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The Next Lord of Kobol

Chapter 17 – Lessons - Some More Difficult than Others

(Eight years, Seven months, and Seventeen days before the fall of the Twelve Colonies)

"The hammock uses both cushioning and cooling charms, so despite being out here in the jungles surrounding Delphi, I don't need air conditioning out here. If I ever redo things, I'll make the ceiling higher, so I can fly my broom a little more. It's the only place I can do it without fear of being seen."

Harry was enjoying giving the ghost a tour of his hidden greenhouse, the charmed chamber pot serving as his toilet, the conjured chairs and tables that he was going to take down to the bazaar and sell, and the crates of laboratory grade chamala, that unfortunately Harry was having difficulty moving. Two thirds of the greenhouse was already being converted to growing fruits and vegetables that could be sold with ease down at the bazaar.

"I feel so cheated," Zoe Graystone says, looking around at the inside of the not-so tiny greenhouse. "The things I could have done if I had known this was possible. How large can you make this place using Magic?"

"My size expansion runes are still a work in progress. This is the largest size that I can sustain using runes and it is about five times the actual space inside. I could maybe double that using a charm, but it would only last for a short duration. Magic does have some limitations. Runes are used for long-term enchantments. Charms are for short-term use only. I also have to be careful how much size expansion I do in the same location. My bag is a professionally enchanted bottomless bag and it coexists quite nicely within this space. I tried to bring in some boxes that I'd enchanted with the same runes that I used on the greenhouse and let's just say things didn't go so well. If I had to guess, it's the fact that I'm using the same series of charms, but that's all I have available to me right now."

The ghost of Miss Graystone did not do a very good job of hiding the disappointment on her face. Harry could understand. After all, how would he have acted if he had found out long after his death that he was a wizard and could do such things with the proper training. It would have been disheartening to say the least.

"I am still having a hard time grasping all this and balancing it with the fact that you work in a scrap yard. I would expect people with this kind of power to be running companies cities or even entire planetary governments."

Harry shrugged and said, "Well I am still a kid and people where I came from kept telling me that I was a hero. I don't really know if that's true or not butt I've always tried to be a decent enough bloke. Decent people wouldn't do something like that and with the current state of my education the night watchman position at the scrap yard is about the best I can hope for."

"Earth," she said, hollowly. "You're really from Earth?"

"Third planet from a yellow sun. It has one moon, not nearly as big in the night sky as Gemenon."

"This is all so incredible ... hard to believe."

"Story of my life," Harry replied.

"What is it like there?"

Harry knew that he was not the best person to answer that question. "Well they don't really have space travel. There is magic, but it is a hidden society that the world is mostly unaware of."

"So the Colonies would see them as backwards?"

"And then some," Harry responded. "I think that the biggest problem is that all the major religions on Earth are monotheistic. I suspect the first meeting between the two cultures wouldn't go well. Earthlings would be seen as heretics and the Colonials would be religious fanatics."

Zoe took Harry's statement in. "A whole planet of monotheists, I could see where that would be a major issue."

"Yes, an understatement. I would expect it to end in bloodshed. If I ever make it back there, I will have to cross that bridge when I get to it."

"That sounds like a simple task," Zoe said with an empty echo of sarcasm in her voice.

"Anyway, I need to pass those exams to be taken seriously. Who in their right mind is going to let me pilot a ship without a basic education? Think you can help? At my school there was a ghost who taught History of Magic. He wasn't very good and was always fixated on the Goblin Wars."

"I can help. Let's see where you're at, so I can figure out where to start with you. My specialties were in programming along with advanced mathematics, but I was well above average in all the other core subjects. I'm not sure I want to know what a goblin is."

Harry grimaced. This was where things were going to get disappointing. He had a lot of ground to cover before he could even be considered a high school student much less pass the exit exams to graduate. One of the things that concerned Harry the most was, in addition to all the written and practical exams, there was a religious component to it all - an oral Theological board where you went before three priests and they grilled you about the tenets of Colonial religion.

It wasn't like taking the Muggle Studies OWL either, where any muggleborn was pretty much guaranteed a passing grade. The priests would give the student a scenario and he or she would have to argue the positions based on the views of various Lords of Kobol.

