The sound of metal clanging together rang out through the room.
The two opponents quickly stepped away from each other, calculating their next move on their opponent. The smaller opponent, a lithe, soon to be eleven year old boy, twirled gracefully around the larger opponent, using his agility to place himself behind the other. Quickly slashing his sword at the man's back, he gritted his teeth when it was once again blocked.
"Come now Harry, you know you'll have to do better than that to best me."
Annoyed at the taunt, Harry made a quick jab at the man's midsection which he redirected at the last minute. As the man was trying to protect his stomach, he didn't have the chance to stop the sword from nicking him in the thigh. Hissing in pain, the man hopped backwards out of reach.
"Seems like you're a little off your game today Dad." Harry said, enjoying his opportunity to taunt the older man. It was rare that he managed to land a hit on the more experienced fighter and he also reveled in it when he could.
"It was a cheap shot." Cyrus grumbled as he rubbed the wound with the palm of his hand. "Plus, this is the first time you've hit me in how many lessons?"
Harry rolled his eyes at the comment but choose not to remind his father that he was the one who taught the move to Harry. It had been close to three years ago that he had started to train with Cyrus. Harry had been told that he would have normally have been appointed an adviser, but Cyrus wanted a personal hand in Harry's education. This also helped with the fact that Harry didn't have to reveal any of the Keeper's journals to anyone else. Cyrus wasn't always the one to train him, as there were things that others had honed their skills to a sharper point, but he and Lyla were normally his primary teachers.
He had found out quickly that Cyrus and Lyla preferred a no-nonsense type of education, as well as a quick pace. They had informed Harry that this was necessary as he was already behind where he should be and they had even more to teach him due to his Keeper duties. Cyrus and Lyla had gone through the Keeper's journals and tried to put together a training schedule for him based on the records. He trained almost every day with them, even sometimes on weekends. Harry didn't mind the larger workload as it kept him busy and allowed him to grow closer with his newly adopted parents.
His training in the beginning had focused a lot on bettering his body and mind, before moving on to anything else. Cyrus and Lyla would take Harry for runs every morning and run him through other various exercise techniques. Harry enjoyed seeing how much farther he could push himself every day, and enjoyed the rare occasions of being able to push himself farther than Cyrus or Lyla. After the physical exercise, the two guided Harry through mental exercise. One of the most necessary abilities of a politician was being able to hide your emotions and thoughts on a certain subject. They told him that many people here knew an adapted form of occlumency, which was a wizard's field of mind magic. The magic had been adapted to work with their own branch of magic, but it served much the same purpose.
Harry had found this to be quite difficult, and he found that he had to work harder and longer on it than what was to be expected. Cyrus had impressed on him the importance of this technique as it would also help him progress easier with his other abilities. Due to his struggles in this branch of his training, he couldn't progress any further for quite some time, something which annoyed him to no end. He pushed himself to try and control his mind but found that he just couldn't no matter how hard he tried. It wasn't until Darius had decided to intervene that he had made any progress. Harry spent a few days in isolation with the man until he had finally made a breakthrough with clearing his mind and allowing him to progress. Harry had initially been unsure of spending so much time alone with Darius, but found that the time actually allowed the two to fall into an odd form of bonding. Darius wasn't the most warm and welcoming person, but he seemed intent on helping Harry and the two had grown closer as a result, though there was still a noticeable distance as compared to Harry with Cyrus and Lyla.
After the breakthrough, his parents had happily told him that he could work on the beginnings of his other abilities. Cyrus had gifted him his own ring like Nick had and Harry found himself wearing it at all times. The ring was designed to help the wearer focus their energy towards whatever they were focused on and Harry found that it helped tremendously. It also had the added sentimental value of being one of the first things he had gotten from his family.
Lyla had helped Harry focus on basic shadow manipulation as she was more proficient in it than Cyrus. Harry would watch gleefully as Lyla made shadows dance around the room, bending to her will like she was their master. Harry had assumed that it would be an easy lesson with how simple Lyla had made it look but he had been mistaken. As he tried to reproduce the results, Lyla had told him not to stress and try so hard. After calming himself and clearing his mind, Harry watched gleefully as he managed to move a few of the shadows in the room. Though nowhere near Lyla's ability, Harry couldn't help but feel proud of himself.
After that, Harry progressed to a few more advanced topics. Harry had managed to perfect his shadow portals and even was able to cover himself with shadows to blend in and hide in plain sight. His ability training now mostly focused on finding different creative things to do that could help him in battle or everyday life.
Other than the physical aspect of his education, he had been grilled in politics and history of the land. Harry didn't mind it too much as it was interesting to him and Lyla and Cyrus taught him the history as if it was a story. The council meetings and other political functions were decidedly less interesting.
"I think we can call it a day for today. Besides, I think you have a playdate soon anyways." Cyrus said as he waggled his eyebrows at Harry.
"Shut it." Harry said with a grin. "I'm only going over to Ginny's."
"Ah yes, you're only going to Ginny. Ginny, the same Ginny that you happen to see almost every day."
"Well, other than Nick, the company here tends to get a bit bland." Harry joked as he playfully pushed his father.
"Hm, I think I'm supposed to take offense to that." Cyrus said thoughtfully as he ruffled Harry's messy hair. "You might want to take a shower before you head off, you stink."
"No I don't!" Harry protested as Cyrus threw his arm around Harry's shoulders and led him out of the room.
"My lords." A voice called from behind the pair, causing the two to turn around.
