"Before you leave I must had you a few things to... improve your chances, so to speak."
Garnet pulled Harry aside as they walked into the De L'Or manor after another sparring session.
"Oh?" Harry raised an eyebrow as the older man led him into his study. "And what are those?"
Garnet locked the door behind him and waved a hand, which caused the door to glow briefly before he spoke again.
"Extra caution, in case of certain nosy children you see." Garnet explained. "Topaz knows of what I'm about to give you but I'd rather Amethyst and Jasper not hear of this, as some of these items are borderline illegal..."
"How did you even...?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Money and connections. I'd rather not have the young man who helped to save my children taken down by a homicidal maniac you see." Garnet spoke flatly.
"I won't question that. I've been doing a few questionable things myself lately..." Harry shrugged.
Garnet walked over to a portrait on the wall of him and his wife and children in formal clothing and touched it, muttering a spell.
It glowed black for a few moments, before the portrait slid aside, revealing a safe behind it.
"Just as the Grimoire has its own hiding place, there are many other hiding places in my home for the possessions that I would rather be kept secret." Garnet explained as he reached inside.
He retrieved a small, red and gold contact lens case.
"I thought you'd appreciate the colour from what you told me of your time at Hogwarts." Garnet smiled when he noticed Harry looking at it.
As Harry accepted it and opened it, he looked at the older man in askance.
"Your glasses are a bit of a risk in combat. You've gotten lucky so far. What if you lose them somehow? Are you going to be killed because of your poor eyesight? I should hope not!" Garnet exclaimed.
Harry could see (no pun intended) his point.
Removing his glasses, he rested them on the nearby end table and began to put in the contacts.
Blinking in an effort to get his eyes to adjust to them, he soon realised that his vision was even sharper; much clearer than it was even when he was wearing his glasses.
"Whoa," Harry said. "Where did you get these?"
"I have my ways." Garnet smiled. "They aren't illegal or even questionable in and of themselves, but I added a few... enhancements."
At the expression on Harry's face, Garnet rolled his eyes.
"Relax. I enchanted these so that with a thought, you can zoom in and zoom out as well as to 'see' through invisible enchantments/spells, which would be very handy if it keeps you from walking into a lethal invisible shield or the like." he explained.
Harry nodded in acceptance.
"Next we have..." Garnet rummaged around in the safe again, pulling out a small box which, when opened, revealed a dozen clear vials of a black liquid.
"This potion is called Midnight Oil. This is definitely one of the borderline illegal things I have here. Its manufacture and sale are highly regulated."
"What does it do?" Harry queried as he took the box from the man.
"Each vial contains a dose. One dose gives you enough energy to eliminate the need for sleep for twelve hours and when it wears off you'd simply resume normal levels of energy. It's not a power booster. Simply an energy booster and a very powerful one at that."
"It's almost like a drug then..." Harry mused.
"It is a drug." Garnet corrected. "However, moving along..."
He proceeded to give Harry a bag of spell spheres (after carefully explaining the effects of each one), a set of gleaming silver daggers and then, a clear gem, shaped like a sphere, about the size of a golf ball.
"This... you must use this very carefully." Garnet's tone seemed to be especially serious as he took it and placed it in Harry's palm.
"It appears to be a normal sort of gem... but what is it?"
"This... Voldemort is going to play dirty and so should you, if you want to live. If the fight gets really bad between you two... You can use this to drain his magic."
Harry's eyes widened.
"That's some seriously dark magic..." he said. "I know it's been done before, but stealing someone's magic..."
"It's a common thing to be done to dangerous criminals in the magical dimension, so applying it to Voldemort shouldn't be much of a difference." Garnet shrugged. "If he can't use his magic, what can he do against you? I hardly doubt he has training with any sort of magical or non magical weapons, as you do..."
Harry nodded, closing his hand around the gem and feeling a slight tinge of dark magic emanating from it.
"Should I even ask how you got this?" Harry looked back up at Garnet.
"I have several of them, passed down from many generations ago, when my family had a lot more enemies and blood feuds were a lot more common. Nullis Magicis is the spell to activate it, by the way."
Harry stowed away the gem.
"That's it. I've done all I can for you. I truly hope it helps. Amethyst and Jasper would truly be devastated if you died and I believe Topaz would as well. I believe she sees you as a second son..." Garnet mouth twitched in a barely hidden smile.
"She's not the only one..." Harry thought of Mrs. Weasley.
"I believe you have an appointment to keep." Garnet put a hand on Harry's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, looking him in the eye. "Play dirty to get out of it alive. Honour and fair play have no place against a madman like that."
Harry nodded. "I understand. Thanks for everything. I'll do my best to make it back."
Harry sat alone in the room he had once shared with Ron, calling someone on his cell phone.
"Yes, Harry?" Morgana answered her phone before it could ring a second time.
"Your Highness, I am about to make a major play against Voldemort that may just end this war." he immediately got to the point.
