his way. I'm hoping that we can put the past behind us and start anew. I still believe what I said, but the circumstances around you being here have changed. You're not a stranger, just someone who lost their way for a while."
"I would like that." Harry replied, not entirely sure what to make of the man's speech. Cyrus had warned him briefly that his father was a great politician and could make almost anyone believe anything he said. "It will help us out, especially if we will be working together."
"Yes… I suppose we will be working together in the future." Darius said, mostly to himself.
"Thank you for the opportunity to start over again, sir. I hope I don't disappoint you."
"We shall see what you bring in the future. I want you to know that I will be watching your progression with interest and a keen eye, as will others. This place isn't as friendly as some would have you believe and you would do well to watch what the shadows hide."
Harry didn't know what to say as a response and he could tell that Darius' words were his way of dismissing him, so Harry quietly thanked him one last time before leaving the room. Darius watched the boy's exit before he drained his glass. With a sigh, he pulled out a piece of parchment and began to scribble out a short letter to be sent out later.
After his discussion with Darius, Harry found himself wandering the castle. He still wasn't entirely sure what to make of the conversation. He had noticed some undertones to the conversation, but he didn't know what they meant. He had hoped that Cyrus or Lyla would be able to help him pick it apart and pull out meaning from the meeting. With a sigh, Harry prayed silently that he got better at politics and hidden meanings and everything else that came with it.
As Harry continued to walk, he realized that he didn't exactly know where he was. The castle was enormous and this was only his third time here. All the other times he had an escort leading the way. Harry figured this could be his chance to privately visit the Keeper's room if he could manage to find it.
Help will always be given to those whose ask flashed through Harry's conscious. Thinking he had nothing to lose, Harry placed his hand on the brick wall of the castle and silently asked for directions to his room.
"Ow!" Harry yelped in suprise as a shock arced through the stone and into his body. His head flashed with pain for a brief moment, and when it passed he felt a sensation pulling him forward. Hoping that it was his request that had been granted, and not something more sinister, Harry followed the feeling through the halls.
It took him about five minutes to walk from his previous location to where the sensation was pulling him, forcing him to go through different stairwells and make more than a few turns.
He knew immediately that he had reached the right hallway. The hallway Harry was currently in was lit by torches and further down was complete blackness that started abruptly. It was as if there was a wall of darkness protecting it.
"This must be one of the protections on the room." Harry muttered as he carefully stepped closer to it. He stopped right before the wall of black and carefully put his hand out. At first, the wall was solid but then allowed Harry's hand to pass cleanly through. Before any doubts could form in his mind, Harry walked directly through the wall.
The hallway behind the shadow wall was still quite normal. It went down for a little while behind ending at a solid black door without any way of opening it. Harry remembered when Aaron had opened the castle door using shadows but Harry knew it would be quite a while before he would be able to do anything of that level.
"Open?" Harry asked hopefully, his voice echoing along the abandoned corridor. Though the door didn't open, a glowing outline of a hand appeared in the center of the door. Harry figured that he had come this far already so he placed his right hand on the door. The glowing outline flashed brightly and the door dissolved right before Harry's eyes.
Harry stepped into a small circular room, watching as the door reappeared behind him, and noticed with displeasure that circular metal stairs went quite a far way up. Harry began trudging up the stairs with a sigh. He was half tempted to try and fly up the passageway.
After a few minutes of walking, Harry walked through a passageway from the stairs that lead to a large circular room. His first thoughts of the room were of how messy it was. The room looked as if whoever had been here last had left in quite a rush. Remembering the story of the last Keeper of the land, Harry figured his assumption was correct.
As Harry walked further into the room, a strange feeling came over him. It was as if he was being judged by the room itself. The feeling became so overwhelming in such a short amount of time that Harry had to sit on the ground for fear of passing out.
"This room has been sealed by Clarisse Garrick, bond-mate of Shadow Keeper Ren. Speak your name and let the room judge your worthiness."