"There's no need to bow." Cyrus said dismissively as the soldier straightened herself.
"My apologies. Something grave has come up. Your presence is requested in the throne room."
"Very well. Head home Harry, I'll see you after." Cyrus said with a sigh as he began to leave Harry.
"My apologies my Lord, but I actually was referring to both of you." The soldier said, causing Cyrus to raise his brow at the woman.
"Very well. Harry, come along." Cyrus said, beckoning to the boy. Harry couldn't help but shoot his father a curious glance, which was returned with a shrug. He had sat in meetings before but he had never been summoned to one. The soldier had even said it was something grave. Sensing Harry's nervousness, Cyrus placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and gripped it as a sign of support.
The soldier led them to the throne room where Harry quickly glanced around. Nick, Tyler, and Darius all were sat at their thrones and there was a man on his knees in the middle of the room with two soldiers flanking him. Harry quickly summoned his crown and sword, as was custom, and took his place at the throne waiting for something the happen. The man on his knees looked at Harry through greasy, shoulder length hair and smiled wickedly at him. Harry saw his lips moving but couldn't hear him from where he sat. A cough pulled his attention to a woman he hadn't noticed before. As she walked out of her spot from the shadows, Harry recognized the woman as the leader of the land's military, Athena.
Athena walked to stand in front of the assembled group. Her black hair was pulled tightly into a bun and the outline of her muscles was clear through the leather armor she was currently wearing. Harry had meet with her a handful of times and the two were on friendly enough speaking terms. Technically, Harry was the leader of the army and that made him Athena's boss. It was one of his newer duties as Keeper to lead the army but he generally let Athena most of the decisions as he still wasn't comfortable with it. He knew that he just simply didn't know enough to make the any of the truly important decisions.
"Thank you all for convening on such a short amount of time." Athena started in a clipped tone. "Some time ago, we received information of a plot that aimed to throw our land into disarray. We had placed select covert operatives in position in order to infiltrate the group we believed was responsible."
"And we're only hearing of this now?" Darius questioned simply, cutting her off from continuing her report.
"The information of the plot was revealed to me in secrecy and I felt that the best decision was to keep it quiet in order to stop any possible leaks. I also withheld the information in order to confirm that it was an actual threat before causing anyone worry. I took the threat very seriously and had the guard on all of you raised without telling you."
"Very well Athena." Darius said, focusing on the man on his knees. "What do we know of this group?"
"As of now, we believe that there are around twenty active members. We fear that there may be more supporters, but at the meetings we've been able to infiltrate there have only been about twenty. I wasn't planning on collecting any members yet as I didn't think they were going to be acting soon and I felt that I could collect more information from them. However, one of the men I trusted with this mission decided to take things into his own hand and captured one of the operatives. He also decided that he would be the one to question him and used less than… humane methods."
"I trust you have taken care of it?" Tyler asked the woman, to which she nodded sharply. "Did the soldier manage to get out any information of this man?"
"Yes, he did. I can brief you with all of the information we know at this time after. The reason I have called this meeting is to discuss what to do with the man that we apprehended. I would normally suggest holding a trial, but I don't want this to be leaked to the public or put my undercover operatives at risk of discovery."
"I'm curious, who is this group targeting?" Cyrus asked curiously.
"The information I originally was just a general threat aimed at the throne, but recent information we've acquired shows that their main target is Keeper Shade." Athena said, glancing at Harry quickly.
"My son was in danger and you felt that this was necessary information for you to withhold?" Cyrus bristled, staring pointedly at Athena, who lowered her head.
"Father." Harry interrupted, holding his hand to placate Cyrus. "I have the highest amount of confidence in Athena. I have seen how she runs things and I know she wouldn't put anybody's life needlessly at risk. She has sworn to protect us and she has yet to fail in her job. Please do not let your personal relations cloud your judgement."
"Thank you, my lord." Athena said. "As I was saying, I recently discovered the main threat to be aimed at Keeper Shade. We are unaware at this time of the exact reason for this targeting and that is why I need this to remain a secret. My operatives are still undercover and they've been learning new information daily. The group was a hard one to gain the trust of and I do not want to let our chances slip in catching them. So I ask you, what are we to do with the prisoner?"
"His name is Holden." Harry muttered, staring at the man who continued to look at him. The other occupants of the room looked to him in curiosity. Harry had made it a priority of his to get to know the people that he was living with in order to help create relations with them. He would often patrol the streets and greet many of the citizens on his way, happy that they seemed pleased to see him. "He owns a clothing store in the town square. I've seen him plenty of times. To think he would… Never mind."
"As I've told you more than once Harry, you must always keep an eye open for those you would call your friends." Darius muttered, deep in thought.
"I suppose you're right." Harry once again look to the man on the ground, who was still smiling wickedly and muttering. "What is he saying? What did your soldier do to the man?"
"I'm still not entirely sure the lengths he went through to try and retrieve information from the man, but as you can see, it has had a permanent effect on the man. We aren't sure what he's saying either. It sounds like gibberish, but he keeps saying the same thing over and over again." Athena replied with a look akin to disgust. Harry knew how much responsibility Athena took for her soldiers so he could only imagine how angry she was with whoever had tortured the man.
"We can't execute him." Darius said suddenly, pulling himself out of revere. "I also am hesitant to throw him away as well. His disappearance would appear suspicious, especially if he is a well-known merchant. I will admit that I am at a loss as to what to do. Technically though, the decision is not mine to make."
