Disclaimer.

Chapter 10:

(10/11)

Harry grinned running alongside Carlisle. He, Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were hunting, their last hunt before the battle even though their eyes were still golden and green respectfully, it would give them strength, like going into battle with a full stomach-more energy.

He couldn't believe it was Saturday already; the battle was set for today according to Alice's visions. She couldn't tell the outcome because of the wolves involvement and that put her on edge, she didn't like being blind (her words).

Harry heard a distant roar and he smiled to himself, Emmett had found a bear then. He had never really gotten over being mauled by a bear before Rosalie found him and so he liked to wrestle with them now, it was more than amusing since the bear had absolutely no chance against Emmett and looked so confused when Emmett wasn't even hurt by a swipe of its claws.

Edward and Bella were together alone back at the house, Charlie thought Bella was having a sleepover with Alice.

Harry wondered if Bella had accepted Edwards's proposal yet...

Harry changed course when he smelt a Bobcat, his tastes ran more to the smaller feline carnivores, rather than bears or the larger mountain lions.

...

The battle when it came was quick.

Harry would stun a newborn if it got close enough and while it was down the closest Cullen next to him would tear the newborn to pieces, or a wolf, more than one wolf had torn apart a vampire Harry had downed.

They set the pieces on fire and Harry concentrated on not remembering the sounds of vampire flesh being torn, the metallic screeching was not particularly pleasant.

There was a sudden blur of motion and Harry turned to see Jacob (in his wolf form) knock aside the smallest wolf of the pack, the grey furred female. Jacob while quick enough to get the small wolf out of the way of the newborn that had hidden in the bush was not quick enough to avoided being hurt himself.

Harry shot a stunner at the distracted newborn and didn't watch as the littlest grey wolf tore the downed vampire to shreds.

Carlisle quickly examined Jacob looking astounded at the fast healing rate the wolf shifter was displaying. Carlisle spoke to the big black furred wolf briefly, promising to come and make sure Jacob was alright when the Volturi left. The wolves couldn't exactly go to a normal hospital with their supernatural healing rate.

The wolves had had to disappear pretty quickly after the battle seeing as the Volturi were finally interceding to destroy the newborn army. The Volturi would not look favourably on the shifters.

Alice had seen the Volturi arrive in less than ten minutes time.

Harry scowled a little; the Volturi had waited to stop the newborn army. They had probably seen the signs even before the Cullens had worked it out! It showed the Volturi wouldn't have minded if the Cullens were wiped out. According to Edward Aro was slightly apprehensive about their Coven, they were the largest coven around apart from the Volturi and their ties were far stronger, they felt high regard for each other, they were a family. More than a coven.

Edward came into the clearing holding Bella in his arms. She looked fine she just had reddened eyes from crying, a few scratches from twigs here and there so Harry concluded she had fainted.

Carlisle agreed with his assumption when he properly checked her over.

Jasper stood guard over the one vampire who had surrendered when Carlisle offered. She was young, about fifteen with dark hair and so small.

Jasper watched her warily as he rubbed his arm irritably.

Harry shook his head fondly. Jasper had tried to protect Alice and fight every battle, Jasper knew Alice didn't need help fighting she was so quick no one could catch her. He had been bitten for his troubles.

The newborn vampire girl yowled in anguish at Bella's scent, she was trying to resist, she was trying very hard but control was so hard to fight for as a newborn.

Harry had attempted to drain Neville more than once in the beginning but time and exposure had helped him and Harry had been odd in his control, it had been supremely odd that he didn't attack Neville straight away when he was turned.

Harry had a few theories about his odd control but he couldn't prove them.

Harry got into place next to his family as they waited watching the other vampires approach. Bella was at the heart of the formation, the most vulnerable of them she needed the most protection.

"Hmmm."

"Welcome, Jane." Edward spoke in his cool aloof politeness.

Jane, Felix and a cloaked figure (Harry didn't recognise the scent) stood by the fire that was more smoke than anything now their cloaks billowing in the wind.

Harry got the sudden image of Severus Snape in his teaching robes walking around a corner and watching the robes billow out behind him.

"I don't understand." Jane stated looking at the girl vampire sitting by the fire clutching her head and eyes fixed on Bella.

"She surrendered." Edward informed her, answering the question in her mind.

"Surrendered?" Jane's eyes flickered over Edward.

"Carlisle gave her the option." Edward shrugged.