"I am Shadow Keeper Harry Potter." Came the weakened response. The feeling the room was giving him was almost suffocating the boy. His words rang out and the feeling cumulated in one last final flash of pain before it ended suddenly.
"Welcome, Keeper Harry."
"Thanks." Harry muttered sarcastically. Shaking his head clear, Harry walked about the room and examined the different materials. He found that looking through everything gave him another form of a headache as the books were all on different topics. Nothing seemed to be in any type of order and it made it extremely difficult to make sense of anything.
"Maybe it would help if this place wasn't such a mess." Harry bit out, frustrated by his ancestor's leaving the room the way it is. He figured they thought that nobody would ever return here, but that clearly wasn't the case. The words left an odd feeling in Harry's mouth as he said them and he watched in amazement as books and other discarded materials began flying about the room. Books returned to bookshelves, trash went to the bin, and Harry even had to duck as a dagger went flying by. He figured that was the room's way of getting back at him.
Now that the room was clean, he couldn't help but appreciate it. The room had a dark wooden floor that matched the wooden desk of the same color. There were a couple of bookshelves placed throughout the room, filled with different books and journals that Harry quickly glanced at the names of. Across from the desk there was a set of white arm chairs that were set right in front a large window which looked out onto the town square. Seeing the window made Harry remember that Dante had said that this room was underneath the glass room of the middle turret of the castle. Looking around, Harry did in fact see a small set of stairs that led upwards.
Harry felt an extreme sense of familiarity with the room and even a sense of fondness, leading him to wonder if it had to do with the magic of the room. Could the magic have recognized him through its scan and understood who he was? It wouldn't shock Harry, seeing as how the place had reorganized itself at his call. Harry sat himself down in the plush desk chair and opened the drawers to find them empty.
"Is there a journal or maybe instructions about the room I should read?" Harry questioned the room, hoping that it would recognize his question. A leather bound journal shimmered in to existence right in front of him on the desk.
"Thank you." Harry smiled as he reached for the book and flipped to the front page.
Dear Keeper,
Congratulations on your ascension, from one Keeper to another. Hopefully you aren't one of the few unlucky ones that have ascended due to a death, but rather retirement from old age. If you are, I want to grant you my deepest condolences. I understand extremely well how hard it is to lose those who are the closest to you.
In this book you will find many different bits of advice and techniques for different things you may encounter. When I wrote this book, I imbued it with some of my magic, hoping it would let the journal grow with age. I'm sure others have enhanced it themselves even more and hope it becomes a great source of help for you. I also ask you to write in this book any advice or any other knowledge you wish to pass along to your successors. This book has also been enchanted so that only those of our blood can read its contents, but I would still warn against allowing it to fall into the wrong hands.
The room you are currently in is also something that has been passed down. The vantage point allows us to keep an eye on the people we are sworn to protect. I've become quite fond of it in my time here, and I feel as if it has become quite fond of me too. I often find myself talking to it and asking it of things that it fulfills for me.
If you did not know, the sword that likely appeared with you after your ascension is another relic that has been passed down. (I guess we don't like to splurge for new things, huh?) It was a present to our kind a long time ago and has stayed with our blood ever since. It will respond to your call and it will serve you well, as it has served me. Remember that this is an extremely deadly weapon, but it will become your best ally in the hardest of times.
I find myself running out of things to say in the introduction. There are other things I wish to touch upon, but I wish them to be their own entries. As such, I shall bid you farewell and good luck.
May you forever prosper,
Lord Dante Ferion
Harry closed the book for now, just the introduction alone had sent his thoughts racing. The journal was quite thick and Harry could only wonder how long it would take him to go through it. He was happy to have it though, knowing it would be something he could learn a lot from. He had also noticed other personal journals in the room and could only guess on their contents. They all reassured him though, knowing that he had all of these personal experiences to rely on. It was odd knowing that these people were his family and he couldn't help but wonder what side of the family he inherited it from.