"Whose is it?" Harry questioned him, still observing the man. Harry couldn't help but think something was off about him.
"Yours. This is a military and safety matter and that is your jurisdiction. We can offer you advice but you have final say."
"Mine?" Harry questioned, though he knew Darius reasoning was right. He was still surprised that Darius would admit this and allow Harry to handle the situation though. Harry was at just a loss as Darius in how to deal with the man. The man was a well-known merchant in the town square and any absence would be noticeable. They couldn't just release him as his behavior seemed erratic and would put others at harm, as well as letting him tip off his organization about his capture. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but we employ a few witches and wizards who attended Hogwarts, correct?"
"I believe there are a few we have at the castle doing various research projects." Tyler informed him.
"There is a spell of sorts that can be used to alter memories. I think this must be the path we have to take." Harry said, deep in thought.
"Would wiping his memory restore his mental health?"
"I'm not entirely sure. It may be possible but seeing the condition he is in now, I fear it won't."
"So we let wipe his memories and let him go?" Darius asked as he turned to look at Harry. Harry glanced at the man, not able to shake off the feeling he was being judged on his decision.
"Yes." Harry replied. Darius looked to interject but Harry continued on. "However, we don't let him stay that way. As loathe as I am to suggest this aspect of the plan, I fear it is the only choice. There are branches of magic that make the target susceptible to another's will. If we plant the idea into his head to attack someone in the public square, we will have an undeniable reason to lock him away."
"That is a… interesting plan." Darius concluded, thinking it over in his head.
"Who would be the decoy target?" Athena asked, trying to iron out the details.
"Why not me?" Harry asked with a small smile. "We can give him what he wants."
"My lord, with all due respect, absolutely not." Athena said quickly. The others seemed ready to protest as well, none more than Cyrus who had sent Harry an admonishing glare for even suggesting it. "I can have my one of my soldiers play the role. It is my job to protect the throne and I won't put any of you in an unnecessary situation where harm could befall you."
"Very well." Harry reluctantly agreed.
"If we have this matter settled, perhaps we can move onto the information you've accumulated so far?" Darius questioned Athena.
"Yes, we should. Nick, you can leave now." Tyler told his son gently, though the demand wasn't lost on the boy.
"You as well, Harry." Cyrus commented. Harry moved to argue but decided that it would be best not to argue with his father in such company. He nodded solemnly and rose from his chair. As he moved to make his way out, the sound of something large hitting the floor brought his attention back to the room.
Holden was laying on his stomach, looking as if he had tried to leap at Harry from his knees. The two soldiers moved to pull him back into a kneeling position, but Holden made direct eye contact with Harry and started to laugh hysterically.
"Aha… Harry! My lord! Oh, they're almost… aha… They're almost here! Do you see them! In the sky… ahahaha… The murder… is upon us. We must all be prepared, none more than you my lord. Ahahah!"
"Oh, hello Harry! How are you today?"
"I'm fine Mrs. Weasley." Harry said with a bright smile, happy to see the woman that had treated him almost like he was one of her own. "My parents say hello and thank you again for the dinner you cooked last Sunday."
"Nonsense!" Molly beamed, waving away the thanks. "You know your family is always welcome here. You all are practically family as it is. Did they say if you would be able to make it this weekend?"
"We'll be here." Harry replied happily. After Harry had become a fixture at the Weasley household, both Arthur and Molly had demanded that his parents come over as well so that they could have a proper dinner together. Harry knew that they wanted to show their thanks to his parents, and specifically Lyla, for what she did to protect Ginny. The two families had hit it off and Harry's parents were at the Burrow almost as often as Harry, though they had taken careful precautions to hide their true identities. They had even created complex cover stories of being recent transplants to the country in order to stave off any suspicions.
"Good, good." Molly replied as she turned back to her cooking. "I'm sure you can find Ginny and the rest of them somewhere. I don't actually know what they've gotten up to today."
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. See you around!" Harry said as he took off up the stairs of the Burrow. He had gotten rather close with all of the Weasley's and rather enjoyed spending time with them. They often hung out together and occasionally would play quidditch together. However, that didn't change the fact that the usual reason Harry was at the Burrow was to spend time with Ginny.
"What do you want!? I told you to…" Ginny Weasley's yell ended abruptly as she opened the door Harry had been knocking on just seconds before. He face quickly flushed when she saw who it was. "Oh. I'm really sorry Harry. I thought you were Ron. He's been bothering me all day."
"We told you we could help with that." A voice behind Harry said mischievously.
"All you have to do is ask." Another voice chirped in with a singsong voice.
"I wanr him to leave me alone. Not start another prank war with the git. We only just called a truce to our last one two days ago." Ginny said as she sent a scowl to the two boys that had appeared behind Harry.
"Ah, but what's the point of life if you're not constantly in a prank war with someone?"
"Quite right. Me and George are in at least two right now."
"I thought it was three…"
"You're right! I forgot about Flint. I usually do. He's quite forgettable."
"Your prank wars are normally just you pranking people until they break down and beg you to stop." Ginny crossed her arms at her twin brothers.
"You wound us Gin-Gin."
"I think I might have to go see mum for this gaping hole you've just left in our hearts."
"You two better watch it before mum accidently leaves her wand where it I can get to it and I hex the both of you."
"And on that note, we must head back to our research."
"Bye Harry!" The twins yelled in unison as the both turned back and headed into their room. Harry could only smile and shake his head at their antics.
