Happy Birthday to me! It's my birthday today! You know what I'd like as a birthday present? Lots of reviews!
"So, Harry... You're leaving us again tomorrow, aren't you?" Dumbledore and Harry sat together in the Headmaster's office.
"I am, but I have some things I must do today before I go..." Harry answered.
"Something to do with your fairy allies?" the Headmaster asked.
Harry shrugged.
"I see. It is simply one of those sorts of matters... Regarding the events of two days ago, are you feeling better? Truly?"
"I am." Harry nodded. "Much better than before Madam Pomfrey got her hands on me..."
"Surviving the Killing Curse not once, but twice... It seems that if there is something supposedly impossible, you set out to prove that wrong..." Dumbledore noted, seemingly amused.
Harry scoffed. "I don't set out to do these things, Professor. These things just happen to me..."
Dumbledore chuckled. "It certainly seems that way, doesn't it? Will you be returning to the castle before you go to wherever it is you are going?"
Harry nodded.
"Very well. I may not be on Hogwarts grounds when you return later or when you leave tomorrow morning. Voldemort and his latest actions have left a lot of work for me and several others to do..." the old Headmaster sighed. "So if I do not see you again before you depart, this is farewell."
Both men stood up and shook hands.
Harry found that Dumbledore's grip was surprisingly firm.
Dumbledore watched him as he left his office, pausing briefly to talk to Fawkes, who trilled some sort of farewell.
"That Potter boy... young man really... He really has changed since he was a student here..." Phineas Black spoke from his portrait after Harry had gone.
"Indeed he has, Phineas." Dumbledore agreed. "Indeed he has..."
Harry strode down the corridors of Hogwarts, making his way out of the castle, when he had a brief encounter with his least favourite professor ever, a certain Severus Snape.
"So... The famous Harry Potter comes and goes as he pleases now, doesn't he?" Snape sneered.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes I do. I am adult now so I can do as I like in that regard. Perhaps you should try the same. Acting like an adult, I mean."
"You feel that because you're favoured by some queen, a former queen and the princess of the Earth Fairies that you're something special? You're not, Potter." Snape spoke with venom lacing his every word. "They don't know you."
"Well actually, I'd say it was me apparently defeating Voldemort as a toddler that marked me as something special here. Or was it perhaps the later fights with him that I emerged from alive- particularly the ones within the last year? Maybe it was that I found my own way to Magix and I'm studying spells, potions, creatures and other things you could only dream of. Maybe in Magix I'm an average wizard, but here? I don't think so. Perhaps that will change in the future." Harry shrugged, completely unbothered by Snape's attitude. He no longer held any authority over him and was just a bully anyway, so he didn't consider his twisted opinions valid.
"And I've known them for less time than I've had the misfortune of knowing you, but I dare say Queen Nebula, the former Queen Morgana and my lovely girlfriend Princess Roxy know me a damn sight better than you ever did." Harry enjoyed the look on Snape's face.
"What? Itching to take points from Gryffindor? Do you want to put me in detention?" Harry's sneer was remarkably similar to Snape's at that moment. "Oh wait, that's right. I don't go to school here anymore and even if I did, it's summer. Now if you'll excuse me, I unlike you, have some important matters to attend to. Good day."
Harry strode out of the castle and onto the grounds with an extra pep in his step, smiling to himself a bit.
Perhaps it hadn't been necessary to needle his former Potions professor so, but he'd brought it on himself. Harry would have been quite content to walk on without saying a word to him.
Besides, standing up to Snape like that was a bit fun...
Hmm... Perhaps he was developing a bit of a vindictive side...
Harry shrugged it off as he finally exited the Hogwarts grounds, made his way into Hogsmeade and found a quiet alley to teleport himself to London.
He brushed himself off a bit and straightened his (Muggle) clothing as he stepped out of his arrival spot and made his way out onto the broad, store-lined, London street.
Harry made his way past the Welcome Witch's desk at St Mungo's hospital and down a corridor until he came upon the wards that were on the ground floor.
He found the section with the private rooms and then when he came to a particular door, he knocked on it.
The chatter he heard behind the door stopped abruptly.
