Slowly, slowly, Harry opened his eyes. He felt alive to the point of no description, and he marvelled at it. But most importantly, he felt whole, as if he had just found what he had missed all his life. The feeling was akin to when he had connected with his wand for the first time in Olivanders, but much, much deeper. He loved it.
It took him several moments to register the look Ardila gave him, as he did not believe what he saw. She was… proud of him? But why? Her face was as impassive as ever, yet her eyes spoke differently.
The cozy, protective power soaking him flared briefly on that realisation. Then it flowed out of him like a leaking dam, and he slid smoothly into darkness.
Ardila came into view as if through gradually-thinning fog. Her trademark small smile was in place, and also the glimmer of pride he had seen in her eyes. (The emotion was vague, but it was poignant to Harry compared to her usual blank mask.)
He smiled back at her, but could not help inquiring. "Where are we?"
She did not answer. Instead she said, "Not many people can reach their cores so quickly, Harry. You were tasting your own powers. Exercise the core, and it shall grow."
Her indirect compliment brought his heart soaring to new heights, as impossible as it seemed to him even now. Her motivation fuelled his own, and he swore he would heed her instruction faithfully.
But his high spirit fell down slightly on her next words.
"The more power someone has, the more responsibility he owes."
He did not mind the bit about responsibility; he had been forced to be responsible for many things, often not his own doing, since an early age. Yet the way she said it daunted him, however well-known the wise-saying was. It was as though she had personal experience to back the saying, and he dreaded thinking what mistakes she had made with her powers. If someone as tough as she was could make big mistakes, how about Harry himself? What – or who – would be sacrificed in the process?
Her smile became grim – knowing, approving. His heart plummeted further.
"He who puts himself in a high place is in a great danger of falling and breaking."
"'Don't be too proud,' I take it?" Harry muttered, looking away.
"Not only that." – Ardila's smile was unchanging, and Harry began to be both irked and unnerved by it. Worse, she did not elaborate on it too.
And before he knew it, the darkness was dicipating and bone-deep exhaustion rudely made itself known. Even groaning took too much energy, so he ceased trying to make the attempt. `Criky. What did I do?` The feeling was vastly different from his earlier euphoria, not a pleasant experience to be had.
Oh, he would not carelessly follow Ardila's instructions again. Look where she had gotten him now. And those annoying birds hurt his ears with their chirping…