A/N: Lots and lots of introspection in this chapter.
Continues immediately after Chapter 19.
End of Chapter 19:
And Harry took no little amount of glee in quickly bringing them up to speed about the events of the day. They were immediately taking notes and asking questions about specifics. Especially Laura Clarke seemed to be chomping at the bit to bury all involved parties in law suits.
But before she could open her mouth, Motley spoke up to claim the Department of Mysteries as his. The barrister apparently had contacts among the Unspeakables and thus could easily follow the fallout. He calmly assured Harry that just because there seemed to be some sort of investigation on the side of the Unspeakables, there was no reason not to make sure that there would be actual, cautionary consequences to deter anyone else from ever attempting something similar. The threat was clear, but Motley's peaceful, grandfatherly smile never so much as wavered on his face.
Reborn wasn't even trying to hide his bloodthirsty appreciation and Fon was looking on in definite approval.
Satisfied, Harry gave his lawyers the absolute go-ahead to get compensation for his 'distress' at having been sought after like a common criminal.
And as Harry, Reborn and Fon left for the Alleys, the Clarke siblings were still locked in an intense staring match, silently fighting over who got to go after the Order and who got to go after the DMLE.
Harry really should really send Luna a thank you note for originally pointing him in Motley's direction.
Chapter 20
Stepping into Form Alley just outside Motley's office, Harry considered what to do next.
Their next stop should probably be Gringotts, because the goblins' secure meeting rooms would be the best option for the explanation they had promised Fon.
But on the other hand, they had spent their entire day so far in arguments with either government personnel, lawyers or vigilantes, so maybe they could at least take a break before sitting down to rehash the details of their day and its various confrontations?
Honestly, Fon had to be wondering at this point whether there was anything to the Magical World but arguing with self-entitled morons.
And, if Harry was entirely honest, seeing as this was their first time actually stepping foot into the Alleys, Harry would also love to show Reborn some of the Magical World's more intriguing sites. Because so far, his Sun hadn't seen all that much aside from the Ministry, Gringotts and St. Mungo's.
A hospital, a bank and a governmental building really weren't the most fascinating parts of any city, much less a city in the Magical World.
Harry had been looking forward to showing Reborn some of the things he had only been able to describe to his Sun before, like the joke shop – though they wouldn't be going there until George came back from his trip – or the Quidditch store or the various sweets shops or the Magical Menagerie or the Market.
To this day Harry still hadn't lost some of his wide-eyed wonder at the things you could find tucked away in the corners of the Wizarding World and he really wanted to share more of this fascinating world with his Sun.
And since Fon was already there... Harry had no problems dragging the Storm along. If the Chinese was actually going to stick with them, then it was only fair to show him what he was getting into.
With that conclusion in mind, Harry turned to the two Flame users who had been watching him as he tried to make up his mind.
"So, Gringotts should probably be our next stop for that discussion we need to have and it will only take a few minutes to go there directly. Or we could take the more circuitous way through the Alleys? See some of the sights?" Harry suggested hopefully.
Reborn didn't even really need to think about it, immediately tilting his head in agreement to Harry's suggestion.
It was beyond time for him to gain some insight into British Wizarding society and what better place to start than in the middle of what appeared to be the very epicenter of Wizarding Britain. Although, his inability to resist his little Sky's obvious enthusiasm when suggesting a stroll, might also have something to do with his immediate assent.
He was promptly rewarded with a happy grin from his adorable Sky, which only widened once Fon nodded his approval as well.
As they started down Form Alley, Fon interestedly observed the two bonded Flame users interact.
Their bond was clearly strong, despite only having been formed a short time ago. And while the young Sky clearly held enormous sway over the Sun, he was also - seemingly instinctively - taking cues from his Guardian.
Newly harmonized pairs rarely had such an easy and balanced bond.
It was quite astonishing. Even more so when considering their circumstances.
A young – and until very recently civilian – Sky bonded to one of the most feared members of the criminal underworld, with Sky Flames so pure they shone like a beacon and Qi so untainted it made Fon want to just hold still for a moment to simply breathe it in.
And the young Sky also seemed entirely unbothered by his single Guardian's protectiveness, the Sun walking as close to him as was physically possible without actually stepping on his toes.
Fon let his serene smile widen slightly. Reborn in full protective mode. How entertaining.
If this was Reborn's base level of protectiveness with only civilians milling about... Fon didn't even want to imagine how Reborn would be acting once they inevitably came in contact with the criminal underworld. And gods above, the utter devastation if there was ever an actual threat levied at Reborn's Sky.
The Sun's protective fury might just level an entire country's criminal underworld in one go.
