Chapter 5

Qrow watched carefully as Harry began his preparations. The teen was circling Amber's life-support machine with his wand in hand, muttering under his breath while making various movements with said wand.

He still wasn't sure what Ozpin was thinking ('What else is new?' he thought with a mental snort), allowing a total stranger access to the Vault, much less to Amber herself, but he trusted the Headmaster with his life.

He pulled out his flask and took a sip. "I hope you know what you're doing," he whispered to Ozpin. The headmaster stared at Amber's vulnerable form and took a sip of hot chocolate. If Qrow hadn't known Ozpin as well as he did, he would have missed the minute trembling of Ozpin's hand.

Finally, Harry stopped his circling and walked over to the two men. "Well, I have good news and bad news," he said.

"Bad news first," said Qrow immediately.

Harry ran a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh. "Bad news is, there's nothing I can do to reclaim her power." He shook his head sadly. "Based on what you've told me about the Maidens' magic, her attacker would have to die in order for her powers to return."

Ozpin grimaced. That wasn't what he wanted to hear. "And the good news?"

Harry's expression softened. "I might have a way to wake her up."

Both men stared at the teenage wizard. "How?" asked Qrow.

"A special branch of mental magic called Legilimency," Harry explained, slipping into what Ron had dubbed 'Professor Potter mode'. "Legilimency is designed to view the thoughts and memories of the person on whom it's used. Normally, that's the extent of it, but I've made a modification." He gave a small smile. "I can go into her mind and interact with it, possibly bringing her out of whatever is keeping her in a coma."

"What about her physical state?" asked Ozpin. "She's been comatose for months now, so I assume she will be very weak."

"And you would be correct." Harry nodded to the Headmaster. "But I have several potions that will help speed her recovery up. She won't be combat ready for quite some time, but she will most likely recover."

"Most likely?" asked Qrow.

Harry sighed. "Mental magic is very delicate. If someone inexperienced in the art were to try this, they may cause irreparable damage, or even kill her by accident."

Ozpin looked at the teen over his glasses. "And you have confidence in your abilities?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "I do."

Ozpin and Qrow shared a look, before the Headmaster turned back to Harry. "Then proceed."

With a determined nod, Harry slipped a hand into the collar of his shirt and retrieved his mokeskin pouch, which he affectionately called his 'bug-out bag'. It contained his emergency trunk (twelve compartments, including a library, potions lab, fully-stocked kitchen, and a bedroom with an attached bathroom), his Firebolt, a bag with one thousand Galleons, a backup wand, and a spare invisibility cloak. Ever since he'd received it from Hagrid on his seventeenth birthday, he never went anywhere without it.

He'd discovered it the day after he started training with Qrow. He wasn't quite sure how he'd managed to keep it after he kicked the bucket and went dimension-hopping, but he wasn't about to look a gift thestral in the mouth.

He pulled out his trunk and opened the fourth compartment, which contained his potions lab, and pointed his wand at it. "Accio."

Two bottles flew out of the trunk. One was filled with a pink liquid, while the other's contents were dark blue.

"A Strengthening Solution and a Dreamless Sleep Potion," he explained to the bewildered men. "Both do exactly as their name implies." He closed the trunk and set the potions on the lid, before rolling up his sleeves. "Please open the machine," he said to Ozpin.

The Headmaster nodded and pressed a button. With a mechanical hiss, the lid of Amber's life-support pod slowly slid upward.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly, before gently placing his hands on either side of Amber's face. This part required finesse; it was much more difficult to use Legilimency on an unconscious person.

After a few moments of mental preparation, he gently pried open Amber's eyes and whispered, "Legilimens."

[Break]

The first thing Harry noticed about Amber's mindscape was how deteriorated it was. It was modeled after Beacon, but at the moment it looked like a warzone.

Above him, the sky was a bloody crimson. The grass in the courtyard was brown and dead. There were huge chunks torn out of the sidewalks. Before him was a statue of two Hunters standing victorious over a Grimm, but the top portion had been ripped off and cast aside.

Beacon itself was no better. Windows were broken, staircases were demolished, and doors were ripped clean off their hinges. Black clouds swirled ominously around the central spire.

Harry frowned; Amber's mindscape was much worse off than he thought. Whoever had stolen her power did horrific damage. He needed to find her consciousness before her mental state deteriorated further.

