As six o'clock approached, Harry realized he'd need to get to the room on the seventh floor without being seen, perhaps by teleporting. The room was always changing, though, even though it also seemed to have a stable configuration. He knew he couldn't be followed, since he had to keep his lessons with Rose a secret. The only solution was teleporting, but he didn't want to teleport himself into something that hadn't been there when the room was in its last configuration. Magic, picking up on his thoughts and a desire for a solution to his difficulty, spoke to him quietly as they ate dinner in the Great Hall.
"Send your magic ahead to search for an appropriate place." She stated.
"I've always had you teleport us somewhere that I'm not sure about. Do you do that?" Harry asked.
"I have gone by my memories, my knowledge, and twice, sent magic ahead of me." Magic stated.
Rather than ask Magic to perform the task that he was quite certain she could, Harry felt his flame of magic within him, knew how it had felt when he teleported, and tried to send part of his magic ahead, as if teleporting his magic instead of himself. He felt his magic conform to his thoughts and wishes, and felt a strange type of knowledge link open. It was similar to the link he had with Magic, but his magic didn't seem to have any visible form as he felt knowledge about the room on the seventh floor coming at him from everywhere in an instant. The entire room was infused with magic that was in a stable state, but was also changing constantly, or seeking for something to change into. Through the data, he saw rows and piles of items scattered throughout the room, each feeling different in terms of its magic, even if it was slightly different. One of the items felt like Voldemort's diary had, but it was different somehow, as if the sliver of awareness within it was less than what had been in the diary. There was also a powerful type of magic within the object itself. There was something about these objects, Harry thought to himself as he sent his magic to search deeper into the magical crown he'd found.
"Is that Voldemort's magic?" Harry quietly mumbled as he turned, speaking into Magic's ear.
"Yes." Magic confirmed.
"What are you too whispering about over there?" Ron asked curiously.
"It's Harry's secret." Magic stated.
Harry hadn't quite known what to tell Ron, though he supposed he'd had a moment longer to think about it before his silence became suspicious. He felt relief, glad Magic had told Ron that, and realizing that he didn't want to tell anyone else just yet, except, perhaps, Professor Dumbledore. He was the one who had originally told him of the prophecy between he and Voldemort in the first place, and if Harry was correct, magical objects like the diary, and this crown he'd found, were somehow anchoring Voldemort to life.
"Oh, I see." Ron replied. "Thinking about Magic again, Harry?"
"No." Harry said, lost in thought over the crown. "It's getting close to my lessons anyway, for advanced magic."
"I wish I could go with you." Hermione said. "But I suppose since you're able to use magic the way you can, you wouldn't be able to teach anyone else. Is there another person like you out there that's teaching you? Is that why you're going to these lessons anyway? If there's something I can learn from them, will you tell me what it is?"
"Hermione!" Harry said, cutting off her tirade of questions. "I'm being taught by someone who's going to be delving into the mysteries of my magic with me, but they're an adult and probably know more about safety and such than I do at the moment. But they're not like me."
"Can't I just come and watch for a bit?" Hermione asked, almost pleaded with him.
"No, I'm sorry." Harry said. "But, if it'll make you feel any better, if I pick something up in these lessons that you're able to learn, I'll teach you. Sound good?"
"Okay." Hermione replied, sounding eager. "But don't forget!" She called after them as they rose.
Harry smiled fondly as he walked from the Great Hall with Magic at his side. Even as inquisitive as she was, and sometimes with her annoying bossiness, he still liked Hermione's friendship. Once he was in the entrance hall, he decided he'd come early to the room, and perhaps could investigate whatever this crown with a piece of Voldemort within it was all about. With a thought, he was standing in the room with no feeling of disorientation, and as always, no feeling that he'd gone anywhere. If it wasn't for the difference in sound and the feeling of his teleporting magic, he wouldn't have known he'd gone anywhere. Teleporting his way was the best and least jarring form of magical transportation, Harry thought idly to himself as he folded up his cane and reached toward the crown, feeling for any type of compulsion magic on it that he could sense.
"Magic, if something happens that's threatening, anything compelling me or whatever, and I'm not getting to it in time, you know what to do." Harry said.
"I'll protect you." Magic stated.
