XVII.
"Sophie, that dog isn't Howl, but he is rather cute." Harry chuckled. Over the past fifteen minutes, Sophie has been guessing Howl's disguise with increasing hilarity. A pigeon? Hilarious.
"He isn't?" Sophie asked, rather oblivious of magic.
"Do you really think he would lower himself to the form of a dog? No, he would not be so undignified," Harry said. "Though he would probably be a miniature toy poodle if he did. One dyed pink at that."
Sophie giggled.
"Is there anything you want to ask me about Howl or magicians in general? I know this is rather sudden for you, Sophie," Harry said and strolled along the grey brick streets of the capital.
She hummed in thought; after some time, she said slowly, "Why does Howl have to report to the king? He said he took an oath?"
"Yes," Harry nodded. "This oath started with the establishment of the magical academy here some time ago. It basically says that in order to practice magic here legally, all magicians have to take a magically binding oath to report to the king when summoned or in times of war. At first, it was meant as a safety measure against rogue magicians, but as time passed, the rulers started to abuse the system. Howl is actually one of the strongest wizards in the kingdom despite his age- all the stronger ones have already been taken. Predictably, they're all dead now."
"So that's why they're so desperate to get him to report," Sophie exclaimed, a little alarmed by the fate that awaits Howl if he reports to the king.
Harry nodded. "And in this war, they need all the powerful magicians they can get. Now all they are left with mediocre or weak magicians without much use. A lot of knowledge and spells have been lost throughout history because the ones who knew them died before they can pass them on."
"Howl is afraid to report to the king," Sophie ventured. Though given what Harry just said, she wasn't surprised.
"To a certain degree, yes. Howl values freedom above all else, Sophie," Harry shrugged.
Sophie agreed, thinking back on the multitude of trinkets hanging in Howl's room.
"Why don't you have to report to the king, Harry?" Sophie asked. Beside her, the dog wheezed in what appeared to be surprise and ran around in a circle. Harry glared once at the dog.
"Do keep quiet, you. If you can't breathe properly, then don't breathe at all," he said primly to the dog. "I predate the oath that Howl took. I'm old, Sophie," Harry laughed at her incredulous look. "No, despite my appearances, I am really quite old. I was a magician before the oath was created, so I am not bound to anyone."
Sophie Hatter fervently wished that she aged half as well as the man beside her did.
XVIII.
"Well this is a sore sight to see. The Witch of the Wastes," Harry said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Hm, I don't believe I know you, but since you are such a fine young man, I will answer your question just this once. I received a royal invitation from that idiot Sulliman. She finally realized that she needed my help," the fat witch winked at Harry, giving him a hungry once-over.
Harry blanched all the way to the tip of his toes and hid behind Sophie- forget ruining his image. To his side, the dog wheezed out a laugh.
"Quiet, you," Harry commanded with as much dignity as he could pull together, which wasn't much at this point.
"She can see through your disguise?" Sophie whispered.
"No! She can't!" Harry hissed. "Apparently she either finds middle aged potbellied men attractive, or she's after the male gender collectively. I'll pass on the compliments to Howl's uncle, who happens to be busy pushing up daisies at the moment."
Sophie's shoulder shook, and her lips were pressed thin with mirth.
With Sophie acting as a barrier between him and the Witch, the odd quartet made their way to the stairs. To Harry's surprise, the dog couldn't climb stairs.
"You can't climb stairs?" Harry asked skeptically. "How spoiled are you, Dog?"
The dog barked once and ran in circles.
"Alright, cease that nonsense this instant," Harry sighed, picked up the pooch, and began climbing- all the while trying to block out the sounds of a cow dying. "At least you're well taken care of- that fur is very soft. I bet Howl would be jealous." The dog wheezed out a laugh. "Sulliman spoils you rotten, you," Harry rolled his eyes.
Midway up, even Harry was starting to feel drained. "You are ridiculously heavy for a dog. I'll be having words with your master about your weight." Harry panted. Said obese dog wheezed angrily in his arms. "Oh Merlin, Morgana, and Circe," Harry prayed as he turned around and saw the disgusting pile of blubber in fur and the trail of sweat it left behind. It used to be the Witch of the Wastes. It's certainly not anything now.
He turned around and promptly emptied his stomach on the pristine, polished boots of the nearest stiff-backed guard. The look he got was worth every second of burning acidic pain.
XIX.
"A chair! It's mine!" The sweaty witch ran towards it with what's left of her energy and immediately collapsed in it.
"You can have that all to yourself- I certainly wouldn't want it after you," Harry recoiled in disgust. "So I was right about you, Dog," he sighed as the spoiled canine raced towards the end of the hallway.
"Come on, this way," Harry sighed and waved Sophie over. Once both of them arrived, a side door opened to reveal a blond boy with a page cut.
"This way please," he said politely. Harry nodded and followed him; he absently wondered if the boy was Sulliman's current apprentice. He certainly didn't look to be much. A cursory scan revealed a spark of magic- just a spark. Standards at the Academy have fallen greatly, if they're admitting children of so little power nowadays.
The two of them were led to a warm greenhouse on the outskirts of the palace, where Sulliman was predictably waiting for them with a serving of afternoon tea.
"So, you are Howl's mother," she said to Sophie. "And Howl's uncle, of course. It's nice to see you in good health."
Harry laughed good-naturedly and thanked her for her concern. Mentally, he rolled his eyes. Sulliman was playing around again- she knew full well that Howl's uncle was dead and that there was a spell on Sophie. Very well then, since she was so deprived of entertainment, he would humor her.
"You two must be tired- please have a seat," she offered mildly. Harry hesitated but followed Sophie.
"I am Madam Sulliman, His Majesty's head Sorceress," Sulliman said.
"That's not your dog, is it?" Sophie blurted out. To her right, Harry- still in his disguise- sighed at Sophie's lack of tact.
"Hm? His name is Heem. He's my errand dog; I had him escort you here," Sulliman replied.
"My! He is a cute dog," Harry said genially. "You must spoiled him rotten." He vaguely remembered the way Howl's uncle talked and hoped that his memory served well. In his mind, he was going through the various ways he could assassinate his old apprentice with a rusty spoon.
Sulliman inclined her head and gave him a razor-thin smile. It wasn't a pleasant sight. "I take it that Howl won't be joining us?"
"He is such a lazy son. I'm afraid the king will find him completely useless," Sophie shook her head.
"Your memories of him are surely fond, Madam Sulliman," Harry vowed to never address Sulliman by "Madam" again, "but I'm afraid Howl has… changed from the bright pupil you once knew him as. I'm afraid I must agree with my sister on this matter," Harry finished solemnly. He made a mental note to brush his tongue with bleach when he got back. Never will he ever defer to Sulliman ever again.