The broken front door creaked ominously on its remaining hinge as he pushed it aside and made his way through the entryway and into the main foyer. The elevator, identical to the one he used in the real world, was completely destroyed, with the snapped cables dangling limply in the empty shaft.

Harry jogged up a relatively stable flight of stairs carefully; even if he was just a mental projection at the moment, any injury he received in Amber's mind would affect his physical body. Falling from great heights didn't exactly do one's health any favors.

Unfortunately, the stairs led to a dead end. A monstrous pile of rubble separated Harry from whatever was on the other side.

Harry was starting to get worried. He needed to find Amber's consciousness quickly. With a wave of his wand, the rubble lifted, giving him just enough room to squeeze through. Another wave of his wand, and the pile fell with an ominous boom. Grimacing, he continued his trek.

The condition of Amber's mindscape seemed to grow worse the closer he got to where Ozpin's office would be in the real world. While the floors below had been cracked and broken, the upper floors had holes torn through them, leading to a very long drop to the ground floor. More than once, Harry had to sidle past a particularly large gap in the stairs to keep from ending up a mental pancake. Finally, after what felt like hours, he reached Ozpin's office.

Or rather, what was left of it.

In lieu of a door, something had broken directly through the wall; likely whoever attacked Amber. The office itself was completely trashed: papers were strewn everywhere, the desk in the center of the room was broken in half, and the massive gears that used to hang from the ceiling were lying in fragments, scattered across the floor. Harry entered carefully, wand held at the ready.

He paused when he heard a small noise. With a thought, he lit up his wand tip and cast the light over the destroyed office.

"Is there anyone here?" he called out.

A gasp came from behind the overturned, broken desk. Holding his wand over his head, Harry inched closer until he found the source.

Amber's consciousness had taken a beating; while on the outside, she had the body of a young woman, the girl before Harry couldn't have been older than six. Cuts and bruises littered her petite frame, and she had a scar on her face in the same spot her adult self did in the real world. She looked up at Harry with wide, terrified eyes.

"No, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, please…" she whispered, trying and failing to scoot away from the wizard.

Harry lowered his wand and knelt, gently shushing the traumatized girl. "Easy," he whispered. "I'm not going to hurt you." He held out a hand. "My name's Harry, I'm here to help."

Amber looked from Harry's face to his hand and back, before gently placing her own trembling hand in his. Harry gave her a soothing smile, which she shakily returned.

"Now then, how about we get out of here?" he asked.

"Can't," whispered Amber, pressing against Harry. "The monster will come back."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Monster? What kind of monster?"

As if in answer, a resounding roar echoed across the ruined mental landscape. Amber gave a squeak of terror and tried to hide herself behind the broken table. Harry swore under his breath as he leapt to his feet, just in time to behold a gigantic Grimm Dragon breaking through the balcony door, sending rubble and broken glass everywhere. Amber gave a shriek of fright and cowered behind the table.

Harry's wand slashed through the air. "Sectumsempra!"

The Dark curse opened a large gash in the Grimm's hide and elicited a roar of pain, but the wound was merely superficial and only served to anger the monster, which barreled toward Harry, intent on devouring him whole. With the reflexes of the youngest Seeker in over two centuries, Harry managed to dodge the behemoth; he didn't come all this way just to become some overgrown lizard's dinner.

He cursed as the dragon recovered and maneuvered for another attack. He needed to end the fight now. He raised his wand, aiming directly at the dragon's face. "Avada Kedavra!"

The sickly green curse exploded from Harry's wand. With a sound like the wings of Death, it roared across the room and slammed into the Grimm…and did absolutely nothing. With an oath, Harry leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the dragon's bulk. He raised his wand to attempt another spell, but the dragon caught him in the chest with its powerful tail, sending the wizard careening into the opposite wall.

[Break]

In the real world, Ozpin and Qrow watched anxiously as Harry descended into a trance. A few moments later, a sickening crack emanated from the teen's rib cage and left shoulder, and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

Both men stared incredulously at the now-injured wizard. "What the hell?" asked Qrow. "Did he just break a rib?"

"At least two, from the look of it, as well as his shoulder," replied Ozpin as he checked over the wizard. "What should we do?"

Qrow shrugged. "No idea. I don't want to risk moving him, though. Who knows what might happen if we do."

Ozpin swore under his breath. Nothing to do but wait.

[Break]

Harry groaned and spat out a glob of blood, holding his ribs with his good arm. He'd be feeling that one in the morning. He groaned as his shoulder throbbed. 'Definitely broken,' he thought, pointing his wand at himself. "Ferula."

