A Second Life

Chapter 9; Searching

Wellington Country Park. England, Immediately after

Aberro reappeared in England in a park somewhere in Surrey, he had been here before in one of the battles against the Death Eaters. The muggles camping here had been slaughtered before an Auror company had been able to respond. The Muggles who ran the park believed it was an Arson attack and had rebuilt the place in under a month and it had now returned to its former glory. He had chosen a small concealed clearing by the edge of the large lake. He could hear children playing in the water with their friends only one hundred metres to his right but the bank here was too steep and he knew they wouldn't venture this far.

He called out to Joel like he had been told to and five seconds later once the white orbs had cleared he had perched on Joel's uplifted forearm. Not bothering to talk mentally he threw his beak up towards the sky and Joel catching on orbed them to Olympus.

Harry shifted back into his human form and slumped onto a nearby bench that lined the cloudy corridor they were in. A few Whitelighters could be seen a ways down the corridor talking mindlessly as that strolled through the area but nobody gave them even a second glance. Harry was curious as to that, he wasn't a vain person but he was so used to people staring openly at him in his own world it was unusual to be anonymous for a change. He decided he liked it.

"Normally you choose your clothing . . . you know, your battle robes would be a bit obvious. Anyone who travels up here is shifted into your current attire unless you think of something different, the Elders prefer people to wear this as it is the tradition." Joel explained as Harry looked around.

Harry looked down at his robes to find out three things. One was that he was wearing white robes similar to ceremonial Wizarding robes. Long white robes that covered his battle robes completely and closed at the front with a phoenix clasp. The second thing was that his vision out the side was obscured by a full cloaking hood that would probably hide his face from others too. The last thing was that his vision was blurry. He was crying.

This last epiphany made him bring his sights back to Joel remembering why he was here. But he wasn't allowed to speak before Joel was interrupting him.

"There is a reason I was allowed to listen in on your conversation with the Angel of Destiny. It comes down to me to make sure you don't orb off to see Jason even though I know it must be eating you up from inside. They used my powers to show me what would happen if you did. It would be disastrous." Joel explained in sorrow.

"I'm slowly dying without him; you can see it in my eyes. I've suspected it because it felt like I was losing my soul but I didn't believe it because Whitelighters can't be killed that way. But the Book Of Shadows just confirmed it. My Phoenix side is dominating my Whitelighter side making it possible to die of heartbreak and I don't think I have the normal year either. I feel too bad and the effect to my eyes is the same as when Fawkes had been suffering for almost a month." Harry said. If that was true he realised then he would be dead in just under a month.

"I'm sorry Harry, you can't see him, it wouldn't help and you would be hunted down as Inferi when you try." Joel stated knowing that the reference to Inferi would have more of an effect on him because of what he had lived through.

"Can you check on him then?" Harry pleaded, "I can't even feel if he is still alive let alone how he is mentally. I miss him and I miss knowing him!" He sobbed.

"I have been, so has Luke for other reasons though." He told Harry, before explaining that Luke was the overseer of Harry old world. "Jason's been spending most of the time proving your involvement in the last explosion and making sure that you were remembered for your sacrifice. Give this to the sisters after your done with it so they are kept up-to-date."

Joel offered Harry a newspaper clipping that Harry recognised as the Daily Prophet. The headline read 'Honoured by two Worlds!' Harry folded it without reading it and set it down on his knee for the time being to listen to Joel as he continued talking.

"You were right to tell him to find that book. It has helped him understand what has happened to him after your death. When the bond snapped he grew drastically in powers. Normally this would be in consequence to a weakening in yours but as you became a Whitelighter your new powers filled the gap left by some of your old ones." Joel explained. "I wont go into too many details and I wont say that Jason is fine because nobody could be after losing a soulmate but he is coping as well as can be expected. He is honouring your memory by living his own life."

"What's he doing?" Harry asked.

"According to Luke, he isn't yet decided. The Wandering Myth never really closed apart from shutting for your funeral yesterday and as a place where people could come to remember you. I don't think that he has any plans of closing it down or anything as extreme but he has given up the running of it to a wizened Muggle by the name of Michael." Joel explained. Harry couldn't help feeling glad that the place he and Jason had met wasn't going to close.

Harry noticed that Joel was hesitating over something and in a second he was back on his feet. "What is it?" He said rather too loudly as a pair of Whitelighters walking past gave him a reproachful look at the way he was addressing an Elder, recognisable as Joel was in his more coloured robes. Harry just glared back nastily before realising that since his hood was up they probably couldn't see him.