The sword part had caught his attention though. After the ritual was completed the sword, along with his crown, had vanished out of sight and he had wondered what had happened to them. He hadn't realized until after that that sword was the same sword as the one in the fountain in the square. The hilt was even small wings as well. Reaching out his hand, Harry focused on calling the sword to him. Though it took him a little while and a bit of concentration, Harry smiled when a shadow in the shape of the sword started to grow and the actual sword slowly materialized. Harry tried the same with the crown and was pleased when the results repeated themselves.
"This is remarkable." Harry commented as he stood from his chair and walked over to the window to look out of the glass. He noticed that the sun was high in the sky and was starting it's descent to the horizon and figured that Cyrus would probably be looking for him by now. Harry vanished his sword and crown and turned to leave when he remembered what Dante said about locking the room.
"Uh, can you lock this room and forbid anyone other than myself access for now?" Harry finished somewhat awkwardly. He wasn't entirely sure of the protocol for talking to a room but he was happy when he felt the magic in the room reply.
"Lead me to Cyrus." Harry said as he placed his hand on the brick and felt a jolt, heading in the direction it lead him.
Time began to pass with relative ease as a few weeks went by and Harry quickly began to settle in to his new life with the Shade's. Harry had yet to start any form of training as Cyrus and Lyla had wanted him to become accustomed to his new life, as well as the people in it.
Harry had told Cyrus and Lyla about both his discovery of the Keeper's room and Darius' speech. They had both been interested with the contents of the Keeper's room and Harry promised he would show them whenever they wanted. On the speech, they had a bit more of commentary. Cyrus had said that it seemed Darius had been sincere in his apology, though he could have had different reasons for it. He also told Harry not to be surprised if Darius knew things about Harry that he would have no way of knowing.
Harry also found himself growing to care deeply for Cyrus and Lyla. The two were always there for him whenever he needed something. They listened to him speak raptly as if they truly cared what he had to say, something he had only experienced with Sirius and Remus before. He still felt anxious at times that things might go horribly wrong or that they might snap on him, but Dante's memory always quietly reassured him.
Nick had quickly became a close friend that he found himself spending most of his time with, sometimes even against his will. Harry got the feeling that Nick was quite lonely in his old life. He had told him about his friends that he had but none of them were around quite often. Nick had also told him that many of the other kids his age were often star struck due to Nick and his family's status. The boys often spent many nights together at Harry's house, finding all different types of trouble to get in to.
Harry was feeling pretty content with his new life, but felt there was one thing he wanted from his old life that he never had a chance to have before.
"Cyrus," Harry started as the trio quietly ate breakfast. It was one of the rare mornings that Nick hadn't stayed the night. "Do you think we could go out today?"
"Of course." Cyrus agreed as he helped himself to another stack of pancakes the group had made together. "Where would you like to go?"
"Well, that's the thing." Harry said, starting to feel a little nervous at his request. He had been thinking about it for the past couple of days and had only just decided last night that he would ask. "I was wondering if we could visit Diagon Alley."
"I'm not really sure about that Harry." Cyrus replied as he thoughtfully chewed his food.
"I don't think I'd be recognized." Harry explained in a rush, and it was true. It had taken him a while, but Harry had finally looked in a mirror after remembering what else Dante had told him. The potion had caused his face to look more like Dante's than James Potter. His face had become a bit more angular and his cheekbones more prominent. Plus with a different eye color, Harry felt that he looked almost completely different. "Plus I was never able to go before when I lived with the Potter's. I'm still a wizard and it's basically a rite of passage to be able to go!"
"Well, when you put it like that, I suppose a quick trip wouldn't hurt." Cyrus said with a chuckle, though there was still a lingering doubt in his eyes.
"I think it's a great idea." Lyla said with a smile, placing her hand on top of Cyrus'.
"You'll come too, right Lyla?" Harry asked, turning his twinkling eyes towards her.
"Of course, Harry."
"Good. It'll be our first family trip then." Harry said with a large smile, happy when his words caused the other two to smile back at him. Excited that they had agreed to his idea, Harry dug back into his food with gusto.