Immediately, a makeshift sling appeared and applied itself to his injured arm, taking pressure off the joint. Harry gave a slight groan of relief and managed to push himself to his knees with his good arm.

"Are you okay?" asked Amber, peeking over the edge of the table and eyeing his new sling warily. Harry gave her a pained smile.

"Never better," he replied, giving the young girl a thumbs-up. Amber gave him a tiny, relieved smile before ducking back behind the table.

Harry stood shakily, gripping his wand tightly in his trembling hand. 'Of course Avada Kedavra didn't work,' he thought. 'It rips the soul from the body; Grimm don't have souls. Wonderful..'

The dragon roared and charged again. Faced with few options, Harry raised his wand and cast the first spell that came to his mind.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A silvery mist poured from his wand tip, forming a formless barrier between Harry and the Grimm. The dragon slammed headfirst into the barrier and succeeded in pushing Harry farther back, but the Patronus held strong.

'Interesting,' thought Harry, dispelling the Patronus and darting to the side, just in time to avoid another wild charge from the Grimm. He needed a memory, a happy memory. 'Think, damn it!' he told himself.

The photo of himself, Ron, and Hermione celebrating his becoming Headmaster of Hogwarts emerged from his subconscious, along with the unrestrained joy that accompanied the moment.

Harry raised his wand once more and pointed it directly at the dragon, which was circling around for another attack. With a grunt, Harry brought forth the full might of his magic; a sourceless wind picked up, and his black-and-green aura burst into being around him. With his now-glowing green eyes fixed on the approaching monster, Harry roared out his last resort.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

An enormous silver stag, rivaling the Grimm in size, burst from his wand and caught the dragon in the chest, antlers sinking deep into the Grimm's flesh. The beast roared in agony and thrashed about in a vain attempt to dislodge itself.

Harry's eyes widened, before he grinned savagely. Finally, he'd found a weakness.

The stag tossed its head, sending the dragon tumbling. It managed to catch itself in midair, but now its flight was noticeably more labored. With another rage-filled roar, it dove not at Harry, but at Amber, who was still hiding behind the broken table and had nowhere to run. Amber shrieked in terror and tried to shield herself with her arms.

Prongs caught the Grimm broadside, sending it careening into the wall, where it lay dazed. Harry quickly ran over to the terrified Amber and scooped her up, ignoring the pain in his ribs and shoulder. She clung to Harry tightly, trembling in fright; Harry wrapped his good arm around the traumatized girl. Prongs looked at him, and he nodded in return. The stag backed up and, with a faint, echoing bugle, charged the downed Grimm.

The ethereal antlers sank deep into the dragon's chest; the beast roared one final time, then fell limp, dissolving into strands of darkness. Its foe vanquished, Prongs trotted over to Harry and Amber, the latter of whom was staring at the stag with wide eyes. She reached out to touch the Patronus, which nuzzled her hand before dissolving into silver light.

"Whoa…" she whispered, and Harry couldn't help but smile.

"You okay?" he asked. Amber nodded before she laid her head on his shoulder. Harry smiled at the sight and walked out through the hole in the wall to the top of the stairs.

With the Grimm dead, Amber's mindscape was slowly returning to normal. The formerly crimson sky now bled away to blue, and the oppressive black clouds were dispersing.

"Mister Harry?"

Harry looked down at the girl, who was looking up at him curiously. Already the bruises and cuts that littered her body were disappearing, and healthy, unblemished skin was taking their place. "How'd you do all that?" she asked.

Harry smiled and gave a cheeky wink. "Magic," he said, wiggling the fingers on his only free hand in exaggeration. Amber went starry-eyed.

"You can do magic?!" she exclaimed. "I can too!" She brought her hands together and concentrated, an adorable frown on her face. After a moment, the outline of a broken masquerade mask appeared on her face, and a faint orange light popped into existence in her cupped hands.

After a few seconds, the light and mask disappeared, and Amber slumped in exhaustion, laying her head against Harry's shoulder once more. "Tired…" she drawled sleepily, before promptly conking out against him.

Harry smiled and made his way down a nearby hallway. The first door he tried led to a dorm room, so he went inside. He gently laid Amber down in one of the beds and tucked her in, before raising his wand again.

"Expecto Patronum."

Prongs once more burst from his wand, this time the size of a normal stag, and stood silently in front of him, awaiting orders.