"Don't encourage them." Ginny grumbled as she went back into her room, Harry following behind her.
"I'll try not to." Harry promised, the smile still on his face. "So what were you up to?"
"Nothing, honestly. Mum didn't have anything for us to do today so I've just been laying around. What about you?"
"I trained with my dad with a bit today." Harry replied, trying not to lie outright to the girl. He felt bad about lying to her at all but Cyrus had stressed the importance of not revealing the truth about Harry and his family to anyone. Harry had replied that Ginny wasn't just anyone but Cyrus had told him there was no exceptions. Harry understood the need for secrecy, but it made talking to Ginny difficult at times, and he knew she could tell he was hiding something from her. As a testament to their friendship, she had never pushed the boy to tell her. He always tried to tell her as much as he could without revealing anything personal though.
"That sounds like it was fun. It's definitely better than doing nothing."
"Yeah… It was an interesting day." Harry agreed. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about the meeting since he had left and it was still weighing heavily upon him. "What has Ron done this time to bother you?"
"Ugh." Ginny started as she closed her eyes in frustration. "He finally got his Hogwarts letter the other day. I understand he's excited but that's all he's been able to talk about since he got it. I can't wait for this class and I really hope I'm in Gryffindor and I wonder if the food is really as good as they say. Typical Ron things, you know. I finally couldn't take it today and snapped at him and he got mad."
"Well, I can imagine it must be exciting for him to know for sure he's going." Harry rationalized, smiling gently when Ginny glared at him.
"Easy for you to say. You don't live with the git. You'll probably be getting yours soon as well."
"Ah. Yeah." Harry said nervously as he ran his hand through his hair. Harry had been meaning to bring the topic up with Ginny and now seemed to be the best time. The truth was, he wasn't even sure if he was going to be accepted into the school. There was no way for the school to know about him and the chances of being able to go were slim. "I don't know if I'm going to Hogwarts Ginny."
"You don't know if what? Of course you're going to Hogwarts! Don't be ridiculous." Ginny replied with shock, raising her voice slightly. "Everybody goes to Hogwarts!"
"Well, I'm not sure if I'll be asked to go. I might not get a letter. I could be a squib for all we know." Harry joked, trying to diffuse some of the tension.
"You're crazy! I've seen you do accidental magic before! Of course you'll make it in."
"I suppose… But you know my family sort of lives off the grid, Gin. It might not be able to find me." Harry replied, using the excuse he had told her about his family when they had first started getting close. Ginny had brought up the idea of visiting Harry's house, which Harry had rejected quickly. He had made up the excuse that his family lived in seclusion with nothing around them and that there would be nothing to do at his house. Ginny had seemed suspicious, but let the subject drop. He knew it was only a matter of time before she called him out on all of his lies and half-truths.
"It's a letter to a magical school, I think they'll be able to find you Harry. There's no more discussing it. When you get your letter, you'll be going to Hogwarts." Ginny said with an edge in her voice, smiling when Harry didn't argue with her.
"Good. Now what house do you think you'll be in?"
"Happy Birthday Harry!"
"Come on, five more minutes." Harry begged as he rolled over in bed and pulled a pillow over his head. He groaned in annoyance as Cyrus grabbed the pillow and Lyla opened the blinds, allowing light to pour into the room.
"Nope!" Lyla denied cheerfully. "You've got a full day ahead of you! What better way to start it off than waking up early and going for a morning run!"
"That's how we start every day." Harry grumbled. Dejected, he pulled himself out of bed and changed into appropriate clothes for running after he shooed his parents out of his room. He meet them moments later out by the pond and joined them in their normal morning stretches.
"It's a great day for a run, don't you think Harry?" Cyrus questioned with a smile as the trio took off through the woods, quickly reaching the ringed clearing.
"Honestly, all I can think about is the birthday breakfast that you guys are going to cook for me." Harry replied, sending a smirk at his father.
"And what makes you think that'll happen?"
"Well, seeing as it's happened every year that I've been here, I can only imagine that it'll happen again." Harry said, causing Lyla to laugh.
"You know how much your father likes to tease you Harry. Of course we'll make you breakfast. Anything you want." Lyla reassured him. Harry smiled warmly at his mother and the trio continued their run in as the chatted.
Thirty minutes later, Harry found himself happily eating pancakes with Cyrus and Lyla.
"What's the plan for today?" Harry asked around a mouthful of pancakes, causing Lyla to send him a disapproving glare. Harry smiled sheepishly back at her before quickly swallowing the food and apologizing.
"It's up to you, Harry. We can do whatever you want." Cyrus said happily. Harry smiled back at his father but any further conversation was cut off by a knock at their front door.
"Excuse me." Cyrus said, quickly excusing himself from the table. Harry and Lyla looked at each other curiously, wondering who could be at their door at such an early time.
"I was thinking maybe we could go out to the muggle world and possibly go to some theme park." Lyla suggested. "I haven't been to one since I was younger when your father took me out on a date."
"Really?" Harry questioned, excited at the prospect of spending the day out. "That'd be great!"
"Harry, can you please come into the living room?" Cyrus asked as he appeared at the kitchen door. Harry looked at Lyla briefly but followed his father. Harry couldn't help but feel curious as he saw Darius sitting in their living room, waiting for the two. It was very rare that Darius visited the family in their own home and Harry doubted it was a coincidence that it was his birthday as well.
