Harry woke up the next morning with a bit of a start. 'This isn't Hogwarts. Nor was it the Dursley's. And who was that next to him.' He wiped the sleep away from his eyes as the previous day came back to him. He conjured up a mirror to reassure him that he still looked like his cousin who was still asleep next to him. Catching a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror he froze. The face staring back at himself was definitely not the one he was used to. Thinking about it, the persisting change to his appearance confirmed his suspicion that what he'd done was entirely different than what a metamorphmagus like Nymphadora Tonks did.
He remembered a transfiguration lesson what now felt like a long time ago, normally a metamorphmagus' disguise slipped while they slept. Professor McGonagall had said something about how a metamorphmagus had to keep a conscious hold on their disguise kind of like holding a spell in place. He couldn't feel a drain on his magic holding the changes to his appearance, and didn't need to consciously hold the change. The biggest difference for him was the lack of glasses, having modified his eyesight the other day.
Looking down at his hand Harry grinned in relief—remembering the lines he had to write with Umbridge's blood quill—the skin on his hand was smooth and unblemished. The faint scar that had read 'I must not tell lies' was nowhere to be seen. At least he no longer had that particular reminder of the torture he's experienced his fifth year. Harry gave a malicious smirk. The vile toad would still pay. Even if this Umbridge hadn't done it yet this one was still a vile person—especially to back up the Muggle-born Registration Act during the war. Harry vowed to himself to not allow the nasty witch last nearly as long this time around.
Remembering the nanomorph duplicate he'd sent to take his place at the Dursley's, he realized that he still had at the very least, three quarters of a container of inactive nanites left in his trunk. Carefully untangling himself, so as not to wake his new brother cousin he got out of the bed and retrieved the trunk from the dresser where he'd placed it the night before. The nanites were pretty much impervious to magical effects like wards and curses he reasoned. So they should be able to retrieve and destroy the horcruxes that he knew about. He wasn't completely certain about that invulnerability though.
Grabbing a notebook Harry jotted down the list of Tom's horcruxes. Tom's diary, Harry had to resist the mental snort at Tom keeping a diary like a girl, the ring that had destroyed Dumbledore's hand. The locket was in Grimmauld Place with the insane Kreacher. Hufflepuff's cup would still be in Gringotts. The diadem of Ravenclaw he remembered seeing in the Room of Requirement. If he could take care of them all before Nagini became one all the better.
The locket could probably wait until he freed Sirius, and the sooner Sirius was away from Azkaban and the Dementors the better, but there might be a possibility he could get the piece of jewelry sooner. The diary, he hoped, could be intercepted before Ginny wrote in it, right after Lucius planted it in her books in Diagon Alley. Not that he wanted to save the girl who he had been drugged into lusting after from embarrassment.
Harry knew that it would be easy to have a nanomorph infiltrate Gringotts to search out the cup, and thinking about it he should have done that before leaving the bank. Harry resolved to take care of that next time he was in Diagon Alley, hopefully today. He'd get the diadem during his first year or possibly earlier. He had until fourth year to find the ring which shouldn't be too terrible, there had to be a public record at the Ministry of where the Gaunts lived. It couldn't be far from Riddle Manor in Little Hangleton. There was also that article in the Prophet he remembered from the Riddle home movies sessions with Dumbledore during sixth year if he could get his hand into the archives.
Harry decided to let his new brother and Cousin James download the repository before Hogwarts if only to ensure he had the telepathy based mind block. He reasoned that it would protect his mind by setting up the same type of mental shield that Harry himself now had, and from what he could tell the information from the repository wasn't instant access. Harry and thus James would have to work at understanding the information from the ground up. James seemed cool, some of his personality reminded Harry of Sirius; only less obsessed with pranks. Between the two of them they should be able to outclass the Weasley twins. 'Hah! And he said I'm the good twin.' Harry thought. 'Unfortunately I can't exactly tell them I've got eighteen years worth of experience under my cap—Bloody grim reapers.'