Although, if he was being entirely honest, Fon really had no right to comment, seeing as he had joined right in with Reborn in glowering at any magicals, who looked like they might be considering to come over and talk to the young Sky.
… considering that he himself had not even harmonized with the young Sky and was already acting like a jealous Guardian, Fon really was in no position to make fun of Reborn,.
And his own feelings of protectiveness for this Sky were another thing that was honestly surprising about the entire situation.
While it was normal for Flame users to generally want to protect Sky Flame users - especially if unbound themselves - Fon had long since mastered absolute control over his Flames. For them to still be urging him towards this young Sky was rather startling.
Fortunately, any magicals they came across promptly reconsidered approaching them once they had Reborn's and Fon's combined stares focused on them.
So, there were at least a few magicals who had retained some sort of survival instincts.
I had honestly been starting to doubt that, Fon thought derisively.
Although, all of this just made Fon all the more curious about the young Sky.
Fon's list of questions seemed to just be getting longer and longer with every minute he spent with the other two Flame users.
How wonderfully intriguing, Fon thought with a serene smile as he leisurely followed after the bonded pair.
From Form Alley – where anything related to bureaucracy congregated - they turned onto Joe Vee Alley – where anything related to the arts as well as anything for recreation or hobbies could be found.
"There has been an ongoing fight between the different kinds of businesses to rename Joe Vee Alley. Particularly the acting branch has been trying to pass motions to rename this alley into Dramatic Alley or something along those lines with almost amusing frequency." Harry was explaining.
Somewhat counter-intuitively Joe Vee Alley was directly connected to Mort Alley - the place of any shops concerning themselves with the more dangerous applications of magic – crossing Knockturn Alley – the place of the shady businesses, but apparently also where the more dangerous and less prestigious businesses where located.
"A lot of creature-run and creature-catering stores are located in Knockturn Alley, which is actually far more expansive than most of the other Alleys. It even has its own side streets just like Diagon Alley but they are generally subsumed under Knockturn Alley by the 'reputable wizarding folk', who of course would never step foot in here. Unless they need something less than legal or want to get to the red light district." Harry's derision at the Wizarding World's double standards was more than apparent.
Next came Bowtanic Alley – the name was pretty self-explanatory and Reborn had never seen a place quite this green before outside of a forest – followed by Mat'eery Alley – the home of all magical crafts and arts.
Reborn had to admit, this network of streets was certainly far more expansive than he had assumed based on Harry's casual mention of 'the Alleys'. At Fon's question, Harry had reiterated what he had explained to Reborn before, namely that only Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley were actually physically located here in London at all. The other Alleys were all located somewhere else entirely or even only existed in Wizarding Space. The different Alleys were only connected to the two main Alleys via so called Intervalleys, direct pathways through Wizarding Space.
"This way you can directly access the Alleys from numerous places in Britain." Harry mentioned.
But why make it so complicated? Reborn thought somewhat incredulously.
While most Alleys could easily be accessed, some Alleys could only be reached by jumping through ridiculous hoops. Like having to turn left at Orb's Globe and actually walking through the store's sign out front boasting 'Naturally Spawned Crystal Balls, of all sizes and fortuities' in order to get to Mannew Alley.
Reborn still hadn't decided whether wizards simply lacked common sense entirely or whether some of them just had a very odd sense of humor.
Which would certainly explain a lot, he thought.
Still, it was actually quite relaxing to wander through London's Magical District, learning more about this world, while his Sky enthusiastically explained Wizarding Space to Fon. Who was by now taking full advantage of Harry's willingness to answer any and all questions he had.
Fon was clearly trying to feel Harry out. And it was setting Reborn's teeth on edge.
He knew that by now the Storm had to have figured out just what kind of Sky Harry was.
A Sky with ridiculously pure Flames, without ties to the world of organized crime and with a heart so kind it made you want to wrap him in cotton and never let the Mafia so much as fucking touch him.
In other words, Harry was the holy fucking grail of the criminal underworld.
And having witnessed Harry's power – magical and political - earlier, having watched him unquestioningly and uncompromisingly command an entire room full of what amounted to this world's leaders…
That sort of power was catnip for people like them.
But Reborn also knew that Fon more than understood. Understood just what having a Sky meant to Reborn, understood the longing for Harmony, after having resigned yourself to the fact that there would never be a Sky strong enough to pull you in, much less one who would be worthy of the devotion that came with Harmony.
They had never directly talked about it aside from a few comments here and there, but both of them had long since resigned themselves to the fact that their exceptional strength - the reason for their unusual freedom from most restrictions in the Mafia - would also prevent them from finding a Sky strong enough to harmonize with either of them. Much less one as pure and kind and strong - and adorable - as Harry.