"King Darius." Harry said with a slight blow, feeling uncomfortable by the use of the formality in his own home.
"Please, Harry, there is no need for that." Darius stated simply.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" Harry questioned, sitting down with his father on their couch.
"Am I not allowed to visit my family? On your birthday no less?" Darius questioned, raising his brow at the boy.
"Uh." Harry said, rather ineloquently.
"Harry is just merely curious as to the reason for your visit." Cyrus filled in for Harry, frowning at his father for making Harry feel uncomfortable.
"I know that Cyrus." Darius said, turning his gaze to the man. "There's no need to feel so protective. I was only making a joke."
"Sorry, father." Cyrus said, not seeming sorry in the least bit. "I find it so rare that you make attempts at humor that I was thrown off guard by your attempt."
"I didn't come here to try and talk around each other." Darius said, a small amount of annoyance creeping in to his voice. Cyrus simply nodded his head at his father in response. "I'm merely here to pass along a letter to Harry."
"A letter?" Harry questioned, still feeling uncomfortable with the whole situation.
"Yes. I have been asked by Albus Dumbledore to pass along two letters. One of which is for you." Darius said as he pulled out a letter from his inner jacket pocket and handed it to Harry. "I'm sure you can guess the contents of the letter."
Harry graciously accepted the letter from the man and turned over the thick envelope a few times in his hand. He briefly noticed that the envelope was only addressed to him in name and had no destination written on it. He looked at Cyrus and the man smiled reassuringly, signaling for Harry to open it. Deciding not to think about it, Harry quickly broke open the seal and pulled forth the contents and began to read them.
Dear Mr. Shade,
It is not often that I find myself writing these letters personally, but you are a special case. I am unaware how much you know of the wizarding world and it's community other than the fact that it exists. Young witches and wizards in our community are invited to attend a wizarding school at the age of eleven to train their abilities and become successful magic users.
You may be wondering why I am writing to you, and this may come as a shock, but you are a wizard and possess the ability to learn to control magic. I know that this is a rare case in your world and we have only had a few of your kind attend in the past decades. I would not have been able to reach out to you if not for that fateful day in Diagon Alley just a few short years ago. Though it was a horrid day due to the events of a select few individuals who wished to carry out the ideals of a deceased terrorist, I am thankful for the opportunity that day has granted us. When I met you, I could tell that you possessed what so few of your kind do and that you would succeed greatly at our institution. Without that chance meeting, I fear that your gift may have gone to waste and either fallen out of your reach or reacted badly due the absence of any training.
I can only guess that you have a unique set of responsibilities in your world but I ask you to consider joining our prestigious school of Hogwarts. The opportunity would allow you to gain a valuable set of skills that you can utilize and adapt to your own lifestyle. It would also allow you to meet many potential allies that could help you on your road to success in the future.
I understand that your situation is extremely unique and I would be willing to discuss a few possible exceptions to the rules of Hogwarts to accommodate you. For instance, if you ever needed to leave the castle, we could possibly arrange it so long as you discuss the reason with me so I can be informed of your absence.
The other letters in the envelope are the standard acceptance letter and information given to other first year students so you can have the same information others receive. Please think about my offer and write back to me as soon as possible so I can know your decision.
Kindest regards,
Albus Dumbledore
"I've been offered a spot at Hogwarts." Harry explained needlessly after having been read the letter personally penned for him. Harry silently held out the letter for Cyrus to read, which he accepted silently.
"I have talked to Albus personally." Darius informed Harry, causing both Harry and Cyrus to look at him curiously. "He asked to have a meeting with me and I decided to humor him. We talked in great detail about the offer and how this would be a different circumstance than most."
"Does he know about me? The way he talked in the letter seemed like he did." Harry said, not sure how he felt about Dumbledore knowing too much about him. The man was smart and if he knew too much, he could possibly piece things together.
"Does he know that you're our Shadow Keeper? No, he doesn't. I would not have told him anything he didn't already know. He knew you to be a prince after Cyrus confirmed you to be his son. Other than that, I didn't tell him any new information." Darius said as Cyrus finished reading the letter.
"This has Dumbledore written all over it." Cyrus said with a small amount of disgust. "The man's curiosity knows no bounds. The way he phrases things in the letter… It's beyond obvious he's trying to find out more information about us and try and get you under his thumb, Harry."
"I can't help but agree with you Cyrus. Even in our meeting he seemed unnaturally curious about Harry's role in things and everything else, as always. However, I cannot help but feel that this could be a great opportunity for you Harry. Those who wish to attend Hogwarts require the blessing of the throne and I am giving you my blessing to attend." Darius said, not reacting to Cyrus' comments.
"You what?" Cyrus questioned disbelievingly.
"I said that I believe that Harry should attend Hogwarts."
"For what reason father? Please, enlighten me. When have you ever held the wizarding world in any other regard except for contempt? How did Dumbledore even convince you to meet with him? I know what you think of Dumbledore and you wish to send my son right into his domain? Do you have some hidden reasoning behind this? You've never been so open-minded with people attending Hogwarts. But now that Harry, my son, and our Keeper, is offered a place you're just going to happily say yes?"
"That is enough." Darius said with quiet fury. Harry couldn't help but flinch at the man's tone and shrunk into Cyrus' side for protection. Harry was amazed that Cyrus managed to stare directly into his father's burning eyes. "I know our relation has been strained but the fact that you think so lowly of me is offensive. I am your father and I have tried to give you everything you could want and this is the image of me you have in your head? You think I would try and remove Harry from here? You truly think I would willingly act against my own son and his family?"
