A/N: Thank you for your comments! My next chapter should be on the 26th. Enjoy!

MEMORY CHARM

From the moment Harri met the new defense professor, she knew that they'd never get along. Not only had that man not known a lick of material he was supposed to teach, but he took every opportunity to be seen at her side. He'd boast about his non-existent prowess in defense magic, often force Harri to take a picture with him, and thought that the only greater thing since sliced bread was himself.

Often in class the man had called Harri up to do acts with him, all using characters from his books, with Harri being the one defeated and he the one who 'kills' her. They never actually learned anything about defense or spells in his class. He'd once set a cage filled with cornish pixies on a class once and failed to keep them under control, then he'd vanished all the bones in Harri's arm all the while he claimed to know magical healing better than Madame Pomfry. Instead of a broken wrist, Harri had needed to regrow all the bones in her arm!

Now the man had managed to hit Neville with a memory charm that he'd threatened them with.

While half of Harri had doubts it would actually work, she still hadn't wanted to chance it. Not when Neville had moved to be the obvious target, taking the adult's attention that had been fully on Harri. Within the moment that the spell was cast Harri had cast her own. The memory charm hit seconds before Harri managed to slam the man with a strong repelling charm.

Harri might not have known that memories could be taken until that moment, but she knew that she'd be writing down everything important to her from then on- just in case.

The underground cavern had shook with the force of the blow, causing a cave in. Harri was forced to dive to one side. Neville was out for the count, the spell knocking him out completely. And heavy looking rocks had fallen from the ceiling on top of the defense professor's prone form, separating Harri from Neville and making her unable to go check on her friend.

When the dust settled the raven haired twelve year old slowly pushed herself up, coughing. Her eyes strayed to the large rocks that blocked her path backwards and felt her heart drop to her stomach in icy dread.

"Neville!" Harri cried loudly, voice breaking at first due to the debris in the air. It tore out of her in a high shrill sound that ripped at her throat and held all of her panic. "Neville! Are you alright?!"

There was no returning answer Harri could hear, not even a groan to stir her hopes.

"Neville...!"

She tried a few more times, until her voice could no longer form around the lump of emotion in her throat. Wand gripped tightly in her hand, Harri's vision began to blur. Neville wasn't... dead ...was he? Did he no longer have his memories...? Did Harri blast the defense professor on time? Not knowing the answers ate at her insides like how wood fell to fire.

Slowly her gaze settled on the long transparent skin that held a green hue that was right in front of her. A shudder went down her spine at the sheer size of it. It had surely belonged to the great snake that called the underbelly of the school it's home. Something within her stilled at the sight, steeled itself. All at once her purpose for being down here rushed back to the forefront of her mind and Harri forced herself to put things that she could not immediately accomplish aside for the moment.

Ginny Weasley, a small redheaded witch that had joined Hogwarts this year, had fallen under the spell of a dark book. As far as Harri knew it had once been the diary to someone named Tom Riddle. At least, Harri suspected this.

At one point in the year she had attained the diary herself. Had even written it out of curiosity. After all, why would someone get so angry that they'd try to destroy the book... when it had nothing in it? That was when she found out that the book could, in fact, write back.

So she'd asked it about the Chamber of Secrets, since it was essentially like the Sorting Hat. The book could have easily been around for that long and no one actually knew anything about the supposed secret layer of Salazar Slytherin, one of the four magicals who had founded Hogwarts. In response the book showed her a memory of how Hagrid had once been accused of being the Heir to Slytherin fifty years ago.

It was a terrible title. Heir to Slytherin. After Harri revealed the ability to speak to the reptiles in front of the entire school- an ability Harri hadn't known she'd even had until the deed was done- it was she who held it. Given so graciously by the student body. No one save Neville and Hermione even dared to speak with her.

Sure the other Gryffindors made fun of the other Hogwarts Houses for even thinking Harri was the Heir, even going so far as make jokes about it, but once alone in the common room, or in the dormitories in the tower, they had kept their distance. That uncertain and tense atmosphere had been suffocating for Harri. Always there were eyes on her, watching her every move, and if she wanted or needed something someone would jump to get it as though desperate to stay in her good graces.