And Harry and Fon had to be exceptionally compatible for the Storm to feel the pull of Harry's Flames half-way across the city and for Harry to be able to sense Fon's Flames and Qi despite the Storm's absolute control.
Reborn could almost taste Fon's interest in Harry.
And honestly, it would be somewhat ridiculous to expect Fon to simply ignore these signs of absolute compatibility with a Sky strong enough to pull him in, especially considering that this Sky also clearly more than lived up to their other ridiculously high standards.
So, Reborn could already see where this was going. With this level of compatibility, it was almost a given that Fon was going to join Reborn as a Guardian sooner rather than later.
And Reborn was actually surprisingly okay with that.
His possessive side was practically snarling at the thought of someone joining them, but having Fon walk on his Sky's other, unprotected side had finally calmed his Flames - which had been almost frenziedly urging him to find additional protection for his Sky ever since they had left his safehouse in Italy - somewhat.
And as much as he would love to think otherwise – and despite Harry's assertion otherwise - Reborn knew that with the activation of his Sky Flames Harry would continue to gather Guardians around himself. It was in the very nature of Skies.
And Reborn himself wouldn't restrict his Sky by trying to interfere with that process. He would not.
Which, however, also meant that there was a certain chance of Harry picking incompetent Guardians or untrained Guardians or - god help him - he might exclusively stick to Guardians his own age or even younger as most Skies did.
A horrified shiver worked itself down Reborn's spine at some of the alternatives. Mio dio, he would be surrounded by a gaggle of children.
Yeah, no thanks.
If Reborn was going to have to deal with other people as his Sky's Guardians, then Fon might just be his top pick for a position. The Triads' Enforcer, the Eye of the Storm, the Strongest Storm - claimed title or not - was one of the very few people in the criminal underworld who could not only keep up with Reborn but even bring something new to the table.
And he already knew he could trust Fon – unquestionably so if the Storm actually harmonized with Harry – and honestly Reborn might actually be glad for the help at some point considering his adorable little Sky's propensity for trouble.
If he was honest, Reborn could actually enjoy the thought of Fon joining them in shaking up this world of moronic, ignorant imbeciles - the utter chaos they would bring – or having Fon along for all the various talks Reborn was going to have with any wizards who had played not so wonderful roles in Harry's life.
If there was one thing that Fon excelled at, it was making everyone else look like bumbling fools compared to his unshakable calm.
So.
Reborn had a very good idea how this was going to end.
A thought which was only affirmed once Harry's Flames had started to sporadically curl – tentatively, curiously - in Fon's direction from time to time.
While Reborn was quite certain that Harry was not actually aware of what his Flames were doing - much less what it signified - he was just as certain that Fon was more than aware of it. Although, so far the Storm had had the decency to refrain from letting his own Flames actually react.
He was clearly still trying to feel Harry out – to get a feel for what kind of person his Sky was, whether he would be worth the lifetime of devotion that came with Harmony – although Reborn knew that Fon would find the same thing he himself had.
That Harry was everything a Sky should be.
Thus, it was a foregone conclusion in Reborn's mind that the Storm would finally decide to try for Harmony with Harry.
Still, that doesn't mean I have to make it in any way easy for him, Reborn thought with wicked glee.
He hadn't had a good, all-out, hold-nothing-back fight in a long long time. Reborn did nothing to suppress the bloodthirsty tilt that curled at the edges of his grin. Especially, when he felt an answering anticipation from Fon.
Still, that was a topic better to be ignored for now. If only to avoid being hunted down by the Vindice for revealing Flames to numerous bystanders in the fight that would inevitably follow whenever they decided to address this particular issue out loud.
Glancing at Reborn, Harry decided that neither did he need nor did he want to know what exactly was going through his Sun's head at the moment. Well, going by the happily malicious feel of his Flames and the vicious grin on his face, it was at least going to be entertaining.
If worse came to worse Harry would pretend to be entirely ignorant. He knew nothing.
He ignored the pulse of arousal that went through him at feeling his Guardian's bloodlust, the bond between them humming with the feeling of protectpossessiveminesmugnessanticipation. Nope, not getting into that right now.
Instead Harry was going to happily continue commentating whatever they came across and answering any questions Fon came up with.
And he was ever so glad that he and Fon were actually getting along– he entirely ignored why that was apparently so important to him – and that the Storm hadn't been put off by today's events. Ever since finding out about their watcher being some sort of ally or friend of Ren's, Harry had been somewhat worried about the impression he might make. But the more time they spent talking, Harry was getting the feeling that Fon was not actually finding him wanting.
How refreshing, Harry couldn't help but think.
Harry had quickly learned after first entering the Wizarding World when he was eleven, that it was never enough to be just Harry. Everyone always seemed to somehow expect more of him. More knowledge, more effort, more money, more time. Just always, always, always more.