"I'm very sorry to hear that," Sulliman sighed. "Howl was the last apprentice I ever took on. I have never seen such a gifted student; I was so thrilled to finally find someone talented enough to replace me. Then one day his heart was stolen by a demon. He never returned to complete his apprenticeship, and from that day on, he has been using his magic for entirely selfish purposes," Sulliman told Sophie wistfully.
Harry thought to himself- so Sulliman knew the cause of Howl's sudden change of heart- pardon the pun. It was merely a confirmation to his well-supported theory. Personally, he thought that Howl would do a poor job of commanding sorcerers to their deaths- even with his heart, the boy was mild tempered and shy. He lacked the maliciousness that the job demanded. He was a bit surprised to hear that Sulliman has not taken an apprentice since Howl. Surely the king would have asked that of her.
"Mrs. Pendragon- that boy is extremely dangerous. His powers are far too great for someone without a heart. If he stays selfish, I'm afraid he'll end up just like the Witch of the Wastes. Send her in!"
Harry was surprised that the sorceress even thought to warn Sophie. She even sounded genuinely concerned- how unlike her. But then again, Sulliman was confusing on a good day and downright unreadable on a bad day.
Moments later, Sulliman's pageboy- now confirmed not to be an apprentice- wheeled in a severely traumatized puddle of old skin dressed in the Witch of the Waste's clothing.
"What on Earth happened to you?" Sophie gasped and kneeled next to the unresponsive lump.
Harry grimaced as his stomach rolled once again."Three guesses, and the first two don't count," he muttered. He nudged the skin with the toe of his boots. It didn't move.
"I just restored her to the age she actually is; all her powers are gone now. Once, she too was a magnificent sorceress with so much promise. But then she fell prey to a demon of greed which slowly consumed her body and soul. Our kingdom can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to these disreputable wizards. If Howl reports and vows to use his magic to serve the kingdom, I will show him how to break from his demon. If not, I'll strip him of all his powers just like her."
"Well, it was mighty kind of you to slay her demons for her," the disguised wizard snarked, looking a little green around the edges.
In reply, Madam Sulliman only smiled thinly.
"That is enough!" Sophie declared before Sulliman could reply. "I can understand now why Howl was so concerned about coming to see you; it's a trap! You lure people with an invitation from the king, and then you strip them of their powers!"
Harry turned and stared at her in blatant shock. Even Sulliman looked startled for a fraction of a second before her face slid back to its usual expression of disinterest. It takes certain strength of heart to stand up to a magician like Madam Sullivan. He could see her innate heart coming through, slowly breaking past the barriers that she formed herself. Her magic is bright, Harry thought as he fought not to squint at her.
"Howl would never be so heartless. He maybe selfish and cowardly, and sometimes hard to understand-" Harry wondered if Howl was hearing this. Well, he should be. Given his slight flinch somewhere outside the greenhouse, he probably was.
"But his intentions are good! He just wants to be free. Howl won't come here; he doesn't need your help. He can fix his problem with his demon on his own! I am certain of it," Sophie said firmly.
Harry sighed. This was a really bad time for her curse to unravel- at least he knows how to undo the curse now. It will be hard for Sophie to stay consistently at such a high level of confidence, he mused.
"Now I understand; you're in love with Howl," Madam Sulliman said with a certain degree of academic interest- similar to that of a scientist.
Sophie gasped at the response, instantly reverting to an old lady.
"Howl? Did you say Howl? Is he coming here? I need his heart!" Even when reduced to such a state, the Witch of the Wastes clung onto Howl's name with all her might.
"Oh shut up, you disgusting pile of blubber," Harry sneered and brushed aside the witch's desperate hands, not bothering with his guise any longer.
"Stop that! Howl's not coming here," Sophie croaked.
"Oh, I think he will," Sulliman said when an aircraft flew above the palace. Still in the guise of a greasy middle aged man, Harry rolled his eyes. No aircrafts above the palace- Howl couldn't make it more obvious if he tried.
"This is an awful time for your curse to act up," Harry sighed and dismantled his disguise with a tap of his wand. "You know as well as I do that Howl never had the fortitude to be a commander." he said to Sulliman. As an afterthought, he added, "Clearly, he is meant to be an actor, not a magician, judging by how overly dramatic he is being."
"Harry, your disguise!" Sophie gasped as Harry's appearance rippled like water.
"There's really no point anymore now that your curse has unraveled a bit," Harry shrugged. "I refuse to stay in that form any longer than I have to." He easily repelled the grabby old witch next to Sophie with another flick of his wand. "And I will not have your grubby hands dirtying my robes."
"Master," Sulliman inclined her head respectfully, much to Sophie's shock. "You look well. Perhaps you would fit the occupation better- the position is current unfulfilled. You may have it if you would like."
"Don't call me by that, Sulliman. I am no master of yours." Harry's lips were pressed thin, and he shook slightly. "I suppose I can't say the same for you. You were gentle- once upon a time- though no more now. I want nothing to do with that fool king of yours and his even more foolish play-war."
"Is that so? I never thought that my invitation would work so well," she said pleasantly, ignoring his jibe. Harry's astute eyes picked up a sense of… agreement radiating from her? How very strange and unlike the Sulliman Harry knew. "You've been hiding yourself, going even as far as to abandon your magic. Even I couldn't locate you. Well, now I know."
"And I did so with good reason," Harry snarled. "I am not one of yours. You can't bind me; you can't force me to bow to that fool."
"Oh, I know that you are well out of my jurisdiction, his majesty's wishes aside," she said mildly. "Howl however… I now know his weakness."
"You won't be getting your grubby claws on either of them," Harry's pupils turned to slits, and his words ended in a hiss. He grabbed Sophie around the shoulders, startling her.
"Perhaps yours as well," Sulliman mused. Harry fought the urge to gouge out her eyes.
Harry's magic whipped around him, stirring up fallen leaves. "You were my biggest mistake, Sulliman. Don't make me end you."
She met Harry's eyes squarely, a smile still playing on the edge of her lips.
A dare- she was daring him to do it, Sophie realized. She thinks Harry is bluffing.
Just then, Howl entered in all his glory, disguised as the most idiotic man around- the one who happens to be in charge of the country.
The pageboy opened the window with a bow.
"Your Majesty," Sulliman greeted, sparing Harry another glance.
"As you were. So, how are you feeling? I thought I'd drop by rather than sit through a dull war meeting," Howl puffed out his chest like the peacock he is. At least he didn't have to pretend with that part, Harry thought.
"What an honor." It certainly had two meanings attached.
"Who are your guests?" Howl asked, pausing at the sight of the protective and powerful Harry who stood in front of Sophie, standing between her and Sulliman.
"This is Howl's mother, Mrs. Pendragon, and her brother- Howl's uncle," Sulliman introduced Harry as Howl's uncle even with the disguise dropped.