What Harry really wanted to do was make sure both him and his new brother had their A-levels for use in non-magical society if they decided to let the magical world go hang itself or if they needed to make a retreat from the British magical society. With what information he had unlocked in just the short time since downloading the repository, there was no way he was sticking around in the wizarding world. With the repositories assistance, Harry should be able to make sure that James and himself were able to skip a few grades on the mundane side. Then they could use nanomorphs to continue their mundane education at the same time as attending Hogwarts, if he decided to attend hogwarts. The nanomorphs could download the lessons from the mundane schooling during the holidays. If he did decide to go to Hogwarts he would have to make sure to get approval for the nanomorph plan with his new family. James was his brother now. He reminded himself. Dumbledore had claimed a desire for Harry to have a childhood? Well now he had time to have one. There was still the possibility of attending a magic school outside of Europe. He should have Jason get him some brochures from North American, Australian, and Asian schools.
Besides his cousin was a powerhouse. Controlled, wandless magic at age seven? Harry knew why he himself was personally capable of the feat. Thanks to Dave his old wand was absorbed into his arm. Learning how his cousin managed would be worth it.
Allowing either of them near the chess master Dumbledore at their power levels was asking for an attempt at manipulation. Harry had a sneaking suspicion that those Dumbledore couldn't manipulate ended up dead or in prison.
The repository had given him an instinctive knowledge of what all the devices he'd loaded into his trunk were, and how to use them. He couldn't replace them yet. In depth knowledge would come with study. While the repository had given him the sum of Alteran knowledge it was all inaccessible until he passed certain tests to unlock the next segment. Most of what he picked up thus far was all subconscious. He could now hold a conversation in an older version of Latin, a language he knew was called Alteran. Not that it would help him. He had no one to converse with in the ancient predecessor of latin.
Harry grabbed a change of clothes from James' dresser and decided to find the bathroom and take a morning shower. At the end of the hall he yawned rubbing his eyes and sleepily greeted Jason as he left the bathroom.
"Morning," Harry mumbled groggily with a yawn.
"Morning Harry, you're up early." Jason was bright and cheerful.
"Early bird and all that rot, you know." Harry replied mentally cursing the morning cheer. Harry hoped he'd never have to be woken up to cook breakfast again; though he might not mind cooking in general as long as it was his choice to do so.
Jason looked down at Harry with a thoughtful expression on his face, "Find some time to read the first few pages of the family grimoire today. That letter said you had the trunk. If I remember correctly, it should be in there. Tomorrow we'll take you to the school and get you sorted."
Harry nodded his acceptance though inside he wasn't sure about the whole school thing. He decided to follow the letter because anyone was better than Petunia and Vernon. He still had the expanded and illusioned space under the Dursley's stairs if he needed a fallback. Not that he expected to ever return there. And there was still his twenty-one year old identity from the goblins if he needed to pass as an adult. But he really didn't know the first thing about managing his own finances and bills.
"Oh and Harry?" Jason stopped turning back towards Harry. "I know I can't replace your dad, and Sandra can't replace your mum. But if you want you can call me Dad and her Mum, or if you're not comfortable with that you can use our first names. Just try not to use our names around James."
"Thanks," there was a bit of a pause, "Dad." Harry said testing the word and finding that he liked how it sounded.
It didn't hurt him any to refer to Jason and Sandra as his parents. He still felt a twinge of something that made him feel like he was ever so slightly letting the memory of his mother down. But he also felt a bit of warmth at knowing he had at least some relatives that genuinely cared.
The bathroom was nice; it definitely looked a class up from the Dursleys. There was a dark blue marbled tile on the floor, and the fixtures where a polished bronze. Climbing into the shower he made plans for the day. 'Sometime soon I needed to pick up the rat, a little time spent saying hello wouldn't be amiss. As long as Pettigrew could answer the nice Aurors' questions no one could begrudge me some quality time with my parent's betrayer.' He mused.
Harry turned off the shower got dressed and made his way downstairs following the smell of breakfast.
"Morning Harry." Sandra greeted him as he walked into the kitchen. The radio was playing 'Scorn Not His Simplicity' by The Dubliners in the background. "Help yourself to the breakfast on the table."
"Thanks Mum." Sandra froze for a moment as her metaphorical heart melted into a figurative puddle on the ground.