"There are no options for those who break the rules." Jane said flatly.

"That's in your hands. As long as she was willing to halt her attack on us, I saw no need to destroy her. She wasn't informed of the rules." Carlisle stated genially.

"That is irrelevant." Jane stated her tone nearly as bored and flat as before.

"As you wish." Carlisle stated.

"Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you, Carlisle. He sends his regards." Jane said. Carlisle nodded.

"I would appreciate it if you would convey mine to him." Carlisle returned politely.

"Of course." Jane smiled. Her face was almost too lovely when it was animated. She looked back toward the smoke. "It appears that you've done our work for us today . . . for the most part." Her eyes flickered to the hostage. "Just out of professional curiosity, how many were there? They left quite a wake of destruction in Seattle."

"Eighteen, including this one." Carlisle answered.

Jane's eyes widened and she looked at the fire again, seeming to reassess the size of it. Felix and the other shadow exchanged a longer glance.

"Eighteen?" she repeated, her voice sounding unsure for the first time.

"All brand-new," Carlisle said dismissively. "They were unskilled."

"All?" Her voice turned sharp. "Then who was their creator?"

"Her name was Victoria." Edward answered, no emotion in his voice.

"Was?" Jane asked. Edward nodded towards the other fire that could be seen from the small amount of smoke.

"This Victoria — she was in addition to the eighteen here?" Jane asked.

"Yes. She had only one other with her. He was not as young as this one here, but no older than a year." Edward answered.

"Twenty." Jane breathed. "Who dealt with the creator?"

"I did." Edward told her.

Jane's eyes narrowed, and she turned to the girl beside the fire.

"You there." she said, her dead voice harsher than before. "Your name."

The newborn shot a baleful glare at Jane, her lips pressed tightly together. Jane smiled back angelically. The newborn girl's answering scream was ear-piercing; her body arched stiffly into a distorted, unnatural position.

Harry twitched but Carlisle held his hand to stop him from moving. Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from the little vampire who was writhing about as though under the cruciatus curse.

Finally it was quiet.

"Your name." Jane repeated coldly.

"Bree." The little vampire replied fearfully. Jane smiled and Bree screamed again. Harry clutched tightly to Carlisle's hand resisting the urge to help Bree, he couldn't even afford to look sympathetic in case the Volturi took it as insubordination. They were already wary of the Cullens no need to amplify this.

"Bree, is his story true? Were there twenty of you?" Jane asked her cold red eyes not moving from Bree's form.

Harry still didn't look away as Felix killed Bree, adding her remains to the fire and lighting it again. Carlisle returned his tight grip of his hand. Jane hadn't been part of the Volturi when Carlisle and Harry were there but that had been nearly 200 years ago.

Carlisle watched too, his expression pained.

...

Harry sighed, he was relieved in a way that no one had been seriously injured, in fact Jacob was the only one who had even been hurt, but the Volturi always made him a little uneasy.

Carlisle knocked on the door of Billy's house. They were there to treat Jacob, Harry supposed Jacob was in his human form otherwise he wouldn't have been brought to Billy's house seeing as Charlie was there.

Billy wheeled out and showed them to the garage where there was a table and on top of the table lay Jacob. His room would have been too small for him and for Carlisle to heal him so the pack had placed him in the garage after clearing some space and moving the table in.

Jacob had a pained grimace on his face but he was still unconscious, passed out in a mixture of pain and exhaustion.

Billy eyed Carlisle and Harry with a little suspicion. Billy was the least prejudiced against the Cullens, he had even wished them luck before the battle. Billy eyed Harry sceptically.

"Don't worry, I won't be doing much. I did study medicine under Carlisle and he's one of the best." Harry said in response to the sceptical look. Billy looked like he didn't know whether to snort or roll his eyes.

Billy eyed his son worriedly as Carlisle began examining him again, this time while Jacob was human. Harry frowned.

"Won't his body burn up the morphine? I know Remus's body burnt up painkillers and he didn't run at such a high temperature." Harry asked.

Carlisle gave an absent nod not taking his eyes from Jacob's prone form.

"I was just considering that." Carlisle replied.

Billy watched them silently until Carlisle stood back and Harry packed away the medical supplies. He had been especially tense when they had had to re-break some of Jacob's bones that due to his accelerated healing had set wrong.

