Harry sat against one wall of the earthbender's prison, with Aang leaning on his side. They'd been waiting for the Water Tribe siblings to come back for a while now, and they'd ended up just sitting and chatting with the other prisoners. Harry couldn't help but think that this prison was way better than Azkaban, and that Sirius would've like this much better than to be consistently surrounded by dementors. A small pang still rung in his chest at the thought of his godfather, just like it did whenever he thought about Cedric or his parents. He shook his head, ridding himself from the heavy thoughts.
Steps were coming near, and Harry could hear Sokka and Katara along with what the thought was the mayor. He was glad Aang had convinced the other prisoners to make earth bars in place for the one he'd disappeared. The mayor would probably not have been too happy about it. He nudged Aang who got back into his make shift board. Just in time, because the three were coming here, Sokka looking very proud of himself. "What happened to the bars?" the mayor shouted, looking at them in horror. Harry winced, while Katara and Sokka looked at Harry with wide eyes. "I PUNCHED THEM!" shouted one of the prisoners, looking as if this was the greatest accomplishment he'd ever done. The mayor looked at him skeptically, the other prisoners nodding, winking at Harry and Aang.
"Anyways, sir. We have evidence to prove that Aang is innocent!" interrupted Sokka. Aang jerked his head to look at him, a smile on his face. "Evidence? Ha! That's not how our system works!" said the mayor, crossing his arms over his chest. The group looked at each other in confusion. "How do you work then?" asked Katara. "Simple. I tell you what happened. You tell me what happened, and I decide who's right!" he said, marching off with an evil laugh. The group's jaws dropped, and Harry balled his fist. Was that how all the prisoners were here? Because this prejudiced guy sentenced everyone wrongfully? Like Sirius? "Harry?"
The wizard startled at Katara's concerned voice, looking at him through the bars. "You have strong evidence, right?" he said, a small growl in his voice. She looked startled, exchanging a look with Sokka. "Sure? I mean, it's the strongest evidence to get from 300 years back." Sokka said. Harry bit his lip, while he stared at Aang. "OK, in case your evidence doesn't work, I'll be right there, and I can get you out of here at any moment, OK?" Aang looked at him for a moment, before smiling. "OK, I trust you!" With that, they headed outside.
Harry sat himself with Katara and Sokka, his leg bouncing in his anxiety. "Everyone loved Chin the Great because he was so great. And then the avatar killed him! That's what happened!" he said, as the crowd applauded. The wizard rolled his eyes, as Aang was left standing there looking especially awkward. "Don't worry Aang! Remember the evidence!" yelled out Sokka.
"Right, the evidence," he muttered before clearing his throat, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm about to prove to you what really happened with facts! First of all, I have very big feet! Furthermore, your temple matches your statue, but I was in a painting at sunrise." He said, a big grin on his face, "Therefore, I'm not guilty!"
The crowd was silent in disbelief. "He's so dead." Muttered Sokka. Harry facepalmed. Katara sighed, before standing up and herding Aang away. They talked rapidly, looking at the guards which were inching towards them. She urged Aang to go behind the temple. The waterbender stood in front of the crowd, as she waited for Aang. "Mayor Tong, I'd like you to hear one last testimony." Oh, that's his name, startled Harry. "No! It's just me and the accused! You can't call any other witnesses!" he shouted back. "But this isn't just any witness. Here is Avatar Kyoshi!" she exclaimed, gesturing as Aang got out of the temple, dressed in a big dress, his face painted white and a golden band on the top of his head. Harry's jaw dropped. "What are you doing?" whispered Harry, bewildered. "Well, I thought that maybe this could've triggered something?" she whispered back.
"This is ridiculous!" exclaimed the mayor, "For the murder of Chin the Great, this court finds the Avatar…" he didn't get to finish, as a tornado appeared where Aang stood. The sky which had previously been blue turned dark as giant clouds covered the area. Harry's eyes widened, as the spiritual energy gathered, and a woman stood in the place of Aang. "I killed Chin the Conqueror." She said. The wizard could still see the ghostly outline of Aang behind her and he almost missed her statement.
"Chin was a horrible tyrant that was trying to expand his army to all of the continent. When he came to the peninsula where we lived, he demanded our immediate surrender. I warned him that I wouldn't sit idle while he took our home. But he didn't back down. On that day we separated from the mainland. I created Kyoshi Island so my people could be safe from other invaders." With that said, the tornado appeared once again, the ghost of Kyoshi leaving his body. Aang grunted, holding his head. "What happened?" Katara rushed forward, Harry and Sokka hot on her heels. "You kind of confessed. Sorry."
"I find you guilty!" shouted the mayor, brushing dirt off his clothing. He looked so happy, so pleased to condemn a child that then, Harry couldn't. "Did you not her what she said! She did all of that in self-defence! It doesn't even sound like she killed him on purpose! It was an accident! Can you get your head out of your own ass for five seconds!" he shouted, fire curling at his fingertips as magic welled up in his fury. The crowd was silent, as they all stared at him. The mayor was sputtering, and the people behind him were muttering. "It does not matter, Chin the Great was still muttered because of her!" the mayor argued back.
"He was a tyrant! He wasn't anything great, anything to be proud of! And Kyoshi did it! Not Aang! So stop it!" he yelled back. He would not let Aang become what Sirius had been. Never. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, their conversation was interrupted by a something being thrown next to them, only to blow up. Harry coughed, waving his arm to get rid of the smoke. He looked around, wondering what had happened.
