A/N: Don't own.

Continues almost immediately after chapter 17.

End of chapter 17:

The 'discussion' ended fairly quickly. With Croaker and another Unspeakable leading the Aurors unceremoniously from the room to ensure an immediate investigation into the mentioned claim of this being 'how it's always been done', Savage watching on in impotent fury.

Harry certainly hadn't been expecting to be joined in his crusade to cut these imbeciles back to size by the Head of the Unspeakables, who gave an acknowledging nod to both Kingsley and Harry as he left the room.

Harry leaned back in his seat, slightly nonplussed. What an interesting day this was shaping up to be.

Chapter 18

Reborn had rarely felt quite this annoyed.

At least the current combination of idiocy, self-importance and utter ignorance being shown off in the Minister's office was a good chance to start forming subcategories on 'The List'. As in 'the list of people Reborn intended to visit in the near future in order to discuss their life choices and their involvement in his Sky's life'. That list.

He had been getting short on targets anyways.

Soon after the Unspeakables' rather dramatic exit, the meeting had descended into chaos. Because seeing the DMLE reprimanded for their actions had somehow given everyone else the impression that this would be the best point in time to make their own opinions regarding 'the Savior's duties to the Wizarding World' known. Listening to these utter wastes of space talk about his Sky - arguing about which of their concerns Harry was to address first and how he was to go about it - as though their regarding his Sky's life and future choices was requested, welcome or permitted...

Yes, Reborn was annoyed.

As could be felt in his Flames and Reborn let some of his Flames leak into the room to join Fon's, which were curling with the Storm's derision at the audacity of these people to try and direct their betters. Clearly even a few of these imbeciles had started to feel something by now, as they had developed a wonderful tic of frequently looking around themselves nervously, looking for the threat that their atrophied survival instincts were warning them about. Only to be met with Reborn's utterly blank face and Fon's serene smile.

Although his Sky's anger and frustration - at being talked about as though he wasn't in the room, much less as though he had a say in his own future - was more than apparent on his face. A few more moments of silently listening to the ongoing 'discussion' - on the order in which Harry was to personally check the wards of every single ancestral home to ensure te safety of the more prominent members of society, such as the department heads' that were currently in the room - before Harry clearly had enough and decided to put an end to any delusions.

A sudden shift of the atmosphere in the room - not that these imbeciles noticed right away - his Sky's magic starting to swell, slowly, steadily, in a single surge, uncompromisingly increasing in pressure, taking the very air from the room.

Until there was silence.

Absolute quiet.

Several of the previously so opinionated cretins seemed to have stopped breathing altogether, their utter stillness speaking of everyone being suddenly - and very uncomfortably - reminded just who they had been trying to bend to their will, nervous glances being shot between their clearly furious hero, the suddenly so ominously smiling Asian to his right and the shadowed eyes promising a painful death of the man to his left.

Reborn could feel Harry's absolute determination to not let anyone have power over him again - to not give in to anyone's demands, to always and uncompromisingly remain free - as he relished in being surrounding by Harry's vast magic. The background feeling of Fon's Flames and the Storm's invisible menacing glee at witnessing these fools being brought to awareness of their own short-comings, certainly didn't hurt Reborn's enjoyment of the situation either.

No one moved.

Finally, it was Shacklebolt who broke the complete terrified silence, addressing the room at large, "If there is nothing else to discuss, today's meeting is concluded." The Minister's general dismissal seemed to break the spell and the immediate, almost mad scramble for the door was beautiful to see.

Harry was still frowning as he watched the mass escape. He clearly wasn't satisfied with having driven people into desperate flight away from himself as repayment for thinking they might have power over him. Reborn approved.

Although, their focus shifted when the Shacklebolt stopped Savage before she had a chance to join in with the rest of the fleeing imbeciles. "Head Auror Savage. A word."

And then - with everyone else gone - the Minister proceeded to beautifully rip into the woman, for the first time that day allowing his displeasure to show through at her transgression, from the willful ignoring of the Minister's orders in particular to the inept handling of confidential information in general.

