Harry woke up drenched in sweat in his dorm room. He gasped as he tried to infuse his mind with magic and remember as much of the dream as he could even as it slipped away.
He had felt the connection to Voldemort activate, even in his dreams. The Dark Lord was getting stronger, and apparently the connection was too. He remembered how it felt when Voldemort had taken control of Quirrell, but this was different. The Dark Lord wasn't possessing anyone, he had some kind of body again. A broken, twisted little thing, but a body, nonetheless.
And Pettigrew had gone back to him.
Harry cursed as he jumped out of bed, pacing in his sweat-soaked pajamas as he tried to work through the dream. Pettigrew had found Voldemort and helped him make some kind of homunculus or similar pseudo-body. They were planning to try and kidnap him for some reason, needed him for something aside from Voldemort's obsession with the prophecy and his Nemesis. They had captured a ministry employee named Bertha Jorkins and had either already killed or were planning to do so shortly.
Harry clenched his jaw as he tried to empower his mind and recall more, but there was nothing left. The rest had drifted away like smoke before his waking mind could grab it. Drat.
…
Harry dropped his invisibility, appearing out of thin air at the front of the Great Hall the next morning. He conjured a chair with a wave of his hand and a flex of his power, plopping down across the staff table from the headmaster.
Dumbledore was as unflappable as ever. "Good morning, Harry. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Harry put up a barrier of condensed magic around them. "Our good friend Tom has gotten a body back. It's a really rubbish body for now, but a body nonetheless."
The headmaster's face paled. "I had hoped that Peter would show some sense, or at least some self-preservation, but alas. I take it that the connection has been reactivated?"
"Yup. Really, some lovely late-night programming. They're planning a trap for me this year. Does the name Bertha Jorkins mean anything to you?"
Albus leaned forward. "She is a former student who, last I heard, was employed with the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the ministry."
Harry nodded thoughtfully. "She seems to have met some rather unfortunate strangers on the road, wherever she is. I have a sneaking suspicion that she won't be returning to work."
"That is most concerning. We must assume that anything she knew has now been compromised. I will adjust my plans with the ministry accordingly. Are you still planning to attend the World Cup?"
"Yes, Tom specifically mentioned lying low until the excitement around the Cup died down. Besides, I'm not about to change up my vacation plans just because of a pesky Dark Lord with too many bits of god junk rattling around in his soul."
"I appreciate your attempts to make light of the situation, even if it is sometimes mildly grating. Speaking of which, I would like to return to my banana bread, unless there is anything else that we need to discuss?"
"Nope, just thought that I should keep you in the loop. Enjoy your banana bread. Toodles!"
Harry tugged on the cloak to become invisible and dismissed his conjuration simultaneously, flying away from the long-suffering headmaster. Albus really did an excellent job of putting up with his antics. Harry thought that underneath, Albus very much enjoyed having someone to cause just the right amount of confusion and chaos with. Most of the time, at least.
Harry invisibly snagged the bagel off of Snape's plate on his way past and munched on it as he flew through the charmed ceiling of the Great Hall.
…
Harry landed in front of the Granger's house and checked on the neighbors with his magic before becoming visible. They had decided to meet up before heading to the Quidditch World Cup.
Hey there, Ice Queen.
Hermione's face appeared in the glass of the front door, and she threw it open. It had only been a few weeks, but Harry had definitely missed her wide smile.
"You know, you could have just knocked instead of poking about in my soul," she said, wrapping him in a tight hug.
"But poking your soul is so much fun!"
She pulled back to level a mock glare at him before turning and leading him into the house.
"Mum! Harry's here!"
"Hello there, Harry! So glad you could make it. I hear that you and Hermione had another set of mildly disturbing adventures last year?"
"Pretty much par for the course at this point. I beat up a werewolf, bargained with a horrific aspect of the Dark for your daughter's soul, after which she proceeded to steal my sword and go back in time to save me. Did the school tell you that time machines are apparently standard issue if you're enough of a nerd? Not that I would ever call Hermione that."
Mrs Granger froze for a second and Harry wondered which bit of that Hermione hadn't mentioned.
"You've unironically quoted da Vinci and college physics' textbooks to me, you hypocritical-"
"Hermione, you didn't mention almost losing your soul!"
"Well… it wasn't that bad. Besides, the hungry Dark only held onto it for like, a few seconds before Harry got there."
"Temporary soul loss is still very concerning. Do we need to make a therapy appointment?"
"Muuuuum. I'm fine. Besides, it's not like I can tell a therapist about magic."
"I suppose. But we'll check in when you get back from the World Cup. You know that I worry about you."
"Fiiiiine," Hermione sighed. "How long until the portkey leaves, anyway?"
Harry pulled a red sock out of his pocket and looked at the clock on the oven. They had decided to take the portkey together, since flying to the World Cup seemed a bit conspicuous even with their newfound publicity, not to mention blatantly breaking the spirit of the underage magic laws, if not the letter.