After all the one who the title was given to was suspected to be unleashing an unknown evil upon the school. A monster really, which went around and petrified the students. Hermione was the one who had found out that the beast was a basilisk mere moments before she'd been turned to stone herself. The only reason Harri received the information from her friend was by noticing how there was something still crumpled in Hermione's hand.

Somehow Hermione had connected the disembodied voice only Harri could hear moving through the school walls- a voice that had not been there last year- to the king of great snakes. In short, a basilisk. It had a stare that could kill if seen directly but petrified victims when seen indirectly. Spiders fled from it. A single rooster crow could have killed it, but all of Hagrid's roosters had been brutally slaughtered.

Messages written in their blood had been written on the school walls all through the year. They had told warnings of death that brought strife and fear upon all of Hogwarts. It was through the last bloody message that everyone was informed of how a student had been taken into the home of the beast. When Harri- and Neville whom had been visiting Hermione with her- went to tell the professors about the beast being a basilisk and thusly where the entrance to the great snake's layer was, it was discovered that it was Ginny Weasley whom had been stolen away.

Admittedly Harri hadn't known much about the small girl. She was a shy redhead who had been sorted into Gryffindor like everyone else of her family. Every time Harri appeared within a few feet of the other girl the redhead would clam up and her eyes would bulge like she'd just been shown something impossible.

While Harri was fairly used to the uncomfortable staring of her peers by now, when it came to putting Harri ill at ease, Ginny's staring was on par with Collin Creavy's stalking her for photos. For the most part Harri had been polite to Ginny where opportunity presented itself but she also kept away from the other girl- as much as she could.

None of that meant, however, that Ginny should simply loose her life and Harri would be alright with it.

Finding strength in that piece of herself that had hardened with resolve, Harri forced herself to her feet from amongst the rubble.

Last year the Headmaster had left the school and the Deputy Headmistress hadn't believed Harri and her friends when they'd warned of the intruder who wanted to steal the Philosopher's Stone. They'd gone to face whatever waited together as a result, but her friends had not gone with Harri when she had to face Voldemort.

This year Harri and Neville had taken the teacher who had been assigned by the Headmaster to search for the entrance of the basilisk's layer down into the belly of the school with them, only to have that same professor claim himself a cowardly fraud before he'd snatched Neville's wand and turned it on them. Once again Harri was truly alone as she had to face whatever waited and she knew that whatever it was- basilisk or not- it would be actively trying to kill her this time. It was doubly unlikely that whatever charm Dumbledore believed Harri had cast upon her in her mother's death would be able to save her from this.

She turned towards the only direction she could go and walked deeper through the underground cavern. Stomach churning with dread, she couldn't allow herself to think on any doubts lest she turn away. Not that there would be anywhere for Harri to go if she fled. No, she'd much rather think of something happier as she approached what could easily be her death.

Abruptly her mind jumped to Goku. He'd entered a martial arts tournament that determined who was the best under all of heaven, the best in all of his world. It was supposed to last three days total, but today was the forth due to a rainstorm that the tournament had to wait out the day previous.

Harri was near certain that her friend would win, he is the strongest person Harri knew and had not only determination but the proper means to achieve his goals. While it could be considered enviable, Harri only found out how proud she is of him every time she thought of it.

Goku was in the semifinals which meant that, if he won against the next two opponents he'd go up against, then he'd prove to everyone that he was the strongest fighter in the world. It was a thrilling concept and Harri was sure he'd get close if he didn't win outright. No way was a boy with the ability to lift and push objects more than ten times his weight not strong enough to win a tournament like that.

That dread in Harri's stomach spread out like ice across her insides as she spotted a carved stone door up ahead. If she weren't stuck down here, Harri would know the results of Goku's fights by now. As it was, she stopped before the circular door and stared at the carved ornamental snakes across its surface. She didn't feel half as brave as she knew Goku was for facing down the fiercest fighters of his world.

Swallowing, Harri focused on the ruby and sapphire eyes embedded into the serpent's faces and imagined them to be alive.

"Open." Harri hissed at it in parseltongue. There was no going back.