"Protect her," said Harry, gesturing to the sleeping girl, who had begun cuddling one of her pillows and was sucking her thumb. Already she was showing signs of improvement; she now looked to be in her early teens as opposed to a young child.

Prongs nodded and silently walked to the edge of the bed before laying down, acting as a sentinel. Harry nodded his thanks and closed his eyes, allowing himself to fade out of Amber's mindscape and back to his real body.

[Break]

Qrow and Ozpin started violently when Harry suddenly gasped and fell backwards, cradling his left arm. The Headmaster reached out to steady the teen wizard while he recovered. "Well?" he asked.

Harry took a few moments to gather himself before answering. "Well, I managed to find the source of her coma," he explained, conjuring a glass of water and draining it. "Her mindscape was almost completely destroyed. Whoever her attacker is left a Grimm Dragon in there; that's what's been keeping her in a coma. I fought it and managed to destroy it." He grimaced as his ribs throbbed. "Her mindscape was healing itself when I pulled out. She should wake up within a day or so."

Ozpin's shoulders sagged in relief. Qrow gave a half-sob, half-laugh and drained his flask in one gulp.

"I'm indebted to you, Mr. Potter," said Ozpin sincerely. The man was clearly making an effort to keep his voice from cracking. "Thank you so much."

Harry waved off the man's thanks. "No problem. Let me just get the potions she'll need after she wakes up."

"You also need to have those ribs looked at," said Qrow. "How'd you even break 'em, anyway?"

"I'll explain the details later if you want," said Harry, as his tiredness compounded by his injuries sapped his strength. "For now, I just want to sleep."

Qrow grabbed the teen's good shoulder before he could topple over. "Whoa there, kid. Let's get you and Amber to the infirmary before you conk out, okay?" When he received a grunt of acknowledgement from Harry, he looked up at Ozpin. "Oz, can you –?"

"On it," replied the Headmaster as he carefully gathered Amber's slumbering form and the potions in his arms, before heading to the elevator, followed by Qrow supporting a groggy Harry.

[Break]

'I get the feeling this will become a trend,' thought Harry as he sat shirtless on the surprisingly comfortable infirmary bed. The nurse, a pink-haired, tan-skinned woman named Peach, was wrapping bandages around his torso. According to her assessment, he'd broken two ribs and fractured three more, as well as broke his collarbone thanks to that tail-slam from the Grimm Dragon. He winced as Peach tightened the bandages, making his chest throb in pain.

"Aaand done," said the pink haired nurse, before moving to put Harry's injured arm in a special brace. "Just take it easy and your Aura will do the rest." She stood up and turned to Ozpin, who had pulled up a pair of chairs for himself and Qrow. "Are you sure you don't want me to check her over?" she asked, jerking a thumb over at Amber, who had been placed in the bed next to Harry's.

"That won't be necessary," said Ozpin. "Thank you, Thumbelina."

The pink-haired nurse just shrugged and walked out of the infirmary.

Once the door had closed behind Peach, Ozpin leaned forward in his chair. "Now then, explain everything that happened. Leave nothing out."

So Harry explained everything, from the ruined state of Amber's mindscape to the Grimm Dragon, to her mindscape healing itself. Ozpin remained silent throughout the tale, occasionally taking a sip of his ever-present hot chocolate.

When Harry finished his explanation, Qrow spoke up. "Okay, so you found what kept her unconscious and kicked its ass. Is she cured? Do we have to worry about this happening again?"

"She shouldn't randomly faint," said Harry, "but she's far from healed. Whoever attacked her nearly tore her mind to pieces. It's a miracle in itself she isn't vegetative." He sighed heavily. "That being said, she should be alright with time and therapy."

"What about that thing you left in its place?" asked Qrow. "What'd you call it? A Patronus?"

"A Patronus is like a guardian," explained Harry. "It personifies positive emotions and feelings, like happiness, which is essentially the opposite of the Grimm." He shrugged his good shoulder sheepishly. "I actually didn't know it would be so effective. I'll have to do some more research on it, but I think I might have a new way to fight Grimm."

"And her attacker?" asked Ozpin. "Do you know who it was?"

"Yes and no," said Harry. "There was magic involved, that much is certain. Aura wasn't responsible for that Grimm Dragon being there." He frowned darkly. "Something like that takes exceptional skill and seriously Dark magic." His frown shifted into a smirk. "Fortunately for us, magic leaves traces that last a long time. Once Amber's well enough, I'll go back and see if I can't get a feel for the magic used in her attack. From there, I can memorize its signature, then cast some wards around Vale that are keyed to that signature; if her attacker shows up, I'll be able to locate and identify them."

