Liberation
September Nineteen Ninety-Five- Hogwarts
Tracey had been experiencing a new feeling ever since the blackout. Not just her, every student still in the castle from age eleven to eighteen were slowly but surely turning wild.
Knowing she was trapped in a castle was a unique prison. Everyone began to forget the past. Parents began to become faint memories. The strings created by society to control their minds began to unravel. The teachings of qualified professors paid to educate students began to hold no meaning anymore.
Cedric Diggory led the idea this feeling was either freedom or oppression.
Many chose it to mean freedom and they truly felt free of rules that had governed them since birth.
Those who could not cast off those strings began to suffer and wither. They had mental breakdowns. The infirmary was overflowing with depression and anxiety attacks.
Tracey had chosen freedom and those like her gained something they had thought only people they looked up to possessed. The power to bring sheep to them and create their own herd. They became leaders and Tracey was part of a group that decided to fuck the rules and do what they pleased.
She had become a rebel and it felt liberating in the atmosphere of doom that gloomed on Hogwarts.
The real power however was held by those with information and Hermione Granger had become powerhouse by being the link between all centres in Hogwarts that were researching the ward.
She had started her own research when her mind clashed with all majority of the researchers and was denied of her ideas coming to fruition. Her age factored in their measure of knowledge.
Tracey had been glad she was able to convince Hermione not to follow Blaise's stupid plan. Her efforts paid dividends when she became part of what could only be a new world. It was surreal and insane and she secretly loved it. That was what bonded their group together. They loved what was going on and the freedom they had discovered because of it.
Today they had made a breakthrough. Their combined ridiculous, from a certain perspective, ideas – had given birth to a new perspective.
It had taken a casual comment from the other worldly Luna Lovegood for Hermione to connect the runes to something similar she had once seen Harry Potter scribbling in his diary.
And on his bedside table were a leather bound diary and an ethereal white wand.
Inside the diary, the runes and neat scribbles of words baffled their collective minds. They understood none of it. Apart from the name Harry, neatly written in bold letters, on the first page, in the right top corner, they couldn't make heads or tails of the drawings.
What Hermione did say was the runes bared a strange similarity with the runes drawn by Babbling.
Hermione had lost faith in her trust of professors and from the sudden emptiness was born a girl who was always meant to be a rising star - unstoppable by her peers.
Without Daphne's shadow over her and her reliance on authority figures, Hermione had found something liberating.
She discovered the freedom to broaden her mind.
The top floor of the Astronomy Tower had been transformed into a new dormitory and within it where floating hammocks, pillows on the floor and lots and lots of blankets strewn around.
The balcony had been extended with the help of Professor Flitwick and lounge chairs populated the open space.
Hermione sat in the corner near the entrance and kneeling behind her, peering over her shoulder, into the diary were Hitomi and Luna.
"Have you found anything?" Hitomi asked curiously. Her interest in Harry Potter was growing. His magic had felt strange when she first laid eyes on him and when she had reached out with her own, she had almost been overwhelmed by the weight of a sea of power. Now, the strangeness trapping them, felt a little like him as well. He was definitely involved in the mystery surrounding them.
Hermione snapped the book shut with a sight. "There must be thousands of pages in here," she said. "I remember seeing him make a note about wards and runes but it's going to take ages looking through every page!" she exclaimed. "It's got some kind of spell on it that makes the pages multiply and the book remain light and small. Seems like a combination of the duplication, extension and light weight charms and I have no idea what kind of enchantment was used to do it."
"It was probably the nargles," Luna said vaguely.
Suddenly Susan Bones, who was leaning on the terrace railing, exclaimed.
"Hey look!"
Curious, everyone joined her and their eyes went wide with surprise and excitement.
Someone had walked through the gates. They couldn't make out who it was but the fact that someone had potentially returned to Hogwarts was unprecedented.
Tracey was the first to run out. "Come on," she shouted. "Let's see who it is!"
Everyone expect Hitomi felt excitement. The magic she felt when she saw the figure foretold destruction. Hitomi reached into the pockets of her pants and her fingers wrapped around the hilt of a sword.
"I'm going to need you," she said in her native tongue.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Time unknown
The heart of the desert was harsh. Harry felt it grow harsher everyday. The day burned against the skin hotter than bearable and the nights forced him underground as not even heating his body worked against the magic in the wind.
The cold nights stripped away all protection and the only way to survive was to hide.
Harry had been wandering for a long time trying to figure his way through the desert. He was looking for an exit. He wanted to go to Hogwarts and collect his wand and diary but the magic of the labyrinth was proving uncooperative.
He could feel its touch on the void, intermingling with his magic and maintaining the grip of the desert around him. If he focused hard enough, he was able to see a way through the labyrinth but he hadn't been able to keep his focus strong for too long. The desert was strong. Stronger than anything he had ever faced. It was a true monster that defeating would make him worthy of magic.
Anyone who could survive in this desert would be considered worthy.
The yellow star rained fire from the sky and Harry decided to make camp until the sun was at least half down near the horizon.