Shacklebolt ended by stating severely, "It is entirely unacceptable for the rights of a British wizard to be ignored for any reason. There is no acceptable explanation for this breach of trust that the public is putting in this Ministry. It is inexcusable."

There was a brief pause after the Minister's emphatic statement. At this point, Savage looked to be caught somewhere between anger and embarrassment.

Finally, Shacklebolt sent Savage from the room without ever letting her get a word in edgewise, "We will continue this meeting later today at my convenience. As soon as Head Unspeakable Croaker finishes his investigation, inter-department collaborative measures will have to be re-organized. You will be informed as required."

Watching Savage stomp from the room like a reprimanded child, Reborn couldn't help but think that he would really love to witness the continuation of this particular discussion. But based on the vindictive glee he could feel along their bond, his Sky clearly considered his immediate thirst for revenge sated by her sufficiently public humiliation. Reborn simply adored the uncompromisingly vengeful glint in his little Sky's wide, green eyes.

As Harry and the Minister quickly slipped into a debate on various matters regarding the running of the Wizarding World, Fon continued to silently observe.

With only the four of them remaining in the office, the dynamic between the young Sky and the British Minister of Magic had changed again severely, now more of a friendly discussion than a political debate. They were covering a wide range of topics including courses at Hogwarts - a school? -, current policies regarding Dementors - clearly not a pleasant topic, based on the young Sky's obvious abhorrence - as well as the entertainingly unrelated topic of sewage systems in a place called Knockturn Alley.

Right now, the young Sky was arguing with the Minister about a set of legislature, which would apparently grant magical orphans the same kinds of rights and protections that were afforded to any other magical child - and just how backwards was this society that this needed to be discussed at all? Just by following the argument between the two wizards it was becoming very clear to Fon, that there was some sort of background story that Harry was doing his best not to mention, all the while drawing his unshakable determination for this particular topic from it. He certainly looked entirely unwilling to back down, which the Minister - going by the man's increasingly resigned expression - seemed to be realizing as well. Reborn's Sky was clearly going to get his way in this.

...Reborn's Sky. It still sounded surreal to Fon. But today's events at least showed why Reborn seemed so absolutely satisfied with the young Sky who had managed to draw in the World's Greatest Hitman.

Not only did he wield Flames of a purity Fon himself had never felt from a Sky before, but they were also clearly matched - if not exceeded - by his magic, and that was without even mentioning Harry's apparent political power in his world. Just watching the young Sky discuss the running of the magical government with its apparent leader - while showing nothing but absolute confidence that he would be heard, that his opinion, his word, his demands would actively be met - certainly confirmed his influence in this world.

But at the same time, Harry's effortless kindness and warmth was not only apparent in his Flames, his Qi and Reborn's smugness, but also in his arguing for the more defenseless members of society, despite the young Sky's own age and clearly having only recently passed into adulthood himself. And true kindheartedness - something Fon encountered ever so very rarely in his position - that was something that Fon could easily commit himself to protect.

All in all, today was making it very clear that Reborn's obvious pride when introducing the Sky as his, had been more than justified.

Although, all of this was just leading to more and more questions that Fon was getting quite impatient to ask. Not that you could tell by looking at him. But still. He was more than looking forward to having an in-depth discussion with Reborn and Harry as soon as their privacy was assured.

Fon had questions indeed.

Reborn could practically see the Storm mentally noting down everything he was observing, making lists of things to be discussed, asked, argued at a later point in time. Well, Fon has always liked his lists, Reborn thought lazily. By now, he was completely certain that the Storm would not be chased away by anything they threw at him here, but rather that at this point the Storm was entirely hooked by the promise of new knowledge and this new world that had been presented to him. There was no way Fon would willingly give up this sort of mystery without investigating even the minutest detail. And Reborn was also aware just how interested Fon was in his Sky, he could practically taste the Storm's interest in Harry.

But best continue to ignore that for now, Reborn thought. Lest they ended up tearing down the entirety of the British Ministry of Magic in the fight that would follow.