"Your old department has been concentrating on what happened just before the explosion, it took them a long time because of your magic flooding the area but they eventually found Jason's signature as well as the three Sisters'. They questioned Jason about it but he refused comment. They offered him training as an Unspeakable primarily because of his increase of training but also because of the wandless training you taught him." Joel paused for a few seconds before sighing. "He refused though; I think he wants to leave that World behind entirely. The only reason he hasn't given up on the Pub is because it is the last thing connecting the two of you."

Harry nodded, "Can you keep an eye on him?"

Joel just nodded and said that he would send any information with Luke if anything happened. Harry prepared to leave and Joel reminded him as he turned into Aberro that he needed to wait for another two and a half weeks before he shifted to human form on the surface. Harry, now Aberro perched on Joel and piggy-backed the orb down to the park in Surrey because pecked lightly on the man's ear before vanishing in a small explosion of ice and lightning that didn't affect Joel at all.

Halliwell Manor

Aberro reappeared after the minute it took to travel across half of England, the whole of the Atlantic Ocean and then the breadth of the United States. He deposited the news article on the table along with a note from Joel saying that it was from Jason. A small white lie but one that wouldn't matter in three weeks when they worked out who Aberro really was.

Aberro then shifted into his Raven form figuring it would be a good idea in case anyone non-magical ever came to the house. And then deciding that since he didn't actually have anything to do he would do his appointed task and therefore flew off into the house in search of his charges.

He found them in the living room playing with toys together with Billie. Their babysitter seemed rather reluctant to be there and in her mood didn't even notice him entering the room or when he settled down on the arm of one of the chairs to watch the boys as they played. Wyatt was throwing a ball across the floor to Chris who then made attempts to return it normally missing by a good few feet.

Wyatt noticed him almost immediately but didn't react like Chris would have and Aberro was rather glad that Chris' back was to him as it meant that he could just have some peace and watch the boys for a while.

He took some time to study the girl in the room. She was probably about 18 or so. She looked as if she hadn't slept in a long time. He remembered hearing someone mention that she was trying to find someone but he wondered who and that led him to thinking about the types of magic that they practiced and how it compared to his own.

He'd already noticed that they didn't use wands or focuses of any kind and instead used mostly their own magic unless they spoke an incantation but even then they always had to state from what force they were tapping into. He'd been told of the Sisters' powers that made them the Charmed Ones. Piper's ability to manipulate molecules whether to freeze and item or to explode it. Phoebe's powers of premonition, to view the future, past of present and then her levitation. Paige, newest to her powers but no weaker had powers that showed her link to her Whitelighter father. Orb-telekenises; using orbs to transport items, either in view or out of it.

Aberro knew that Wyatt had already shown the same abilities as Paige, but as of yet Chris hadn't shown any active powers.

It seemed Fate did have a sense of Irony however as even as Aberro brought his thoughts back to reality Chris seized up with an odd gasp and the ball that Wyatt had thrown rolled straight passed him towards Billie's books.

Aberro hopped off of the chair and onto the floor in front of the four year old looking at the boy's closed eyes and scrunched up face in curiousity. Aberro concentrated, his Wizarding magic struggling to the surface even when bound by his Phoenix form, and focused on the boy's magic to try to tap into whatever was happening and attempt to stop it. He recognised it as a premonition. Luna had had them frequently and Harry had learnt how to manipulate the flows of magic and cut them off so that they didn't rule her life.

He fell into the vision however and recognises the two people. Jason and he were standing in their flat talking together before he changed into Aberro. As the vision ended he realised that he had been too shocked to cut the magic off. He also realised that it was a vision of the past as he could remember the conversation that they were having just after Jason's grandfather had died.

He opened his eyes and pulled back his magic quickly and looked at the boy before him. Wyatt had moved to Chris' side and grabbed at the boys hand as the younger wailed in confusion as to what had happened. That was until he noticed Aberro before him and in an instant put the clues together between the wizard he knew and the bird that he played with.

He reached out his hands and grabbed Aberro before he could react. "Jason!" He said in his childish voice unintentionally quiet enough that Billie didn't hear before crushing him into a hug.

At that moment the front door opened and closed closely followed by the voices of Phoebe and Paige as they arrived home from their day out shopping in the city centre.

"I still don't understand how you manage to stay out of the house!" Paige was informing Phoebe which confirmed Aberro's suspicions that Phoebe had indeed moved out permanently. "Every time I try to stay at Henry's place something happens. It's always one Demon or Warlock after another. And then this thing with Harry and Jason and an evil Wizard that almost managed to destroy a part of the World we didn't even know existed!"