"Oh?" Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Do you truly believe that you are prepared?"
"As much as I will ever be. I wanted you to know so that you could keep a closer eye on Roxy in case she tries anything."
"Do you really think that she would?"
"Yes. She was remarkably upset with me when I told her that I didn't want her involved in this. That your realm's part in this is pretty much done. I said that I truly appreciated the help you've all given me, but..."
"I understand." Morgana said. "I'll keep an eye on her and tell her father and aunt as well. You are right. She has no real idea what it's like to be in a conflict like that..."
"Thank you. I have enough people to worry about, without having her added to the mix." Harry said. "Speaking of which, is she home?"
"No. She's on Andros with Rainer and her other friends right now. Apparently, it's her turn to host all the friends." Morgana smiled.
"Even better. She's not even on Earth to hear about this." Harry sighed in relief.
Dobby popped into the room just then.
"Mater Harry, Dobby be sorry to be interrupting youse, but Mistress Hermione be saying she is ready, she is..." he hung back respectfully from Harry once he noticed what he was doing.
"Thank you, Dobby." Harry nodded as the elf disappeared.
"Duty calls?" Morgana noted.
"Duty calls," Harry repeated, nodding.
"Well then, I wish you all best." Morgana ended the call.
Harry reached for his butterfly swords, which had abandoned on the nearby desk and strapped them to his waist, finishing his preparations.
Flinging his Invisibility Cloak over his shoulder, he took one last look around the room before stepping out.
"I feel horrid. I really do feel horrid..."
Bellatrix Lestrange strode up and down the kitchen nervously, making a face of disgust as she looked at the wand in her hand, looking as if she wanted nothing more than to throw it away. "There are so many things that could go wrong with this scheme..."
"But we can't dwell on that now, can we, Hermione?" Harry asked as he entered the room, startling her.
"Harry, don't do that!" Bellatrix exclaimed, a hint of Hermione's voice creeping through to reveal that all was not what it appeared.
"I had hoped that you would have gotten rid of your nerves by now..." Harry said. "That's not going to be any good to us, especially now. We need to be in tip to shape, not just physically and magically, but mentally as well..."
The glare that Bellatrix-Hermione levelled at him made her look even more like the real thing.
Hermione's phone, which had been sitting on the counter, rang loudly, breaking the ensuing silence, startling her again and drawing a chuckle from Harry.
Giving him one last glare, she turned to answer it.
"You two ready?" Moody wasted no time.
"Hermione is a bit jumpy, but I'm ready. I've already worked out all my nerves." Harry said.
Hermione glowered at him.
"Keep up that sort of sour expression. It will only make this little charade even more believable," Moody said, looking almost approving of Hermione's new appearance. "You got everything you need?"
"We do. And you did get everything I said I would send with Dobby, right?" Harry asked.
"Some mighty interesting and useful things in that package you sent," Moody acknowledged.
"Yeah, well, I spelled or made myself. For the other things... I have my sources." Harry shrugged.
"Harry... We need to go. Moody's just checking in on us. He's not asking for a full inventory or status report..." Hermione spoke up.
"That's true..." Harry nodded.
Remus and Dumbledore walked into the projection on either side of Moody.
"I hope you realise that this is extremely dangerous," Remus said. "Your father would be proud of you but your mother would be terrified. As I am right now..."
"Really, Remus," Harry rolled his eyes. "I hadn't realised that this was dangerous at all. Compared to the other shite I've been through, this must seem like a walk in the bloody park..."
"Harry..." Hermione began to chide him, but then it was her turn to receive a glare.
"I see you are both ready for the task ahead," Dumbledore spoke lightly, as if they were simply discussing some of his favourite sweets. "I can only wish you the best of luck and hope that all of what you have been learning over the past few years will help you survive your task and the troubles which are sure to come afterwards."
"I really hope so as well," Remus said. "I would not want another Marauder child to lose his godfather to Voldemort or his minions..."
Harry looked the man in the eye and at that moment, even though they weren't seeing each other in person, he could see the genuine worry in his eyes.
Harry gave him his best attempt at a reassuring smile.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Moody asked them. "You need to get going for that Horcrux, now!"
"He's right, you know..." Harry said.
"Better now than never, I suppose," Hermione sighed. "Hopefully we'll get out of this alive and see you all later..."
After two "Good Lucks!" and one "Constant Vigilance!" the call ended.
Harry and Hermione looked at one another.
Harry grabbed Hermione's arm as he draped the Invisibility Cloak around himself, leaving only his head exposed.
"Well then, shall we?" He pulled the Cloak fully up and continued to hold Hermione's arm firmly as she led them out onto the front step of Grimmauld Place and Apparated them away.
Bellatrix Lestrange Apparated onto Diagon Alley, causing some of the few people present to scamper away as quickly as they could, trying their best not to draw her attention.
Straightening up and holding herself up more confidently, she strolled down the Alley towards Gringotts Bank, looking as if nothing at all was wrong in her own, demented world.