"We are here to take this town in the name of the Fire Nation!" yelled someone. The wizard turned to look and did a double take as he recognized the figures standing on weird animals. Wait, weren't these guys the ones that attacked like yesterday… "Show me to your leader so that I can dethrone him!" he yelled out as one his men destroyed the statue of Chin the Great. Harry couldn't even be mad about that one.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Aang get rid of his Kyoshi clothing and attacked one of the men, throwing him off the cliff. Harry startled, but quickly noticed that the men were heading for the town. "Oh no you don't." he muttered under his breath. He started to run towards them, getting his wand out at the ready. The fire nation men were taking arrows and putting the building on fire, destroying homes. Harry growled, "Aqua Eructo!" trying to put out the fires as he ran towards one of the men on his rhino. Luckily, the man hadn't heard him yet, and so he managed to run behind him, and while he was busy taking out another arrow, Harry brandished his wand. "Petrificus Totalus!," he whispered. The man stiffened and fell off the side of his rhino, who seemed to pause as if confused.
The wizard waited with bated breath, but the rhino didn't even spare him a glance, running off towards the forest. Harry shrugged, before heading back to try and find the other men. He arrived just in time to see Sokka use a light to blind one of them, the man hitting his comrade with his arrow, blowing him up. The last man readied an arrow, only for Sokka to throw him something, putting out the flames. "Aqua Eructo!" he whispered, bending his arms to make it look like he'd gotten the water from a pouch like Katara. It's not like they'd care for the logistics even if they were blown away by the water, but practising was always good.
Harry smiled, high-fiving Sokka and Katara, before they left to go find Aang. They found him with the leader knocked out in one of the buildings. He smiled at them, and they all couldn't help but sigh in relief. "Do we move on?" asked Sokka, as they all stood awkwardly for a moment. "Yeah, don't really want to stay long enough to talk to jerk face." Said, Harry. Katara snorted, and they all started to walk back towards where they'd left Appa.
"Wait!" yelled someone behind them, as the group was heading back towards the forest. They all turned around, and Harry carefully took out his wand at the sight of the mayor. He ran towards them, panting from the short exercise. "Thank you so much for saving us from the Fire Nation! Don't leave! We won't throw you out! We can throw a feast, and you can stay at an inn!" The mayor begged, his hands folded together as if in prayer. The group looked at each other in consideration. While Harry didn't want to, he could tell from the look on Sokka and Aang's face that they would stay.
XxX
Harry sighed in contentment. He'd gotten to take the approximation of a shower in this world, and he'd gotten some new pajamas as thanks. While the bed wasn't as comfortable as the one in Gryffindor Tower, it was much better than sleeping on the floor. They'd each gotten a bed of their own, somehow all in the same room. There wasn't much place for anything else, but it was nice to relax for once.
"Hey Harry?" said Katara, voice breaking the comfortable silence. The wizard hummed in question, still basking in the sheets beneath him. "Why did you yell all that?" Harry stilled, turning around to look at her. "I'm glad that you were yelling those things, I just didn't have the courage to do it. But it seemed … personal?" she asked, curiosity clear in her tone. Harry stared at her, an uncomfortable ache taking place in his chest. The silence started long enough for Katara's eyes to widen as she put out her arms defensively, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to!" she exclaimed.
He pursued his lips before he turned to look at the ceiling. He really didn't want to tell them. Talking about Sirius felt like it would open up the wound that he'd tried to keep closed. But … they barely knew anything about him. Apart from the fact that he was a wizard from another world. He felt a bit guilty, he had to admit. "Someone I knew was imprisoned wrongly. For 12 years, he was locked up in the worst prison. He was the closest thing that I had to parents." And I killed him before he could get his life back.
There was another silence, until he heard the rustling of clothes. The bed dipped, the young waterbender coming into view above his head. He scowled, and made to turn away, only to startle as Aang's face came into view. In answer, he closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. He hoped they would go away, but when Katara put her hand on his arm, he couldn't make himself shrug her away. "We're here if you need us." She whispered, before pulling away. He felt Aang nudge his arm, and he opened his eyes to glare at him. "Scoot over." He said.
Harry let himself be manhandled under the covers without too much protest as the avatar slid next to him, snuggling to his side. Harry stiffened a bit, not used to the contact. But like always, even with Hermione and Ron, he melted at the touch which had been denied to him when he was younger. There was a bit of whispering, before Sokka slid next to him, not close enough to touch but enough that Harry couldn't ignore him. Katara slipped next to her brother, and they all laid there for him. Harry felt himself tear up, and he closed his eyes, shutting his mouth so the sobs didn't resonate in the room.
Surrounded by his friends, warm and safe, the wizard felt weird. They'd accepted him so quick, lightning fast with their loyalty. They didn't know of his title as a saviour, of any of the things he'd done, and yet. They were still here. They were still here with him, as if he'd always been here. And so he drifted off to sleep, safe and warm with the glow of friendship, the other three beds empty.
XxX: Sorry for the late chapter! I literally wrote this chapter in two hours five seconds ago because I wanted you guys to have something at least. Sorry if it's a bit short, I have a lot of school work. We're finally getting to some a place in the story where Harry is going to start actually changing things, I can't wait! Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you next week!