He faced his palm to the sky and the sand began to rise with a hiss, reforming into a hardened hut. He took shelter within and folded his legs and sat. Sweat poured down his neck and he began to feel his body cool down.
A red glow warmed the air and Harry closed his eyes.
He took a deep breath and looked within his soul.
It was a lesson in calm in chaos.
The Void was changing. A howl screamed in the darkness of his Void and he felt his will fighting for dominance against a power that was constantly growing inside him.
He was hungry.
His orange burned for violence. He had always been able to control it before the trial that changed everything. He had always had a handle on his madness with a tight grip refusing to let go.
After the desert, the handle no longer existed. He was facing his own survival instincts for the first time since the murder of his Aunt and Uncle.
It made him wonder if his dream wasn't judging those who were worthy of magic but if he was the one who was worthy? Or was it his desire to feel the freedom of destroying the shackles of control.
His green told him it was the later.
He had no control over the new world and it felt liberating.
His thoughts kept evolving. Striving to determine the reason for his existence. The Desert, however, had a different will. It pressed against him, hindering his way, exciting him and forcing him to descend into desperation.
And in desperation, Harry always found answers.
His dream was Catch 22. What was it that he truly wanted? Was it survival or answers? If the answers came from survival then why were there more questions that seemed greater than the last?
Harry was drowning in a conundrum and its effect on his mind reflected in his desire.
He was feeling an insatiable desire to spill blood and taste pleasure from horror. Deriving a pleasurable thrill from the desperation in the eyes of another was a poison that had begun to eat away inside him since his intimate encounter with Tonks had bled into the Earth.
Harry opened his senses to the magic of the desert and looked.
He craved for human contact; contrary to his cravings before the desert was born. He wanted to know how they were doing. How had they evolved? Could their magic measure up to the well of power he felt within him? Power that had seemed to have trapped him in his own dream?
A primal growl accompanied his exhale of thrill when he felt something human close by.
His eyes snapped open and he grinned.
He would wait patiently until sunset.
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September Nineteen Ninety-Five- Hogwarts
"Settle down!"
Headmistress McGonagall voice blasted across the great hall as the news spread like wild fire and every one rushed to the great doors with excitement.
Hidden in the shadows behind the high table, Hitomi stared at the doors grimly. She knew this was not going to end well.
"Everyone go to your respective house tables while the teachers find out what's going on," McGonagall said, her voice crisp and sharp.
Mutters of annoyance broke out and Hermione and her friends just stood near the Hufflepuff table silently yet excited themselves.
Mcgonagall, Flitwick and Snape made their way out and the rest of the professors stayed behind to keep order among the students.
Outside, the sky was still broiling with colours and the light was slowly receding from the day.
The three professors had their wands out as a feminine hooded figure came into view along the path up to the castle.
"Who are you?" Snape shouted with command in his voice as soon as the figure was within hearing distance.
There was no reply.
Instead the black robed woman lowered her hood and McGonagall gasped in horror.
"Well lookie what I found!" Bellatrix Black cackled in delight. "It's my dear old profs welcoming me at the gates!
"Oh. Except for you Snappy," she mocked. "You were always my dear puppy."
Severus Snape drew his wand and his face crumbled into an ugly sneer.
"I hate this woman," he growled.
"How did you get here Bellatrix," McGonagall shouted. "Why are you not in Azkaban!"
The light had receded and the dark was upon Hogwarts.
Bellatrix's eerie purple eyes began to glow. Her messy black hair meddled in the dark and she manifested a dangerous and beautiful image into the minds of her opponents.
"I'm here because hell is upon us fool!" she shrieked.
Bellatrix drew her wand.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
The three dived out of the way and a blinding ray of dark poisonous magic shattered against the walls of Hogwarts leaving a smoking black mark.
Bellatrix laughed and it sent an unpleasant shiver up the professors' spines.
"Get ready Minerva," Flitwick said as he drew his wand with the grace of a champion duelist. "Our worst fears have come true. Lord Voldemort has won."
"My Lord won?" Bellatrix scoffed as she drew her elbow back with her wand pointed at Flitwick's heart. "Harry Potter won you silly twats!"
Suddenly Bellatrix had to raise a shield in alarm as a blur rushed at her and a sword cut through empty space as the witch ducked.
Hitomi slowed down and turned around quickly with her katana pointing Bellatrix between the eyes.
"Bellatrix Black," she said. Her voice was cold and empty of emotion.
Bellatrix had turned uncharacteristically serious. She didn't even bother to worry as she turned her back to the professors and focused her attention on the strange girl from Mahoukotoro school of Magic.
"Well well well," Bellatrix said with a grin. "I recognize that sword. It's the one I came after on your volcanic mountain isn't it?" Bellatrix licked her lips. "Never thought I'd get a chance to grab it again!"
Hitomi raised her sword in the sky and purple energy crackled along its edges and revenge burned within her eyes.
The professors and the faces glued to the windows facing the grounds were all stunned.
"What is she?" gasps Hermione.
One of the Mahoukotoro students named, Hachi, turned towards Hermione with a smug smile.
"Samurai," he said, his voice laced with pride.