Both Ozpin and Qrow blinked owlishly. "That's…more than I expected," Ozpin said after a moment of stunned silence.

"That's magic," said Harry, smiling. He leaned back against the pillow. "Ugh. I'm exhausted."

Qrow smirked. "Don't pass out on us yet, kid. We still have to get home." He moved off toward the door. "Bullhead leaves in half an hour."

Harry grumbled under his breath but heaved himself carefully out of the bed.

[Break]

Ruby and Yang were not impressed when they saw Harry's sorry state.

"What did you do?!" shrieked Ruby, rocketing across the room to inspect Harry's visible injury. "You were only gone for a few hours!"

Harry smiled sheepishly, trying his best to ignore Yang, who was giving him a crimson-eyed glare. "I…don't suppose you'll believe me if I said I fell down some stairs?"

"Not likely," said Yang, her voice ominously calm, despite the small flames now flickering around her. Harry felt a drop of sweat slide down his face. Finally, Qrow came to his rescue.

"I took him to Forever Fall to see how he stacked up against a Boarbatusk," said the drunk Huntsman, having no trouble lying through his teeth. "He was doing pretty good till we got ambushed by an Ursa." He indicated Harry's sling. "Thing smacked him right into a tree. He broke a couple ribs and his collarbone, so try to take it easy."

Taiyang, who had come rushing into the living room after hearing Ruby's scream, looked at Qrow in confusion, but caught the other man's 'I'll tell you later' look and kept his mouth shut.

"Alright!" exclaimed Ruby, clapping her hands for emphasis. "I know what'll help!"

Yang gave her sister a sideways glance. "If you say cookies, I swear to God…"

"I was actually thinking of brownies, but I like your idea better! Let's go!" And with that, she raced to the kitchen, a flurry of rose petals left in her wake. Yang pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed in irritation, before following her sister, taking hold of Harry's good arm and dragging him off with her.

Taiyang waited until the teens had left the room before rounding on Qrow. "So how did he really get so beat up?"

Qrow sighed and pulled out his flask as he sat in his favorite recliner. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," challenged Taiyang.

[Break]

Ten minutes later, Taiyang sat back and let out a breath. "Damn," he said.

Qrow nodded and took a gulp from his flask. He peered into it to see how much whiskey was left. "Yeah, that basically sums it up," he replied.

Taiyang glanced at the door to the kitchen; Ruby, Yang, and Harry were all sitting around the kitchen table, an absolutely monstrous plate of cookies and a full gallon jug of milk between them, laughing uproariously at a joke Yang had made.

"How much do you think he's hiding?" he asked.

Qrow followed the other man's gaze; Ruby was now seeing how many cookies she could fit in her mouth at a time, egged on by Yang. Harry was just sitting there looking amused.

"A lot," he said. "You seen his eyes?"

"What do you mean?"

Qrow gestured with his flask. "Kid looks like he's been through hell and back, and is halfway there again," he said. "He's a kid with the eyes of a veteran."

Taiyang raised an eyebrow. "But he acts like any normal teenager," he pointed out. "Ruby and Yang both like him."

"Maybe a bit more than "like" in Yang's case," teased Qrow, smirking at the other man's frown. "I'm just saying, there's more to this kid than meets the eye."

"So what're you gonna do?" asked Taiyamg. "If he's a threat–"

"Oh, quit the overprotective bullshit," interrupted Qrow. "If he was a threat to us, he'd have done something by now. Do you really think he would've helped Amber if he meant to hurt any of us?"

Taiyang looked conflicted. "I don't know…"

Qrow leaned forward and looked the blond man in the eye. "Trust me, Tai. I know what I'm doing."

Qrow could see the internal battle the other man was having. Finally, he sighed, and Qrow knew he'd won.

"Fine. I'll trust you. But if he slips up…" Taiyang let the threat hang. Qrow nodded in reply and laid back.

"Excellent. I'm gonna take a nap, wake me up when dinner's ready," he said, throwing an arm over his eyes. Within seconds, he was sound asleep.

Taiyang rolled his eyes. "Freeloader," he mumbled, before heading into the kitchen.

That's it for this chapter! Leave a review if you like it!