As always most of Reborn's attention was focused on his Sky, who – after fleshing out the details of the orphan protection legislature, which would also lay some groundwork for Harry's charities - was now discussing the reinstatement of the post-war trials with Shacklebolt. The Minister was emphasizing just how important it was to speed up the trials after the delay due to Harry's absence – and Reborn really didn't like what the Minister was implying here, whether the man had intended to do so or not. And of course Harry immediately offered to do his best to be present for as many trials as his schedule allowed.

The Minister was of course all too happy with Harry's offer and responded quickly, "If you prefer, we could arrange the trials to fit your schedule so you can attend every session. How much time will you be able to spend daily in magical surroundings while you are still recovering?"

Knowing better than to promise more than he was actually willing to give, Harry worded his response to the Minister's question carefully, "The healers haven't given me an exact time frame yet as this is still the testing phase."

Reborn approved of the response, but he could also see that his Sky's conscience was already starting to rear its head. He knew how very worried Harry was about the trials being restarted without him, despite also being convinced that most of the claims regarding his supposedly indispensible testimony were complete bullshit. But just the thought of potentially being responsible for innocent people being locked up because Harry wasn't there to testify had his little Sky endlessly worried.

This situation was certainly giving Reborn a very clear idea of how the Wizarding World had been able to regularly bring Harry to willingly bend to their demands.

So, while he had been almost entirely silent throughout today's meeting, this was the point where Reborn felt it necessary to interject with some 'input'. From where he was lazily leaning back in the chair next to his little Sky, he asked, "Is there a list of the individual requests for Harry's testimony? We will be unavailable for the next several days, but we could certainly sort through the claims to identify any obviously false claims and let any cases where Harry's presence isn't actually indispensible proceed immediately."

As he spoke, Reborn could see the Minister gaining a slightly resigned expression, clearly having hoped to quiet any critics' demands by having Harry as the supposedly unbiased party present. But - as before - Shacklebolt still nodded in acceptance without a word to the contrary.

Harry on the other hand looked almost startled. Seeing his Sky's surprise at someone trying to come up with a solution designed to first and foremost suit Harry's needs - lightening his workload all the while still letting him salve his conscience – just affirmed Reborn's utter loathing of the British Wizarding World.

His kindhearted Sky, so very willing to help wherever and whenever he could, but entirely unused to anyone so much as attempting to return the favor.

Reveling in the warmth of almost helpless gratitude pulsing along their bond - even as Harry happily promised Kingsley to let him know which trials he would be attending as soon as he had a chance to look over the claims - Reborn thought grimly to himself that with him in Harry's life, people would suddenly find it much harder to take advantage of his little Sky's kind heart.

Slanting a look over to the Storm sitting at Harry's other side - who was doing nothing to hide the hint of menace curling at the edges of his placid smile and whose position as one of the main enforcers of the Chinese Triads had definitely not been gained due to his lenience or altruism – Reborn thought to himself, that it would turn out to be much harder indeed.

One might even say impossible.

Leaving Kingsley's office, Harry was still basking in the feeling of his Guardian's Sun Flames curling warmly and protectively around him. He would have loved nothing more than to just sit down and revel in this feeling of safetysuretyprotection for a while.

But as always, there were things to get done.

So far, today had been quite eventful, even though Harry still wasn't quite sure whether to actually call today a success or not.

He was still so very embarrassed at having forgotten to mask his magical signature, thus giving the Aurors a way to track him down in the first place. At least nothing really bad had come of today and making a complete fool of Savage - cutting the Head Auror and her little troop of loyal Aurors back to size, even implicating her Aurors in unlawful use of resources - had certainly been satisfying.

The Ministry's desperation to get Harry under their thumb wasn't actually the most troubling thing about today's events – it was rather expected to be honest - but the Order's involvement in this mess was certainly disappointing. Harry wasn't sure whether this was just a few Order Members trying to regain their previous glory - or hobby or whatever - by sticking their nose into his business, or whether there might be something more sinister at play here.