Within half an hour, the group was ready for their excursion to Diagon Alley. After making sure everybody was ready and properly dressed to blend in, Cyrus ushered them through a portal that led to a back alley in London.
As they began to walk, Harry started to feel a few tendrils of doubt creep into his mind. He wasn't reconsidering Diagon Alley, but he was worried about who he might see. He hadn't thought about the possibility that he might run into his old family at all. He felt that he could brush off his parents and Ryan but worried about the idea of seeing Sirius and Remus.
After a quick wave to Tom, Cyrus led them through the Leaky Cauldron and to the passage way to the alley.
Harry's doubts were quickly forgotten the moment he walked through the passageway. The alley was a major hub of wizarding activity and business and it was obvious the moment you walked in. Cyrus had told him that the alley had been finishing off their renovations when he had visited and it was clear that they were back in the full swing of things. Shops were advertising their new renovations and the new product they had in stock. Vendors also lined the road, trying to sell different trinkets and the like.
"It really is quite a sight to behold." Lyla commented as Harry stared around, awestruck. "Where would you like to go first?"
"Well, I always wanted a broom but I guess I don't really need one now." Harry joked, causing Cyrus and Lyla to smile at his antics. "Do you mind if we head to the bookstore?"
"After you." Cyrus said, gesturing Harry forward.
Though Harry wasn't particularly interested in picking up any books today, he still wanted to look around. He remembered Remus tell him that this was where he used to get the books for Harry, so he wanted to see it firsthand. The bookstore was a little narrower than he imagined, but the shelves reached all the way to the ceiling and far back to make up for it. Harry quickly walked through the aisles, seeing if anything grabbed his attention. He was pulled out of his search when he walked right into a petite red head.
"I'm sorry!" Harry quickly apologized, reaching down to help the girl he had accidentally knocked to the floor.
"It's all right." The girl said, giving Harry a small smile. "I was hiding from my brother anyways. He's trying to prank me back for this morning. I'm Ginny by the way."
"I'm Harry. What happened this morning?"
"Someone happened to put a bucket of water over his door and it splashed all over him when he opened it. I told him it wasn't me, but he just don't seem to believe me." Ginny replied with a giggle, making Harry laugh back.
"It does seem like it could have been anybody that put that bucket of water there." Harry said with mock seriousness.
"There you are!" A red headed boy Harry's age yelled as he walked into the aisle Harry and Ginny were in. His eyes were triumphant at finding Ginny but they quickly turned to confusion at seeing Harry. "Who are you? Didn't mum tell you not to talk to strangers Gin?"
"I'm Harry." Harry informed the boy, holding out his hand to shake. The boy stared at him wearily for a second before informing Harry his name was Ron.
"You're just mad I'm making friends other than you." Ginny said after their introductions, sticking her tongue out at Ron.
"He could be the kid of a death eater!" Ron hissed, sending Harry a fearful look.
"A what?" Harry asked in shocked. "Isn't that what Voldemort called his followers?"
"Don't say that name!" Ron snapped, both him and Ginny looking fearful. "He's only been gone a couple of weeks. His followers could be anywhere."
"Well, either way, I'm not one of them. My family doesn't believe in that." Harry said, staring Ron in the eye as if challenging him to defy him.
"Yeah Ron, lay off." Ginny said as she stuck her tongue out at the boy. "Me and Harry are going to look at other books before you make more of a fool of yourself."
"Ginny!" Ron called in warning as Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him away.
"I'm not one of them, you know." Harry repeated to Ginny. She looked at him and searched his eyes for a few seconds before smiling.
"I believe you. Don't worry about Ron, either. Mum and Dad have just been drilling into us that we can never be too careful, even now that You-Know-Who is gone." Ginny reassured him as they went towards the front of the bookstore. "He's only a year older than me but since I'm the youngest he thinks he has to protect me all the time. I'm more than capable of doing that myself however."