Harry filled his plate and started in on the food in front of him. A short time later James walked in still in his pajamas. "Morning" He yawned his greeting. The radio transitioned to The Chieftains with 'Boil the Breakfast Early' Harry would find this to be the normal routine for mornings with the Evans family. Sandra or Jason would prepare breakfast James always wandered in around the time the last of the food came off the stove. Harry would discover that on mornings when Sandra made breakfast, Celtic was the music of choice. When Jason took over the kitchen it was a fifty-fifty chance Harry would enter the kitchen hearing rock or classical.
"Brilliant" Harry said quietly to himself as he enjoyed the fiddles.
Harry opened the book of Evans' Family History and Magic. He'd actually been looking forward to this all morning long. Jason had James doing some school work but the boy was really jittery and didn't want to sit still. It was a little distracting Harry had picked up and moved three times already trying to get a comfortable spot where he wouldn't hear the other boy fidgeting.
The start of the thick tome was a basic history of the family—in English—going back to its founder; a man named Janus. His name had changed several times in several separate geographical moves. Janus became John with the Latin-roman move out of the British Isles, then moving northward his name changed becoming Ifan. After some time he moved south-west into the Welsh or Celtic territories changing his name again to Ivan briefly before he headed east, and with the Anglo-Saxon invasion happening around him he changed Ivan to Evan. Harry wasn't sure but based upon his recollection of English history and his supplementary reading at the library on the days when Harry had been able to escape the Dursley's and his dreaded cousin, Janus seemed to have arrived at the end of the Roman occupation of Britain and traveled the country up until the Anglo-Saxon came into England.
From there Janus married and his children were given the surname Evanson which was then later shortened to Evans. The thick leather bound tome described how Janus had left a cache of artifacts that Harry now knew were Alteran, Janus commissioned his family to ensure always stayed within the family. Shortly before he left Janus had included his original research journal in the record book for the family history and magic, the journal itself was left untranslated, the Alteran alphabet and language he used wasn't taught to his children. Harry was able to understand it though because of the Alteran database he was slowly working his way through.
Right around the time Merlin made his appearance in the British magical society the Evans clan lost contact with their founder; his last note said he had been contacted by somebody named Moros and had a mission that needed doing.
Harry grabbed a notebook and started copying and translating from the section of the book that contained Janus' original notes. The first sub-section of family founder's journal described a ship engine modification which made the ship capable of traveling through time. The next was a device which would make the user intangible to both sight and physical detection. There was a schematic showing a series of circular devices which, when activated, would transfer the people or objects within to another set of rings in another location. The device labeled "portal to the stars" in Alteran was of the most interest to Harry. It was described as a large ring that opened a tunnel through space to a matching portal on other worlds. It read like a more advanced technology based version of the floo network, or possibly a combination of the floo network and portkeys using fixed entry and exit points.
Jason looked up and noticed Harry was copying something out of the large tome. "What is that you have there Is that the original Evans record of history and magic Adrian?"
Harry had asked him politely to use his new name earlier in the day.
"It's just some translations from some of the older notes in the book, Dad." Harry said adding the word 'Dad' as an afterthought.
"May I see?" Jason asked.
"All right," Harry handed over what he'd been writing up to that point. "It mentions a few compounds and elements I'm unfamiliar with. But It seems to make sense." Harry handed the notebook over to Jason for him to look over.
Jason was looking over at all the writing that Harry filled up about fifteen pages with. Recognizing the section of the book Harry was copying out of Jason's face slowly went from thoughtful to shock and awe. "Harry, this is a translation from the page you're currently on right?"
Harry was briefly concerned that Jason didn't believe he'd actually translated the section of the text, or that he was making it up for attention. Swallowing his mouth suddenly dry he said, "Yes sir."
"This particular section of the family history has defied all efforts of translation including spells specifically designed for unknown languages since it was included. The peculiarity of this particular book is that it has somehow been enchanted to automatically adjust the text with each change of the local tongue, making the unreadability of Janus's original notes a particularly intriguing mystery. You have an amazing mind Adrian. I think Uncle Leonard would probably like to see this. That is, if you don't mind." Jason said carefully handing it back.
"Sure I'll just finish what I was copying out." Harry replied in relief before returning to his self-assigned task.
After Harry finished copying and translating, he moved on to the next section of the book. Harry discovered it dealt with the energy core and how it was used for magic. The chapter began by describing how everything has a potential higher dimensional energy, as a species proceeded further along the evolutionary path, more energy would be focused around members of that species. There were two things that were needed before an individual could access that energy: the first a high energy density soul and the second a biology capable of channeling that energy without damaging the body.