When the door opened slightly, a woman that Harry would guess was in her mid thirties (though with magic involved, it was hard to accurately guess) with wavy, shoulder-length dark brown hair and dark eyes looked out warily- until she spotted Harry.
Her eyes widened.
"Good Morning," Harry said brightly. "My name is Harry Potter. I apologise for the unscheduled, unexpected visit, but I've come to see Dr. Springsteen, on behalf of a certain Queen- and I'm not talking about the British one..."
The woman shook her head as if to clear it. "I... of course. Do come in, Mr Potter..." She opened the door a bit wider and Harry stepped inside.
Another woman, this time with long, pin-straight black hair pulled into a low ponytail who looked slightly younger than the first woman and a man with curly, black hair who looked even younger than both women looked up at him, from their positions around the bed, where a battered looking Isaac Springsteen lay.
"Father... Harry Potter is here to see you..." the woman who opened the door said, sounding as if she couldn't believe her own words.
"Well, well, well. Harry Potter coming to visit poor old me in my time of infirmity. Sorry we had to meet this way..." Isaac coughed a bit. "That lovely lady who opened the door is my oldest, Leah. The other lady here is my middle child Rebecca and the handsome young man who favours me is my youngest, Jacob. To what do we owe the..." Isaac coughed again. "...pleasure?"
"First of all, I want to say how sorry I am for what happened to you and your family. I found Healer Springsteen... to be very pleasant when I met her." Harry bowed his slightly.
"Nothing to apologise for, young man. You didn't send Death Eaters to our home..." Isaac said.
"Indeed..." Harry nodded. "Secondly, Queen Nebula's offer still stands from when your wife assisted me all those months ago. She still wants to offer you and your family members asylum; a safe place if you need it. Right there in Tir Nan Og..."
Leah's, Rebecca's and Jacob's eyes all widened. "The Fairy Queen offered you and Mum asylum?! Why didn't you tell us?!" Leah demanded.
"She didn't just offer it to your parents... Miss... Mrs...?" Harry's tone lifted in questioning.
"Francis. Mrs. Francis. But please, call me Leah." Leah waved dismissively. "What did you mean? By Queen Nebula offering asylum to not just my parents?"
"Back when I was hospitalised myself here, Queen Nebula offered your mum and her entire family asylum in Tir Nan Og in exchange for helping me... escape..." Harry scowled briefly, which Jacob snorted at.
"She believes that now is the time that you would need it the most. As such, she sent me to remind your father of the offer." Harry explained.
"I should be safe where I am." Rebecca said. "I do not live in Britain, but in Israel with my Israeli-born husband and children. You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters would not want to travel all the way to the Middle East just for me..."
"But Jake and I live here... And Dad would be... alone now..." Leah swallowed. "I think he should go for sure..."
"Speaking of your father being alone now with your mum being missing..." Harry started. "Don't lose hope just yet. Queen Nebula doesn't neglect those who do her favours. Nothing is quite set in stone, but I can tell you- and this does not leave this room- that there are plans for a rescue mission. To save her and any other prisoners that may be held where she is."
Jacob whistled. "This Queen Nebula is really not holding back..."
"May we have time to consider the offer? We need to tell our families, after all..." Leah said.
"Of course. Owls from any of you will be able to make it through Tir Nan Og's protections, but in case you need quicker contact... are any of you connected to the Muggle telephone system?" Harry asked.
"We all are." Leah nodded.
"Good." Harry waved his wand and conjured a notepad and pen, beginning to write. "My cell phone number. Call as soon as you've made your decisions. I'll need your numbers as well..."
Leah, Rebecca and Jacob each took a sheet with Harry's number on it, as well as taking a clean sheet to write their own details on.
"Great. Now that's all set." Harry stood up. "I'll be sure to keep in contact with you. And call if you need anything- especially if it's a Death Eater induced emergency."
"Oh, they will, I can assure you, Mr Potter." Isaac smiled slightly, bolstered at the possibility that his wife might be alive and rescue was on its way for her and others targeted by the Death Eaters.
"Please, call me Harry. All of you."
They looked at one another, before looking back at him.