Withered hands were clasped together tightly, pressed gently against a wrinkled forehead. Half-moon spectacles perched precariously on the tip of a long crooked nose were seconds away from slipping off all the way. With his eyes closed, body slightly hunched forwards to perch his elbows on the top of his desk, the ancient-looking man held deathly still as his mind raced. Muttered under his breath.

Last year he'd taken a gamble. Tested the girl who had nothing and everything all at once. Made her prove where her heart lied. He'd given her all the keys that were needed throughout the year, so long as she were clever enough to follow. She'd made it out alive, as was the goal, and better for it. Now, despite her age, the girl had a taste of what she was up against. What she must prepare for.

This year he'd planned to up the game. When she would inevitably get fed up with that fraud of a professor, she'd remember his urging to ask for help and go to him. That was, until that blasted snake was set loose upon the school.

Not only had he needed to monitor letters arriving and leaving the castle to keep the parents and students alike from panicking, but he'd also needed to cut off as many entrances into the main castle as possible, and try to hunt down the lair of the beast. Something that the three founders, Godric, Helena, and Rowena hadn't even been able to do. Even after going through all of the founder's written records of the search, of all the records of searches done by the numerous witches and wizards after them, then of the records from fifty years previous, he still hadn't found anything.

Half way through the year he'd come across a rather alarming letter. The parents of Hermione Granger had apparently gotten the attention of the muggle police and pointed them towards the Dursley household. Despite the work that needed to be done, this had taken taken precedence. There was no way that he'd allow the girl to go anywhere else but her relatives this summer. He'd set up too many wards there to let it all go down the drain.

At some point during his time away he must have missed a letter in which too much of the happenings in Hogwarts was spoken of, for the Ministry was clamoring for his attention soon after. Needing to be seen doing something, his Gatekeeper was arrested. The miniature interrogation he'd given Hagrid before the Ministry could take him away helped to gleam no new information either- the half-blood was innocent after all.

And then it was announced in blood that a student was taken. Taken. He'd been getting ready to call in many, many favors in order to keep his position here in the school. First he had called in the entirety of the Weasley family, to... debrief them of the situation.

Only mere hours later had a partially functioning Harri Potter then entered his office, just as he'd been about to pull out his wand. The family had been in hysterics, they'd never have even noticed. In tow with the Girl-Who-Lived was the missing member of the family. So he'd have only a little modification to do, instead of what he'd originally planned.

Now he sat in his chair that signified his importance to his school, careful to think of alternate memories that would work with what he needed. He'd gotten all of the relative information from Harri and Ginny both, but if he was to keep word of this from spreading then he'd need to act fast. Before anyone left the infirmary.

The matter of the confused boy and the corpse that had been brought back from the Chamber of Secrets could be handled after that.

A nearly inaudible groan left Goku as he returned to consciousness. Over the year he'd been under the Turtle Hermit's tutelage he'd grown quite used to the sore muscles that he'd wake with every morning.

This was an entirely different matter all together.

Just by sitting up Goku could feel how his diaphragm spasimed and how his arms and legs locked up, as though the electricity that had been forced through him yesterday still had it's lingering effects upon him.

In the next bed over, Goku could see that Kuririn wasn't there. His eyes wandered to the window only to see that it was well past morning outside. No wonder his fellow student wasn't here.

Slowly Goku managed to lift a hand so he could rub the sleep from his eyes. He wondered how long he'd slept. After the celebratory dinner held in his honor for winning second place, Goku had been all but sleeping as he walked back to the hotel room with Kuririn. He must have been really out of it if he couldn't even remember reaching the bed he currently occupied. But judging from his body pains Goku could guess that he'd been asleep for only a little longer than he normally would be.

As though to agree with that fact, his stomach chose that moment to let out a loud growl that made the boy wilt. Oh how he loathed hunger pains.

Gradually Goku moved to the edge of the bed, hissing as his feet touched the floor and his legs were forced to take all his weight. He never wanted to be electrocuted again. Not even his tail could find the strength to move and emulate his annoyance. His tail- he couldn't even enjoy finally having it back at the moment.

Eyes closed, Goku let out a deep sigh as he used the bed to keep balance while he adjusted to the pain. It shot up and down his back in rivets, forcing his body to shiver and shake uncomfortably.