"It's easier for me to cope with as I don't have a husband to tend to." Phoebe said as they entered the living room. "Hi Billie, thanks for watching the boy's for us."

"S'ok." Billie muttered but she had already gathered up her research and was heading for the door.

Phoebe glanced at Paige out of the corner of her eyes. "I don't think the attempt to distract her worked. Chris!" She suddenly yelled spotting what the child was doing. "Leave poor Aberro alone. The poor bird!" Aberro would have laughed if Phoenixes could. Instead he just released a trill of acceptance to the room's occupants. He heard Paige snort and then a slap as Phoebe lightly punched her on the arm.

"Aberro could you look after them while we go to make some tea. Um . . . is there anything you'd like?" Paige asked unsure of herself. "We still haven't found out what Phoenixes eat."

Now that Aberro thought about he it he realised he was rather hungry. He couldn't stomach much more than fruit in his Phoenix form and because of that barely ate meat in human form as it made him feel rather ill if he transformed with it still in his stomach. Chocolate was good too. He glanced around the room for a way to express this to them and caught sight of the fruit bowl on the table. He looked at them then at it twice before they caught on.

Soon they were both leaving the room to get their drinks and to dice up an apple for their new feathered friend. Phoebe continued their conversation as they entered the kitchen. "You just have to keep trying it. Maybe with Aberro around now it will be easier."

"Maybe," Paige admitted before a mischievous grin spread across her face. "And maybe you can finally find someone to date and actually keep them for a change?" She danced around the table to dodge the thrown fist. She grabbed a knife from the draw before opening her plan out flat in front of her.

"Apple!" She spoke firmly and in an instant the apple disappeared from Phoebe's hand and into Paige's.

"Look at this!" Phoebe suddenly cried as Paige started cutting the apple up into pieces small enough for Aberro's beak. "It's a newspaper clipping and a note from Jason!" She cheered up a bit as she read the note.

"What's the article about?" Paige asked but Phoebe didn't manage to begin to read it when Piper and Leo walked into the room. "Shush! Listen!" Paige hushed them waving the knife and half dissected apple in a quieting motion to stall any greetings.

"Honoured by Two Worlds." Phoebe began, she didn't pause as Chris and Wyatt entered behind their parents with Aberro close behind who went to the counter beside Paige to be hand fed pieces of apple lazily.

"For the first time in recorded history a Wizard has been awarded for his deeds in both the Magical and the Magical worlds." Phoebe continued, "Today the Ministry of Magic for Great Britain declared their intention to award Britain's Saviour Harry Potter, slayer of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, with the Order of Merlin First Class for his work against the self proclaimed Dark Lord. As if this isn't enough to remember him by the Muggle Ambassador for the non-magical community of Great Britain declared that the Medal of Honour would be awarded for the first time in several decades to the man that had worked to rid all citizens of Great Britain from this Evil."

Phoebe paused to look at the others. Especially at Leo who having died saving many lives in World War II had also been awarded the same medal. Paige however was busy trying to help Aberro dislodge a piece of apple that he had swallowed to quickly at hearing the news, not that she knew that was the reason.

"Whereas the exact methods that Harry Potter used to destroy the Dark Lord are as yet unknown many believe it had to do with his work with the Department of Mysteries and therefore will probably remain a secret. A remembrance ceremony will be held at Hogwarts tomorrow and whereas a private funeral ceremony and Wake has already been held, Jason Aberro, owner of The Wandering Myth and Soulmate to Harry Potter has invited all who new Harry Potter to attend if they wished."

Aberro was careful not to react when Piper put together his name and Jason surname and she soon pushed it to the back of her mind as the room went silent as they took in the reminder of Jason's loss.

"I hope he is doing ok." Piper sighed. "It looks like he is keeping busy at least."

"Perhaps we should visit him some time and check up on him?" Paige suggested.

It was Leo that first addressed the situation with Aberro that morning. "We're really sorry about questioning this morning, we were shocked and were concerned. We weren't trying to pry or anything." He said quietly. Everybody's attention on Aberro.

Aberro flew to the table with a reassuring trill that let them know that they were forgiven and nearly recoiled when Chris, now camped out in his mother's arms, reached wildly for him calling out "Jason!" as he did so.

The four adults looked shocked. It wasn't the fact that Chris had learnt a new word for his rapidly growing vocabulary but rather why he was calling Aberro that. Phoebe clamed down first coming to a logical conclusion.

