CHAPTER 12:

THE INVINCIBLE GIRL AND THE BOY WHO LIVED

Harry got the feeling that Yang, Ruby, and Velvet were up to something. After talking to them at Signal for a while, he had been asked to leave so that they could engage in girl talk. But with his birthday coming up soon, he had a notion that covert planning of some kind might be going on.

As he wandered the corridors of Signal, he found himself thinking about his progress. Occlumency was one of those rare branches of magic that could be mostly taught even to a non-magical, as the defences one raised were mostly mental rather than magical. Memory palaces, mental defences, and so on were the order of the day.

Courtesy of Fawkes coming recently, they had received the latest letters from Earth. Ron had been bragging about how Draco Malfoy's fortunes had fallen, as apparently Madam Bones (now Minister of Magic) had begun investigating those who bribed Fudge, and while Lucius Malfoy was able to avoid going to jail, it had cost him many favours and a good chunk of money. And with Snape dead, Draco had lost one of his greatest advocates, with Snape's replacement, Professor Sinistra, proving to be a more objective and strict Head of House.

Ron and Ginny were torn between coming to Remnant or not when they finished their OWLs or NEWTs, though apparently Fred and George, having lost their savings in trying to make a bet with Ludo Bagman during the Quidditch World Cup, were looking to make their fortune here. Tonks, in her letters, had finally made the decision to come, albeit after helping Madam Bones clean up the Wizengamot…as much as it could be, anyway.

Harry missed the Weasleys, but they had their family back home. And Harry had one now too. And a purpose, too. Though he annoyed Hedwig more than a few times by having her stay at Patch: someone carrying an owl around them would look too conspicuous, and Scrolls were better at communication. Still, Taiyang doted on the bird, as did his cousins, so it wasn't like Hedwig was missing out on any affection.

And Hermione, apparently, had a friendship with a chameleon Faunus at Menagerie, though she was apparently careful about that. Ilia was definitely a member of the White Fang, albeit one of those stationed to protect Menagerie. Hermione wasn't blind to it, and was wary of Ilia for the same reason she was wary of the Death Eaters…but she also felt that Ilia was conflicted about what the White Fang was becoming. Harry was sceptical about Hermione's chances of persuading Ilia to defect, especially after the Snape fiasco, but if Hermione genuinely managed it, well, one less member of White Fang was a good thing, nowadays. If Ilia genuinely defected, all the better.

And he was beginning to get a grip on using his inner Grimm. It was still very much a last resort thing, to be saved for using against Grimm with no humans around, but still, he felt that he could change voluntarily now. He still risked it if he got too angry or hateful, though. And it also acted as a beacon for Grimm within a few hundred metres radius, with all the negative emotion pouring through.

He was rather preoccupied that he didn't realise where he was going until he almost bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry," he said, looking up. And then, he couldn't help but do a double-take.

The girl was about his age, dressed in a vaguely Grecian combat outfit. Long red hair was done up in a ponytail, and green eyes looked at him keenly…and with an expression of mixed feelings. Not to mention she was gorgeous. And the thing was, he knew this girl. Hell, it would be hard to find a Hunter hopeful in Vale, or indeed anywhere in the world, who didn't know her.

He grimaced when he realised he was staring. Merlin, now I'm doing it to someone else. Stop it, Harry. She's famous, but so were you back home, and you didn't like it once you realised how fickle people were. He sighed, and said, "Sorry, that was rude of me. Harry Potter." He held out a hand.

After a moment, the redhead took it, and smiled. "Pyrrha Nikos. But you probably know that already."

"Yeah, sorry. I'm guessing you get too many people recognising you and gawking. I was trying not to inflict that on you."

"That's fine," Pyrrha said, waving a dismissive hand. "I'm used to it. I'm here more or less on holiday. I came to Patch because I thought it'd be quieter."

"And Signal?"

"I just wanted to see how different things were compared to Sanctum, that's all, just out of curiosity. I could check online, but…anyway, the headmaster here agreed to let me look around here quietly, and with many of the students here going home for the summer holidays unless they're boarders…" She shrugged, before looking at the Gae Bolg. "So, you use a spear-rifle too?"

"Yeah. I will admit, the idea came from your own weapon, but I also use it as a staff. You use yours in conjunction with a shield, right?"

Pyrrha nodded. "There's few people on Remnant who wouldn't know that," she pointed out.

"True. Of course, if you ever meet my cousin Ruby, don't get frightened when she starts fangirling out over your weapons as opposed to you," Harry said with a smirk.

Pyrrha actually chuckled. "That'd actually be a nice change. Do you learn here?"

"No. I know my way around because my cousins and my girlfriend come here," Harry said. "It's complicated, but I can't go to Signal or Beacon. I'm still in training, though. What about you? Heading to Haven after you graduate from Sanctum?"