As the higher dimensional energy reached a certain density a soul formed from the life energy of an individual. In humans that was somewhere around or just before birth. The magical core was a particularly dense concentration of higher dimensional energy and developed in the soul due to the biology of the body. By wandlessly casting spells, the book of family history informed him, both his core and his physical capacity for channeling that energy would increase.
The book reminded him to not assume that only humans had a soul, as any species that had individuals capable of controlled magic had to have a magical core to do so, and that meant a soul. Setting aside the implications for other magical races like the Goblins, Dwarves, House-elves, and dragons Harry made a note in his journal where he had copied down the translations from earlier in the book and resolved to see if there was anything he could do for sentient magicals at a later time.
There was a side note in the Alteran script next to the portion of the book talking about souls and higher dimensional energy. It mentioned something about how different methods of cloning resulted in different formations of higher dimensional energy, and didn't make much sense to Harry at the moment but he made a note of it for later.
Harry continued to the next section which talked about wands and other similar tools. The wand was a crutch, or possibly shortcut normally using only a small trickle of power from the core it would gather ambient energy to power the spell or energy matrix. It was also a great tool for precision and complex casting. Things which required a great deal of focus to accomplish wandlessly could be performed with minimal or reduced effort. Harry took a moment to write down another note remarking on how the modern wizard's in britain seemed to rely solely on wands and the book's description of wands as a crutch gave him the mental image of all wizards including Dumbledore walking around with crutches.
It warned that while there was some overlap in spells that could be cast with or without a wand, there were some spells that were exclusive to either method. It went on to list spells ordered by how much energy they required to cast wandlessly, rather than complexity of wand movements. Harry mentally kicked himself. If he wanted to accurately gage his own power level then he would have to cast with his other hand so that the wand in his right arm wouldn't interfere and power the spell with ambient energy instead of using his own core.
Harry decided to try out the first one with the ball of light unimaginatively named magelight by some previous owner of the book. The spell was largely mental effort and silent cast the book described how it was will and intent based—made easier if the student had first learned how to reach their core through some form of meditation. Harry felt for the warm feeling of his magic and pushed it into his cupped hands the way the book described trying to work around the wand in his right arm. He imagined a small clear blue light letting the feeling of the tingling warmth pool in his fingers as he mentally spun it around into a ball. He opened his eyes and gave a small shout of success.
"That was quick." Jason said noticing both the small shout of victory and the new source of light from his seat next to James. "Let's see how long it lasts."
Harry stopped feeding energy into the magelight letting the warm-tickling feeling recede. He mentally pushed it into the middle of the room where it calmly floated letting out the light blue-green light. When it was still going five minutes later Harry decided to try to drain it back into his core the way the book described. He reached out and gently tugged the smallest sliver of power from the glowing orb pulling it back into his hand. He let the it unravel and collect on its own back into his arm from there the initial action having given the flow a direction.
"That was impressive. You must have put quite a bit of energy into that Adrian, I remember my own first try—only lasted a thirty seconds." Jason said with a light smile as he reminisced.
'Well there went not drawing attention to my power' Harry thought to himself. "I think I might not have stopped feeding it energy."
"That would explain it. Do you feel tired?"
"Not really." he said sheepishly.
"Regardless, that's probably enough work for today I think. Here's an exercise the two of you can work on when inside the house. Try tossing the ball of light back and forth. Each toss change the color and size either shrink it or grow it a bit." Jason said while helping them put everything away. "James you can go on, Adrian stay a moment."
Harry stopped and turned back around. "Don't worry Harry; I realize you probably can't talk about it."
"You know." Harry gasped.
"The original plan was if you didn't show up before James turned eight we were to move. My dad and I knew what kind of person Dumbledore was and is. Our family has a different view of magic than the rest of britain. My dad didn't want us to be subject to Dumbledore's intrigues so he asked me to stick around only long enough to be here if you needed us to be." Jason stopped here seeing Harry's slight relaxation deciding to define just what he knew a bit more clearly.