Another stomach growl told him how he'd better eat something soon or suffer more for it. His body needed the food to heal from whatever damage still lingered from what the electricity had done to him.

There was the sound of feet approaching and Goku forced himself to straighten. He turned towards the bedroom door as it opened to reveal his bald friend who had endured the Turtle Hermit's teachings at his side.

"Goku, you're up!" Kuririn exclaimed happily as he came in. A trolley filled to the brim with food was pulled into the room behind him. As the strong scent of several dishes reached his nose, Goku's stomach let out another growl. "It's been an entire day since the end of the tournament. I was sure you'd be starving by now so I went to go get you some food to try and wake you. I'm glad to know that you would have woken up to eat eventually!"

"Wow! Thank you Kuririn!" Goku exclaimed happily, walking over to his friend's bed that was closer to the door. If Kuririn noticed Goku's slower and more precise movements as he approached, the bald boy didn't mention it. Goku leaned up against the side of the bed as subtly as he could before he began to dig in with relish.

"Heh! No problem." Kuririn grinned, "I'm glad you're awake. That friend of yours- Bulma- was really concerned! She's the one who paid for this all, and told me to tell you that she'll be waiting at her house for you because she forgot to bring a radar? She said you'd know what she meant and that you'd want to leave right away for it..."

Goku visibly perked up at the mention of the Dragon Radar. Eyes wide at the reminder, a hand went up to his chest- only for Goku to stiffen with alarm. He dropped the bowl of ramen loudly onto the trolley and twisted around to search the area immediately.

"Where-?!"

"Right there!" Kuririn had his hand pointed at the desk beside Goku's bed before the tailed boy had even looked his way. Relief rushed through Goku at the sight of the Window Wood placed there and he picked it up with reverence.

"Sorry, Goku." Kuririn apologized, scratching the back of his neck when Goku shot him a questioning look for said apology. "I knew how important it was to you, which is why I took it off you and put it there. You would thrash around sometimes and I didn't want it to get broken..."

"Oh." Goku carefully put the string back around his neck but faced his friend with a kind smile. "Thanks Kuririn."

"No problem." The other boy answered as Goku went back to the trolley of food. There was a curious look to Kuririn as he looked at Goku's necklace though, and the tailed boy noticed. He made a noise of inquiry around a bite of noodles.

"Well, I know you talk to your girl on that every night, even when you're bone tired." Kuririn started and Goku blinked at that.

After Goku had initially explained how the piece of wood was the only way he could ever talk to or see Harri, the other boy hadn't asked any other questions about it. Unlike everyone else Goku had told about Harri, Kuririn simply accepted the initial explanation as fact and left it at that- something Goku knew was out of character for his fellow student. But Goku appreciated the lack of questions and prying and in turn did not pester Kuririn of his past. If Kuririn ever wanted to share some of his past with him, Goku would be there to listen and his friend knew that.

So it was odd to hear Kuririn bring up Harri now.

"And that you have to wait for her to start the call on her end for it to work. But I haven't heard you talk to your girl since the night before the start of the semifinals. ...and she hasn't tried to call when you were asleep either."

It took a moment for Goku to swallow around that. "Not once?" Goku clarified, just to be sure he heard that right.

Kuririn nodded, sitting up beside him on the bed. "Not to my knowledge."

Goku felt his appetite drop. Suddenly the food on his plate smelt sour and the flavors on his tongue tasted of bile. He tried to swallow again but his tongue felt thick and his throat was too dry.

Kuririn looked alarmed himself at Goku's reaction. "Wh- what's wrong?"

It took a long moment before Goku managed to master his tongue once more. "She... There was a monster in Ri's school. It turned people to stone."

Kuririn paled at the implication. Somehow he managed to squeak, "w- what...?!"

"Ri last told me that she intended to find it."

A chill crawled up Goku's spine that had him clenching his fists in anger. His gaze fell, unseeing, to the wall just beyond his friend.

"There's no one she can rely on there."

A noise of surprise had Goku's gaze snap to Kuririn. "She has you, doesn't she?"

"Yeah." Goku nodded, but the action didn't have the enthusiasm it normally did. "But I can't be there with her. It's so..."