After a moment, she said, "Actually, I'm considering my options. I'm too well-known in Mistral, and people are already saying I'm too good to be true. They call me the Invincible Girl."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at that, only for Pyrrha to shoot him a glare. "Sorry, sorry…it's just…I actually had a brush with fame myself. They called me the Boy Who Lived, because I survived a terrorist attack when my adoptive parents didn't. I hated it."

"…I don't think I've ever heard that title before, or your name."

"It's a long story," Harry said. "But you wouldn't have, and I'm glad of it. So I do know a bit about how you feel. Then again, at least you earned your title by kicking arse. And now your face is on cereal boxes."

Pyrrha grimaced at the admittedly joking reminder. "Yeah…they do that with people who win the big tournaments," she said. "I don't eat them myself."

"Neither do I. I prefer toast."

"Harry?" came the voice of Ruby, Yang and Velvet appearing behind the short would-be Huntress.

"Oh, hey. You done with your little conspiracy?" he asked.

"Yeah," Yang said, looking at Pyrrha, and raising an eyebrow wryly. "Hanging out with the famous, Harry?"

"It's not like that! I just almost ran into her." Harry darted a look at Velvet, who seemed amused by his flustered attempts to explain.

"Wait…isn't she the one from the Pumpkin Pete cereal boxes?" Ruby asked.

"Pyrrha Nikos," Yang said, walking over, and shaking the redhead's hand. "The name's Yang Xiao Long. That's my little sister Ruby, and that's Velvet Scarlatina."

Velvet smiled at Pyrrha. Meanwhile, Ruby, predictably, had sped over to Pyrrha's back. "Ooh, is that your weapon?"

Harry shot Pyrrha an amused smirk. "I warned you…"

After a period of time with the other three girls and Harry, Pyrrha seemed to relax. Ruby was aware of Pyrrha's track record in tournaments, but she was more in awe of Pyrrha's weapons than fangirling out over Pyrrha herself, and once Pyrrha had explained her spear and shield, Ruby spoke to her a little more normally. Yang was more relaxed around the redhead, while Velvet was opening up a little, especially once Pyrrha made it clear that she had no dislike against Faunus. Well, save for the White Fang, anyway.

They were seated in the cafeteria (thankfully, there weren't many other students around), and Pyrrha was relaying an anecdote about Professor Lionheart, when he presented her with the medal for winning her first tournament, only for Pyrrha to sneeze, startling the lion Faunus. "And he leapt at least three feet into the air! I mean, he's meant to be a Huntsman, so what was with him?"

"Professor Ozpin said that Lionheart's always been a bit skittish," Harry said. "Apparently it was due to his father's favourite training method. The guy was very harsh. Used to chuck him into the wilderness and get him to survive against Grimm. Lionheart was always more of a scholar than a Huntsman."

"That I can believe," Pyrrha said. "I've met him a few times, while he was currying my favour to come to Haven. To be honest, though, I'm considering other choices. I'm too well-known in Mistral. I've already won my third tournament, and before I go to a full Hunter Academy, I'm fighting in the next Mistral Regional Tournament. And a lot of people will probably say I got into Haven because of my fame. They're already saying that about my grades, but they're the result of a lot of hard work, believe me."

"Hey, I believe you," Yang said, shrugging. "I don't doubt you worked hard to get where you are, even with talent. Look at Ruby here. She really got better at fighting once Uncle Qrow taught her, and that was all hard work."

"Yeah, Qrow's a slave driver," Harry said. He had to admit, when Qrow got serious, he was a good trainer. While Qrow preferred to use his scythe-sword Harbinger in battle, he could use a variety of weapons, and he taught Harry how to wield the Gae Bolg effectively. "But he's good at what he does."

"Yeah. I mean, I used to be complete garbage, but now, I'm all…" Ruby made some martial arts gestures and noises that were frankly childish, but with Ruby, they were just endearing. Pyrrha and Velvet giggled at the display.

"I've seen her turn most of a pack of Beowolves into confetti when we were visiting Mom's grave," Yang said. "She would have done them all, but I was dealing with the rest of them. Unfortunately, Crescent Rose got damaged, and so she had to work on an improved version."

"Well, a scythe hybridised with a high-impact sniper rifle is pretty inspired as far as weapons choices are concerned," Pyrrha said. "Especially given your frame. Let me guess, you use the recoil to boost your mobility in combat?"

"Of course! My Semblance is to go really fast, and with Crescent Rose, I can go even faster! Like, warp speeds!"

"Good. Mobility in combat is a boon. I actually know of this girl at Sanctum, rather energetic, by the name of Nora. She uses a combination of warhammer and grenade launcher quite well in combat, using the recoil to move at speed. You use the recoil to boost the cutting power of Crescent Rose?"

"Well, duh!"

Pyrrha chuckled. She then turned her attention to Velvet. "And you discussed what your weapon and your Semblance can do. If you want to take a photograph of my weapons, go ahead. I've heard about the initiations most Hunter Academies do, and the more you have, the better."

"You don't mind?" Velvet asked.