Jacobs curses and muffled yelps of pain had brought a lot of the pack running in fearing they were harming Jacob instead of healing him.

"So I heard you've got an interesting history." Billy commented faux casually his clever dark eyes watching as Harry briefly paused before carrying on at a human speed so as not to startle Billy. Billy was obviously referencing to Theodore's words at the attack that three of the wolves had been present for. Which meant all of the wolves had heard it through the thoughts of each other.

"You could say that." Harry replied with a small smile.

"Hmmm." Billy was still watching him so Harry elaborated to put the man's concerns at ease; he supposed it was fair if Billy was worried about things that could affect the Reservation and Forks.

"I was in a pretty major war when I was human; I was one of the central figures in fact." Harry grimaced. "We won, in the end and the killings stopped and the prejudice lessened. But that was nearly 200 years ago so there shouldn't be anyone holding a grudge around to take it out on me or the town. I don't think I made enemies after I was turned, nor in the five years between my turning and the end of the war. Theodore was a...he was different. He tried to destroy me as a human and kept playing games with me after I was turned. The last time we met I ripped off his arm and ensured he ended up in a prison that could hold him. That is why he had a vendetta with me." Harry explained. He hated telling his personal life to strangers.

"Huh. I suppose murdering your son was a vendetta gaining move." Billy commented eyes watching Harry for a reaction. Harry closed his eyes and his hands clutched at his shirt. He breathed in and out once then opened his eyes.

"Please stop." Carlisle asked Billy. To be fair to him Billy looked mildly ashamed at causing Harry such distress, he had been testing them for some reason, or testing Harry and Harry didn't know why.

Harry went to chat with Charlie who looked simultaneously both disapproving and in awe of the amount of curse words Jacob could shout out when in pain. Charlie had been there when the pack brought Jacob in.

There were some odd looks sent to the pair when both Harry and Charlie started chuckling at something but they were engrossed in their conversation and didn't notice.

Harry waited by the car as Carlisle went to speak with Sam. He was glad at least it was cloudy again otherwise he would be sparkling for all to see. Harry turned slightly when he heard the wheel chair approach.

"I heard Bella's gonna be a vamp." Billy stated unexpectedly after a few moments silence.

"It's her choice." Harry sighed.

"She's choosing wrong." Billy stated with utter surety.

"I know." Harry replied quietly.

"You what?" Billy responded articulately, he obviously had expected a different answer.

"Do you think any of us had a choice to be turned? Rosalie, Emmett and Edward were dying, Carlisle was bitten hunting down vampires to kill them, Alice was turned in a mental asylum so an interested vampire didn't kill her, Jasper was turned for a vampire war and I was turned in a massacre by accident. Bella shouldn't be choosing to be one of us." Harry explained.

"Huh. I didn't expect that." Billy said surprised.

"Don't get me wrong, she's good for Edward and I want her around for his sake and I want her to be part of the family...but choosing to be a vampire? Anyone of us in the family would give up nearly anything to be human, to grow old with kids...grandchildren..." Harry trailed off.

"Well, she's chosen." Billy sighed; he knew that if Bella was bitten the Cullens would not return to Forks ever as they would have broken the treaty. In fact Billy was sure some of the wolves would want to track the Cullens down and destroy them. He thought it was a stupid idea.

Harry sighed.

"Hmmm. I...um...Billy, Jacob's going to be a little...down. Bella's agreed to marry Edward." Harry said baldly almost cringing at how his words came out, he wanted to inform Billy so he could know why Jacob was going to be so upset.

Billy sighed this time.

"I could see it since Bella and Edward first got together. I didn't know what I was seeing then but it looks a hell of a lot like the love shared between imprints...and how can anyone get in between that?" Billy stated rhetorically not looking pleased by his thoughts.

"Your Edward looks at Bella like Sam looks at Emily." Billy stated succinctly and Harry nodded now getting what Billy meant.

"So..." Billy coughed trying to redirect their odd conversation. "You're 200 years old then." Billy stated but there was a question there. Harry half smiled.

"I was born in 1780, in England. I was turned in 1802." Harry informed Billy, Billy's eyebrows rose.

"And how long have you known Dr. Cullen?" Billy asked honestly curious.

"Umm...about 190 years...We met in the early 1800s in Italy." Harry replied. Billy again looked surprised.

"So long." Billy muttered to himself. "And how old is Carlisle?"

"He was born in 1640 and turned in 1663." Harry answered.