Harry reached out, Magic levitated him a bit, and he grabbed the crown and held it as she placed him on his feet. It felt cold, but also seemed to almost feel alive. That made sense, he thought, as a piece of Voldemort was inside it. He felt compelled to wear it briefly before he dismantled the compulsion magic and prevented it from entering his mind. He could feel, more than a piece of Voldemort within it, the tether that seemed to lead in a specific direction. He didn't know where it ended or how far it went, though. Observing the magic deeper, he realized that the piece of Voldemort within the crown was within the entire object, keeping it safe and preventing it from being destroyed. Harry also knew, though, that if the object was split, even a little, the piece of Voldemort wouldn't be within the object any longer. It wouldn't be difficult for Magic to vanish the object, but Harry wanted to see what more he could read first, so he went deeper.
He felt like he was entering part of a mind, a cold, remorseless killer, someone who hungered for power and would do anything to get it. Harry searched for the most recent memories, tried to find what made this thing he was holding, and found his entire viewpoint changing as he was placed within the memory, no longer Harry, but Lord Voldemort. Voldemort, who had finally found the diadem of Ravenclaw, who would place it within Hogwarts to keep it safe from those wishing to kill him. He, Voldemort, who would go further than anyone else in history, who would, at all costs, stay alive, but he needed a target, someone to kill for the ritual. He wanted it to be someone for whom he harbored a hate for, and as he approached the quaint house, he sneered in disgust. Worthless fools, Muggles who knew nothing at all. The door was opened with the wave of his wand, and he could almost taste the dark magic of the killing curse in the air as he sneered, staring at the pathetic pictures of the muggle woman who had led the orphanage for which he'd been condemned to remain in throughout the early years of his life. Yes, Voldemort thought with satisfaction, this would do quite nicely. He moved soundlessly through the house until he reached the pathetic Muggle's room, opened the door without a sound with the wave of his wand. She wasn't asleep as he'd thought, though, but was instead reading what was, no doubt, a pathetic Muggle book. She only looked up at his shout of the killing curse and at the flash of green, and as it hit her and ripped the life from her body, Voldemort could feel the sweet magic that sliced deep into his soul, and laughing, placed the diadem on the floor and aimed his wand, severed that piece of his soul which would reside forever within it.
The memory ended as if someone had cut off a video and stopped it from recording prematurely, and while Harry had experienced all that Voldemort had, he felt disgust, the magic he'd felt in Voldemort's memory not anything joyful at all, but something terribly evil. The diadem dropped from his limp hands and clattered to the floor, and he hardly noticed that the room had changed around him as bile rose in his throat and he vomited up everything he'd eaten for dinner. He barely noticed Magic's arms wrapped around him from behind, hardly noticed his magic gently moving through him, seeking to comfort, to care for him. He shivered and without a second thought, deconstructed the diadem with effortless magic, felt it vanish, and heard a horrible scream as the piece of Voldemort dispersed, the tether gone, the piece of his soul gone. It felt so unnatural, so revolting, so evil. Magic was pulling him, leading him, and he was sitting within her lap before he realized it, feeling her hands rubbing his chest and stomach in a vain attempt to comfort him from what he'd seen. Harry shuddered, remembered how twisted and evil Voldemort's soul had been, and felt how he'd ripped away his own humanity by killing and making Horcruxes as he had. He felt a deep wave of sorrow, of pity, of sadness and remorse, felt disgusted by what Voldemort had done to himself, fearing death so deeply that he'd do anything to stay alive, anything to survive. He trembled and tears rolled down his cheeks as Magic pulled his unresisting body back into her own. He was consumed by the emotions and aware of nothing else around him.
"What happened?" Magic heard Rose's voice, saw her face. Her tone of voice and facial expression indicated a deep concern. Her eyes were focused on Harry, who's emotional state was deeper than Magic had ever been aware of before.
"Harry discovered one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, and felt precisely what he felt when he murdered to create it. He's experiencing intense emotions from the experience. This bothers you." Magic stated. Rose's expression was that of horrified shock. "He felt Voldemort's soul, torn apart and twisted, evil and experiencing the joy and pleasure he received from killing to further his immortality. You appear ill."
Magic watched as Rose swallowed and took a deep breath, her pale face starting to regain its color. She was trembling and still looked horrified.