"Ah," he said. Sophie curtsied slightly, but no more than was barely acceptable. Harry refused to bow. Instead, he looked the "king" right in the eyes. The "king's" moustache twitched. Clearly, he expected Harry's insolence. "Thanks for coming, but I've decided not to use magic to win this war. We have tried using Madam Sulliman's magic to shield the palace, but instead, the bombs fall on civilian homes instead. That's the problem with magic, right, Sulliman?"
"You're so eloquent today, Your Majesty." The elderly sorceress pointed out.
"Sulliman!" An identical voice came roaring from the entrance of the greenhouse. "I've got a new battle plan! This time we're going to beat them to a pulp!" The king spotted Howl and laughed- "Sulliman, that's the best one you've made of me yet! Keep up the good work!"
"Your Majesty," she greeted one more.
"Get my generals assembled," he barked to a nearby attendant and walked out.
An awkward silence descended over the greenhouse.
"So nice to see you again, Howl," Sulliman said at last.
"You look well, Madam Sulliman," he bowed as his visage changed to his normal appearance.
"A rather weak disguise- I taught you better, didn't I?" She asked.
"I'm sure you did," Harry rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I taught you better too. That king of yours is an idiot- how you can ever stand working for him, I'll never know."
A small smile played on Sulliman's lips. "I suppose responsibility is beyond your scope of understanding, Master."
Harry only hissed wordlessly at her.
Sophie snorted from behind a tense Harry, caught in the showdown between two generations of teachers and pupils.
"Now is not the time," Harry murmured to Sophie, exasperated.
"I'm not trying to outwitch you," Howl said mischievously. "I kept my oath. I reported when summoned. Now Mother and I will go."
"And what am I? Chopped liver?" Harry squawked indignantly, shock causing him to momentarily abandoning his anger.
"Eloquent as ever, Master," came Sulliman's mild reply. It was fringed lightly with just a touch of amusement.
"Oh shush you," Harry said reflexively like he used to before he could catch himself. "And don't call me that."
There was a minute flash of fondness in Sulliman's eyes, but it was gone before it could be noticed by anyone.
"I'm sure you can get out on your own." Howl shrugged, addressing Harry's concern flippantly.
"That doesn't mean you can just leave me here," Harry protested vehemently.
"I'm afraid neither of you will be leaving here today." Sulliman tapped her staff on the floor and summoned a torrent of water. Harry instantly leapt into action and casted shields and bubblehead charms on all of them.
"Now, whatever you do, don't look down," Howl warned calmly once the tide of water receded into cool night air.
"It's time to show your Mother who you really are, Howl," Sulliman's voice echoed in the illusion.
"Don't worry- you are safe," Harry squeezed Sophie's hand, careful not to leave Sulliman Sophie's name.
Fallen stars descended all around them, turning into miniature shadows that took on the shape of a human. They surrounded the four of them and danced in a ring of light.
Demons, Harry's eyes narrowed. Or perhaps a detailed illusion of the past. Is that what Sulliman was trying to do? She must be daft if she thinks we'll stand still, Harry thought.
Howl's glove morphed as his hands changed to claws, and skin changed to feathers. Sulliman's forcing the transformation! Harry snarled audibly. That is cruel- especially given how much pain Howl felt in the process.
The transformed Howl lunged at Sulliman, who threw her staff at the raven.
"Stop, Howl! It's a trap!" Sophie screamed, her arms wrapping around a transformed Howl.
"That's enough," Harry ordered harshly. His magic flared brightly and slowed the staff to a standstill. The dancing people were no issue to him- he had not used the forced transformation spell, so they had no effect on him. He ripped them apart, his magic turning into multipronged rays of light that lanced through each of the stars. Still, he would need to transport all of them out, and he could not risk splinching halfway- especially with Howl in a state of magical imbalance. Animagus it will be, he sighed.
"Don't be afraid, okay?" He whispered to Sophie as he let his animagus free. Black leathery wings sprouted from his back, and his skin rapidly grew shiny obsidian scales. His spine elongated, and his form grew to many times the size of his human body.
"Bombarda!" Harry hissed in parseltongue. He directed his magic up. Suppressed for far too long and eager to be used, his magic burst forth in a storm of uncontrolled anger and shattered the roof of Sulliman's greenhouse. It exploded outwards, shaking the ground and snapping tree trunks like toothpicks.
"Let's go," he said urgently and grabbed Howl, who held a terrified Sophie in his arms.
"Oh, and Sulliman, they're under my protection- all of them. If you wish to cross wands with me, feel free to hurt them. You'll remember why I was your master and not the other way around. I'll be stealing your apprentice now! " Harry roared from the skies.
Alone once again, Sulliman looked up at the hole in the sky and merely smiled.
XX.
Once out of Sulliman's hold, Harry immediately dropped Howl which cued him to transform back into his human form. The blond magician landed on the plane that he doubtlessly stole.
"Hey you dropped me," he laughed at Harry. "Hold on," he said to Sophie and kickstarted the engine.
"Yeah, well you wanted to leave me behind," Harry pouted as he too, transformed back, dropping back to his human form smoothly. "Like hell you're leaving me alone with Sulliman."
"Fair enough," Howl laughed. While he was occupied with flying the plane, he failed to notice Sulliman's dog flying towards them and landing behind Sophie. Since when can dogs fly? Harry thought skeptically. He had half a mind to kick the dog out if only to piss Sulliman off.
"Sophie, sit up here," Howl said happily- a bit too happily for someone who just escaped from a spell. "Did you have to bring those two with you?" he asked.
"Can we kick them back out?" Harry asked instantly.
"No!" Sophie replied, appalled at the suggestion.
"They're nothing but trouble," Harry warned.
"No, you are not kicking them off this plane, Harry," Sophie said sternly.
"You're being too nice to them, Sophie," Harry grumbled. "That's the Witch of the Wastes and Sulliman's spoiled pet dog."
"Still, she's not a witch anymore- her magic got taken away. And Heem hasn't hurt anyone," Sophie said stubbornly. Her tirade was interrupted by Howl, who tapped her on the shoulder.
"Sophie, take the wheel; they're gaining on us," was the unfortunate surprise. "Take this plane and fly it back to my castle in the wastes- I'll distract them."
"Of course they would send reinforcements. Why did we do this again?" Harry rolled his eyes and popped his joints. Time to get to work.
"I can't do this- I don't know the way!" Sophie panicked.
"Have some faith in yourself, Sophie," Harry said, grinning. It did nothing to soothe Sophie's nerves.
"Don't worry- remember the ring. Summon Calcifer with all your heart- the ring will lead you back to the castle," Howl said.
"For further reference, Howl, anything with heart magic works great with Sophie," Harry shouted over the wind. The sound of buzzing wings was getting closer. "You lovebirds might want to hurry up here."
Sophie blushed while Howl beamed like the sun.
"Why did you ask me to come here if you were coming yourself?" Sophie asked.