"Than what reason do you have for seeing Harry be sent away?" Cyrus asked, defiance still evident in his voice.
"Believe it or not, I have put some thought into this. There is only so much we can teach Harry here. In order for him to be more prepared, especially in light of recent revelations, I feel that he should be trained in magic. You've seen some of the things people here who went to Hogwarts can do, imagine what Harry, who's a true wizard, would be able to do? I'm saying this because I want him safe. I trust Dumbledore as little as you do, but these are the trade-offs we must consider. I accepted Dumbledore's offer for a meeting because I figured it to be about Harry and I had put thought into it before he had even mentioned the meeting. I talked with Dumbledore at great lengths about the different types of protections that surround Hogwarts and the different benefits Harry would receive."
"I apologize father." Cyrus ground out after a few moments of silence after Darius' proclamation. Harry could see the distrust in Cyrus' eyes but knew it wouldn't be agreeable to be on bad footing with Darius. "You're right about Harry being prepared. Hogwarts would be able to train Harry in ways that we would not. I didn't mean to infer that you meant Harry harm."
"It is probably for the best that I leave for now. There is a lot for you to discuss." Darius said, standing and smoothing out his clothes, even though they weren't wrinkled. He took another envelope out of his jacket and quietly handed it to Cyrus. "Please take care of that for me. Happy birthday, Harry. This is for you as well. I do hope you enjoy it. It was given as a gift from one of my ancestors to one of yours but left behind after everything happened. I believe it best to return it to you."
Darius called forth a medium sized package wrapped in brown paper from the shadows and handed it to Harry with a small smile. Harry watched in silence as Darius proceeded and quickly saw himself out the door and he turned to his father, who watched the door in silence. Harry quietly opened the package and found a beautiful black cloak inside. It was truly as black as midnight and when it was shifted in the light, there were speckles of silver and gold inside the material. Harry found himself smiling in spite of the interaction at the beautiful gift, and one of the few things Darius had gifted to him. Harry noticed Cyrus watching him open the gift with an inner turmoil in his eyes.
"Dad?"
"Yes, Harry?" Cyrus said, sounding quite tired but still managing to smile at his son.
"What do you think I should do?" Harry asked quietly. He had thought about this day plenty of times but he was still unsure about his course of action. When he was younger, he thought about Hogwarts constantly and how it would be able to change his life for the better. At Hogwarts he would have been able to find people who liked him for who he was and he wouldn't have to worry about living with the Potters. He had luckily found his escape much sooner with Cyrus and Lyla and he would still love them for that for the rest of his life, but Hogwarts was Hogwarts. He had occasionally heard his parents tell Ryan about it and it sounded like a truly magical place. Plus, he couldn't deny the points that Darius had brought up. Learning to use and control magic would put him at a great advantage against anyone who wished him or those he loved harm.
"I think you should do whatever feels right, Harry. Lyla and I will love you no matter the choice. There's no denying the fact that you are a wizard, we've seen some of the accidental magic you've done around here." Cyrus said with a chuckle, remembering the last time Harry had accidentally turned his hair bright green. "Going to Hogwarts will let you make new friends and learn things that I'm sure you've wanted to learn about for a while. There are responsibilities you have here that won't just vanish once you leave, but I think there are ways we can work around that."
"Thank you, Dad." Harry said quietly before engulfing his father in a tight hug which was quickly returned. "I think… I think I want to go to Hogwarts."
"I'm happy to hear that Harry." Cyrus sad with a reassuring smile. "Besides, thanks to Dumbledore's scheming ways, you'll have at least one friend with you."
"What do you mean?"
"The letter Darius gave me is meant for Nick. I can imagine it says similar things to your letter. I have no idea how Dumbledore even found out about Nick's existence, but he has done accidental magic like you have. He's honestly only done as much as is normal for most children here but I'm sure Dumbledore is more than happy to add another royal member to his school. I'm not sure how Nick will respond, but I'm sure once he hears that you're going, he'll be fighting to be right there with you. My father and I talked about it before you came in and he has given Nick his blessing too. He felt it best that you don't go alone and having each other will work out to benefit you."
"At least I'll have him and Ron there with me, as well as the other Weasley's." Harry said, exciting himself as he thought about actually attending Hogwarts. "I'm going to go tell mom!"
Cyrus watched the boy run off to the kitchen with a small smile on his face and a not small amount of sadness in his heart at the idea of being separated from Harry.
Diagon Alley had always be a center of wizarding activity and thus acted as a type of meter for the climate of Britain's wizarding community as a whole.
Only a few years ago, at the peak of Voldemort's power, it was almost constantly empty. People who needed to restock on various ingredients or needed a new set of robes had managed to adapt and were able to get in and out of the alley within minutes. The fear of an attack was always there and known Death Eaters had even taken to brazenly walking through the alley at times. The only time the population of the alley looked even close to how it was before was after Hogwarts letters were sent out. Even then, families would huddle together and make their way to the necessary stores and then leave immediately.
The atmosphere at these times was completely wrong. Diagon Alley used to be place of wonder and for many, their first introduction to the Wizarding World. Lifelong friends would see each other on the streets and avoid contact in fear that they may be working for the enemy, whichever side they may be on. Nobody talked to each other, even those that were in the same group. Store owners had learned not to try and make conversation with their patrons after too many reacted badly to their innocent questions. Many feared that the Alley would be forced to close completely and people would have to turn elsewhere for their needs.