"There's not much I've heard about that can bother me, but that's one." Rose said quietly. Her voice trembled. "Harry's far too young to have experienced that... Far, far too young."
"Harry isn't too young to experience that, as he's experienced it with perfect clarity." Magic stated.
"I don't think he ought to remember that horrible experience." Rose said after ten point four seconds passed. "Look at how it's effecting him."
Magic gazed down at Harry's face, the tears that rolled down his cheeks, heard his sobs, was aware of his strong emotions of horror, grief, shock, pity, remorse, sorrow, and disgust, deep revulsion. She calculated a ninety-four percent chance that he would experience emotionally intense dreams from the experience that would cause him to wake up feeling intense fear or other emotions. Her attempts to comfort him thus far had little effect, so she calculated another solution. She pulled him into her arms, his back against her left, his legs, bent at the knee, against her right. She held him tightly and close as she stood and rocked from side to side, a motion Harry liked.
"I'm here to comfort you and do as you wish." Magic stated with her usual placid calm, gazing down at Harry's face with her serene expression. "I'm right here with you, Harry. I won't leave you."
"Magic..." Rose began, she, too, standing.
"I'm attempting to comfort Harry. Please remain silent." Magic stated. "Harry, I'm here with you. I won't leave you, and will remain with you as you learn from your experience. You won't be alone going through your emotions. I'll always be with you, and always do as you wish. It's okay."
Magic felt Harry grab at her and put one of his arms around her neck.
"You're safe with me." Magic stated. "You're becoming more aware. That's good. I'm here for you, Harry, and will do anything you wish. I'll rock you in my arms as long as you desire. You're safe. Nothing will harm you. The event of Voldemort separating his soul occurred long ago."
"He's... So... Evil..." Harry spoke through his sobs, and Magic felt him grab at her long hair, which she knew he enjoyed touching.
"You're not evil." Magic replied after formulating her response. "You're not a murderer. Those were Voldemort's feelings. It is good that you are disgusted and horrified by them, as you won't go down his path. That's good, Harry, that you are becoming more responsive. Run your fingers through my hair as long as you desire. I'm here for you."
Magic felt Harry's fingers running through her long hair, saw him shivering more, heard him crying louder, felt him move to curl in her arms, so she adjusted her position appropriately, allowing him to cling to her as if he was a frightened child. She continued rocking as he held on to her tightly and cried loudly, but felt that he was releasing his emotions and processing them in an appropriate manner for a human being. She calculated an eighty-eight point two percent chance that he would recover sufficiently to function within one hour. He continued to cry and hold her for one hour, and twenty minutes after that, let her go. That was an acceptable variation in calculations. She watched Harry blinking, wiping his eyes, felt his emotional state calm, but knew he still felt haunted by what he'd seen.
"Thanks, Magic." Harry said, glad she'd been there for him, as she always was.
"I'm always here for you." Magic responded. "I'll always do as you wish."
"Harry." Rose's voice spoke softly from behind him. Hearing her, he turned around to face her. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
"I didn't have to see it." Harry said. "It was because of my own curiosity to investigate that got me into trouble." His voice trembled, but he could feel himself starting to calm. Thinking of the memory, the feel of Voldemort's twisted, mutilated soul, didn't bother him as much as it had before. He wasn't Voldemort, after all.
"I think, given what you've seen, we'll hold off on the lesson for tonight." Rose said quietly. "If you want to talk, or just be here with me, or be alone with Magic, whatever you want's okay with me."
"I... I do want to do something." Harry said. "But..." He trailed off.
"What's that, Harry?" Rose asked.
"I want to touch the magic of my soul that's complete, not mutilated." Harry replied.
"Okay." Rose said gently.
Harry sank himself into his flame of magic and tried to reach deeper, to touch what was within himself. He had a brief sense of something so pure that it sent a deep joy through him, though felt his own magic pushing him back, protecting him against feeling the sheer purity in full or for a long time. It was far from what Voldemort's soul felt like, and he could feel his mind separating the feel of his own soul from that of Voldemort's own. He was calming at that, and simply felt a faint sort of horror at what he remembered experiencing from Voldemort's memory. The brief feel of his own soul seemed to banish the strong feelings he remembered feeling after Voldemort's memory. Compared to Voldemort's soul, his was so pure that he realized, had he actually felt it further, he'd probably have been driven mad. He'd hardly even touched his own unmarred soul. Unmarred, complete, not sliced apart at all, he realized, and wondered why, since he'd killed Professor Quirrell, murdered him.