"Your presence gave me the courage to show up. That woman terrifies me! I can't face her on my own. You saved me, Sophie. I was in big trouble back there." Howl admitted.
"And she will keep saving you," Harry agreed. "Sulliman's bark is worse than her bite- you would have been fine. It helps I was there too, and I have enough magic to outmuscle Sulliman if I must. She knows that as well." He vaguely recalled the terror of everyone at the academy in the face of a young Sulliman.
"Maybe for someone like you," Howl roared over the wind.
Not for the first time, Sophie wondered about her neighbor's mental health. She soon had more to worry about when Howl let go of the steering wheel, sending the party headfirst towards the top of a chapel.
"Wow, you're good," Howl laughed when Sophie frantically spun the steering wheel around while screaming in terror. "I can give you five minutes of invisibility, so use it wisely."
"She'll need at least ten minutes, with all that dead weight in the back seat" Harry argued. "What spell are you using anyways?"
"The one that uses Tiwahz as the main rune," Howl said, confused. Harry shook his head. "No, that one drains your energy too quickly. Don't use runes in an area like this, where you don't have anything substantial to anchor them on- putting runes on air just makes them dissipate faster since air molecules are constantly in motion. Use blanketing charms and stack them instead. Here, use this one with the illusion and the disillusionment layered one on top of each other-" Harry lectured as Howl listened in interest.
"Is this really the time to be debating spells?" Sophie yelled frantically. "Whatever you're going to do, just do it now!"
Harry and Howl looked at each other, then at Sophie, and shrugged in unison.
XXI.
It was past midnight when Harry returned to the castle, dragging with him a barely corporeal, bleeding, feathered Howl. Harry limped up the stairs with some trouble- even he had bleeding scrapes, some barely healed.
If there was one thing Sulliman had in abundance, it was cannon fodder. Her time in the military was clearly not wasted; she pinpointed his weakness immediately. Powerful as he is, he is still one person. While he could handle those nuisances well enough, Sulliman had sent enough of them to cover the sun completely; Howl was already stressed from two transformations in such a short period of time, and he was the less experienced of the two. The monsters quickly focused on Howl, and Harry had spent the better part of his time protecting Howl. Between the two of them, they had taken down all the henchmen Sulliman had to send, but it had come at a heavy cost; Howl was magically exhausted and badly hurt.
With the multitude of offensive magic Harry used, even he was feeling the effects of the battle. He tripped over a loose floorboard lightly and coughed- out came a puddle of venom- laden blood. He grimaced as the floor started smoking.
"Oh man, this is bad- you've gone too far this time, Howl," Calcifer fretted.
"I did my best to protect him," Harry croaked. "I'm sorry. It was me Sulliman was after."
Calcifer shook his head. "She was after both of you. You don't look that great yourself anyways, Harry. I'm glad Howl has you at least when he does something this reckless."
Harry grinned, but his teeth were covered with a film of crimson blood, to Calcifer's unease. "Sulliman should be mighty short of monster henchmen right about now- she sent them all after us. She must have wanted Howl badly." He paused. "Or me, probably."
Calcifer shrunk in on himself. "And you made it back here? After Sulliman sent all of her henchmen after you two?" he asked disbelievingly.
Harry nodded, wincing as the action broke a bite would over his neck. Immediately, he clasped one hand over it. "Almost all."
"Wow," the fire breathed.
"I'll get him back to his room and see what I can do to fix him up," Harry said, taking care not to jostle the nearly unconscious crow creature next to him. "I'm sorry I didn't do more," Harry shook his head, mad at himself.
"You've done enough," Calcifer said quietly. "I'm not sure what state Howl would be in right now without you."
Harry smiled weakly at the fire demon. "Thanks. Try to keep Sophie away from Howl's room for a while- his mind is a bit of a mess right now."
"Alright."
XXII.
"Sophie," Harry said, his voice soothing as he patted Sophie's head. She had laid at the exit of Howl's burrow, exactly where she had been left.
She sobbed uncontrollably, wailing as she clung tightly onto her first supporter.
"Shhh, by the time you wake up tomorrow, this will just be a dream," Harry whispered. He ran a head through Sophie's hair, which had fallen out of its braid. Slowly, her sobs slowed to a complete stop, and her breathing evened out.
Harry had arrived just in time with a second set of potions to see Sophie confess to Howl- and then be rejected. He had immediately leapt after Howl, transforming in midair as the raven flew away from the castle on wings that Harry just finished healing. He dropped the potions in the burrow haphazardly and cursed as barely scabbed over wings sprouted out of his back.
It was almost dawn by the time Harry had chased down Howl and convinced the hysterical man to return. "For Sophie," he had said. And now, said man was watching his true love sob her heart out.
"I'm sorry, Sophie- so very sorry," Harry said quietly. "It's better if you forget this- please forgive me. Obliviate."
"Sophie can never break her spell now, you know," Harry cradled the sleeping old woman in his arms. "Even if I make her forget, she has magic of her own to protect her. She will still remember this subconsciously."
The man said nothing; he stared at Sophie with sorrow in his eyes.
"Dammit, Howl! She's the only one who can break your curse, and you're the only one who can break hers. If you love her, then quit running away," Harry bit out.
"No, I'm a monster," Howl breathed, holding his shaking hands up to his face. "A monster doesn't deserve love. She… she wouldn't want me. No one would."
"You're no more a monster than I am, Howl," Harry seized the collar of the other man's shirt. "Do you know how long I have lived? Six hundred years- six hundred god forsaken years. How many wars have I seen? How many people have I killed? I've bathed in blood more often than you've done in water. Do you think I don't understand what you're doing? Do you think I haven't done all this before? I am far more of a monster than you can ever hope to be."
Howl turned his face away, his bangs falling over his feathered face. Harry ran a thumb over the feathers, vanishing them with each soft touch. He had seen the older magician fight in his animagus form; it was utterly ruthless. He retained the ability to use spells in his form, hissing them out in a language unknown to him. The other man had torn monsters in half at the seams- monsters who used to be humans like them- with no remorse. He had blasted them to pieces and reveled in their blood. He made them scream endlessly; the unearthly sound still rung in his ears. The bloodlust in his eyes was real, wild, and uncontrollable. It was as if the magician's human form housed a terrible being.
"I hate to say this to you, Howl, but please don't let yourself be the second biggest mistake in my life. You saw how my first mistake turn out," Harry pleaded quietly before limping away with Sophie in his arms.
Howl stood gazing at the man's retreating back, for once wishing that he had a heart to tell him what to do.
XXIII.
"Up you get, Sophie," Harry's smiling face greeted her morning. Sophie gasped and leapt up.
"You're back! Is Howl back too?" She asked urgently.
"Yup, we got back not too long ago. He's fine," Harry said pleasantly. Behind him, Calcifer held his silence. "As if you'd expect anything else from me- I kept your man safe for you," Harry winked. Sophie turned pink.