At least not everyone from the Order seemed to be involved, going by Kingsley's apparent exclusion. Well, that's one at least, Harry thought bitterly.

Additionally, Savages' actions had given Harry the chance to draw very clear lines at what he would be willing to tolerate from the Ministry. And what he simply wouldn't. And for once there even seemed to be some actual consequences for their actions if Croaker's involvement and Kingsley's reaction were anything to go by.

Still. Harry sighed. Dealing with the Ministry was always so stressful.

Stepping into the elevator to take them back to the Atrium, Harry felt some of his tension - which he had been carrying around with him ever since his magic's warning nudge right before the Aurors had burst into view in the middle of London, far too well informed about Harry's whereabouts and far too close to his Sun for comfort - release. His sudden relaxation had nothing at all to do with Reborn's arm easily curling around Harry's waist as soon as the doors had fully closed behind them. It hadn't.

And Harry happily ignored how absurdly quick his instincts had decided that Fon was entirely safe, that the Storm's presence was not to be considered an invasion or a threat in any way. He would have time later on to consider what this quick acceptance meant.

Ignoring the blush he could feel on his face, Harry still gratefully leaned into his Sun's side as he considered what to do next.

Harry was not naïve enough to believe that he had seen the last of the Ministry's or the Order's meddling. History had taught him otherwise. They definitely needed to contact Gringott's as soon as possible and his lawyers would need to be updated - about Fon, about the Ministry tracking him down like a criminal and about the Order's interference.

A slight tightening of the arm around his waist had Harry look up at his Sun. Who was watching the doors with slight suspicion, reminding Harry that the two Flame users had no way of knowing about how they operated and were probably suspicious of their return trip taking so long.

Harry easily explained, "The elevators are charmed to take exactly as long as their occupants want them to. They are also warded to high heavens against any sort of monitoring as they quite often spontaneously double as conference rooms. Or as the perfect place to take a quick nap between floors." A brief pause. "Thankfully, magical elevator shafts are not actually limited to a single carriage like the Muggle version or the Ministry would get done even less than they do now." Harry grinned sardonically.

Reborn smirked disdainfully, his irritation from the previous meeting clearly not entirely abated yet, "A convenient wizard invention, how impressive."

Harry couldn't help his grin up at his Sun, as Reborn unknowingly echoed his exact reaction when Barrister Motley had explained the elevators to him some months back. "Isn't it just?"

Thinking that it would actually be convenient to discuss their plans for the rest of the day now, Harry non-verbally threw out a privacy charm - despite the supposed warding.

When he looked up both Reborn and Fon were watching him. It brought Harry up short. Had they just read his body language or had they actually been able to feel him cast the spell? Unless you had Magick Sight, actually feeling someone cast magic was considered to only be possible if you were incredibly attuned to the other person. It wouldn't be too unlikely for Reborn to be able to detect and recognize his magic by now, but that couldn't possibly apply to Fon as well.

Could it?

Harry forced himself to shake off the thought of what that might mean and instead focused on the two Flame users.

Unnecessarily he clarified, "A privacy ward."

Neither of the men shifted their gaze away from him, though Fon inclined his head slightly. It was reassuring to see that the man actually was capable of reacting with facial expressions. Although clearly only if he deigns to, Harry thought with a grin.

While Fon's introduction to the Wizarding World had been inevitable if he was truly going to stick around them, dragging the Storm right away into the political intricacies of the Magical World certainly hadn't been the best way to go about it.

So, considering that it would only be fair to keep him in the loop now that they had the chance to do so, Harry suggested from where he was happily leaning against his Sun's side, "We should probably stop by my lawyers' office first to keep them updated."

Reborn nodded agreeably where he was resting his chin against Harry's temple. Fon showed no actual reaction to Harry's proposal, but continued to watch them intently.

Harry was sure that Fon was expecting a comprehensive explanation as soon as they managed to get somewhere quiet. Which was more than fair, considering the Storm's nonchalant acceptance of everything they had thrown at him in the span of two days and his stoic support through rather volatile situations. One truly had to admire the man's poker face in the face of today's insanity.