His tail lashed behind him. The movement caused pain to leave a line of fire up his spine, but the boy promptly ignored it.

"Frustrating." Kuririn finished knowingly, staring at his friend with a frown on his face. Goku nodded.

"Yeah. Exactly." He let out a breath. Most of the tension in his body seemed to ease as a new determination took it's place. "That's why I'm going to gather the Dragonballs. I need to make Ri's wish come true." At Kuririn's noise of question, Goku remembered how he had never explained this to his friend before. He turned to Kuririn now, eager to explain. "There are seven magical orbs, see. About this big. They each have small red stars in them, ranging from one to seven. If you gather all seven Dragonballs together then you can ask for any wish from the Eternal Dragon. Last year, about this time, I managed to gather all the Dragonballs with my friends..."

"What happened?"

"The wrong wish was made." Goku let out a huff but it did him no good to feel frustrated over it still. He'd make the right wish this time around. "The Dragonballs were stolen and Oolong made a wish. He didn't know my wish and the ones who stole the Dragonballs wanted to rule all of Earth. So Oolong asked for something silly he wanted right at that moment. The Eternal Dragon granted the wish and disappeared, taking all the Dragonballs with him and turning them to stone so he can sleep."

"Then... how are you going to find them again?" Kuririn asked incredulously.

"They'd have turned back into Dragonballs by now." Goku explained, "it only lasts one entire year. And after I get the radar from Bulma, I'll be able to find the Dragonballs lickity-split."

Slowly the determination began to bleed away and be replaced with worry. Goku lifted the piece of wood from his chest and looked at it forlornly.

"How long have you known her?" Kuririn inquired, "your girl." he clarified at the questioning look he received in response.

"A very long time." Goku tilted his head. "Ri was... five? Well, Grandpa said that's how old she looked to him, when she first reached us... I don't really remember a time not knowing Ri."

"Childhood friend huh?" Kuririn commented absently, "wish mine were as pretty- or even kind. They all liked to try and push me around, like you saw at the preliminaries."

"And you beat them into next week." Goku pointed out with a sly grin that Kuririn couldn't help but return.

"Yeah. I did." Kuririn stated proudly, puffing up at the reminder.

Slowly Goku began to eat again as they spoke. His appetite hadn't truly returned, but he was determined to eat his fill. He wasn't one to waste food when it was presented before him and he knew that he'd need the energy it provided to recover from the battle against Jackie Chun.

Eventually all the food was gone, something that took Goku far longer to do than it normally would have. Kuririn filed the information away, drawing connections to how Goku was when they'd first met and how his tailed friend acted now and how Goku's appetite had only grown after he'd first found Goku speaking to this magical Ri girl.

If she could affect his friend's appetite- something Kuririn knew was one of Goku's top priorities, other than getting stronger- Kuririn quietly reasoned that the girl must be very important to Goku. And the longer Goku spoke of this Ri... Kuririn could see in Goku's very movements how it made him happy.

"Alright!" Goku hopped up to his feet, trolley of empty plates rolled away, and stretched. There was barely any pain anymore. Even his tail curled happily behind him. It was amazing what a little food could do.

"You're heading off then?" Kuririn asked, tilting his head.

Goku nodded. "Yeah. Where will you go, Kuririn?"

The bald boy had to take a moment to think on it. Then, "I think I'll go back to Kame House." Kuririn eventually decided as Goku gathered his things. "I want to get stronger. That way, when the next tournament comes, I'll be stronger than you."

An affronted noise came from Goku, "hey! What makes you think you can just- beat me?!"

Kuririn grinned at the spark of playfulness he could see in Goku's eyes at the question.

"You'll be too busy with your girl to bother training," Kuririn responded cheekily.

"Hey, Ri's strong!" Goku insisted, then grinned wide in a way that made Kuririn swallow a sudden lump of worry that formed in his throat. "And when she comes here, I'll help Ri get first place in the tournament. She'll beat you and everyone else!"

Crossing his arms, Kuririn sniffed. "Sure, Goku. But I'll be stronger than even you by then so she won't have much of a chance."

"You'll see!" Goku laughed, and opened up the bedroom window wide. "Nimbus!" He called loudly once he got the screen down too.