"Have you ever...killed a human?" Billy queried looking curious but also as though he hadn't meant to ask that out loud.

"Technically no...but it was my fault some people died when I was human." Harry replied a small frown crinkling his forehead and he rubbed at the lingering ache.

Billy didn't ask any more questions he just stayed there in silence for a few minutes before wheeling back inside to check on his son.

As soon as Billy disappeared Carlisle appeared next to Harry and held the passenger door open of the car for Harry. Harry thanked him with a smile and he settled into the car keeping his amused eye roll hidden, such chivalry. Really, he could open the doors himself.

"Good conversation?" Carlisle asked looking at Harry even as he drove.

"Hmmm. Interesting. I think most of the prejudice, both sides, stems from lack of knowledge rather than real animosity."

"Hmmm. Probably, that is the usual case." Carlisle agreed.

xxx

In the weeks before Bella and Edward's wedding Harry spent most of his time reading through his (extensive) library on magical texts, many of them came from the Black library Sirius had left him in his will.

He was searching for the curse Theodore had mentioned he had put on Harry. It didn't help that he was reading with headaches of various strengths.

Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie helped from time to time but none of them were magical so they couldn't really be much help.

Harry had called up Severus on the mobile he had shoved at Severus a few months ago hoping the man hadn't forgotten about it or destroyed it. It was to no avail, Severus hadn't heard of an old curse that caused headaches when he used his magic or was involved with anything to do with magic.

So Harry had returned to his endless reading.

Harry accio'ed a book and he groaned rubbing his head. It was almost as though his magic was attacking him...

That was it! It was an attack based on his magic not himself! Harry would have laughed in relief if he hadn't been paging swiftly (only just taking enough care not to tear the pages) through a particularly grimy tome.

Harry actually did laugh when he found the correct page. He was just glad it was an old spell rather than one Theodore had made up. The counter curse was simple and Harry sighed with relief as his headache finally disappeared.

He hadn't had a headache since he was human (apart from Occlumency ones) before the curse and he did not miss them one bit.

Lips pressed against his head made him open his eyes and he looked into bright golden orbs filled with a warming love.

"Headache gone?" Carlisle asked gently framing Harry's face with his hands.

"Finally." Harry smiled.

Carlisle drew him in for a deep kiss and Harry leaned into it happily tangling his fingers in Carlisle's hair. They broke apart when Jasper coughed downstairs but loud enough for them to hear.

"Nosy brats." Harry muttered with a bright smile.

"Oi!" Emmett called up the stairs. Harry resisted the urge to laugh, Carlisle chuckled.

"Vacate the premises if you're going to do the dirty." Emmett said laughing.

"He only said that to embarrass me." Harry grumbled while Carlisle just looked amused.

"You're hungry." Carlisle stated brushing a finger against the dark shadows under Harry's black eyes. Harry grimaced; he had wanted to get rid of the curse so he hadn't fed since just before the battle against the newborn army. A few weeks ago now.

"Come, let's hunt." Carlisle pulled Harry off the chair and in one quick move they leapt out of the open window of the study and ran into the trees, hunting.

(Away from nosy brats.)

xxx

The wedding was nice, Harry thought, Alice had really done well.

Harry stayed next to Carlisle, leaning against him the whole time eyes sometimes latched on Edward's ecstatic features and sometimes on Bella's no less ecstatic but teary face. Harry couldn't stop smiling.

Harry and Carlisle had to be careful when dancing not to lose themselves and not show inhuman speed or forget there were others on the dance floor too. It seemed though that people avoided their elegant twirls and odd style of dance that nonetheless worked as they switched lead every few seconds.

Harry kept his eyes and focus on Carlisle so he missed the eyes watching their entwined forms, the whispers and the envy from a few people. Carlisle and Harry were so absorbed in each other they didn't even notice the slight infraction between Edward, Bella, Jacob and a few others of the pack.

Harry watched Bella and Edward leave for their honeymoon on Isle Harry. Harry had asked Carlisle to change the name of the island but Carlisle had refused laughing at Harry's indignant and embarrassed expression.

It was a wonderful island though, despite the name, and Harry had spent many happy months with just Carlisle there.

There was a strange sense of...not exactly loss but...a slight emptiness as the couple disappeared into the night. It was almost like they had come to an end of an era...Harry snorted at his overly fanciful thoughts.