Harry continued. "After that we can go somewhere quiet for a discussion," - Fon deigned to give another nod of agreement at this – "and I would like to mask my magical signature as soon as possible. It requires quite a bit of concentration to effectively mask my magic in its entirety but that's about it."

And wasn't it just doubly embarrassing to admit that Harry could have masked his magic at any point before, if only he had actually remembered to do so.

Well, with today's experience he certainly wouldn't ever be forgetting about it again, that much was for certain. If anything Harry could already see this joining the list of his various neuroses. Along with his need to check the door of any room he was in regularly to make sure he hadn't been locked in – thank you Dursleys -, his need of watching anyone he met obsessively whether they had a tendency of hourly drinks from a private bottle to make sure they weren't polyjuiced – thank you Moody and Crouch - and his need to religiously check his mental defenses for any sort of tampering throughout the day – thank you Dumbledore, thank you Snape and thank you fucking Voldemort.

Merlin, did he live an interesting life or what?

When the elevator finally came to a halt at the Atrium Reborn stepped out first, then Harry with Fon following sedately behind.

They were met with countless stares from the wizarding masses that had gathered in the Ministry's arrival hall. Clearly word of the Savior's appearance at the Ministry had gotten around, going by the obvious anticipation that permeated the room. The immediate gawking was also a big hint. Cue the sarcasm.

Harry had warned Reborn and Fon in the elevator to expect the Atrium to be packed with gossip mongers hoping to get another glimpse of the Harry Potter Show. Probably best to give the two Flame users a heads up, lest a good portion of Ministry workers ended up dead or maimed by the end of today if they started clamoring for his attention.

Harry knew that if he made eye contact with even a single person here, that person would feel encouraged to voice his oh-so-relevant thoughts and it would quickly turn into a mob of people trying to make themselves heard. Then he would have to ask Fawkes to take them away and Harry had no intention of looking like he was avoiding something. No. They were going to leave from the exact spot they had arrived at. See if they didn't! Hnpf.

Smoothly starting across the hall - Reborn and Fon easily falling into their positions at his side - Harry let his magic convey utter calm, in direct contrast to the irritation he had radiated earlier at his arrival. Considering that the papers would be printing about his meeting with the Head Auror and the Minister himself, Wizarding Britain would be all too happy to draw their entirely uninformed conclusions.

For once, the Wizarding World's obsession with gossip would actually suit Harry's needs.

While Harry didn't necessarily need the support of the wizarding public, it certainly made his life easier. Harry's current popularity gave him a lot of leverage in the Ministry, but public opinion could all too easily be swayed, the sheeple so happily feeling appalled, so very eager to watch an idol's fall from grace.

And Harry's only real weak spot in the political arena was his age. While his wealth, his political power and his magical prowess would never be put into question, Harry knew that today's events were a perfect chance to impress on the wizarding public that - despite his age - not only was he considered an equal party when meeting the Minister and various department heads but also that he got exactly what he wanted from the Ministry.

Having actively escalated the conflict with the DMLE, anything reaffirming his status in the eyes of the sheeple could only help him in the future. So, while he would love to avoid the masses, today Harry was going to give them their spectacle.

And then, he spotted Hestia Jones not so inconspicuously lingering next to the wand checking counter. She couldn't possibly be stupid enough to actually confront him in public, could she? To give him a chance to air his grievances with the Order directly in front of the Wizarding World's worst gossips? Though, wouldn't that be mightily gracious of her, Harry thought vengefully.

Who was Harry to deny Jones her very own public smackdown. That still didn't mean he was going to make it easy for her. Oh no.

Calmly continuing on his path across the Atrium towards the apparition areas, Harry couldn't help but feel vindictively amused at her obvious befuddlement when he made no move to stop by for another chat despite clearly having spotted her.

Then she stumbled after them, "Harry!"

The wizard who had been standing next to her was following her across the hall. His scowl looked somewhat familiar, though Harry couldn't actually place him.