"About 5 minutes, so you should probably grab anything you want to bring. I know that we're only going for one night, but still."
"Harry, we can do magic. My stuff is already shrunk and sitting in my pocket. Isn't yours?"
Harry blinked. That hadn't even occurred to him. Not that he had brought anything anyway, he could maintain pretty much everything about himself with magic far more easily than carrying a bag around, and he could conjure more clothes if needed.
"Um. No? I didn't bring anything."
"Clothes?"
"I can clean my clothes with magic better than any soap and water. Or just conjure new ones?"
Hermione blinked.
"Harry. Please don't take this the wrong way. Do you brush your teeth?"
"Yes? I mean, I use magic to clean any food, foreign bacteria or plaque off and throw in a minty scent just for fun."
Hermione and her mother both looked horrified.
"What?"
…
"There's definitely something wrong with memory wiping that poor man over and over. He didn't choose to have his campground invaded by wizards!" Hermione exclaimed quietly as they walked away from the camp office.
Harry and Hermione made their way past rows of tents, some perfectly mundane and others, not so much.
"Obviously. Even if they were going to wipe him, they could have told him about it and then let him run the camp for a couple weeks before doing the wipe. Or sent him on vacation. Or literally anything else. But nope, memory wipes ten times a day because there is clearly magic going on right under his nose."
Hermione sighed. "I know that I'm preaching to the choir, but most wizards just don't… see mundane people as people, do they."
"I suspected something similar ever since I met Malfoy way back in Madam Malkin's before first year. It's not really in any books, it's just… understood. People without magic don't really matter. It's like… wolves hiding from the sight of a herd of sheep out of convenience, and if a few sheep get eaten occasionally then who cares?"
Hermione's expression soured further. Harry squeezed her shoulders as they walked.
"Just one more thing to work on once we-"
"We're still not taking over the world. Although talking to Mr Roberts has done more to push me into your camp than anything else."
"We'll make everything better eventually, I promise. But for now, let's just enjoy some Quidditch. I wonder who that guy is?"
They had just passed into an area with a vast number of banners and posters of a young man with a prominent nose and heavy eyebrows.
"Krum?" Hermione said, reading one of the posters. "Must be one of the players. Bit excessive though, isn't it?"
"I seem to remember another pretty, famous wizard that-"
"Shut up."
…
They caught sight of Luna and Neville, who stood up and waved as they approached. The campsite was fairly large and near the tree line, with plenty of room for the two tents currently assembled. One of the tents looked like a standard pop tent that wouldn't have been out of place on any mundane trail, while the other was quite a bit grander. Augusta Longbottom may not be flaunting their status like some of the extravagant tents, but the large pavilion was certainly outside of the norm for mundane camping.
"You made it!" Neville walked up and hugged them with Luna hot on his heels.
"Daddy was concerned about getting you past the heliopaths, but I reassured him that you were more than a match for them.
"Absolutely right Luna, they didn't stand a chance."
Hermione rolled her eyes.
Xeno popped his head out of the smaller tent. "Hello there, Death Walker! Bladesinger! It's lovely to see you both again."
"Daddy, you know not to call them that in public. People might ask interesting questions."
"Those are the best kind of questions!"
Luna skipped off after her father as Lady Longbottom walked over to them from her tent.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Augusta."
"Likewise, Harry, Miss Granger. I hope the trip went well?"
"Little bit concerned with the treatment of the site manager by ministry officials, but other than that nothing to complain about."
She sniffed derisively. "I've always found the ministry's treatment of mundane people to be uncouth. We have such wonderful abilities; we should find solutions that do not cause undue suffering. Unfortunately, my advice is often unheeded."
"I've got some tea steeping in the tent if you would like to talk. From what I've heard from Neville and some of the Hogwarts professors, you will both have considerable power to influence policy decisions within a few years. It might be time to start thinking about what you want."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other with surprise before they followed the intimidating witch back into her tent.
…
The crowd was wild and constraining as the group made their way to their seats in the enormous stadium. Harry resisted his urge to let his power loose and push the endless sea of sparks back, but he knew that would cause more trouble than it was worth. He had never seen so many witches and wizards in one place, the rolling mass of souls like staring into the sun to his magical senses. Luckily, their seats were some of the highest in the stadium, so they were soon free of the worst of the crowds.
They found their seats and Harry breathed a sigh of relief, catching Hermione's eye as they finally sat down. She shot him a small smile and he knew that she was similarly overwhelmed.
I miss being able to fly, she spoke into his soul. I haven't gotten the chance since the holidays started.
We can make a stop at Hogwarts on the way back. I mean, it's not like they can really stop us.
She smiled wider and squeezed his hand before settling back into the stadium seats.