But that was before Ryan Potter defeated Lord Voldemort.
Now, the alley was filled the brim with witches and wizards of varying age as they meandered along the alley. Some weren't even there for any other reason than to just enjoy the day and possibly meet up with someone they knew. Customers took their time in stores and questioned the owners about new stock they would be getting in and when. Children laughed happily in the street as they marveled at the wonder of the world they were born into.
Nick Aeron was one of the few that had not born into the Wizarding World, but quite suddenly he found himself to be thrust into it.
He wasn't sure how it was possible, but he had somehow managed to get an acceptance letter to Hogwarts. He had on occasion done accidental magic and could even make things move by themselves in he concentrated hard enough, though he was never sure if that was magic or just his regular abilities. Harry and he had tried to use actual magic before, something that they had hidden from their parents. They had only managed small feats and after each session, they would say maybe what we just did wasn't magic, maybe it has to do with our other abilities…
Nick had always had a quiet fascination with magic. He had met a few of the wizards and witches that existed back home, but he had never really been able to question them thoroughly. Most tended to stick together and usually worked for the state or some other high ranking job. Though some people were skeptical of their magic, they were actually quite sought after and usually highly paid. After Harry had shown up and the two had gotten closer, Nick would ask Harry about different aspects of wizarding life and Harry would ask him about life in his homeland. Both boys were comfortable asking the other questions as neither knew about the other's world, so no question seemed too stupid to ask. Unfortunately for Nick, Harry knew very little about the wizarding world outside of what he learned from his uncles.
Looking down the bustling alley, Nick decided that what Harry did know didn't do his original world justice. Everywhere he looked, there was something new to take in and appreciate. All the different shops caught his attention and he couldn't help but fantasize about the wonders they could hold.
Even before he had gotten his letter to Hogwarts, he had talked to Harry about somehow finding a way for him to attend anyways. He knew Harry would get in and had always assumed he would attend and he wanted to be with his brother as he explored the Wizarding World. It wasn't that he didn't love it back home, but he had grown up with it and things that became commonplace tend to lose their luster. There was also the fact that he was, in fact, Prince Nicolas, first of his name, heir to the throne. In this world, he thought he could be just Nick for a little while, which didn't sound too bad to the young boy.
"Where are we going first?" Nick questioned, his eyes bright with excitement. Harry was right next to him, taking in the sights as well. Lyla and Marie were only slightly behind them. Cyrus and Tyler were supposed to have joined them but had been called away last minute for an emergency council meeting. Nick figured that he and Harry should have joined but didn't mind the day off, he never did. He appreciated the complexity of his situation as Prince but often times found himself wishing for a carefree day where he didn't hold the future of an entire kingdom in his hands.
"Well, you two both have enough plain black robes at home so I think we can skip the clothing store. Why don't you two head to the bookstore and Lyla and I will head to the apothecary? Then we'll reconvene." Marie said with a smile, enjoying her son's interest.
"That sounds good. I know the way!" Harry said, quickly grabbing Nick's hand and pulling him in the direction of the book store.
"This place is great Harry." Nick said as the duo managed to maneuver through the busy streets.
"I know. I love it at home but there's just something about this place that makes me happy. It truly is magical."
"I can't help but agree with you there." Nick replied as the two made their way into the bustling book store. There was a sign near the front desk that advertised Hogwarts required reading so the two quickly made their way over. The required books for students had been set aside and the boys quickly filled a basket with their things.
"Mind if we walk around a bit?" Nick questioned as he eyed the rest of the store. He had never been as much as a bookworm as Harry seemed to be but he still had a healthy appreciation for them. This place seemed like a treasure trove of knowledge and Nick could only what the tomes contained.
"Lead the way!" Harry said happily as he waved Nick onward.
"Why thank you, my kind sir." Nick replied with a smile of his own, happy to join in Harry's antics. Nick and Harry moved through the bookshelves, looking at the things they contained with wonder. They both couldn't help themselves as they each grabbed a few extra books on things that interested them.
"This is where Ginny and I met." Harry suddenly informed Nick as the two turned into a new aisle.
"What a great story to tell your kids when you're older." Nick mused quietly. "'Me and mommy met in a bookstore and then we were attacked and then we fell in love and the rest is history.'" Nick joked as he plucked a book off the shelf to inspect it closer. Looking over at Harry he saw the boy had paled and was staring wide-eyed at Nick and he quickly realized his mistake. "Ah, I'm sorry Harry. I didn't mean to bring up the attack. That was really dumb of me."
"No… No, it's alright." Harry said as he tried shake his head of old memories. "I just haven't thought about it and a while and I forgot that it had happened here until you mentioned it."
"I really am sorry about bringing it up." Nick said as he grabbed Harry's shoulder and squeezed it in a show of solidarity. "We got our books, why don't we head out to and see if mum and other mum are done shopping."
Though Harry still seemed to be rethinking the events of the past, he couldn't help but chuckle at Nick's nickname for their mothers. The two quickly paid for their books with the money their parents had given them and then left the store, walking straight into a crowd of people.
"Watch where you're going." A wizard gruffly said to Nick as the boy accidently walked straight into him.
"I'm sorry." Nick apologized quickly. He turned to Harry with a curious smile. "I've never had anybody talk to me like that. Normally it's always 'Oh, I'm so sorry sir' or 'Please don't execute me, my liege' or some garbage like that. I think I kind of like it."