Hermione would probably love a test where the student and examiners could get into arguments, Harry thought. I don't think I'll enjoy it nearly that much.

He pulled out the printouts of the math exercises Freddie had given him and showed Zoe. Inside the fidelius charm was too potent for the sensitive electronics and he'd already fried one mobile phone by accidentally bringing it inside. If it was just the size expansion charms and the other basic household charms alone, there wouldn't have been an issue. He'd considered taking down the overpowered fidelius and just going with making the greenhouse unplottable along with a Notice-Me-Not outside, but the revelations about the existence of these incarnates, made Harry slightly more reluctant.

"So you can wave a stick and make a five meter by five meter greenhouse into a small reception hall, but you're struggling with this. Good thing I don't have anything else to do."

(TNLoK)

"Gods Harry! I don't even want to know what the guild would say." Zak exclaimed holding Harry's third target in his hands.

"I think I've got the hang of this now," Harry said, proud of his effort. It was early at the shooting range and there weren't a lot of people here yet. Zak said that would change later after the morning meals were finished and the recreational shooters came out in force.

"Get that same grouping with the target ten meters back and you'd frakking qualify as an expert pistol marksman! Shit! I figured, you were just 'grid good,' I never believed you'd be able to do this in real life."

Harry's first attempt at shooting a pistol was good, nearly as good as Zak who had been shooting for several years now. Both brushed it off as beginner's luck, but as Harry focused his Occlumency and pushed away all the distractions, it became a simple exercise in repetition.

The next target had a much tighter grouping and now the one in the youngest Adama's hands was center mass, directly where the U-87 through U-93 model cylon's main power distribution buses would be situated. His weapon was the same pistol from the Goldkiller game, a twelve millimeter hand canon with a twelve round clip; the standard issue military pistol issued throughout the Cylon war. It was a rugged, proven weapon with decades of service. The ammunition was much larger than Harry imagined Earth weapons used. Earth didn't have to shoot armored robots. Of course, Harry's weapon was loaded with standard rounds and not high explosive armor piercing ones.

Harry also understood the religous symbolism of the weapon. It was yet another affirmation of how ingrained the Colonial's beliefs were in their daily lives.

Zak was stunned to say the least. "If the toasters ever come back looking for a fight, I'm coming to wherever you are with as much ammo as I can carry! Hey Gibby! Set Harry here up for an expert marksman qual! I already know how it's going to end, but I gotta see this. Maybe next time we go and get set up on a sniper rifle and see what your range is with that!"

The range instructor who'd walked Harry through his orientation and safety briefing had been equally impressed. Harry had been dilligent in following every directive from man. A gun was certainly dangerous, but his experiences in the magical world had prepared him for this with no real difficulty. This twelve millimeter weapon was, in Harry's opinion, a single purpose dangerous weapon. It lacked the elegance and frightening abilities of a wand in the hand of a trained wizard or witch. Twelve little reductor like curses, but Harry's wand could throw blasting curses like grenades or even shoulder launched missiles. The Elder Wand alone fit the description of a Weapon of Mass Destruction. This gun was a simple tool both crude and effective; a hammer or a wrench compared to an entire workshop available to Harry using either of his wands.

McGonagall's droning safety lectures before any Transfiguration could be attempted came to mind, along with all the accidents in Snape's thrice cursed dungeon. Even in Herbology where he'd once held a baby mandrake. Without proper protection anyone hearing its cry in a ten meter radius would most likely die. Take away all Harry's outrageous adventures of a Basilisk, Horntail, Cerebus, Dark Wizards, and soul sucking Dementors; the regular day to day magical world held more danger than this pistol ever would!

Still, crude though it was, Harry remembered Athena's warning to him on that one day when she came to him while he used the Resurrection stone. He would know the Syclla - the Cylons. He would master this clumsy tool and as many others as he could.

When that day finally comes, Harry planned to be ready.

"Alright, let's see if I can qualify as a marksman."