"He's- he's not… I- I should get to cooking breakfast," Sophie fumbled and excuse.
"There's no need," Harry said cheerfully. "Howl overslept- he should be up soon. Though I suppose will have to factor in his daily three hour soak."
"All the more important to get all the ingredients set up, but- the plane-" Sophie glanced at the hole where the plane crash landed.
"What hole?" Harry asked innocently. "Everything's as good as new. So, how about breakfast? Howl can have the leftovers. Or we can just leave him to starve; the human body can go weeks without food."
Of course, Sophie wouldn't hear of it and dragged Harry to the kitchen by the ear.
XXIV.
"Good morning, everyone," Howl flitted gracefully downstairs, as good as new.
"How are you, Howl?" Sophie asked worriedly while setting down a plate of eggs and mushroom.
"Just fine," he beamed back at her.
Given how many potions and spells I shoved down his throat, he had better be fine, Harry thought grumpily. On the other hand, he was still smarting from magical exhaustion- nothing a good night's worth of sleep wouldn't cure, but his nights had not been peaceful as of late. Rather, they were plagued crimson dreams.
"That's good to hear. It's good to see you home," Sophie said, feeling something heavy pierce through her chest at the sight of the man. What was wrong with her?
"Master Howl, we can keep this dog, can't we?" Marco asked excitedly.
"The Witch of the Waste and Sulliman's dog at my table? What possessed you to let them into my house, Calcifer?" Howl said jokingly.
"I didn't let them in," Calcifer protested. "Sophie crash landed her plane into my face!"
Howl laughed long and hard- very loudly for someone who almost died, Harry thought.
"Sophie wouldn't let me kill them," Harry protested. Said object of his complaints glared lightly. "I tried. It's not too late to just dump them back out into the Wastes. If Sulliman really cares about her dog, we'll just send her a memo or something and tell her to pick him up."
He was kidding, Sophie hoped. Heem the dog wheezed angrily at Harry in protest. Harry bopped the dog on the head with a baguette.
"And what are you going to do? Blow hot air in my face?" Harry rolled his eyes at the angry dog and got up.
Just then, Turniphead, the rather tenacious scarecrow hopped his way to the table. Since when was the scarecrow a resident of the castle?
"Looks like we have yet another addition to the family- hm, you've got quite a nasty spell on you too. Seems everyone in this family has got problems," Howl walked around the scarecrow which somehow found a way into the house.
"I take offense to that," Harry called from the kitchen where he went to get a second helping of eggs. He paused- since when did he consider himself a part of this family? It was really less of a family and more like a wizard, an apprentice, a demon, and four freeloaders. Meh, semantics, he shrugged to himself.
"You've got more problems than the rest of us combined," Calcifer called from the fire pit. Harry flipped the fire demon off- behind Sophie's back, of course. That woman can be such a mother hen sometimes.
"That's Turniphead. He's the scarecrow who found your castle for us when we were looking for a place to stay," Harry said upon returning to the table with his second breakfast. "I recognize the spell, actually. It's an array locking spell- quite handy when used on inanimate objects but an utter pain to break when used on humans. I think he already knows what it takes to break the spell, but it doesn't make the situation any better."
"Really?" Sophie jumped into the conversation eager to help her friend.
"Yes- it takes a kiss from the subject's true love. That's why it's such a good spell to use on inaminate objects- they don't love."
"I know that spell," the senile Witch of the Waste said over a mouthful of gruel.
"Of course you do," Harry said drily. "I'm sure you know how to cast it as well."
The old witch merely stared at him unnervingly and said slowly, "My, what a handsome young man."
"Can it, you senile old bat," Harry snorted. "Something the matter, Sophie?" Harry asked when he spotted the troubled expression on her face.
"A kiss from his true love," Sophie said, troubled.
"You see why it would be hard to break now?" Harry asked. "The chances of him finding true love is next to none as a human, let alone as a turnip on a stick." Sophie nodded.
"I see- that is a strong spell indeed," Howl said. "Then I guess I have you to thank for bringing Sophie and Harry into the castle."
The turnip scarecrow jumped once and spun around. Harry wasn't sure if that was supposed to express happiness or frustration. More likely the latter, seeing how Sophie was enamored with Howl and vice versa. The chances of Sophie seeing him as anything more than a friend was next to none.
"So, we've got a lot of work to do! We're moving. Madam Sulliman is hot on our trail, so we're going to have to hurry," Howl said.
"Sulliman's army of incompetent magicians shouldn't be battle ready anytime soon," Harry noted. "But a move would be appreciated. It's about time to start tying up loose ends, and it's getting rather cramped in here anyways. I'll help," he said while finishing the last of his eggs.
"You really are terrified of her, aren't you?" Harry snickered to Howl as he slid his leftover toast into Calcifer's gaping mouth. It was handy to have a pocket sized incinerator on a castle that can never stay still.
"Any sane person would be," Howl pointed out. Harry huffed.
XXV.
Over lunch, Harry made up his mind.
"I suppose I owe you- all of you- an explanation," Harry said and put down his fork. In seconds, he had everyone's attention at the table, especially Sophie. She had been meaning to ask Harry about what Sulliman said during their brief meeting, but she didn't want to push for answers- not to the first person who helped her through her new life.
"I'll start at the beginning since it's impossible to explain otherwise," Harry chuckled. "I was born Harry Potter- over six hundred years ago."
With the exception of Howl, everyone at the table gaped. Howl merely helped himself to more ham.
"I was from a time before the formation of this kingdom," Harry nodded. "This part of the country used to be called France, you know. I lived right across the channel on the islands- they used to be called England. I believe it is a different kingdom now. In my time, people capable in magic and those who were not lived in separate worlds. We were called wizards or witches, and they were called muggles. I was educated in a private school called "Hogwarts". It was a gorgeous castle situated in Scotland- to the north of here- I believe the area is just ruins now. There were many academies back then, but Hogwarts was the one my parents went to, so I followed the tradition and went there as well. I made two best friends, at Hogwarts. I was a kid, made my mistakes, and had fun doing so," Harry chuckled.
Even Howl turned to listen to the tale- Harry was notoriously cagey- to see him open up like this was nothing short of a miracle.
"Back then, magic was much stronger, there were next to no regulations, and the draw backs were next to none. Thus, evil wizards called Dark Lords emerged- on average once per every generation or so. The Dark Lord for my parents' generation and mine was called Lord Voldemort. In fact, my parents were killed by him when I was one. He was after me, and they died protecting me. I was prophesized to defeat him, before I was born. My parents had to go into hiding, to protect me. Even then, they only managed to stay hidden for a year before one of their close friends betrayed them."
Sophie laid her hand on Harry's forearm in comfort. He only smiled at her. The war with Voldemort was so long ago, the memories were barely a blip in time.