"You didn't." Magic stated, responding to his thoughts. "You committed no murder. Murder is planning to kill, doing something to kill a person without acting in self defense, but for some other reason. You didn't murder. You acted in defense of your life. Therefore, your soul is still pure."
Deep within himself, despite having resolved it mostly, Harry had always believed that, on some level, he had murdered Professor Quirrell. To finally know that he actually hadn't, made him feel a deep joy. He didn't cry, though, only grinned widely and leaned against Magic, who touched his right cheek.
"That's better. Much better." Harry said happily. "Thanks, Magic!"
"You felt your own soul yourself." Magic stated.
"But you've been here with me the entire time." Harry said as he turned to the left and turned her to face him. "I love you, Magic, and I know you'll always be with me. That's... I was about to say you don't know how comforting that is, but you do."
"Yes." Magic agreed. "I'll always do as you wish. You won't have nightmares about that now, and won't be adversely effected by Voldemort's memory."
"Did you do anything?" Harry asked.
"No." Magic stated. "You did. The phoenix magic within you has a purity, an innocents, that which will remain with you throughout your life. It's part of your soul."
"But how can that be, when I... I get so angry with people sometimes." Harry said. "I was mad at Rose, at Malfoy earlier..."
"You don't hate." Magic stated. "You're willing to forgive, to give second chances, if Malfoy would change his attitude."
"Why wouldn't I do that?" Harry asked.
"That's unique, Harry." Rose said. "Most people would judge Malfoy, and I assume you don't like him much, for what he's done in the past, would remember it and never forgive it."
"I could never forgive it, but that won't ever do any good, will it?" Harry asked.
"You're right, it won't." Rose said. "But a lot of people get wrapped up in their emotions."
"I know what that does." Harry said. "And it's nothing good. So I've learned how to step back from my feelings... But it gets so hard to do that sometimes, with me getting emotional and growing up."
"I understand that." Rose said. "I've been through my own changes with emotion, myself."
"Yeah." Harry said. "So. What were you going to teach me, anyway?"
"To find the source of your magic." Rose responded. "Your power, the magic you possess, is a great deal greater than anyone I've ever known. It's so great, in fact, that the Trace, which is there to detect magic around underage people to determine when they're performing magic, wouldn't work with you. It can't be placed on you, in fact."
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Really." Rose responded. "Though it's not matured yet, your magical power is far greater than the Trace could be used with. And, you could lift it from yourself, I'm sure."
"Maybe." Harry said. "Probably."
"The Trace is a subtle tracking magic with very thin and faint, but strong tethers from it, weaving throughout the magical students below the age of seventeen, growing fainter as they are older, but still performing their function. You're not aware of all the subtleties within magic, the tiny variations that are within each person which uniquely identifies them." Magic stated. "I am, as I receive all the data, and can feel details you're unaware of currently, due to your lack of skill."
"You can feel the Trace?" Rose asked. "Not even I can feel that."
"I stated I could feel the Trace. Why ask the question which I've given the answer to?" Magic asked.
"It's rhetorical." Harry responded.
"Understood." Magic stated.
"It's still a curiosity for me to see you and Magic interacting, Harry." Rose said. "And... Are you sure you're doing okay?"
"Yeah." Harry said. "Yeah, I'm doing a lot better now that I felt my own soul, even if it was just briefly. I think that changed a lot of things that would have happened. I can look back at that memory I experienced and think about it a lot more objectively now. It doesn't bother me like it did before, but I still have a deep sense that Voldemort did something against nature, against what's meant to happen."
"If he made Horcruxes, which I don't doubt your information on, then yes. He did do something against nature." Rose said.
"I feel like... Well, I could kill someone if I was defending myself. But I can't even think of killing someone for any other reason." Harry said.
"That's good." Rose responded.
"And Voldemort's magic was so twisted. That killing curse, he loved it so very much, but I wanted to shy away from it, didn't like it at all. I wanted to take it apart into raw magic." Harry said.