Except for Ren, who - from the very beginning - had made it very clear that just Harry was exactly what he wanted.
And as they reached the end of Mannew Alley, Harry contentedly basked in the utter warmth immediately coiling through him at that thought of his Sun's acceptance.
Reborn interestedly glanced over at the feeling of utter contentment, of warmthwelcomehappinessmineminemine that curled along their bond. Whatever had elicited that reaction from Harry, Reborn definitely wanted more of it. Not to even mention the slight blush on his Sky's cheeks.
So, when Harry came to a stop at the mouth of Mannew Alley, Reborn promptly stepped in close - letting his Flames curl possessively around his little Sky, the warmth from Harry's Flames only increasing - as he took in their surroundings.
After giving Reborn and Fon a few moments to catalogue their surroundings, Harry stated with a certain amount of flair, "Welcome to the Market."
And Reborn had to admit that this place certainly deserved the grand introduction.
They were standing in a huge square - seemingly the nexus of several Alleys diverging from here - bustling with activity and crammed with tiny stalls, fancy booths and what looked like grandiose portable stores, praising their foods, delicacies, cooking utensils, cleaning materials, pottery, woodwork, furniture, jewelry. Really, there seemed to be something of everything to be found here.
Harry continued his ongoing commentary, "The Market is Britain's central trading point, accommodating businesses from all over the world that either take up a permanent spot here or frequently travel between the various international markets. Some even only have a display here, while the connected shop is located somewhere else entirely."
Reborn listened to his Sky talk, even as he continued to take everything in.
There were quite a few foreigners - going by their appearance and clothing - milling about and manning the stalls as well as a colorful amalgam of creatures browsing the displays. Having read a few of Harry's various magical tomes, Reborn could at least recognize some of the creatures wandering between the stalls. There were numerous house elves shopping for groceries, leprechauns selling their gold as souvenirs to tourists, a group of pixies fighting over what appeared to be a very big red leaf and a creature that looked suspiciously like a sphinx, even though Reborn had not yet known those were actually real.
But that was only a fraction of all the different creatures he could see. He had no idea what to make of the rest that was flitting about the square.
Although, one look over at the Storm almost made Reborn cackle with glee. Fon's expression had gone entirely blank and even his serene smile was looking a little fixed right now.
Clearly, this went far beyond whatever Fon had been expecting when considering the implications of there being a Magical World.
And Harry clearly didn't even realize he had kind of broken the Storm. In his enthusiasm to share more of the Magical World with them, to show them some of the more colorful, more exciting parts, he had seemingly forgotten, that Fon had had no warning whatsoever on what to expect here.
Bless his little Sky's enthusiasm.
Fon was grateful that his signature serene smile had long since become his default expression. Because he doubted he would have been able to keep up his passive facade otherwise.
Because nothing could have prepared him for this sight. Even having had time to assimilate the idea of there being a Magical World at all, he had not even come close to considering something like this.
Because just within the first few moments after stepping into the bustling square - and after overcoming his initial shock - Fon had already registered seventeen, clearly different kinds of beings. From tiny to absurdly tall, some with wings, some with horns, some with a tail. Some just looked like small old men that barely came up to his knee and some sported a full body of fur except for their human face. Some beings that almost seemed like humans mixed with something else, like the tiny flying beings with dragonfly wings, the men with a horse body or that woman with the cat ears. And everything intermingled with what appeared to be humans from all over the world.
…
How incredibly fascinating!
And the young Sky just continued to commentate, as though he hadn't just made Fon realize, that the term 'humanity' was far more relative than had previously assumed.
But despite his distraction, he kept an ear on Harry's commentary about imps endogenous to Britain, Sasquatches originally from the Americas and Okamis from Japan.
Fon honestly felt slightly breathless with fascination.
Oh, Reborn and his Sky were definitely not getting rid of him now. There was no way he would be going anywhere until he had a chance to explore this world to his satisfaction. No way at all.
And his fascination only increased, as he watched people and beings from various parts of the world bow or at least nod respectfully as soon as they spotted Harry in their midst.
The utter respect afforded to the young Sky made it more than clear that Harry not only commanded respect with the government due to some sort of political leverage. No, this young Sky was clearly respected amongst beings from all parts of the world.
Esteem like this was not easily earned, even less so from everyone. It spoke of the young Sky not only having power but also of him wielding it in a way that yielded respect.
That was no easy feat.
And Fon could feel his Flames hum in anticipation for a chance to sate his curiosity, to ask all those questions on his now rather expansive list. He truly couldn't wait for that explanation he had been promised.
They spent far more time on the Market than Harry had originally intended. But neither Fon nor Reborn had seemed at all willing to leave that particular, utterly fascinating part of Magical Britain behind.