"I believe you." Harry said with a smile, glancing around to see if he could spot Cyrus and Lyla. He couldn't find them and figured they were just deeper into the bookstore. "So what're you doing in the alley today?"
"My brother Percy just got his marks back from his first year exams. He got top marks so mum wanted to take him out to get him a present. Of course he decided to come here." Ginny said with a sigh and a playful shake of her head.
"How many siblings do you have?" Harry asked curiously.
"There's seven of us total."
"Seven?" Harry asked in disbelief. He could barely imagine what that must be like. He had one real brother and that had been terrible but his new honorary brother was amazing.
Before Ginny could respond, an explosion rocked the alley and cut off any further conversation about Ginny's family. The shockwave from the explosion caused books to fall off their place on the shelf and tossed both Harry and Ginny to the ground. Harry quickly recovered and helped Ginny to her feet, both exchanging shocked looks.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked loudly, trying to yell over the commotion. He noticed a thin trail of blood coming from her hairline. "You're hurt!"
"I'm fine." Ginny replied, touching her forehead and looking at the blood left on her fingers. "What happened?"
Harry and Ginny exchanged another set of shocked looks and looked around the store before the duo ran out in a rush to see what the commotion was. The two looked on in shock as a cloud of dust hung over the alley further down. Black robed wizards appeared in the cloud and began sending spells every which way. The people of the alley were running around, trying to make their way out safely. The wizards seem to be trying to cause mass chaos and picked off any citizen they could. A grey looking spell made its way towards Harry and Ginny, landing a few feet in front of them. The ground they stood on exploded, sending the duo flying once again.
Harry and Ginny tried to protect themselves as people ran over them as they tried to make their way to safety.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked as he coughed up the dust that was inhabiting his lungs.
"Yeah, my side hurts but I think I'm okay. We have to find cover." Ginny replied, trying to pull herself to a sitting position. Just when they though it was over, a leering voice appeared over them.
"What's this? Two poor children get caught in the wrong place without their mummy and daddy?"
Harry looked up and tried to block the sun out of his eyes and focus on the masked wizard. The figure currently had their wand trained on them, causing Harry to try and move in front of Ginny to protect her. Harry noticed grimly that the wizard also had two people standing slightly behind him.
"Aw, look at this. The poor boy thinks he can protect his ickle little friend." the voice said again, laughing at Harry's attempt. Unconsciously, Harry called to his sword so he had some type of weapon with which to defend himself. He held it bravely in front of him, though unsure of exactly what to do with it as he hadn't been properly trained to use it.
"Ha! You came prepared huh? Too bad you brought a sword to a wand fight." The voice laughed once more. Before she could cast anything, she turned in surprise as the two wizards beside her fell, daggers appearing suddenly through their throats. As the woman turned, she screamed in anger and pain as a knife landed itself in her right shoulder. Had the woman not started to turn around, it would have likely landed in her throat as well.
"And it's too bad you brought a wand to a knife fight." Lyla called daringly as the woman seethed in anger at her attacker. Lyla deftly danced out of the way of the incoming spells that the woman shot off quite suddenly. Lyla's swiftness only seemed to anger the woman further and she proceeded to cast spells with more accuracy and speed. Though she couldn't to dance out of the woman's spells, Lyla also managed to throw black daggers at the woman that she pulled out of seemingly nowhere.
"Enough!" The woman finally yelled, causing Lyla to stop and look at her with a quirked brow. She hadn't said anything throughout the fight, only smirking slightly whenever she landed a hit. "I won't waste my time fighting with some mudblood who can't even use a wand!"
"You wouldn't even be worth the effort of using a wand." Lyla called back with a smirk, causing the woman to scream at her. Lyla's smirk was quickly wiped off her face as the woman began attacking in earnest again. Lyla was obviously being outmaneuvered and Harry realized that the woman wasn't putting forth her full effort before. He wondered idly if she even was putting forth her full effort now against Lyla.