"It must be his colouring. Chris took a real liking to Jason when he was here and his hair is dark with lighter streaks just like Aberro's black and silver feathers." She explained. "Chris, this is Aberro. Aberro." She spoke softly to the child all the while running her hand over Aberro's feathers. This seemed to ring true with the others as they dropped the subject and Paige gave both Wyatt and Chris a slice of apple to give to the Phoenix which he took gratefully swallowing them quickly before nipping on their ears affectionately.

"Aberro, we have a favour to ask." Leo spoke quietly. "The Book said that you can seek out people. Is that true?" Aberro nodded his head before accepting another piece of Apple from Chris.

Piper continued. "Can you find Billie's sister. Her name is Christie."

Aberro nodded before grabbing the last piece of apple, he looked at Paige hopefully, reminding himself how much his Phoenix form loved fruit. When he knew that Paige would cut up another one he looked back at Leo and Piper and then gently nudged the two young boys towards them. "No interruptions then?" Leo asked.

Aberro nodded. The last time his Phoenix form had been interrupted from the task of seeking out someone her had never met before he had blasted house out of existence.

He waited till both boys were securely locked in their parents' arms before folding his wings in tightly and relaxing his entire body. Closing his eyelids he pulled up his Animagus' full powers. He let himself be lost in the magic as he sought out a helpful link to this girl Christie. He could do it without the help but it was much easier this way. He found Billie across the city and studied her magic careful and then went searching, starting close and then spreading outwards across the world. Nothing.

He did the same for the area of magic that he could sense. Olympus included. Hogwarts, Azkaban, and even the Underworld and Purgatory but he couldn't find her anywhere. He didn't like what that meant.

He gave a disgusted trill as he came back to the Kitchen of the Halliwell Manor and looked straight into Leo's eyes as he shook his head, telling them that he couldn't find her.

They muttered between themselves as they thought about it, but it was Piper that eventually admitted it. "So that means she's either dead or worse, she's used her magic for evil." Aberro trilled dismissively at the first one knowing that he searched for souls not life and would be able to sense her even in the afterlife even if he could never go there before. He dimly noted that he probably could now and got stuck on that idea, the chance to see his deceased family and missed the shocked looks of the others in the room minus the two boy's that were too young to register what was happening.

"Maybe she was tricked. We don't know enough yet to confront Billie about it and it would be best if we didn't tell her that Aberro can't find her." Piper told the room, setting the rules as she was used to doing.

A Week Later

Time passed normally for Aberro that week. He used any opportunity that he could to seek out his parents, Sirius, and Albus and spent as much time with them as possible and could finally let them go properly. The house stayed quiet, or as quiet as a house with two hyperactive children could be. Paige had managed to stay at Henry's and Aberro had visited them to be introduced and also to Phoebe's house when the boy's had gone to spend the day when their parent's needed time off. He had met their father too who wasn't the most Magic-accepting person for someone with so much magic in his family. Then again he wasn't nearly as bad as the Dursleys were but they were part of his distant past. Killed by Death Eaters shortly after he had left Hogwarts.

Aberro had also confirmed the idea that he had much less time than normal before the Phoenix's heartbreak killed him. The sisters and Leo had recognised that his eyes were becoming silver much too fast to possible give him a year and were always trying to cheer him up even though it wouldn't do him any good. He knew they only thing that could save him and that was to make his soul whole again. He had almost transported himself to Jason once after a rather nasty nightmare but Joel had been true to his word and had intercepted him and calmed him down before irreparable damage could be done. The only reason he didn't force his way over to see Jason was because of the Angel of Destiny's promise that it would turn out ok in the end.

It was as a third of Aberro's three weeks had just been completed when he heard a commotion from the attic. He left the boy's in the care of their father and in a burst of ice and lightning and a delay of barely a second he was in the attic watching as a cloud of lights similar to orbs covered Billie and she vanished. The three sisters were staring in shock at the now empty room.

"Damn it!" Piper swore. "She used the Book to help her!"

Aberro gave them a questioning trill. "We've been trying to get her to give up the search for Christie. We hope she isn't really evil but we couldn't do anything to find anything to help nor could she. She figured it out though. She's used a spell that summons witches but used it backwards to send her to Christie rather than bringing Christie to her which we had already tried but we think she was protected from that." Paige explained for him.

"Now the question is how she will get back." Phoebe spoke bringing up a problem that none of them had thought of before then.