However, as they still wanted to have that discussion today they had to leave at some point to make their way to Gringotts. The quickest way was through Lojiqué Alley - where the residents prided themselves in their rational and critical thinking.
"Most publishing houses and newspapers of any kind are located here. Well, Britain's foremost Wizarding newspaper 'The Daily Prophet' was kicked out a long time ago and their headquarters is located in Diagon Alley now." Harry explained with clear derision.
At Fon's slightly questioning head tilt, he continued, "There is no such thing as journalistic integrity in Magical Britain. The libel laws haven't been changed in hundreds of years, a time when people were their own deterrent for slander, when honor still was everything and any sort of defamation was immediately met with a challenge for a duel."
Both Reborn and Fon promptly looked almost wistful at that description.
Harry suppressed his grin. He was sure that both, the thought of a society built on honor and integrity as well as the thought of frequently putting idiots into the ground, appealed to them.
"These days, duels are frowned upon, but there is still barely anything that can be done against slander. Well, unless you can prove that the writer was intentionally slanderous in order to profit personally. Then, however, the old defamation laws get very brutal very quickly and go far beyond losing one's career or being fined." He paused, thinking vindictively that a brief stint to Azkaban might actually not have been entirely undeserved for someone like Rita. "But because the general public much prefers reading juicy gossip to being educated and because it is so easy to get away with writing gossip, Britain's foremost magical newspaper turned into little more than a gossip rag."
Fon almost wanted to let his lip curl in derision. And going by Harry's bitterness there was clearly something more to this.
Fon absolutely abhorred people who were too lazy to put in the effort to educate themselves and actually form their own opinions. Just the idiocy required to read and then actually believe pre-chewed garbage like that…
Although, it really wasn't that uncommon – a certain percentage of the populace everywhere on earth seemed to enjoy this sort of thing - but usually it wasn't the foremost newspaper that participated in it. Well, except in those countries where freedom of speech was questionable at best, those places where the press had been turned into little more than the respective ruler's mouthpiece.
Which actually fit perfectly with his other observations, indicating that there had been a recent, rather radical and rather brutal change in this society.
Fon commented, "It is certainly terrifying how closely gossip mongering and fear mongering appear to be related these days."
There was absolutely no joy in the young Sky's smirk. "Isn't that the truth."
There was a brief pause before Harry continued, not even trying to hide his bitterness, "The Daily Prophet is doing a little better now, as they now have, both, a gossip column and a news section in their paper. And the government even stopped persecuting the other newspapers that were never quite as close to their views and interests during the war."
Fon almost wanted to smirk at the casual mention of a war. The young Sky was quite good at this, explaining easily while giving an idea of the more difficult topics to come. And definitely good at keeping Fon's interest alive.
Still, Fon only noted down the mention of an actual war – so much more than a conflict – but didn't actually ask Harry to explain now. That was truly a topic for a more private setting. The Sky's relief at Fon's willingness to play along for now was more than obvious, as he quickly moved on to the next topic by pointing out Arithmancy Square at the end of Lojiqué Alley.
Only to suddenly stop in the middle of his sentence.
Reborn immediately stepped in close at Harry's hesitation, but didn't let his Flames spread out any further. His Sky had clearly spotted something but didn't actually feel any sort of alarm. Rather there was brief flash of surprise and then joy that pulsed along their bond.
Harry lifted a hand and with a grin waved back at two teenagers - a boy and a girl, looking to be about Harry's age - who had just stepped into Logique Alley from Arithmancy Square.
Both of them wore answering smiles and immediately made their way over to them.
Reborn assessed the two teenagers as they came closer. The boy had brown hair, a rather strong built and one of those faces that would have made him look utterly harmless and forgettable, if it weren't for the deep, gauging scars on his face. The girl was just as attention-grabbing. Slight, with long blonde hair and graceful - almost flighty - movements. Strangely enough, her presence was weighty but also negligible, grabbing attention but averting it at the same time. The contrast was almost jarring to Reborn's senses.
Hm, his Sky certainly had interesting friends.
As the two teenagers reached them, the girl gave a little wave and the boy greeted, "Harry. Great to see you."
The boy was smiling openly at Harry but didn't even attempt to hide his appraising look in Reborn and Fon's direction. And his eyes spoke for him. This boy knew strife, knew conflict and hardship. Knew how to survive.
Going by what his Sky had told him about his friends, Reborn already had a pretty good idea who these two teenagers were.
His thoughts were confirmed when Harry greeted them with a smile, "Hi, Neville. Hi, Luna."
His Sky then - ever the epitome of British manners - immediately turned to introduce everyone.