As the woman cast more and more against Lyla, her anger seemed to fade away. Harry noticed with disgust that she had begun to quietly laugh as she dueled Lyla. He knew that Lyla couldn't go much longer and knew she would have to make her move soon. Harry felt useless as he watched the duel, knowing he should help out and do something but unsure of what exactly to do. Lyla had taken down two of the attackers with such ease but Harry wasn't sure he could do the same. He watched with hope as she made a swift gesture with her free hand and the wizard's left foot sank into a shadow in the ground. The woman's next spell was extremely off mark and she tried to pull her leg out instead of casting her next spell. Lyla smirked and began to move forward.
Harry watched in horror as time seemed to slow down as the witch's head quickly flew up and stared at her opponent with a wicked grin. Lyla realized her mistake in not striking immediately as a sickly purple spell flew towards her and she couldn't move out of the way in time. The woman attacker laughed insanely as Lyla crumpled to the ground as her body began to seize.
"Lyla!" Harry screamed in horror, wanting to run to the woman that had taken him in.
"Don't worry sweetie, your poor savior will be dead soon." The woman said with a sickly sweet voice. Turning her wand to him, she thoughtfully "Though I have to give it to her, the bitch really knew how to put up a fight. It was the most fun I've had in ages!"
In anger, Harry pointed his sword directly at her and ran towards her. He knew it was a foolish attempt, but he couldn't think of anything else at the moment. He heard a laugh before once again flying through the air.
"I think that's quite enough, Bellatrix." A voice said tiredly as it appeared with a pop. Harry looked up from his position on the ground to see a man he recognized as Albus Dumbledore appear.
"Dumbledore. So nice of you to finally show up. You're a bit late to the party, but we've already had our fun." Bellatrix said as she looked around at the destruction gleefully, lingering on the bodies on the ground. "Unfortunately, I must run. I don't particularly feel like dealing with your Order today. Bye-bye!"
Dumbledore tried to send out a stunner to stop the woman but she apparated away quickly, causing the man to sigh. He looked down at the Harry and Ginny on the ground and rushed over to help. Harry found that he still couldn't talk after all the air had rushed out of him after Bellatrix's last attack.
"Please sir." Ginny pleaded as Dumbledore approached. She quickly pointed to Lyla, "Help her!"
Dumbledore followed her finger and saw the still seizing Lyla and quickly ran over to her. Knowing he couldn't move far, Harry shifted over to Ginny and they both leaned on each other as they watched Dumbledore work over Lyla. She had sustained injuries from her fight with Bellatrix, but the last spell had done quite a number. She had pink foam forming at her mouth and Harry shuddered at the thought of what that spell must have done to her.
"Harry! Lyla!" Cyrus' horrified voice called as he pounded down the street towards them. He tightly held a sword in his hand, blood covering him in certain areas. Harry briefly wondered if it was Cyrus' or some other unlucky soul. Seeing Dumbledore working over the now still Lyla, Cyrus rushed over to Harry and pulled him into a bone crushing huge as he dropped his sword.
"What happened? Are you all right? What happened with Lyla?"
"I'm fine Cyrus. Lyla appeared to protect us but she was got hit with a really dark spell." Harry muttered numbly into the man's shoulder.
"I was so worried. Lyla and I had been ambushed and I had managed to make an opening for her to go after you but I feared the worst. I heard the screams and could only imagine what happened. I thought we had lost you…" Cyrus ranted as he continued to hold Harry, breathing him in as if he wasn't actually there. Harry felt reassured by the hug and felt love surge in him at the man's concerns.
"Me and Ginny ran out of the bookstore to see what happened and the ground exploded and we went flying." Harry said as Cyrus placed him down and looked him over for injuries. "Then that woman appeared and tried to attack us but Lyla appeared and tried to protect us and then she got hit and I tried to fight that women but then I got hit."
"It's alright, Harry." Cyrus reassured him as Harry started to cry as he retold his story. Looking over at Ginny, he noticed that she was also visibly distraught and pulled them both in for another hug. Only after a couple long moments did he pull away when Dumbledore approached them.