"I know something of both secrets Harry, about Petunia, and about the reason you went to the vault. Petunia because of how she acted last time I saw her around Lily at a family reunion. Dad's letter and other things gave some clues as to the other reason." Jason said hedging around outright saying he knew Harry had come back in time. Jason reflected on his father's knack for knowing just what he was up to at all times. While he was growing up he figured it was something all parents did.
"So, you know I might need to take a day every now and then?"
"I'd be surprised if you didn't, Harry. Just let me know ahead of time so I can cover for you."
Harry let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"Now then, since we're both on the same page as to what the other is doing. Why don't you head along. James is really happy to have you here." he said messing up Harry's hair.
"I'm, um.. I like having someone I can call brother as well."
Harry lay in his new room next to James' room, he felt a little bad about how quickly he'd dismissed Hermione. True she trusted authority too much and she was bossy. But she'd been more loyal than Ron except for those last two years. He thought to himself. 'Wouldn't be that surprised if she'd been under the influence of a few potions and charms herself.' Though S.P.E.W. was entirely her he knew her that well to know she would do something like that. 'Though judging an entire species based on two examples and then refusing to even consider further data to the contrary, that might have been helped along with a charm or potion.'
He'd have to do something to at least move her out of the country before Hogwarts, definitely before the next school year, and he wasn't above using a few compulsions on her parents. If it prevented Hermione's parents from being obliviated by her later on in life and kept her away Ronald and Molly, Harry was all for it. It was also basic asset denial; Hermione was a powerful witch, it was her nature to push for the very best and shine the brightest—there would be no chance of her hiding her thirst for knowledge around Dumbledore.
The one thing he noticed about his younger body, he intellectually knew that Sandra was hot. But without the hormonal response from his seven year old body he found he didn't really care. Besides considering the type of relationship developing between the older Evans and himself it would have been awkward to say the least.
Harry made sure to test into James' grade level on Monday when they stopped by the school. Jason and Sandra's excuse for a lack of transcripts being his old school had lost the records in a fire.
By the end of the first week with the Evans family Harry had his plan ready for the rat. He'd even use the expanded space under the stairs at the Dursley's, It was nice having a reason to use it after the work he'd put into it the first day back. That night he would apparate to the edge of the Burrow wards use the broom Jason had bought him to fly up to Percy's window and summon the rat while stunning it. Yes that's exactly what he planned to do.
He went through the day impatiently. Half distracted by his plans before Jason pulled him aside and pointed it out to him. "You're letting yourself get distracted. You're behavior practically screams that you're up to something."
Harry sheepishly nodded. "I planned on capturing Pettigrew tonight."
At the raised eyebrow Harry explained about Pettigrew and black. "I'm almost surprised it took you this long. You're being incredibly restrained."
"Oh I plan on forcing him to experience what it was like living with Petunia after interrogating him."
"Good Lily was my favorite cousin. Have you considered that you'll be taking a boy's pet?"
"I hadn't thought of that."
"I'm sure you'll figure something out."
In the end Harry took some time to visit Diagon and drop off his Nanomorph package outside of gringotts to search for and destroy the cup before buying a little grey owl from Eeylops. Deciding not to leave the poor girl's name up to fate, saddling the poor thing with name like pigwidgeon. He bought a nice name collar with a little brass tag that read Branwynn.
"You're a present for a boy named Percy Weasley." He told the owl. "You'll be replacing his old pet a large rat that's lived far too long. I want you to meet me outside their house at the Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole tonight so I can give you a letter before you meet him."
He let the owl fly off into the distance knowing it would follow his instructions before he returned home for the rest of the day.
"Got it taken care of?" Jason asked him when he came out of his room.
"Yeah, I purchased a nice owl to replace the rat, much more useful as a pet anyway." Harry replied with a rueful grin.
That night he apparated to the edge of the wards as he'd planned with a brief letter in his pocket that he'd spent most of the day trying to write. Surprisingly, Branwynn flew towards him carrying something. When she got close enough he saw it was the rat knocked out cold. "Good girl." He praised her. "Such a beautiful and intelligent lady—here's the letter. Try to help him be less of a tightwad would you?"
He let Branwynn drop the stunned rat into the cage he'd brought with him and handed her the letter. She grabbed it in with her talons and flew off towards Percy's room.