"It's okay. It has been so long, I hardly even remember them anymore," Harry admitted. "From then on, I grew up with my non-magical relatives, but they didn't like me very much; I never even knew I was magical until a half-giant came pounding on my door and whisked me away to Hogwarts. My extended family did not mention my parents much, and I had no magical training whatsoever until I was eleven. I was really happy to be at Hogwarts though, and I soon called it my home. Despite the many attempts on my life by Voldemort, those were the best years of my life. Unfortunately, by the time I turned seventeen, war had broken out again. This time, I was expected to kill Voldemort and save the world sine my mentor died."
Harry paused- he swallowed harshly. Memories of the inferi rose to the forefront of his mind. He took a deep, calming breath and continued.
"It took me a year, and a lot of people died for me- my mentor, my godparents, my friends…" Harry trailed off. "But I did kill him- in the end, he was my first kill, though certainly not my last. It was particularly hard because he found a way to ensure his own immortality. Had I not taken away his fail safes, he would never have died. His name, Voldemort, means both "flight of death" and "flight from death"; he was that terrified of dying, I suppose. In that battle against me, he failed to kill me for what seemed like the tenth time. He used a very potent spell- a killing curse. Anything this curse hits will die- no exceptions. The incantation has been lost throughout the centuries, and I have no intents to revive the spell. No matter what, the incantation of that spell must stay hidden. In theory, there is no way to avoid that spell, and I don't want to know what the government would do with power like that. I was hit with this spell, and I failed to die once again- for what seemed like the tenth time. In effect, I had missed my proper time to die. I didn't know at the time, but I did."
"For a while, the world was peaceful, and I even held the equivalent of Sulliman's position for a while- I was the top wizard. I had a wife and three beautiful kids. I helped run the government; I had a rather large say in how things were done. I began to notice my… issue when I turned fifty and still looked as though I was twenty. People started asking if my wife and I were daughter and son. I did more research and discovered the reason for my condition; it turned out because I missed my proper time to die, my body's "time" froze. I can never die," Harry said wryly.
At this point, Sophie's mouth was permanently open. Harry closed it for her.
"I watched all my children, my grandchildren, great grandchildren, and however many more- grow and die," Harry said flippantly. "It wasn't that bad," Harry comforted Sophie, who was looking slightly more than distraught.
"I did a lot of good things; when I was almost a hundred, the muggle world discovered the magical world. It was inevitable, really. I helped a lot with the integration between those worlds; at first there was a lot of unrest, panic, and fear. It took a lot of effort, but I stopped that potential war from breaking out. I suppose I was in a unique position; I was respected by the magical community since I was a lord and a hero, and I was one of the few in power who understood non-magical culture," Harry mused.
"Eventually, magic began to grow diluted as the two populations mingled; the non-magical outnumbered wizards by quite a number, so eventually wizarding government and culture died out as well. Hogwarts was no more than a tourist destination, and the other schools were much the same. It was around this time that this current kingdom was founded. I chose to stay here and establish an academy for children capable of doing magic. It's very easy for those children to hurt themselves accidentally otherwise," Harry continued. Howl nodded- it was one of the reasons why he took on Marco as his apprentice.
"Everything went smoothly there as well- I held the title of headmaster and head sorcerer for a while before I stepped down and allowed the brightest of my apprentices to take on my duties. After that, I retreated into retirement and let the country grow. However, war quickly broke out over borders. I confronted my apprentice only to find that he had been twisted by promises of power and greed. He was nothing like the eager boy I taught. There was an old saying, from my time- power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It rings true, in this case." Harry's eyes grew shadowed.
"My worst nightmare had come true- the non-magical integrated magic with their technology, and wizards were being used for war. At that time, wizards were hired, not forced to serve the crown. It was during this time that I tried to stop the war; I tried everything I could. In the end, I succeeded in stopping that war. I succeeded in stopping it by killing everyone involved. They literally stopped from a lack of soldiers and equipment" Harry said bitterly.
"You succeeded," Howl echoed quietly.
"Yes, but at what costs? I can hear their dying screams- they all merge together after a while, you know. All those voices…" Harry trailed off. "In the end, I succeeding in stopping that war, but my actions indirectly caused an outcome even worse- the vow that binds magicals even today. The one binding you now, Howl. All my effort was for naught- in the end, I had only proved to the kings and queens that magicians need to be tightly reigned in. Luckily, they had only applied it to the academy, but it was enough to change the course of society throughout the generations. From then on, I fled from one country to another, too afraid to face my mistakes and the consequences of my choices. I took an apprentice here and there, but only sparsely," Harry sipped on his tea.
"I continued like that until I returned back here a century ago. By then, the country was an entirely different place. War was still the norm, but a culture had developed around the war. I was happy there for a while, masquerading as a normal magician. It was around eighty years ago that I found a particularly promising young witch from the Academy. She was vacationing in the countryside when I met her." Harry's eyes glazed over.
"I remember- it was a hot summer night, and school was out. She was catching fireflies with her magic, and I felt it from the inn I was staying at. I went to investigate, and I saw her practicing. I went over to her, and I told her that her control wasn't good enough- there were holes in that net, which is why the fireflies kept escaping. She was so innocent back then, and she… just clung onto me and wouldn't let go," Harry chuckled.
"I didn't return to the Academy, but I moved to the capital and met her after classes every day. Her enthusiasm to learn reminded me of someone else- someone very close to me in the past. My friend was long dead at this point, of course, but she was my best friend during my time at Hogwarts. So, I taught the little girl the spells of this world, but her hunger for knowledge made her ask for more. I hesitated for a long time, but eventually I decided to trust her," Harry sighed.
"I did something I never should have done- I taught her the spells of my world. The ones long forgotten and closest to the fundamental nature of magic" Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly.
Howl grimaced- so that was how Sulliman grew to be so powerful.
"She didn't teach you any?" Harry directed the question to Howl. The other magician shook his head.
"Figures," Harry sighed. "Anyhow, she learned them quickly, as I predicted, and her power attracted the attention of the head magician back then. He took her on as an apprentice, and with an official master overseeing her training, I let her leave my tutelage. Luckily, her time with me was rather brief, and I didn't get a chance to teach her everything I knew."
"I wandered around for a while- I went everywhere, to different kingdoms, to lost frontiers- I just wandered. By the time I returned to the capital, the first of many wars had begun," Harry grew shadowed.
"I immediately confronted Sulliman, who was no longer the little girl I taught in the afternoons. She was a different person then; she was drunk with power- both magic and in her official capacity as the head magician. As it turns out, she killed her previous master and absorbed his powers. She tried to challenge me and failed," Harry smiled wryly.
"I almost killed her then- I was this close," Harry gestured with his fingers. "But when I went to slit her throat, I hesitated. I couldn't do it. She was… like a granddaughter to me, a vision of my best friend from ages past. And so, I fled again, like the coward I am."