"Of course not. I understand why some people might get a bit annoyed, but frankly, if it helps you survive against a Grimm, then go ahead." She then got an impish grin. "I just don't want to see the photos on social media, okay?"

Velvet shook her head vehemently, blushing. "Hey, we ain't gonna brag," Yang said. "Hell, if you come to Beacon, we'd treat you like one of us. At least you know what you're doing when it comes to fighting. And that's what matters when fighting Grimm. Though I can't say the same thing for some people."

"I know. I'm used to my fame following me about, though I don't like it," Pyrrha confessed.

Tell me about it, Harry thought darkly to himself. Velvet, whom he was sitting next to, sensed his dark mood, and gently put an arm around his shoulder.

"People want to be famous until they become it," Velvet said quietly.

After a rather uncomfortable moment, Yang said, "Hey, hey, we're not here to be depressed! We're here to have a chat. Anyway, there was this one time…"

In the meeting hall of Salem's palace, Cinder glared at the image on the Scroll, of a picture taken of Sirius Black. As she did so, she nearly jumped when she heard the sound of her mistress' voice. "My dear Cinder…you seem obsessed with that man."

Cinder sighed as she tried to calm her heartbeat. "Obsession is a strong word. As much as I despised my old family, I despised him even more. He claimed he would come back for me, but even before he was sent to Azkaban, he never did. No, he turned his back on virtually all the Blacks, even those who needed his help, aside from that bitch Andromeda, and she didn't even try to help me either. I am obsessed with avenging myself on my family in general. Sirius only shares a small part of the blame by comparison, but share it he does."

"And the others?"

"They're threats to be sure, and I don't want to underestimate them…but I don't despise them the way I do Sirius," Cinder said, looking behind her and meeting Salem's crimson-on-black eyes.

Salem met her gaze, before caressing Cinder's face gently with an ice-cold hand. "Cinder…while I can understand the desire for revenge, of spite, of hatred and vendetta…I will also remind you not to let such feelings jeopardise our plans. Hazel understands this much, at least. Model yourself on him."

"And not Tyrian or Watts?" Cinder asked.

"Do not presume that I am unaware of my subordinates' flaws, Cinder. I am aware of yours. As long as their obedience is absolute, and they do not allow their flaws to outweigh their strengths…surely Arthur was civil to you when he asked for details about magic?"

"Yes. It was so unlike the condescending bastard."

Salem's grasp on her face just became a touch tighter, the cold just a touch sharper. "I have warned Arthur on his behaviour towards you, and I would ensure the same with you. He may be a condescending bastard, as you put it, but he is a useful and loyal condescending bastard, and in truth, he would probably laugh at you using the term. However, I want a minimum of bickering between the two of you." She then removed her hand. "In any case, be thankful it is not his mentor. Doctor Merlot may be loyal to me, but he is also…unhinged. He has his uses, but they are admittedly limited."

Cinder grimaced at the thought of the mad scientist, responsible for the fall of Mountain Glenn. For all Watts' obsession with the Grimm and his condescending attitude, he at least was more calculating and civil when he put his mind to it. Merlot, though, was a madman with the barest thin veneer of civility, marching to the beat of his own drum, and his loyalty to Salem was more dubious than that Watts had to Salem. "Then why keep him?"

"He will serve as a useful distraction to Professor Ozpin when the time comes," Salem said. "Watts knows most of what Merlot does, and what's more, has the discipline that Merlot lacks. Do not lack discipline, Cinder. When the time comes, I will deliver Sirius wrapped up in a bow. Whether dead or alive depends on how troublesome he will be, but if he's alive…then you may do what you will with him. By that point, you should have the power of at least one of the Maidens. We have intelligence of where the Fall Maiden is known to frequent. How appropriate that Ozpin's fall will begin with the Fall Maiden. And you can use those powers to potentially teach Sirius Black the lesson he deserves. By joining Ozpin, he is committing a grave folly. He will learn that ere he dies…"

CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Harry's met Pyrrha through butterfly wings, and Cinder is contemplating a misplace revenge.

That last scene was written to bump up the wordcount a little. I wanted to have Cinder have a vendetta against Sirius, and wrote in plausible reasons why. She basically has this misplaced hatred towards him for not rescuing him from the Blacks, and because he's the only other Black on Remnant (at least from HER Black family: there's Marcus and Mercury, obviously), well, she wants to make him suffer.

To her, Harry, Hermione and Lupin are incidental. She'd rather kill Harry instantly (though that will change once he starts interfering with her plans), as well as the others. Salem's trying to temper her desire for revenge. A shame Salem didn't do enough of that in canon. Well, a shame for Salem and Cinder.

As for Pyrrha, I actually thought that she'd be like Harry in a few regards, only she actually earned her fame. Once she's broken the ice with Ruby, Yang, Velvet and Harry, she acts a bit more normally.

We'll have a timeskip to Velvet's initiation, and Harry watching it, for the next chapter.

No numbered annotations this time.