Which was promptly commentated by the girl with, "Oh, Harry, how wonderful! You're gravity! Oh, daddy would be so excited. He has been hoping to see magnetism ever since that one witch in India gave him such interesting material on it. You should really come visit! Daddy would love to talk to you!"
There was a certain dreamy quality to the girl's way of speaking. But going by the reactions from both Harry and Neville, her statement wasn't to be ignored.
Reborn remembered Harry telling him about Luna having some sort of sight - or rather insight - for things that other people just weren't able to see. And even Reborn could tell that the girl had just pretty much told them that they should go visit her father because he would have information they wanted. Adding the fact that Harry's tomes liberally used the words gravity and magnetism when describing the apparent force drawing different Igneomancers together… Yeah, visiting her father was definitely to be added to their list.
Harry was clearly thinking along the same lines. "Thanks, Luna. I would love to visit. I'll try to come by as soon as I can." A pause. "How have you been doing?"
"Oh, just fine, Harry. I just wish we could have had more time for our expedition. It was such a wonderful holiday!"
Next to her, the boy gave a dramatic shudder, grumbling under his breath.
His Sky grinned at that, "Yeah, how was Greenland?"
The smile that touched the girl's face was distracted but honest, despite her eyes not entirely focusing on anything around her. "It was very interesting. And we had a lot of time to relax."
The boy at her side snorted and grumbled to himself, "Yeah, relax. That's the totally the word I would use."
The girl just reached over to absently pat the boy's arm as she continued, "Daddy had hoped to find some Yetis in Greenland to prove that they are not actually Tibetan but just Sasquatches in their winter pelts. But apparently Yetis are rather shy."
Harry nodded as though that sentence made any sense whatsoever, listening seriously but with a certain air of amusement as the girl described her father's various attempts at luring Yetis - which were apparently real, who knew?
She finished with, "And then, we almost did find some!"
Here, she was interrupted by the boy at her side snorting humorously, "Yeah, but we didn't in fact find Yetis. No. Turns out we found a Mahaha colony instead."
Harry snorted, making the boy immediately focus a humorously baleful stare on him.
"Yeah, laugh it up." He grumbled good-naturedly. "The Mahahas weren't even the worst of it. I can totally deal with Mahahas. But did you know that Wendigos apparently like to wander the outskirts of Mahaha colonies, hoping to get a bite out of their victims?"
The girl promptly lit up and didn't give Harry any time to respond to that rather chilling comment. "Yes, it was wonderful. Such an interesting cohabitation. Do you think that the Wendigos might have been courting them? Mahahas are all female, you know."
Harry was grinning. "No, I had no idea. But it certainly sounds interesting. Maybe you can take Neville and your father back to Greenland over the next holidays and investigate further."
It earned him a humorously betrayed look from Neville.
"Oh, shut up, Harry." He grumbled good-naturedly. "We had to run for our lives three times to avoid ending up as dinner. And most of the time, I had to physically drag both Luna and her father away with me, because they were distracted by a glowing rock or an especially beautiful tree."
Harry's grin only widened.
"Well, then I have to agree with Luna. After the last year, running for your lives just three times sounds pretty relaxing to me." A pause. "Admit it, Neville. You would have been bored to tears otherwise."
The boy snorted. "Actually, you know what? You're right." Then, slyly. "How about you come with us on our next trip? See how you like running from creatures you have never even heard of before."
Harry waved off the offer magnanimously, "Thanks, but I already have plans. And you know me. Life-threatening situations find me anywhere. No travel required."
"Isn't that the truth." The boy snorted. A pause as the mood abruptly turned somber. "Even in a hospital bed, I heard." He stated carefully.
"Yeah." Harry sighed. Then he tried for some levity. "You would have thought that Madame Pomfrey's wrath would be enough to deter anyone from messing with those under her care. But apparently the Order lost the last of their common sense at some point during the war."
The other boy snorted in amusement but sobered again quickly, "What about Ron and Hermione?"
"As far as I know they are still looking for Hermione's parents in Australia, although they are supposedly planning to return to Hogwarts for the eighth year, so they might have made it back to Britain by now."
The boy's eyes had narrowed at Harry's answer, clearly gleaning more from it than had actually been said.
"I take it they lost the last of their common sense as well?" Neville asked dubiously.
"Sure seemed like it." Harry sighed in response.
There were a brief moment of silence, before the other boy asked carefully, "Have you had any contact with them?"
Reborn's Sky sighed, "Not so far. I'm not much looking forward to it either, to be honest."
"Yeah, I can imagine. I really don't get what they were thinking. But it certainly confirms our assumption that trouble literally finds you anywhere."