The rat remained prone in the cage. Harry picked it up and twisted silently disapparating to the expanded space in the cupboard under the stairs of number 4 privet drive. His nanomorph clone was calmly sitting on the bed.
"So that's the rat which made you have to live here." It spoke.
Harry blinked. Was it supposed to act sentient? "Yes, take away the traitor's memories of how to turn into a rat and then force him to relive my years growing up in this dump."
"With pleasure," the nanomorph said with a slight smirk as he took the rat out of the cage.
Harry cast the charm to return Peter to a human state.
Animagus Revelio
Nanomorph Harry and Real Harry worked swiftly to tie him down. "Let me go add a silencing rune so he doesn't wake up the freaks upstairs before your start."
Harry quickly carved the new rune into the walls next to the expansion runes. He gave a nod to his duplicate watched as the nanomorph merged his hand into the rats forehead.
"He should be locked in that loop until you're ready to pick him up commander." the nanomorph gave a pause. "I can leave some nanites in his brain which will act like veritaserum ensuring his truthfulness in all questions. They can also lobotomize him should he escape." The nanomorph informed Harry.
"Do it. Just make sure he can't speak about this. I'll pick him up in a week. That should give him enough time to thoroughly experience the pain I've been through because of his betrayal." Harry twisted on the spot disapparating back to his room at the Evans. Perhaps he could arrange for Umbridge to share the same set of experiences as Pettigrew.
Harry walked into his room tired from the day.
"You've been busy Harry." A voice said from behind him as he showed up in his room. Harry jumped in surprise, and turned to face the speaker hand out ready to cast.
Protego
"Dave?" Harry tentatively squeaked in his seven year old voice and dropped the shield.
"I admit informing you of your mother's family vault was a long shot. But I never suspected you had other options. Given your track record it was fifty-fifty if you'd chase the hint or ignore it."
"So, why are you here and won't my newly adopted parents or brother hear? I was rather loud." Harry asked.
"No worries—localized time dilation. The world is effectively frozen, or if you want to be scientific about it. We're proceeding through time faster than everyone else."
"I'm here to give you a heads up, just a reminder. Me and the other guys in destiny repair like your plans so far but… Longbottoms, Lovegood, Locket and what was the other one. I'm sure it'll come to me before I leave."
"What about them?" Harry asked raising an eyebrow.
"You have a trunk full of useful devices surely you have something in there that might be of use to revive your godmother and her husband. Your god-brother Neville could stand to learn the wandless abilities you've discovered your family practices here even if only just that simple light. It would get his uncle off his back. The Lovegood situation is somewhat time related but not for a while. Remember why she said she could see thestrals? Wouldn't you like to do something about that?"
"Point taken," Harry winced. He had completely forgotten about the possibility of healing the Longbottoms, or preventing Luna's mom from dieing. Just proving to him that even with improved memory he still couldn't remember everything.
"You may wish to do something about it before the end of the year. It's having a slightly more pronounced effect on kreacher than last time." Dave said. "Now I've only got a few more minutes before someone will get suspicious as to my whereabouts, any questions?"
"Yeah," Harry looked at Dave curiously, "why would someone get suspicious?"
"Well there are certain erm... rules about non-interference with corporeal decisions. And I sort of skipped out on a staff meeting."
Harry looked at Dave incredulously, "So you're just ignoring these rules? Nevermind. What was the other thing besides the Longbottoms and Lovegoods?"
"Ah yes! I recall now, because of your actions in Gloria's office, and the changes made to the timeline since, the department of souls has decided that Hermione is no longer a viable soul mate for you, I believe you know the person they've designated for circumstances to throw her together with, someone by the name of James?"
Harry gave a nod of acceptance at the news that Hermione had a different potential soul mate now. Thinking about it, there wouldn't be much sense for him to be interested in her having ten years worth of extra experience.
"I can understand that." Harry said with a sighing.
"Anyway, you should probably get some rest." Dave said after a moment of awkward silence. "And try not to die until you're at least a hundred and fifty. You'll most likely have completed your primary destiny and Gloria will have transferred to another department by then."
Dave faded out and the strange silence Harry hadn't paid much attention to was replaced with the sounds of the summer night.
After breakfast the next morning Harry found himself sitting in Jason's office somewhat bored listening to one side of the conversation over the telephone.