"Are you related to the victim?" Dumbledore asked gently as Cyrus stood to face him. "Cyrus?"
"Yes, Dumbledore. It has been quite a long time since we have met." Cyrus said stiffly as Dumbledore continued to look at him. "How is my wife?"
"Wife? It seems congratulations are in order… I'm sorry, now is clearly not the time while you are panicking. Your wife was hit with an organ boiling curse. I fear that if I had not gotten here in time it would have been too late for her. I have stabilized her condition but as I am not a healer, she will require additional attention. The healers and other officials should be here any moment."
"Thank you Dumbledore for what you have done for my wife. It is much appreciated." Cyrus said as he grabbed both Ginny and Harry's and led them towards Lyla who was laying on the ground. Her eyes were searching the area aimlessly and seemed to lock onto them as they approached, although there wasn't any recognition.
"Lyla, honey, it's me. It's Cyrus. I'm here. Harry's all right." Cyrus reassured his wife, grabbing her hand with his and looking into her eyes. As he started to speak, Lyla seemed to finally recognize him and smiled at his words.
"That's good." Lyla said with a cough. "I got hit pretty bad. Are the kids okay? I couldn't tell if that witch got to them or not."
"Yeah, you did. The children are safe. But you did well." Cyrus said as he reassured her. He looked up as more pops sounded around them and quickly grabbed a healer and filled him in on his wife's condition. He stood back and turned to the children as the healer worked.
"Your name is Ginny?" Cyrus gently asked Ginny who seemed to be in shock. "Were you here with your family?"
"Yes. But I don't know where they are. Like Harry said, we got separated…" Ginny said with a shaky voice, looking around the now bustling alley for her family. Her eyes lit up when a panicked voice yelled "Ginny!" as a middle aged woman ran towards the group. Ginny ran towards the woman and she was picked up in a crushing hug and the two tried to talk at the same time and fill the other in. After a few moments, the two seemed to be reassured that the other was fine and Ginny quickly led her mother back to the group.
"Mum, this is Harry and that's Harry's dad. Harry's mum is over there. She saved us but she got hurt." Ginny said quickly, introducing the group quietly. Harry barely even noticed that Cyrus and Lyla were introduced as his parents.
"Hello, I'm Molly Weasley. Thank you for keeping my daughter safe. My family owes yours everything. I can't imagine what would have happened if she was alone and what would have happened if you weren't there for her. Thank you." Molly Weasley gushed, pulling Cyrus and Harry into a hug, before letting them go.
"It's not a problem, Molly. I just hope the rest of your family is unharmed."
"Nothing a nice cup of cocoa won't be able to fix." Molly said with a small smile, clearly still affected by the day's events. "I thank you again for your generosity, but we really must get back to my husband and other children."
"Wait!" Ginny yelled before her mother could usher them away. She ran up to Harry and looked at him, once again searching his eyes. "Thank you for protecting me today. I really appreciate it. If you can, will you write to me? I live at The Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole."
"Of course." Harry said with a smile, to which Ginny smiled back. The Weasley's said their goodbyes before they went off to find their family.
"I'm sorry for having us come here today." Harry said sadly, turning to Cyrus. "If it wasn't for me, Lyla wouldn't have gotten hurt and none of this would have happened."
"Nonsense, Harry." Cyrus said firmly, trying to eradicate Harry's doubts. "You heard what Molly said, if Ginny had been alone, who knows what might have happened? It was a good thing we were here today. Lyla will be fine, she'll just need some rest."
"Thank you…" Harry muttered quietly as Cyrus hugged him once again. Feeling the surge of love once more, Harry quietly added "…Dad," to which Cyrus just hugged him harder.
"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt. Your wife is doing much better now. She just needs some rest and she should be feeling better soon. We did our best to get rid of the effects but there may still be a few side-effects."