"Sure... Harry..." Jacob said. "Bloody hell, that felt weird. I'm on a first name basis with Harry Potter, of all people..."
"It's nothing to be amazed at. I'm just an ordinary bloke after all..." Harry said nonchalantly.
Isaac looked at him incredulously. "You are anything but ordinary, Harry..."
"If you say so." Harry shrugged. "Now if you will excuse me, there's none more courtesy call I wish to try to make before I leave St Mungo's..."
The next private ward he found himself in front of was much more heavily guarded than Dr Springsteen's room.
Two Aurors, one of which was Kingsley Shacklebolt and the other a young witch that possibly qualified relatively recently, stood guard in front of the door and at least half a dozen others, lined the corridor leading up to it, glaring at him as he went.
"Good morning, gentlemen. Harry Potter here. I would like to know if it would be possible to pay a courtesy call to Madam Bones..." Harry spoke politely.
"Perhaps, but we will need to identify you properly, Potter. Procedure and all. Do you have any ID on you and your wand?" Kingsley asked him.
"I certainly do, Auror Shacklebolt." Harry fished in his pocket and handed his Wizarding ID card to the other Auror and his wand to Kingsley.
The other Auror waved her wand at the ID (and Harry!) and seemingly satisfied, handed him back the card.
"ID's clear and it is him, Shacklebolt." the young witch answered.
"Wand checks out as well, Harris." Kingsley handed Harry back his wand after scanning it with his own and performing Priori Incantatem with it.
"Shall I go check with Madam Bones and her niece then?" Harris asked Kingsley.
Kingsley nodded and the other Auror knocked, then went inside the room.
After a minute or two, she re-emerged.
"It's fine, Mr Potter. They say you can come in." Auror Harris nodded.
"Thank you very much." Harry smiled briefly before entering the room.
Nearly every inch of Madam Bones looked like it had been hit with some sort of curse, which considering who had come calling a few days ago, was probably the case.
Sitting next to her and gently holding her hand, was a tearful Susan Bones, who made some attempt at composing herself once she noticed that Harry was in the room.
"Good morning, Madam Bones, Miss Bones..." Harry tried to sound cheerful as he spoke.
"I don't know what's so good about it, Potter..." Susan muttered.
"Would you rather me wish you and your auntie a bad morning instead? Because I can do that, you know. Not that I would want to..." Harry shrugged.
Susan giggled.
"That's the first I've heard Susan sound happy since... what happened..." Madam Bones wheezed.
"Glad I could be of some assistance then, Madam." Harry smiled.
"I don't mean to sound rude, but why are you here, Potter?" Susan asked.
"I was in the area and decided to try and pay the DMLE head a courtesy call. I heard that your aunt wasn't very well, but she appears to be better than what I heard, since she's actually awake and speaking coherently and all that..."
"She only just woke up this morning. I'm glad she did. Auntie's the only family I have left in this world..." Susan squeezed her aunt's hand lightly. "She's still not all-clear though, unfortunately..."
"I'm glad to hear you still have each other and that she is doing better. Is everything going to be okay with you then? What's going to happen after you're discharged from here, Madam Bones? You're not going into hiding, are you?" Harry asked.
"Certainly not, Potter." Madam Bones answered. "I cannot let them think that they scared the last of the Bones family into hiding, plus Susan needs to finish her education. Our new home base will be more secure, but I will be out and about... as soon as I recover, of course."
"I understand the feeling. You can't let them think you've won..." Harry nodded. "Meanwhile, I'm going to continue my training and come back to fight Voldemort on my own terms, this time, for good."
Madam Bones smiled slightly. "Good. It's about time someone dispatches him permanently."
"What's it like, in Magix and Tir Nan Og? Do you have time to tell us about those places, Potter?" Susan asked, eagerly.
"Call me Harry, both of you and yes, I do have some time..." Harry said.
"In that case, call me Susan." Susan smiled.
"And you may call me Amelia." Madam Bones said.
"Very well. You know, Queen Nebula has spoken highly of you, Madam... Amelia. She seems to actually like you, from the few times that you have met. Roxy tells me that she actually seems a bit sorry that she didn't give you a way to get out of harm's way..." Harry said.