Here, the girl suddenly spoke up, the atmosphere changing abruptly as soon as she opened her mouth. She had that same absent look in her eyes as before, but her voice had gotten slightly deeper and there was no smile on her face.
"It is nearing, the Seven Evermore. Seeking to snare the Beacon and wrest its Bonds, to tatter its Orbit and drain its Blaze. Gaia's False Heralds, beware the Seven Nevermore."
A shiver worked itself down Harry's spine. This wasn't Luna's usual way of relaying her glimpses into the future and Harry felt distinctly reminded of the time he last witnessed a real prophecy in Trelawney's office.
He glanced at Neville who looked worried but not surprised. So, clearly this wasn't the first time Neville had heard Luna speak this way. Just what had been done to the small blonde?
Going by their tense frames, Reborn and Fon had clearly felt the change of atmosphere as well. Although, this didn't sound like a prophecy. More like a statement of fact, like a warning. And he would do his utter best to heed it.
Harry looked back at Luna and said without hesitation. "Thank you for the warning, Luna."
Reborn watched apprehensively. He didn't like the sudden feeling of foreboding. At all.
At his Sky's reaction the girl's eyes cleared and her smile returned, her gaze completely focusing on Harry for the first time. She didn't say another word. But it was clear she was exhausted and going by his Sky's worried expression, he clearly thought so as well.
The boy, Neville, was watching her with worry and said, "We were just on our way to see Luna's father at the Quibbler's new office."
Harry nodded, asking worriedly, "You need help? We'll walk you there."
The boy actually smiled at that, "Thanks, but it's fine. It's literally just over there." The boy pointed to a building just a bit down the street. "I'll write, okay? And let's meet to catch up soon?"
Harry nodded, not wanting to push it - in case there was a reason for Neville's refusal of their help - and knowing that Neville would explain more in the letter.
"Yes, definitely. I'll write you as well."
"Talk to you soon, Harry."
A nod to both Reborn and Fon, and just a minute later the boy had guided the small blonde down the street and into a building on the right.
Reborn walked as close to his Sky as he possibly could without actually picking him up and carrying him.
Which actually didn't sound like such a bad idea right now.
Harry had clearly been unsettled by the girl's seemingly incoherent statement. If it hadn't been for the ominous atmosphere while the girl spoke, Reborn might not have even taken her seriously. But there had been something in her voice, in the very air around them that had given her colorful statement weight.
At Harry's other side, Fon was silent, lost in thought, though focused on something else entirely.
Ignoring the odd and rather abrupt ending to their conversation, meeting two people who were clearly counted amongst Harry's friends, felt like the final piece of the puzzle of this young Sky.
Because friendship like that - full of amusement and non-verbal communication and mutual protectiveness and reciprocal respect - was rare and it spoke of Harry's character to receive that sort of unquestioning loyalty from people who clearly knew him well. It only cemented Fon's observations about the young Sky.
Today had certainly shown him, just what kind of person Harry was.
Pure Flames, untainted Qi and radiant Magick. Respected by creatures of all kinds and from all over the world. Uncompromising strength and genuine compassion. And a soul so bright and kind and generous that it had the World's Greatest Hitman practically besotted with the young Sky.
A Sky who appeared to have experienced strife in his life – enough to be weary but not to become hateful - and who knew loss – enough to desperately treasure his bonded, but still willing and able to trust.
A Sky whose Flames continued to sporadically tug at Fon's own Flames from time to time.
And he was truly glad for Reborn - for his comrade and for his friend - to finally have found Harmony. But Fon was also selfish enough to have hoped ever since the Sun's smug introduction of his Sky that - if this Sky actually proved himself worthy of the devotion that came with Harmony - Fon might be considered for a position of Guardian.
It wasn't even a question of whether this Sky would be strong enough to harmonize with him. Fon held no doubt that regarding the pure strength of their Flames Reborn had him quite clearly beat. It had always been Fon's Qi, his martial arts, his absolute and uncompromising control that had let him keep up with Reborn at all. So if this Sky was strong enough to bind Reborn he would definitely be strong enough for Fon. No question.
And Fon thought, yes, this is a true Sky, a Sky worthy of the devotion that comes with Harmony, this is a Sky I could happily follow.
And Fon wanted.
Well, that was his decision then, apparently.
And clearly Reborn had also realized that something had changed - his gait turning even more predatory and his eyes in the shadow of his Fedora meeting his with intent challenge - but Fon decided that he was still selfish enough to try.
Another beat of silence.
"So."
There was a brief pause in which the Sky also realized that something in the dynamic between them had just changed drastically.
He was glancing between the two of them with bright eyes but seemed entirely unworried. Fon noted to himself just how extraordinary this young Sky's intuition had to be for him to realize the threat but dismiss any danger posed to himself and his bonded.