"Thank you." Cyrus said, stepping away from Harry and quickly shaking the healer's hand. He walked over to where Lyla was sitting on the ground, looking at her hands, dazed. Cyrus helped her up with a small smile and the trio began to leave the alley, only to be stopped a few feet from the passageway.
"Cyrus, I hope everything is fine?" Dumbledore questioned, looking over the group.
"Yes, Dumbledore." Cyrus said, glaring slightly at the man. "Now, if you don't mind…"
"Of course, of course. I just thought I would stop before you left and make sure everybody is safe. This is your lovely wife, as you've told me. Am I to assume this is your son?" Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling as he surveyed Harry.
"Yes. It is. Now please, I must get home and take care of my family." Cyrus said, finally pushing past Dumbledore as he grabbed Lyla and Harry's hands and took them along.
"Of course, my boy. So good to see you once again." Dumbledore whispered mostly to himself, watching the group leave with a small smile as his mind began to kick start into motion.
Harry and his newly-named parents quickly left the alley and found a deserted alley to portal out of. They traveled home and Cyrus led Lyla to their bed, letting her get some rest and sleep off any of the lingering pain.
"How do you know Dumbledore?" Harry asked quietly as Cyrus rejoined him in the sitting room.
"You know Dumbledore?" Cyrus asked, slightly shocked.
"He was around the house occasionally. He always talked to my parents about Ryan. I don't know him that well, only in passing."
"Hmm." Cyrus said thoughtfully as he closed his eyes rested his head on the couch. "It's a long story, I suppose. We try and keep this place as secret as possible but there are some select individuals that know of our existence. We have different contacts throughout the world, and that does include the wizarding world as well. Unfortunately, Albus Dumbledore is one of the few that know of our existence as he holds power throughout the wizarding world and is the current headmaster of Hogwarts."
"Why would that matter?"
"On the very rare occasion that a child here shows an above average aptitude for magic, we have to send them off to school. Nobody here is necessarily trained to teach others the art, though there are those that have gone through the schooling. It's not exactly frowned upon or anything, it's just rare. So we normally inform the headmaster of the school of our existence so we can send the child there for schooling."
"Why did you say it was unfortunate?"
"Albus Dumbledore is a political giant. The man has his web of influence spread everywhere. I haven't met him many times, but I've known him since I was young. He has always tried to visit our lands and see them for himself. We've never let him, but that hasn't stopped him. He likes to use the people around him and plays life like it's a chess game. As a chess player, he doesn't like not knowing what the other players have up their sleeve. I think he fears that if we were to ever act against him, he wouldn't know what he was up against. On the other hand, if he ever needed help, he couldn't pull us into his game to aid him."
"I don't know if I like him." Harry confided to Cyrus. He laughed and peeked out at Harry from his lidded eyes.
"I don't know if I like him either, Harry." Cyrus replied, closing his eyes once more in rest. The two sat there in silence, allowing the events of the day to wash over them. "I suppose this means we'll have to start your training sooner than later. The idea of you being in a situation like that again and not being able to defend yourself scares me more than I'd like to admit."
"Really?" Harry asked, sitting up excitedly. "That'll be so cool! Are you going to teach me? What will I learn? Will it be with Nick? He's ahead of me though so I want to catch up to him so we can learn together!"
"Relax, Harry." Cyrus said with a chuckle. "We'll go over the detail of all of it tomorrow. Let's just use the rest of the day to relax. It's been a long one so far."
"Okay." Harry agreed, slumping back in to the chair. He sat quietly before sitting up once again, thinking of his newly made friend.
"Dad…" Harry said quietly, unsure of the feeling of the word on his lips but feeling more reassured at Cyrus bright smile. "If I write a letter to Ginny, do you think you'd be able to get it to her?"
"Of course, Harry. I'm sure we can find a way."
"Thanks!" Harry said, leaping up to give Cyrus a hug. "I'm going to write to her now!"
"Dad…" Cyrus repeated to himself, feeling how the word felt to him. Smiling to himself he said happily, "I think I like how that sounds."