"Hey Leo you remember that egypt project you were telling me about the other day?" Jason was talking on the phone with Leo.
"Yes, the one with Dr. Langford. Well there's some translations from the family book that young Harry was able to make which you should see." Jason gave an apologetic look at Harry knowing just how boring and equally interesting only hearing one side of a telephone conversation could be.
"Ok see you for dinner?" brief pause. "I'll tell Sandra you'll be here." Jason hung up the phone.
"Well you see Leo was complaining to me the other day how the British government was involved with the Americans with a high profile dig in Egypt led by a British Archaeologist by the name of Dr. Langford. Apparently they found this rather large metal ring and a section of hieroglyphs that defied translation."
Harry nodded his understanding.
"Anyway the Americans went all secretive about the whole thing and shipped everything off to some base across the pond. It was during the late 1920s. We, meaning Leonard's branch of the government, haven't been able to get anything out of them since."
Harry sat and thought for a moment. "It would be a bad thing, very bad if they managed to activate it. The notes say something about there being an enemy that caused them to bury the gate. On a side note, you're going to have to take some time to sit with James without me hanging around. I noticed he was feeling a bit left out with you spending all this time with his new brother. I'll probably bug mum into teaching me cooking or something" Harry said, cooking was one of the few chores he remembered being halfway pleasant from the Dursleys.
"I'll make some time. Thanks for telling me Adrian. I think Sandra might be pushing for us guys to go on a fishing trip next weekend as it is."
"I've never been camping for fun before." Harry said remembering the camping trip from hell, and relishing the idea of some father-son bonding time.
Historical Extra: (didn't really fit above)
Ifan left Eburacum which was to become modern day York for Caernarfon and the nearby abandoned Roman fort of Segontium and then headed south to the Welsh city of Caerdydd which was in the process of being rebuilt on the remains of a Roman fort, the city would later be known as Cardiff.
While there he changed his name to Ivan and lived happily for some years. The city was his home port for his time in what would become Wales as he worked among the people and in his own private studies. Unfortunately after just five years into his stay an apprentice he'd taken on from a local village foolishly activated one of his experiments causing a field that nullified magic to spring up around the city.
Unfortunately something about the area caused the field to stick in place and the decay rate even after Ivan had disabled the device meant the city would be uninhabitable for any sensitive to magic for the next five centuries or so. By then it had already developed something of a reputation amongst the magical community and it is still avoided by magicals even now.
Omake: Percy found the owl perched on the chair in front of his desk when he woke up in the morning. She gave him an inquisitive hoot and held an envelope out for him.
In neat handwriting with numerous small inky paw prints in between lines it read.
Dear human boy,
The mice of Redwall Abbey beg your indulgence as we have taken the vile rat Scabbers for crimes against all of Mossflower. Our mice warriors led by the brave badger Eunice, and carried by the sparrows of General Ironbeak made their way to your room yesterday to capture the villain.
He is now imprisoned in our Abbey dungeons. We apologize for any emotional turmoil this may cause you at the loss of your pet. As such we've kindly asked our owl friend Branwynn to serve in his place.
For Redwall, Signed:
Martin the Warrior
and all of Redwall Abbey.
Back at the Evans home Harry smiled as he dreamed of Redwall abbey having just finished the book the day before he wrote the letter.
Omake 2:
Upon breaking Sirius out of Azkaban Harry briefly met up with him before sending him off to America.
"Sirius, you can't stay here. Even if everything thinks you're dead you're too recognizable." Harry said tearfully. "Look, I've got you a ticket on a flight to America."
Sirius got on the plane with a token protest. A few hours later and an inflight meal and Sirius was passing through American customs. He remembered Harry saying to keep a low profile. So he shifted into his animagus form and wandered off.
A few days later he was found by a young teenager with a bottomless stomach. The boy adopted the strangely smart dog then and there. Later he met up with a few of their friends and they spent the next few years travelling around in the group's van solving mysteries.
Thanks everyone who's reading and following. There have been quite a few good discussions going back and forth through PM and even one reader that offered to beta after I mentioned something about not having one. This chapter comes to you beta'd by HowInMadHowie. Anyone who wants to hold an argument about the power levels of an Alteran vs. Earthborn Wizard there is a forum.