"Harry! Harry, wait up!" At this point, Jones had gathered quite a bit attention as well, although not a single Ministry worker deigned to actually step aside to let her through, Harry's obvious dismissal of her doing Jones' reputation no favors. "Harry Potter!"

At the last shout, Harry came to a stop and – back to his affable public persona – affected a slightly surprised expression.

"Jones." He greeted pleasantly. Reborn and Fon turned with him and were watching her predatorily, clearly unused to having their prey actually run after them.

Harry's sudden politeness seemed to throw Jones for a loop, as she stopped to gape at him for a moment. Seriously. People should really get used to the fact that Harry rarely behaved according to their expectations of him.

He continued innocently, "Was there something other than what was discussed with Minister Shacklebolt just now?"

At her continued floundering, Reborn apparently decided to move things along. Jones actually flinched visibly, when he turned the entirety of his focus on her.

Fon's placid smile was practically oozing derision at this point.

"Ah. Harry. Yes." She was trying to collect herself, clearly looking for a way to get a handle on the conversation. Then she seemingly remembered her companion. "Ah, this is Edward Smith."

Harry gave a nod in the wizard's direction, only to receive a scowl in return. The resemblance to Zacharias Smith was suddenly very obvious, now that Harry knew what to look for. And the scowl aimed at Harry was nearly identical to the one Smith the Younger had been fond of giving him ever since fifth year. What joy.

Jones had clearly expected Harry to react in some way, but when he did not actually respond verbally, she continued. "Edward joined the Order just recently. He's been a great help with our efforts."

Again with the 'efforts'. What bloody efforts? Although going by today's events, those 'efforts' clearly included messing with Harry's privacy. And that was plainly unacceptable.

Still, Harry asked calmly. "Oh? So the Order is recruiting again? Even after the war?"

"Well, yes, of course. It never hurts to keep prepared, you know. It is important to stay wary for when the dark forces try to rise again eventually. We clearly need to bolster our numbers, gather as many decent wizards as possible under the banner of the light." Jones stated fervently. "The Order will continue to defend the light!" Her zeal was disturbing.

Harry kept his expression neutral as he inquired calmly, "Hm. Anyone I know?"

Jones responded patronizingly, "Oh, Harry. You know I can't discuss those details out in the open like that." She actually reached out, clearly intending to condescendingly pat his arm. His right arm. Where Fon was standing, smiling placidly, but still somehow exuding derision.

A slight shift from the Storm had Jones flinching backwards before she even came close to finishing the motion. Then she stared in complete befuddlement, apparently baffled by her own reaction to the serenely smiling Asian.

Well, at least there is some sort entertainment to be had, Harry thought cheerfully.

Awkward silence ensued, as Jones just continued to stare at Fon, caught in his gaze and apparently unable to look away.

Which gave the other Order member a chance to put his foot in. Smith's anger was clear to see and his frown was deepening by the minute. Finally, he burst out while barely containing his temper, "Just send your bodyguards away, Potter! We will escort you to headquarters and the Order will provide your protection from now on."

Huh, Smith the Older is clearly just as personable as his younger relative, Harry thought drolly. Although, even Harry didn't expect the wizard to then actually wave his hand at the two Flame users, pompously stating, "You can leave now."

A pause.

Reborn didn't react beyond raising an eyebrow at the dismissal by a stranger and Fon's serene smile only gained an edge of actual amusement. And Harry just couldn't help himself anymore. He laughed.

Out loud.

There was actual mirth in his voice when he said clearly for all to hear. "While I thank you for the offer of protection against those supposedly 'rising dark forces' even despite there being no evidence of any such movement whatsoever, I will give you the same answer that I gave the DMLE earlier today: Your offer comes far too late."

Then, Harry let the hilarity in his voice dissipate, gravity taking its place. Lowering his voice slightly, so only the few eavesdroppers standing directly around them would actually understand him - so his words would spread from just a small group of people, like any other rumor - he continued, "Just weeks ago, the Order had the audacity to remove me from St. Mungo's against healers' orders, brought me to the Muggle World and then left me without any sort of protection while barely conscious. My healers are still struggling to counteract the detrimental effects that the Order's actions had on my health. Your offer of protection at this point is laughable and almost insulting."