"You can take apart spells coming at you and convert them into raw magic?" Rose asked.
"Yeah." Harry responded. "I can feel the magic, after all, so I just have Magic put a shield around me that'll absorb spells and deconstruct them into raw magical energy."
"There's also something else I'm curious about." Rose said. "You know that your magical strength is related, directly, to your physical strength. Example, if you perform too much magic, you'll feel exhausted. Though if you exercised until you were exhausted, you'd still have your magic to use. Follow me so far?"
"Yeah." Harry responded. "Is that why, when I fought Voldemort in my first year, that I felt so tired? I knew my magic was being used, but... There was more to it than that, too, because I didn't feel like my magic was completely depleted or anything."
"Yes. That's part of the reason, I suspect." Rose responded. "It also takes energy to power the counter-charm your mother's sacrifice gave you, which, if I'm not mistaken, is still very much in effect."
"Well, since I moved out from the Dursley's home, I've still felt protected at Sharen's, not in the same way, though. I haven't noticed anything different in me. In fact, my magic..." He blushed a bit at revealing this. "It feels more loving than before, like it wants to take care of me very gently."
"Yes." Magic stated. "You are someone to treat very gently, like glass, but are to become the best person you can be. I wish to do as you wish always, and never wish to do anything you don't want me to do."
"Sometimes, if you really do love Harry, you'll have to do things he might not agree with or want." Rose said.
"Isn't that... I don't know, a bit wrong for Magic to love me like that?" Harry asked. "I'm still a bit conflicted on that."
"It's better to have a close relationship with your magic. Perhaps not Magic, per say, but it's best to be one with your magic, to be intimately familiar with it, and allow it to be intimately familiar with you. The more you do that, the more your magic will obey what you want." Rose said.
"Being intimately familiar with his magic is being intimately familiar with me. Therefore, you should do as you wish with me, and experiment physically with my maturing body." Magic stated.
Harry blushed.
"Um..." Rose sounded awkward. "Are you always so direct?"
"Yes." Magic responded. "My directness makes people uncomfortable, but discomfort isn't intended, only correctly stating the information in response to the conversation."
"I've been trying to work on Magic's social skills, but I've never received her thoughts before like I've done at times today." Harry said. "That'll probably help with that."
"I imagine it will." Rose said. "I'd be curious to know about any developments that might occur as a result of you reading Magic's thoughts, but only if you want to share them. My primary focus isn't on that, but will be on other things about your magical abilities, such as this shield you stated would absorb and deconstruct any spells to raw magic."
"Do you want to try that?" Harry asked, putting the invisible shield around he and Magic with a thought.
"I do." Rose replied. "I'd also like to see how much magic you can use before you tire, measure its level. Are you ready for the first experiment, the shield?"
"Yeah." Harry said.
Harry felt Rose's magic as she sent spells his way, felt each spell and was able to identify some that would make him unconscious, though they were different in their own ways. There were many others he couldn't recognize, though, and he could feel the shield putting them into raw magic, and from there, the raw magic was fed into his flame, increasing its energy, though he was far from the point at which his magical levels would harm him.
"That's really fascinating to see." Rose said. "It's like the spells go into nothing before they hit you, but I feel what the shield's doing. Very interesting."
"How do you want to measure the level of my magic?" Harry asked.
"You were able to create Magic at some point, unless you met someone young and bonded her to you, and she took on the identity of being your magic." Rose said. "Can you do that again?"
"Yeah." Harry responded. "I've done it before."
"How many Magic's can you manifest?" Rose asked.
"I don't actually know. I've never tried to see what my limit is. Probably no more than six or eight." Harry said. "They're nothing but energy in the beginning, though it's a physical, touchable form of energy."
"I'm sure that takes a great deal of power to sustain." Rose said.
"Most of that power comes from its creation, not actually sustaining it." Harry responded. "I experimented a little with that the day after I was on trial by the Ministry."
"I'd be quite fascinated to see how that works, then." Rose said. "Seeing what your limits are would help you, too. Are you ready, then?"
"Yeah, ready." Harry replied.