From somewhere high above the little yellow cloud sped down to meet him. Goku turned back into the room, "see you Kuririn!" He bade and hopped out the window with a wave.

His Nimbus took off with all the haste that Goku felt inside. The ground below and space around had become a blur, only the blue horizon a constant of non-motion. Elation bubbled up within him at the freedom the cloud granted him and Goku let out a loud happy sound that echoed across the water and bounced off the mundane white clouds. Nimbus was a silent entity but Goku could still feel how the cloud reflected his happiness back at him and it caused a smile to play at his mouth.

"You're flying!" Came a sudden elated voice and Goku felt his stomach flip as his Nimbus made to slow so quickly, he almost lost his balance completely. He let out a laugh at the good feeling, letting it tickle his insides pleasantly as he brought the Window Wood around to look at the dark haired green eyed girl that was there.

There was a tired but happy look in her eyes and it made him smile all the wider.

"Hi, Ri! How did it go?"

"Hello, Saint Seiya!" She greeted back warmly. He didn't miss how she'd kept her voice down or how the happiness had dimmed somewhat from her eyes. Still, he couldn't help but roll his eyes at the nickname that somehow sounded painfully familiar but completely alien all at once. At least her other nickname was more straight forward. He wasn't some transforming knight with magical armor. But Harri liked it and so he didn't refute it- too much.

A small huff left her to blow at her fringe that was once more cut down as short as it could go without being completely gone. "I have a long story to tell you, actually. Things... escalated. But I want to know how you did! Did you demolish your opponents with your brilliant speed and wicked strength?"

The grin on his face only grew. "My first opponent was Nam. He was really strong! One of his moves, he threw me up high in the sky and jumped up after me so he'd be even higher! And when he fell down, he made to smash me into the stadium floor with his elbow. It didn't work, I managed to snatch onto him with my tail and switch us places! We fought for a while more but eventually I managed to win!

"That's when I found out that Nam came from a place in the desert and was fighting in the tournament in order to buy water for his people! Lucky Jacky Chun was there and overheard- he gave Nam these big water containers and showed him where a well was and told him how it was completely free! That made Nam really happy, he even cried."

"He got to bring the water to his people then?"

"Yeah!" Goku gave a happy nod as he continued, "my next opponent was Jackie Chun. He was really strong too. Our battle lasted for the rest of the day! At one point he used a secret technique against me."

A shiver went down the boy's spine at the memory of it. Goku shook his head at the concern that made itself known on Harri's heart shaped face.

"He turned his Ki into electricity and tied me up in it. It was so painful, I couldn't even move. I think I passed out at one point because when I woke up it was night, the area was ruined and barely anyone was there except for the announcer, Jackie Chun and my friends. I was exhausted and could barely stand but the secret technique had taken out a lot of Jackie Chun's strength too because he was in the same state! The announcer said that the first person who could stand and say that they were the winner would be the winner!"

"So you won?!" Harri exclaimed, only to shrink back when a yell was heard in the distance only a moment later. Goku felt the snake of angry flames come to life in his chest at the look on his friend's face. Clearly she was back with her relatives for the summer once again- something he couldn't understand. He'd have to ask about it later. For now he did his best to keep his anger out of his tone.

"I barely got a few syllables out before I fell asleep again." He replied apologetically. "But there will be another world tournament in three years. Jackie Chun promised that he'd be there next time and I'll be able to beat him properly then."

Even with that announcement the awe was plain to see on Harri's face. It made Goku sit up straighter and grin a little wider.

"You got a tie? That's amazing." She breathed out, making him feel like he was in a sudden free fall.

He tilted his head, "well, they're not allowed to give out ties. Which is why we needed to declare who was the winner. That's okay though because if there weren't any rules..." That's when he stopped. Thought about it. If there had been no rules, if that had been a fight to the death... He stared at the emerald eyes that watched him back, captivating him.

While he had fought with all he had, he had also known that there was nothing on the line. The fight was for himself. With no rules in the way and a life on the line... he had been the one who woke first. Jackie Chun had been prone and helpless on the ground. If the alternative was a world where he couldn't be there for her... There wouldn't have been a doubt on his actions then.