"From then on, I fought in wars for the next couple of decades. She taught that fake animagus spell to all of her students- I am sorry to say that I was the one who first taught her that spell. I couldn't deal with my own failures- in between running away from my past and avoiding the future, I flew to battlefields everywhere and just… let my powers go. I probably killed more people than the entire army combined. I just wanted things to end."
Howl's gaze was focused, though a hint of sympathy softened his look.
"When I heard that Sulliman had taken on an apprentice I flew back to this country again. It took me a while to adjust to life here again… everything has changed and been rebuilt, even the towns that I saw leveled and burned to ashes. I was amazed at the resilience of people- of humanity. I eventually found Howl through his uncle, and I stayed for a while." Harry leaned back in his chair.
"Do you remember? I taught you how to make will-o-wisps," Harry snorted. "You were so easily fascinated back then."
Howl laughed lightly, thinking of memories from fonder times. "I accidentally used too much magic and singed your eyebrows off."
"Yes you did," Harry said drily. "Who gets surprised by the color of their own magic?"
Howl's laugh turned into quiet chuckles.
"You were such a cute kid then- all wide eyes and innocence and wonder," Harry smirked. "It's a shame you didn't keep the page boy cut though."
"That cut wasn't my idea- it was regulation," Howl protested. "You could have stayed for longer."
"I could have," Harry shrugged. He continued to explain to his audience, "I didn't stay with Howl for too long, for all he kept clinging to me like some kind of burr… I wandered around the country side for another decade or so, and by the time I returned, Howl's uncle was dead, Sulliman was in a fury, and Howl was living in one hell of a bachelor pad."
"Language," Sophie muttered. "There are children at the table."
Harry only grinned at her. "Just one, and I'm sure Marco has heard much worse, living with that guy." Before Sophie could ask what exactly he meant by that (or inquire about the light blush on Howl's cheeks) Harry continued his tale. "It took me a long time to track Howl's Moving Junkyard down, and even then, Howl almost skewered me the first time I showed up in the middle of the night."
"Any sane person would do the same," Howl protested. "A stranger showed up in the living room in the middle of the night- what else was I supposed to do?"
"Your castle teleports; I wasn't about to wait until the morning," Harry rebutted. "Nonetheless, I stayed with that guy for a while. He hadn't picked up Marco at that point yet, so I helped him run his magic store whenever he was too busy chasing skirts. We were both hiding from witches who wanted our hides, so we helped each other out. I stayed for a couple of years, but eventually, I grew tired and weary of life in general. I left a note on the table one day and just took off."
"I thought Sulliman caught up to you," Howl pointed out. "I didn't expect to see you alive again."
"Well, I can't exactly die," Harry said dryly.
"I didn't know that then," Howl replied.
"Anyways, I tried to settle in new towns and new countries, but no matter what I did, I could not make a difference in anything. All my effort was for naught; wars still happened. Towns still got leveled. People still died. I hated myself so very much back then," Harry continued with his slightly more than morbid tale. "So then, I thought, if magic was the cause of all of this, then I will leave it behind. I cannot fix my mistakes, so I will endeavor not to err anymore," Harry said firmly.
"So the antique shop…" Sophie muttered.
"Yes, I opted to live as a civilian," Harry confirmed. "I locked away the majority of my magic after I left the castle."
"But doesn't that cause a magical implosion?" Marco gasped. "With constant production and no usage, magic will build up!"
Harry shrugged. "I shattered plates the first time I tried to clean them after I locked away my magic. Control is a very important thing, and this forced me to refine my control."
"Between the castle and my lack of magic, even Sulliman couldn't find me for fifty years- I know she tried every trick in the book, but there wasn't anything for her to find. Undoubtedly, she will come after you with vigor now that she knows I am with you- and she knows how to track the castle now."
At this, everyone at the table looked uneasy, the dog included.
"I can leave, if you want," Harry shrugged and stood up. He stared pointedly at the dog.
"No," Sophie said firmly and tugged him back down with more force than he thought was possible. "So what if Sulliman is after you? She is after Howl as well, so she will come after us regardless. Besides, you helped me, Harry. I can't forget that- a monster wouldn't have done the same. You are no monster- please stop believing that you are. Even if Sulliman is powerful, we'll face her together, so don't leave."
Harry, for the first time in a century, was speechless.
XXVI.
"A bedroom for me too? How kind," Harry said dryly. "You didn't make a room for me the last time I was over. And here I was thinking that I'd sleep on the couch forever. "
What transpired at lunch was quickly brushed away from the surface of his mind, though the wizard is sure that his words lingered for far longer in the minds of his peers.
"This is the town where I met Sophie," Harry noted as a train rushed past, billowing toxic black smoke.
"It is," Howl leaned in the doorframe, his hair still midnight black. "I thought Sophie would appreciate the change in scenery."
"I suppose she would want to see her ditzy sister," Harry mused.
"The blond?" Howl mentally rifled through his directory of beautiful- and willing- women.
"It took you that long, huh?" Harry rolled his eyes. "I should probably check on my antique shop as well. If anything else, I would at least like the items back."
"You can keep it open if you'd like," Howl pointed out.
Harry only stared balefully at him. "You have seen the current direction of the war- this town isn't going to last much longer than two weeks at maximum. This isn't a social visit; this is a farewell. You're giving Sophie a final chance to say her goodbyes to her friends and family."
Howl did not try to deny the claims. He merely stayed silent.
"Don't wallow in your guilt," Harry laid a hand on the glass pane of his window. "She's far safer here, even with Sulliman hot on her heels. At least here she won't turn to ashes like everyone else."
How's eyes flashed in anger at the thought, his artificial form's protective tendencies nearly overpowering the magician's rationality.
"It's getting close to breaking free," Harry frowned and moved to Howl, but Howl caught his hand.
"You're about to doing something reckless again, aren't you?" Harry reversed the grip on his hand. "This is a farewell- for more than just Sophie- for everyone involved. You're leaving the castle. You know Sulliman is staking out this town. You want to run away again," he said disapprovingly.
"I…" Howl began.
"Don't," Harry's eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare run away anymore. Just… listen for once, Howl. Don't make the same mistake I did. It will cost you more than just your life."
"Whatever it is, I just hope that you know what you're doing. I can't always be by your side to bail you out."
XXVII.
A quiet bell sounded as Harry gently pushed through the door of his antique shop. Everything was covered with a layer of dust, as he expected. His vast stock remained unpacked, kept in boxes that stacked up to the ceiling. The shelves were empty and covered with cobwebs of various sizes.
He carefully checked the ward stones placed beneath the floorboards of each of the four corners of the house. While he did not cast a ward on his shop, he did use the ward stones that Bill had given him for his and Ginny's third wedding anniversary. Being a gifted curse breaker, he was well versed in wardsmithing as well. The wardstones he gave was a handsome gift, one that is designed and anchored with the strongest wards possible without a magical source.