"You have got to be the weirdest person I know." Harry said with a laugh and a curious glance at Nick. "I wonder what this crowd is about."
"Let's find out." Nick said with determination as he began to push through the people who were blocking their exit. Harry followed closely behind, maneuvering his way through the crowd instead of pushing them like Nick.
"…understand your interest in our family but we are asking that we be allowed to make out way through Diagon Alley without you all following. This is a happy day for our family and we would like to spend it as such." An unfamiliar voice called from the middle of the crowd. Nick couldn't help but find himself intrigued by the sight that was greeting him as he finally made his way through the group.
The crowd was gathered around a family of three, all of whom looked very guarded, though not in an unkind way. Nick couldn't help but wonder who they were that they would gather so much attention that they had to ask for their own privacy. Nick had often felt like asking for his own privacy when he was walking around town, but he had been told that such a thing could be misconstrued.
"Who are these people?" Nick asked Harry, hoping that he might have some type of knowledge of them. He turned to Harry, only to see the boy standing perfectly still and his face flushed. "Harry?"
"Let's get out of here…" Harry replied nervously, still staring at the family. People had started to leave the surrounding area, apparently granting the black haired man his wish.
"Okay, let's go." Nick agreed with confusion. As Harry still hadn't taken his eyes off of the family, he decided to take matters into his own hands and pull Harry away, only to notice the group of three walk towards them.
"Everything alright there lads?" The man asked with a kinder tone than before, perhaps not minding the two young boys as much as the older, larger crowd.
"Ah. Yes, sir." Harry replied, the words rushing out of his mouth.
"You sure there mate? You look a bit unwell. Maybe you should sit down for a spell." The boy said, just as kindly as his father. He looked at Harry wearily, not sure whether he should move forward and help or stay back.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just not every day that I get to be in the presence of such fame." Harry snapped, the color in his face rushing back to him.
"I'm sorry. Did we do something to offend you?" The boy asked kindly, confused at the interaction.
"Sorry. I don't know what's gotten in to him. I'm Nick Aeron." Nick said as he shook their hands, eyeing Harry curiously. He had never known Harry to lose his temper with others.
"I'm James Potter." The man said, staring at Nick and Harry curiously. He introduced the rest of his family with a tone that suggested Nick would already know who they were. To be honest, Nick had no idea who they were at first and after James had introduced himself he wished he never did. Nick knew perfectly well who James Potter and the rest of his family were. Harry and he were brothers in all but blood and Nick prided himself on the fact that nobody knew more about Harry's life than him, not even Cyrus and Lyla. Harry even told Nick about his life with the Potters, something that had taken a long time for Harry to trust Nick enough with. So he knew perfectly well who James Potter was and all the horrible things he had done. To think he had just shaken the man's hand…
"Ah yes. I suppose I should have recognized you." Nick replied suddenly, cutting off something James was about to say. "The famous Potters, out and about. Well, we won't bother you any longer. Have a great day."
And with that, Nick grabbed the now red faced Harry and pulled him far away from the Potters. The family looked at the receding boys with even more curiosity, never having met somebody who reacted quite like that before. Nick could only imagine what his friend was going through and he felt terrible for not realizing what was happening and getting Harry out of there immediately.
"Harry?" Nick asked once they had rounded a corner and put the Potter's out of sight. "Are you okay?"
"Did you see them too? They weren't just a figment of my imagination? I wish they were. That would have been easier to deal with. But I think that was actually them. And they seemed so nice. What was that about? Why were they so nice…?"
"Harry!" Nick shouted and gave Harry a shake, trying to calm the boy down. He had barely breathed at all between his sentences and his eyes were unfocused.
"I'm sorry." Harry whispered after a moment of silence. Shaking his head of his thoughts, he smiled weakly at Nick. "I guess I just don't have the best luck at Diagon Alley, do I?"
"What's going through your head? Talk to me." Nick pleaded as pulled Harry to the ground to sit with him.
"I don't know honestly. There's so much." Harry laughed without humor. "I knew that Ryan would be in Hogwarts with us but I didn't think I would see them so soon, if at all. I figured I could handle seeing Ryan. That would have been one thing. Something I could have handled. Seeing mum- No, Lily and James was something else. I just can't help thinking about all those years ago and how it was back then. All the things I went through and the emotions that went along with it came flying back and just kind of overwhelmed me I guess. They just seemed so kind to us too. Was that an act? I mean, we barely talked to them but still. But why would they put on an act for two kids they've never seen before? If they're so nice to everybody else, why did they treat me like that? Is there something wrong with me?"
"Harry!" Nick gasped with horror. "There is nothing wrong with you. You can't blame yourself for a second. Everything that happened was their fault, not yours. I should've made the connection sooner and got us out of there faster. I'm sorry for making you stick around while I stupidly introduced myself. You're a great person and it's totally their fault for how they treated you. Just remember that you have people surrounding you who love you and would do anything for you. Listen to me, as long as I'm with you, there's nothing they can do to you. We're here for each other, yeah?"
"Yeah." Harry nodded, a small smile gracing his lips at Nick's words.
"Good. Now let's go and find mum and get our wands and get the hell out of here before I go back and kick the Potter's arses."
A/N: Sorry about the delay guys! This chapter just wasn't working out the way I wanted it to be the final products seems okay to me. Drop me a review and let me know what you think!