Though Harry was not clear on what exactly was going on between the two men, he was also very aware that they were gearing up for a fight. Harry tried to ignore the pulse of arousal at feeling his Guardian's blood thirst at the thought of a decent fight.
And Merlin help him, Fon seemed to be enjoying the thought of a decent fight just as much as his Sun.
Yeah, Fon will fit in just perfectly with us, Harry thought amused as his own Flames pulsed in anticipation.
He spared only a brief moment of surprise at how factual that statement was – not might fit or would fit, but will fit, like it was a foregone conclusion – but dismissed it just as quickly. Their entire day had been leading up to this specific revelation. Harry's surprise was minimal and his Flames and magic pulsed outward happily at the thought of Fon possibly joining them soon, firmly covering all three of them.
Harry stumbled.
Something was coming, a warning pulsing through him, everything in him on high alert. He was abruptly reminded of Luna's warning just a few moments ago. Which only increased the foreboding feeling.
Then, there was a shift.
Fon and Reborn barely suppressed a flinch. And suddenly, abruptly something was wrong.
Harry had stopped walking, his eyes unfocused, directed at the ground, as though focusing all his attention on something that he still could not quite grasp.
The atmosphere around them changed drastically.
Something - someone - was watching them, inspecting them.
It was an odd feeling.
Harry abhorred it.
It felt as though someone had suddenly focused on them, someone who was able to see past some of Harry's most fortified defenses.
And that something was prodding at his magical presence.
A shudder of revulsion worked itself down Harry's spine at the incredibly invasive feeling.
Reborn could practically hear something buzz just below his usual range of perception and he could see Fon slightly tilting his head to the side as though to listen more closely.
And whatever it was, the feeling was familiar. As though it had been there for quite some time but somehow remained just below his perception. It was as though the presence had to exert far more power in order to focus on them, like trying to push past some sort of barrier. But also like it had long since been there. And Reborn hadn't noticed.
That was entirely unacceptable.
Fon let his eyes open, his smile completely gone, while Reborn's eyes disappeared entirely in the shadow of his Fedora.
Harry's eyes narrowed, as his Flames and magic snapped viciously.
Because the prodding was now trying to push past his magic, trying to reach further, trying to reach his core. His core where the warmth of his Flames had turned into a blazing, protective inferno. His core where his magic was curling aggressively, viciously awaiting a chance to tear the intruder apart. His core where his bond to Reborn was.
Harry had no idea who or what this was, did not know their intention. He also couldn't care less.
It was trying to reach his bond, his Guardian, his soul bonded. And well, Harry already had enough experience with people trying to mess with his soul to last him a lifetime. He had eradicated the last person who had tried. He was definitely able and all too willing to do so again.
He gathered his magic and let it swell. A shield of malevolent magic, a furious, fiery blaze of protection, stretching outwards and tearing at that presence trying to reach within him, making sure that whatever was prodding at him felt his utter displeasure.
The presence was pushed backwards. But it was still there, unrelentingly trying to grasp something.
With Luna's voice ringing in his head, Harry felt himself slipping back into his war mindset, where immediate reaction was the only way to stay alive. He knew that he might be entirely overreacting. He also could not care less.
"We are leaving."
Harry didn't even consider leaving Fon behind who had calmly been following along with them. Well, they had been planning to have a discussion anyways. Why not add this to the list.
Reborn was already as close to Harry as he could possibly get, not even needing to agree out loud. It went unsaid.
Fon tilted his head in agreement, but he almost wanted to raise his eyebrows at the sudden command resonating in the Sky's voice. That was not a tone of voice a teenager should be able to carry.
Fawkes appeared in front of him.
And as Fawkes' Phoenix Fire joined the furious swell of Harry's magic along their Familiar bond, Harry made sure to make his fury, his implacable wrath be felt.
Not a thought later and they were gone, leaving the invasive presence behind desperately trying to keep its hold of them.
A/N: I'm sorry for the cliffhanger! The explanation just didn't fit this chapter at all. You'll get it in the next chapter!
I'm really sorry for taking so long to update, but this was a really weird chapter to write. I knew where I wanted it to go, but just couldn't figure out how to get there. And honestly I'm still not at all happy with it, but I hope by posting it I will be able to finally move the story along.
I know, lots of introspection for everyone but I needed to get them to this point of considering Fon a Guardian potential. I hope this feels like a generally organic development... And this chapter turned out far more world-buildy than I had originally intended. I got kind of lost in expanding Wizarding London ^^
And kudos to anyone who spotted all the FF7 references ('cause, apparently that's a thing in this chapter ^^;)
As always thanks for all your reviews, they kept me coming back to this story despite the muses leaving me :) You guys are awesome!