(TNLoK)

Even though Maggie felt she should be working on a physics paper, she met Harry for lunch at a small cafe a few blocks from the Maglev station. It was easier to simply meet him than it was to explain why she couldn't. He had his gaming console secured in a padded carrying case as he sat down across from her with a big grin on his face.

"You seem pleased. What did you and your guild leader do today?"

"Zak wanted to see if I am as good a shot in real life, so we went to a shooting range. I'm meeting with him after this down at the gaming center where we will warm up for tomorrow's tournament."

Maggie wasn't certain she liked this idea at all and a feeling of nervous regret passed through her. Harry with a weapon didn't really sit well with her. She imagined all kinds of scenarios where her boyfriend injured himself because he didn't really grasp how dangerous a pistol can be. "It's a bit different in the real world. Next time, tell me and I can clear the rest of my day and go with you."

"You shoot as well?" Harry asked. He seemed surprised that she knew how to.

"Been a few times. Not really my thing. I'd like to say that I'm okay at it. Nothing fancy."

"I'm sorry. Zak only had two passes. You wouldn't have been able to go. Sorry. I guess I should have asked if you wanted to come along," Harry said.

"That's okay," Maggie said slowly. "Just promise me that you will always listen to every word the safety instructor says. This isn't like the grid and if you're not careful, you could accidentally hurt yourself, someone else, or even kill someone. That's something you can never take back."

"Yeah, you're right," the boy across from her seemed to look distant as if he was recalling something. Maggie consideded pressing him on it, but relented when she thought about the dead woman Harry had been found with. She felt a little flush in her cheeks and reached across the table to place her hand on top of his.

"If you start feeling like you are nervous or anxious, set the gun down and take a few steps back."

"It's pretty much the same thing Gibby said. I understand. He went through the full safety brief. There's the grid and then there's reality. In the grid, I'm really good with a pair of pistols."

"But that doesn't translate to reality does it?" Maggie said.

"Actually it does," Harry said and reached into his pocket with his free hand. He pulled out a small digital license and passed it to her.

"Harry James Potter - Certified Expert Twelve Millimeter Pistol Marksman at thirty meters. That's amazing!" A little video of his qualification played in the air above the certification card and then the resulting cylon targets were displayed. The grouping was just as tight as it had been at twenty meters. Three clips and not a single one outside the marksman ring.

Maggie also found it mildly disconcerting that Harry was that good. He seemed like such a carefree soul.

"No it really is just focus. I like reality better. But thank you for worrying about me," the smiling boy said, turning his hand over and and meshing his fingers with hers. Pulling her hand toward him, he leaned over and brushed his lips on the back of her hand like she was part of the Virgon royal family.

She hated and adored these little gestures of Harry's at the same time. They were so sweet, but made her feel so guilty. She wasn't nearly as invested in their relationship and had focused on keeping it casual. Maggie didn't want an anchor to this planet if she was actually going to transfer to HERMIT on Virgon. Shane promised that she would have her answer soon and that he'd call in all his favors to get her approved. He said if he ran out of favors, he'd go get a few more until it worked.

"Are you thinking about Virgon again?" Harry asked, startling her out of her reverie. It was almost like he read her mind.

"Why do you say that?" she countered, trying to cover her shock.

"You always get a far off look when you're talking about there. I ... I don't know where my home is, but Merlin knows I'd miss it."

"Mer-lyn? Who or what is that?"

It was Harry's turn to look startled. "Uh ... Frak! I hate it when I use the wrong words."

"It's okay," she tried to reassure him. "Don't worry about it. As for Virgon, it's never far from my mind. Boskirk is maybe half the size of Delphi and nothing compared to this. People take more time to enjoy themselves there. Everyone in Cap City is always rushing back and forth on a mission, like some hive-minded insect."

"I'd like to see it someday," Harry pronounced. "You make it sound so nice. Maybe we could go together one day?"

Maggie tried not to frown and hoped he hadn't caught the look on her face. "Maybe, but it's not cheap going from one colony to the other. Even a jaunt over to Gemenon can cost a pretty little pile of cubits."

"I guess you're right," Harry said and his tone made Maggie think that she'd just kicked his puppy. "Did you want to come down to the gaming center and see me play tomorrow?"