Harry paused to take in the reactions around him.

Jones and Smith - and every single eavesdropper - looked absolutely gobsmacked at his words.

Having made his point, Harry continued with a normal tone of voice, which - in the complete silence of people hoping to listen in - almost echoed through the Atrium, "The war has been over for several months now and I have long seen to my own protection. Any offers of protection at this point, are unnecessary, as any threats that I myself am unable to take care of, will easily be disposed of by either of my 'bodyguards'."

Silence.

Then a collective swiveling of heads, as the gawking people in the hall suddenly regarded both Reborn and Fon in an entirely new light. If the Savior, The-Man-Who-Conquered, their hero claimed these two men to be just as - if not more - powerful than himself… Quite a few people actually took a step back to get a little further away.

Harry took a brief look around, entirely satisfied. It was certainly nice of Jones to give him a chance to rehash this particular part of today's confrontation in public. Making a joke out of the Order's fear mongering about supposed 'rising dark forces', indirect criticism for the DMLE – for not protecting their hero – as well as once and for all clarifying Reborn's and Fon's positions at his side.

And most importantly, his statement would ensure that no one would ever so much as consider that either Fon or Reborn could possibly be non-magical. It was unfathomable to any wizard that a Muggle could possibly defeat a magic user.

Job done, Harry turned on his heel, flanked by Reborn and Fon as they made the final few steps towards the very spot they had arrived in. Raising his hand as Fawkes appeared in front of them in a spectacular flash of phoenix fire, Harry took a last look around the hall, he felt immensely satisfied with the stupefied looks all around.

And as Fawkes' fire enveloped them, Harry couldn't help but gleefully think that his lawyers were going to have fun 'taking care' of anyone who had been even remotely involved in today's events.

A/N: So, this chapter is kind of weird. This was originally supposed to be the end of the last chapter, so now there isn't much progress, but I still needed these segments for the build-up to the next chapters. It also feels somewhat chaotic to me… Well, I had to post it at some point, so there.

I'm really sorry it took me so long to update. I've been insanely busy and then I didn't have internet at home for almost three months. RL, what can you do? The next update will definitely be quicker though, because I've already written a lot of it!

As always, thanks to all the people who commented, made suggestions or corrected typos, language, etc. Help with my English is always welcome, same for any other languages I try to incorporate!

Chapter 17 review responses:

Thanks so much for all your reviews! 245 reviews for the last chapter (°o°) You guys are just awesome and your comments make my day. They also keep me hooked on writing :)

To answer the questions that were asked a lot: No comments on Harry's future Guardians (but it will become clear soon whether Fon will be a Guardian) or Harry's role in the Arcobaleno curse; I'm planning to completely integrate the HP and KHR 'verses in this story, so all characters should show up at some point, although I won't even try to guess how long it'll take me to get there.

To zzzjem: Thanks so much for your extensive review! …to be honest, I haven't even really gotten to the actual plot yet XD I never planned for this to be quite so slowplaced but the chapters just keep running away with me :) You could maybe say this is the first arc of the actual story?

To Elfin69: Thanks for your review! Nice idea about the Hunters :) Harry's lawsuits are actually going to play a big role soon. So, well spotted!

To Ebona Nite & Electricprincess889: Thanks for your reviews! Ron and Hermione are going to show up soon :)

To Kitsune95 & Lucky Black Moon: Thanks so much for reviewing! I will definitely get back to explaining how Flames and magic work in this 'verse in more detail soon. As the title suggests, Igneomancy will play a big part (once I finally get to the actual plot…). There will also be some training for Harry coming up soon :)

To d & CloudZzFluffyBedsOfWhite: Thanks for your reviews! The actions of the Order will come up again soon and there will definitely be consequences. And yes, Harry is Head of the Houses Potter and Black.