Harri's eyes shone. She looked at him as though she knew his every thought. "You're one of the strongest of your world." She whispered.

Goku felt his heart stop. Then it soared with victory at a proper smile that appeared on Harri's face right then. It was no half curve of the lips, nor the barest hint of an upturned motion. This was a full lipped smile that brightened the raven haired witch's face considerably. And it was because of him.

"Congratulations Goku."

For one long, breathless moment, Goku wondered if his Grandpa could see this achievement, like he could, from all the way in heaven. Then he giggled, the glee in him so immense it burst out completely in the sound.

To anyone who didn't know Harri that smile she sported would be the kind of reserved smile one would give to a stranger in passing on the street. But Goku knew that it was the biggest, widest smile he'd gotten out of Harri to date and that made him feel like he was on top of the world. His giggles grew as he realized that- while atop his Nimbus- he really was on top of the world.

If this was his prize for a tie Goku couldn't imagine what a prize for a proper first place could possibly be. In his mind, nothing would be able to top this.

"What?" Harri wondered, her smile still present, but Goku just shook his head. She rolled her emerald eyes but she couldn't hide the amusement there from him.

"Okay," he sighed when he finally calmed down. "Now tell me what happened? How come your back there again?"

Her smile fell at the reminder and Goku hated how quickly it went. All at once he was angry at himself for changing the subject, and angry at the people in her world that would allow her to keep going to a place where her smile would be robbed from her like this.

"Uhm, it's not a nice story." Harri stated lowly, trying to smile again but failing. Goku shook his head.

"I'll listen." He assured her gently, "tell me."

For a moment Harri was quiet. Goku could see how she contemplated where she would begin.

"I found the creature that was attacking the school." She decided to say first, and a bitter look soured her emerald gaze. "It was a snake. The King of Serpents; a basilisk. It was under the control of Voldemort- or really, under the control of the seventeen year old version of him. His name was once Tom Riddle."

Goku blinked, "the same person that the diary belonged to?"

"The very same." Harri confirmed darkly. "He told me himself as he slowly drained the life out of Ginny Weasley. He'd stolen my wand and wrote his full name with fire in the air. Apparently 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' can be an anagram for 'I Am Lord Voldemort'." Harri let out a long breath.

"Then he set the basilisk on me."

For a moment Harri stared, eyes glazed. Goku waited, nerves curling in his stomach impatiently. But he was unwilling to interrupt. If he did, she might clam up, and that was the last thing Goku wanted.

"It was a terrible creature. Thicker than a car around and longer than ten coaches lined up behind one another, nose to boot. It's scales were dark green brown, each one as big as my palm, strong as steel and impervious to any magical attacks. Despite the serpent's size it moved wicked fast and was strong enough to break century old stone bigger than the biggest rock you pushed at the side of that lake... If none of that was bad enough, a single fang was thicker than me and as long as my leg. The venom it has is so poisonous the only known cure is a Phoenix's tears- one of the rarest things to ever come by, as those fiery birds are practically extinct and are even less often seen crying. And... with a single gaze in it's eyes it could have killed me, if I glimpsed at them through water or a mirror it would have turned me to stone."

Harri was visibly shaking then and Goku wanted nothing more than to give her a hug. He hated that he couldn't act on that impulse.

"I had to fight the snake with nothing but a sword that came to me through the Sorting Hat. Fawkes was there too- the Headmaster's familiar, a phoenix- and I watched their shadows on the wall of the underground chamber. Fawkes blinded the basilisk for me, so I could face it without fear of it's sight." She swallowed, a haunted look now upon her face. "It chased me through the pipes that lead all throughout Hogwarts, but it cornered me against a grate. There was no where left for me to go, so I turned to face it. With it's mouth open, the creature could have swallowed a car whole with ease, but it was blind and aimed by chance in my direction- I lifted the sword to meet it."

Goku spotted how Harri rubbed at her right arm and he held in a growl at the sight of a stark white scar he saw there, crawling it's way up Harri's arm under her sleeve where it couldn't be seen.