"I wish," Maggie said as convincingly as she could. "But, I have this project due after the festival days are over and I really need to get this one perfect. I can try and jump on the grid and watch the highlights."

"I understand," Harry said as the waiter brought out their food. Harry checked his mobile and asked for his to go.

"You're not staying?" Maggie asked, confused.

"Just got a message from Zak and I need to get going. He was wrong about the time and today's game is starting early."

"Well, have fun. I hope tomorrow's tournament goes well for you."

"Me too, I think I've adjusted to the new speed of the box, I might finally make it into the top ten of to the Level Three Regional tournament. Either way, it will be nice to play on a level playing field."

They chatted for a few more minutes until the waiter came back with Harry's sandwich in a to go container.

"Well, gotta run," he said and fished some cubits out of his pocket. Maggie was about to scold him for trying to pay her bill when she saw that he only took out enough to pay for his.

She wanted to take that as a positive sign, but it still seemed slightly odd. One quick peck on the lips and Harry was walking away. Maybe it was the grid box and the bag of food, but Harry didn't seem to walking they way she'd usually seen him.

Something was definitely off, but she wasn't sure what it could be.

(TNLoK)

Walking away from the restaurant, Harry ruthlessly dived into his Occlumency to prevent the tears he could feel beginning to build. He hadn't meant to use passive Legilmency, or maybe deep down he did. Dumbledore used to say that the art was fraught with peril because a well-organized mind could also be a dangerous place for the owner. His constant use in the grid of the mind arts had now crossed over a line where he was beginning to unintentionally skim people. Right now it made him sick to his stomach and his emotions were bubbling to the surface. Dumbledore probably survived by being a crazy old man and Snape … well he was just a smug arse. The tiny bit of humor in all of this was the knowledge that Snape probably knew what everyone felt about him all the time.

The mental equivalent of everyone walking around with those badges saying Potter Stinks!

Maggie's plan to transfer to Virgon might have just as well been stamped all over her face. Her mind was practically screaming it. Harry always knew she'd go eventually, but figured it would be after she finished her schooling. Something had clearly changed and he didn't know what.

Even worse, he'd been caught off guard and blurted out Merlin!

Most of all, was the negative reaction he got when he said he wouldn't mind going to Virgon. It wasn't like he had anything keeping him on Caprica. Having looked up the climate of Boskirk, it was cooler and more like England than the heat of Delphi. People played games there and all the little money making schemes he ran here could just as easily be done on another planet.

Then there was the elephant in the room that he couldn't ignore. It was a shock like he was an eleven year old, all over again, turning around in that one room to see Hagrid's three-headed dog glowering at him. Maggie didn't want him on Virgon with her. She wanted a clean break from Caprica; that much was as plain as day. Her sisters teased Maggie about her former older brother and good friend named Shane, but this was the first time Harry got the feeling that there was something to that.

Ron Weasley had been Harry's first friend in the Wizarding world. When he turned his back on Harry during that frakking tournament, it hurt Harry ... more than he'd ever admit to anyone.

Maggie had become Harry's first friend in the Colonies and sure he had a couple of others now like Zak and Freddie, but she was the first friend and the first actual girlfriend. Now, she had already turned her back on him, but was still there just waiting out the time until she was ready to leave with every intention of keeping him in the dark until then! He knew she cared about him ... just not enough to try harder. He was nothing more than a bookmark waiting for the day when Maggie would turn the page.

Quite honestly that hurt more than if Maggie didn't like him at all. He would have almost preferred that.

(TNLoK)

Author's notes – So, another chapter down and Harry and Maggie's first attempt at a relationship is on life support. I decided to make all of Harry's Occlumency usage into a double edge sword. It will affect his relationships with people (especially the female variety) considerably more difficult for some time to come. Chapter 18's rough draft is done, I need to go back and rework a few things, but I can go ahead and put this one out.

On the "pro" side of the house, I just submitted M.K. Gibson's second Technomancer novel to the Kindle Gods. It is called Flotsam Prison Blues and if you liked the first one in the series, it is definitely a strong sequel. Thanks for reading.