"We both appreciated each other's to-the-point style and shared a bit of disdain for how the Ministry has been handling things, I suppose. Please send the queen my regards when next you see her, won't you?" Amelia asked.
"I promise I will." Harry nodded. "Now, about those tales that Susan asked for. Magic there is really different from the magic we grew up with, but there are still quite a few similarities. A lot of the potions they have there are just called different things, is all. And some of their spells I have been able to cast quite well with my Ollivander wand. Wands are still used there too, though they aren't as widespread as they are for us..."
Harry nearly collapsed into the large, comfortable bed that the Room of Requirement had provided for him.
"What a day." he breathed. "Traipsing all about London today, paying another visit to Grimmauld Place and The Burrow... And I didn't even have to fight Voldemort or any Death Eaters today, yet I feel exhausted..."
He sat up again when he heard his phone ringing and groaned.
"Who could that be now?" He grumbled, but perked up a bit when he saw that it was Roxy calling him.
"Hey, Roxy." he smiled at her as he answered the phone.
"Hey Harry. Wow, do you look tired..." Roxy observed.
"Why thanks..." Harry muttered. "I've been up and down the place all day and I've not even had to fight off a Pygmy Puff, yet I feel tired..." Harry yawned.
"Well, I was just calling to check up on you and see how you were doing. Did you do everything my aunt asked?" Roxy asked.
"Yes, I did. He's not made a decision yet. One of their daughters and her family lives abroad, so she's just going to go back and stay there, but the other two of the Springsteen brood plus extended family... They have to talk to their families..." Harry said.
"Understandable..." Roxy nodded.
"One good thing about today is that I managed to find some nice dress robes to go to the Young Royals gala with you at a store in Hogsmeade. I decided to go with something a bit more traditional in my world. Don't worry. They don't look awful. You won't be ashamed to be seen with me..." Harry chuckled.
"Too bad you can't do something about your hair..." Roxy chuckled.
"No one can do anything about my hair. Blame my father and genetics." Harry snorted.
The fairy and wizard continued to have a conversation, interrupted only briefly by Dobby coming to check on his wizard and providing him with a snack.
Andrina Springsteen was indeed alive, although she wasn't exactly well.
At the moment, she was in captivity with Ollivander, the current Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts, Charity Burbage- who had been captured the same night she was and that fairy that had been kidnapped some time ago by the Death Eaters.
A few days ago, after they'd captured Andrina, they'd made her tend to the injuries of the injured Death Eaters who had made it back after their attacks.
Many of the injuries were gruesome and very close to being lethal and she was the only one there with the healing expertise to fix them, although she had to work with limited resources, as they'd refused to let her anywhere near a wand.
She was currently tending to the injuries of one Rabastan Lestrange, who had been injured while he was a part of the group that attacked Madam Bones' home with Bellatrix Lestrange's own wand trained on her as she worked, when the entire place shook violently, throwing her off her feet.
"The hell was that?" Bellatrix snarled.
"You! You keep on treating him. If I come back and anything's wrong with him..." Bellatrix threatened.
Andrina simply nodded and did her best to resume what she had been doing before as Bellatrix left the makeshift hospital room to investigate the source of the commotion.
When Bellatrix Lestrange emerged onto an upper level of the Death Eater hideout, it was to complete and utter chaos- that she had failed to cause.
"What the bloody hell is going on here?!" she shrieked.
Draco ran up to her and would have run past if she hadn't grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around to face her.
"The... The Trix have gone out of their bloody minds! They're tearing everything apart!" Draco exclaimed in fright.
"What?!" Bellatrix snarled.
Just then, about a dozen Death Eaters came running down the corridors, screaming for their dear lives, firing their wands behind them as they went.
"Icy, Darcy and Stormy are destroying and attacking everything and everyone in sight!" Macnair called out as he ran past.
Bellatrix's blood began to boil.
Before she did anything else, however, she touched a fingertip to her beloved Dark Mark, summoning the Dark Lord.
Then, unlike most of the other Death Eaters, she charged into the fray, rather than out of it.