"The blade sliced through the vulnerable flesh inside it's mouth easily, without effort. It went straight into the snake's brain. But at the same time... the snake got me too. I managed to dodge the fang from hitting my face but... my arm was still in the way. It was held there by the blade. It went right through me." Finally her eyes met his and he felt his heart stutter at the sorrow he found there.

"I very nearly lost my arm with how destroyed it got. There was no pain from it because it was a wound plenty good enough to get the venom in me. My own heart began to kill me then, the poison spread like fire through me with every one of its beats. I thought for sure... I was certain I would die." Tears had begun to fall from her eyes. Goku blinked the heavy feeling in his chest away, hot streaks began to fall down his own face to match hers. She swallowed heavily, a hand up to rub at her ribs as though she could still feel the poison run it's course through her.

"Somehow... somehow I managed to drag myself back to Ginny. But she was still dying too. The diary was still draining her life. Tom Riddle had laughed at me. Laughed. He told me how the basilisk venom worked. How it was killing me. I was so... so angry. And then a thought came to me- if I was to die anyhow, I'd much rather take Riddle with me. And what better way then have him go through the same pain I felt? So I took the end of the fang that had broken in my arm and I plunged it into the diary. Riddle screamed as loud as the basilisk had as the venom tore through the pages."

Goku wiped at his face, barely registering how his Nimbus hadn't moved from it's spot high above a city for a good while now. Somehow the vindictive tone he heard, when it came from Harri, just made him happy for her. If she managed to get a little pay back on those who hurt her, well... who was he to tell her no? Especially when he'd like nothing better than to show just how much of a bad idea it was to hurt his friend. And then bring her back to his world where she wouldn't have to even think about any of them ever again.

"You're still here." He pointed out not bothering to hide any relief he felt in that one statement alone. Harri gave him another smile but it was nowhere near as brilliant as the one earlier had been. Goku had the feeling that it would be a while yet before he saw another smile like that from Harri.

"I wasn't awake for it but Ginny said that Fawkes came to me. He cried into my wounds and cured me. When we got back in the school, Madam Pomfry mended my arm the rest of the way."

Goku let out a slow, controlled sigh. Harri nodded, understanding the noise completely.

"That wasn't the worse of it though."

"It wasn't?"

The pure incredulity that came off Goku's tone at that had a small huff of laughter leave Harri. It was short lived though and the girl quickly grew somber once more.

"No." She let out another breath of her own. "My friend Neville and I... we brought a professor down to the Chamber of Secrets with us. It was the defense professor. He had been assigned by the Headmaster to take care of the problem when it was known that a student- Ginny- had been taken by the Heir of Slytherin. He..."

Harri paused. Regret, sorrow, and pain flashed through her gaze. Somehow she managed not to start crying again, but Goku could see the start of tears at the corners of her eyes. "...The professor took Neville's memories." Ice fell down Goku's spine at Harri's whispered admission. He stared with growing horror as she continued. "All of them- Neville knew little more than a toddler would, and that includes his own name. Neville's grandmother blames me- it was my idea to go down to the Chamber after all- it was me the spell was for but Neville got his attention and I...! I..."

Eyes closed, Harri spoke so quietly Goku could barely hear her. She was choking on her words, "I accidentally killed the professor when I tried to stop him from hitting Neville with the memory charm. My spell caused a rock fall and those rocks landed on the professor ...also breaking Neville's father's wand." There was nothing Goku could say to that. Harri wiped at her eyes but they were so blurred by tears now that the attempt did nothing for her.

"Hermione was cured of her pretrification just before the end of year feast. She didn't have any concern to spare for the end of year exams she missed in light of what happened to Neville. We... we don't know if... if he'll ever recover. Never mind leaving St Mungos and coming back to school."

"...Ri." Goku softly coaxed after a while, allowing his friend to feel her sadness. "Ri, look at me."

A small bitter huff left her, "I can't see as it is." She responded through her tears, but tried to look in his general direction anyways.

He put on his most serious expression, knowing that Harri deserved nothing less. "You're not bad, Ri. You're not evil. You're not a freak." Goku stated firmly, and sincerely. Used the words she hated most to get the point across. "You are Harrietta Lily Potter. The very best being that I have the pleasure to know."

She cried harder. But Goku didn't miss how they were no longer tears of sorrow.