It spoke well of his talent- the fact that these stones still worked so any millennia after his death. Harry charged the stones as frequently as he dared, and now that his secret is out, he will charge them fully. He could hardly spend a day moving his antiques, so a strong ward to withstand the coming war will have to do for now.
Harry's gaze roamed over the entire store, from ceiling to floor. He paused when it reached the front counter of the store- where he was going to put his cashier. On the old oaken counters, was a letter.
He walked closer warily, whispering protective and detective spells as he went. He dared not pick it up, for fear of any traps or teleportation spells, but on closer inspection, it had on it the royal emblem.
And then, Harry knew that Sulliman had caught up with them. A beat. Then, another.
Harry glanced quickly at the handwriting- Sulliman's handwriting. "Mr. H. J. Potter" was written in neat, looping cursive.
He would not touch anything of Sulliman's- not now, when he could not afford to make any mistakes.
Hurriedly, he rushed away, slamming the doors as he went. He flung a clump of magic in the general direction of the stones and left in a rush. He needed to get back. Now.
XXVIII.
"I'm back," Harry panted. As he had predicted, Howl vanished in the middle of the night. He didn't try to stop the boy, though he was disappointed in Howl's decision.
"Ugh, what is that smell?" Harry made a face and immediately ran to the source. He could feel the magic dampening spells imbibed into the tobacco. He knew it- Sulliman had done something while he was gone.
"You! Give me that cigar immediately", Harry snarled and snatched the thing from the gnarled hands of the elderly witch.
"My, what a handsome young man," the woman said dazedly.
"Save it," Harry shouted and immediately banished the offending item. He ran to Calcifer next, who was barely more than a few glowing ashes. "Calcifer! Calcifer!" Harry shouted.
"Oh, for heaven's sake," Harry said, exasperated. He took the bellows and immediately pumped some oxygen into the demonic fire, careful to filter it of any pollutants first. He absently sent out his magic to cover every corner of the room and vanished the smoke all at once. He noticed a small tendril of it sneak to the door of the castle.
It sunk into the metal handle but did nothing more; Harry frowned at the small piece of metal- now what is Sulliman up to now? He thought in exasperation. Alas, the door is Howl's magic, and he would rather not mess around with that delicate piece of spellwork if he could help it. He will have to ask him to look over it later.
"Harry, what is happening?" Sophie cried.
"Sophie, did someone enter the house or give you anything recently?" Harry crossed his arms and frowned.
The girl thought for a moment. "My mother came for a visit," she recalled.
"Your mother?" Harry prompted.
"Yes, she remarried recently and came to see how I was doing," she replied.
"And did the new husband of hers happen to be in the military?" Harry asked while dropping a piece of firewood onto Calcifer. The fire demon mumbled tiredly in thanks.
"I… I didn't ask. Is that important?" Sophie said hesitantly.
"Kind of?" Harry mulled over his next words. "This has Sulliman written all over it. She's not above taking hostages to make others comply, but if her husband was in the military, then it's highly likely that Sulliman ordered him to make your mother deliver a "gift" to you," Harry said drily and crushed the cigar in his hands.
Sophie gaped for a moment before her temper kicked in with a vengeance. "Why I ought to…!"
"Do nothing," Harry finished. "Better yet, don't leave this house at all."
"But!" She protested.
"Sulliman's been turning over every stone in the kingdom for us, and now she has found us. What she wants- above anything else- is you, to hold leverage over Howl," Harry sat down with a tired oomph. And me too, probably, he admitted reluctantly. He didn't say that out loud though.
"So the best thing you can do for now is to stay out of sight and within this house. Within this house, Calcifer can protect you," Harry said as he whipped out his wand and started casting protection wards. "Unfortunately, your harebrained boyfriend," he ignored Sophie's weak protests of 'he's not my boyfriend' and continued. "is off to get himself killed with what he's doing, and I have to keep him from going off the deep end. I don't want him dead, and if he did die, I'd drag him back to life and beat him over the head with a frying pan." Harry said.
He is kidding, I think, Sophie thought uneasily.
"You can do that?" Marco exclaimed. Even the dog stared at Harry.
"Sure I can," Harry shrugged, to Sophie's surprise. "I can't make him stay alive, but I can bring him back to life for a little while- definitely enough for a good scolding. Though most departed souls don't like to live again- most are in a hurry to get back to their realm of peace."
"Then your friends," Sophie began.
"I can call them anytime I wish, and they would not complain, but they are resting," Harry said drily. "Besides, I don't want them to see the state of the world they gave their lives for."
There was nothing Sophie could say to that.
Soon afterwards, the skies darkened, and the wheezing of bombs falling through the air met Harry's sensitive ears.
"Uh oh," Harry said moments before the first bomb hit the outskirts of the town.
"What- what on Earth?" Sophie gasped as the foundations of the castle shook with the force of the impact. Marco raced to the windows to take a peak.
"No, Marco," Sophie shoved the child away gently and closed the windows, shutting the curtains as she did.
Harry grimaced. "Sulliman's pulling out all stops- she's bombing this town way ahead of the current warpath."
"Oi, Calcifer, you alive back there?" Harry called, projecting his voice.
"Urgh. Don't talk to me," the fire's voice wavered with exhaustion.
"Guess you are," Harry mused. He turned serious when he addressed Sophie. "Sophie, no matter what you do, do NOT head out that front door."
"No!" She cried, tears in her eyes. "I have to check on the shop!"
"Sophie, it's dangerous," Harry said firmly as another bomb shattered the windows altogether.
"Get down!" Harry yelled and pulled Sophie down, along with Marco and the Witch of the Waste. "Reparo! Reparo! Reparo! Damn, that Sulliman," he cursed as the shards of the window regathered pieced together in their original form.
"Sophie, listen to me. Sulliman will stop at no ends to get her hands on you. You have to stay here, do you understand? Do not argue with me on this one. Now is not the time for stubbornness." Harry shook Sophie roughly by the shoulders, his mind running a mile a minute.
"This- this is my fault," she sobbed. "The hat shop- my father's lifelong dream! Lettie!" Then she gasped, as if remembering something more important than any of the previous combined. "Howl!" She fought out of Harry's grasp and bolted out the front door and slammed it shut on her way out.
Sophie's curse is really annoying, Harry thought to himself as Sophie visibly shrunk several sizes and squirmed her way out of Harry's hands. "Morgana's tits, Woman" Harry cursed, exasperated beyond belief. Where was that demure, mouse-like girl again?
He hesitated briefly for a second, glancing back at the quivering Calcifer who looked as if he could barely light a candle, let alone stand against Sulliman's forces. Harry felt indecision grip him- was that fear? How long has it been since he has last felt genuine fear? Yet he feared not for himself- oh no, he gave up his right for that a long time ago- but rather, he felt fear for the people who have managed to worm their way into his cold, dead heart in these past few months.