He sent a thought into magic, felt his flame serge with power and seem to pour throughout his body. He gasped as Magic appeared around he and Rose. He could feel their number, and when he'd manifested ten, all staring placidly and standing calmly, he felt a bit tired. Magic, the first, the only one that was an actual physical body, put her arm around him and helped him to stay on his feet. Harry could feel Rose's magic as she measured the energy level of each one.
"That is utterly amazing." She said. "I have never, ever seen anyone that can take magic and manifest it like you've done. So, can you manifest other forms, or just this one?"
"I don't know." Harry said. "I've never tried other forms. Can I absorb my magic now?"
"Yes, sure." Rose said, still sounding quite amazed at what he'd done.
With a thought, the Magic's around he and Rose disappeared, his flame filled with power, and he felt the physical exhaustion leave him, straightening up. After a moment, Harry said, "Magic told me that if the other Magic's ate, the ones who were energy, I could become more powerful if I absorbed them before they'd become physical bodies."
"They can become physical bodies?" Rose asked. "Like Magic is now?"
"Yeah." Harry responded. "I take it you're interested in seeing that, too."
"Yeah, I am, but I wouldn't want you to do that just on my account." Rose said. "We'll explore more of your abilities, not my curiosities. Looks like it's about time for you to be heading back, too."
"What's planned for tomorrow?" Harry asked.
"You've shown yourself capable of handling grim situations. Learning about Horcruxes is pretty grim, to be sure." Rose said. "So, tomorrow, I'll be introducing you to a patient at St Mungo's. We'll be concealed, both of us, so you're not to reveal your identity in any way."
"Then I'll have to use Magic's knowledge to help me navigate." Harry said.
"That's fine." Rose responded. "As long as Magic's not visible, she can come with us. But you're one Unspeakable, not two."
"I'll remember that." Harry said. "But, why bring me to the hospital, anyway? I assume that's what St Mungo's is."
"Though you're not a healer, I believe it's important that you come to recognize different forms of magic. Are you aware of the Dementors kiss?" Rose asked.
"Yeah." Harry responded.
"We study that as well, at the Department of Mysteries, to see if there's any way to save such victims. You might have more success than I would in feeling the magic of the patient I've worked with before you." Rose said.
"Was that your assignment before being assigned to me, then?" Harry asked.
"Yes." Rose responded. "For a while, I worked at St Mungo's as a healer as a result of my assignment. So, you'll be seeing my patient tomorrow."
"From what I've heard of the Dementors kiss, it's a sad thing." Harry said.
"Yes, it is." Rose responded. "The person doesn't seem to exist after the kiss, though their heart beats and they breathe. There's no other sign of life, though interestingly, they do still possess magic. The only difference I feel is a lack of life, but you may feel more, discover something I haven't. Tomorrow it is, then, Harry. Be prepared, and meet me outside the gates of Hogwarts."
"Won't Dumbledore detect me leaving?" Harry asked.
"No, because you will be going back in time this time." Rose said.
"But..." Harry began.
"I know you don't feel good about that. And I'm glad you understand, and appreciate the danger involved." Rose replied. "But this is part of the job, Harry. If you don't meet me at the gate, you're out."
"Aversion to time travel seems an insufficient reason to set aside your curiosity for deeper mysteries." Magic stated.
"Some things are too dangerous to proceed with." Harry responded.
"Make us undetectable before you travel into the past, then you won't have any danger." Magic stated.
"I suppose not." Harry said. "Okay. I'll do it."
"Good." Rose replied. "I'll speak with you tomorrow, then."
"Okay." Harry said. "But can you direct Magic where to teleport us? I really don't like apparating."
"Sure." Rose stated. "It'll give me an opportunity to feel that brand of your magic, too. I'm rather looking forward to it."
"Okay. Good, then." Harry said. "I'll meet up with you tomorrow."
"Okay." Rose agreed. The three of them left the room, and as Rose went one way, Harry and Magic went the other, heading back to Gryffindor tower. He thought about talking with Dumbledore, but decided it could wait a while. After all, he'd need to be in bed before nine so he wasn't breaking any rules, and while he knew he could walk the halls invisibly if he needed, he wanted to get some sleep, still feeling a little tired from manifesting Magic so many times, though he'd absorbed most of the power back into himself. Silently, he walked to the portrait of the fat lady, gave the password, entered the common room, and headed up to his bed. Sleep followed rather quickly.