"I wonder if Victor will finally utilize his incubus heritage in this match."
"Luna, I… nope, not even going there. I certainly hope not," Hermione said, raising her eyebrows at the blonde on her other side.
"That's true, I suppose. It would cause quite the international incident, especially since he's still a student at Durmstrang."
Harry tuned out their conversation and looked out over the massive Quidditch pitch. He had never seen Quidditch played on this scale before. He wondered if it would be more interesting than the games at Hogwarts.
He looked over at Augusta when he heard her say, "Oh dear. Neville, cover your ears please. No need to let the Veela make a fool of you."
"Yes Gram." Neville said as he plugged his ears.
"Why-"
Then he felt it. A sneaky, insidious magical aura was attempting to worm its way into his soul. If he hadn't been so used to controlling and commanding his own soul, he might not have noticed. With a subtle flex of his power, he forced the intruder out.
He looked around and saw that he was one of the few who seemed immune. He raised his eyebrows as many men and several women around the stadium began standing up and doing all sorts of strange things.
He leaned over to Hermione. "What's going on?"
She looked pleased for some reason. "Veela, Harry. The Bulgarian team mascots. Look over there."
She pointed at the large group of women dancing on the field below. They were all quite pretty, with long blonde hair and pale skin. Nothing that would make him stand up and pose though.
Oh, the magical aura. It had to be some kind of compulsion or something. Was that… legal?
Obviously so, but it seemed a bit dubious to him.
The music stopped and he gestured to Neville that it was okay to let go of his ears. He understood Augusta's warning now.
He leaned back and prepared for a mildly interesting afternoon.
…
They all sat around the fire while Hermione explained the mechanics of roasting marshmallows. The game had been fun, with a somewhat climactic finish despite Bulgaria having no chance to win once Ireland took enough of a lead. Krum's flying was excellent, although he did not display any of his supposed incubus powers. Overall, Harry was happy for an excuse to get out of the castle and see his friends, even if Quidditch still bored him. He couldn't help but think that he would have caught the Snitch much quicker, even if he was cheating with his magical senses.
Speaking of magical senses…
"Did you feel that?" He directed the question to Hermione.
She stood up. "Yes. Something from over there. Some type of foul intent. I think we might need to go."
Even as she finished, a tent at the edge of their vision caught fire and the screams started to drift over the city of tents.
Augusta rose smoothly to her feet. "We make for the forest. We will attempt to contact the ministry from there."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and then at the rest of the group.
"Go, and stay safe," Harry said. "We'll join you as soon as we can. But we can help those people. Unless the Dark Lord is there, they won't stand a chance against us."
Augusta looked concerned but nodded. "As long as you're sure. I'm confident that Emma and Daniel would be most displeased with me if I delivered their daughter back to them in pieces."
"It will be okay. Thanks Augusta, we'll see you soon. Please be safe."
"We'll do our best. Now off you go, Bladesingers." She let a small, unusually cruel smile quirk her normally severe lips, "Put a few Death Eaters in the ground for me."
Hermione looked taken aback but Harry just smiled back. "Yes ma'am!" He said with a mock solute before letting his magic burst through the floodgates he normally used to contain his power and took to the sky, Hermione in hot pursuit.
They shot towards the worst of the screaming, green and ice-blue comets streaking across the night sky. As they approached, Harry steeped his mind deeply in his magic to pick out targets. There were several groups of black cloaked individuals with white masks, some burning tents or firing spells and others levitating people above the crowd and laughing. He made a mental note to catch them when their tormentors fell.
Split up, and work our way back to the center group so we don't get blindsided?
Of course, Hermione was already planning.
Works for me. Don't have too much fun without me, Ice Queen.
He plummeted down towards the group on the far right while he pondered the appropriate use of force. These terrorists were clearly trying to do significant damage to a soft target, attacking people in their beds. On the other hand, he didn't want to end up being branded a Dark Lord. Additionally, they were just so…
Weak.
He decided that permanently but non-lethally disabling them was an appropriate level of force.
He was tempted to get his hands dirty, but honestly, why bother. The first group of Death Eaters looked up at him in confusion as he floated down towards them, his eyes glowing with a menacing green light while his hair whipped in the wind that he commanded.
Maybe he was a bit of a drama queen at heart.
His magic permeated the air, threading through the very fabric of reality that made up the surrounding environment and the wizards below.
And he denatured the molecular bonds of the proteins within the muscles and tendons of their hands.
As one, the Death Eaters fell to the ground, trying and failing to clutch at the ruined messes that remained on the ends of their wrists.
He moved on to the next group as a new type of scream rent the night air.
…
Harry caught the mundane family as they fell, the wizards in black cloaks beneath them writhing on the ground. He was just looking around to get his bearings when Hermione arrived.
"Harry… what did you do?"
"I figured that they couldn't shoot any more curses without hands."
"Oh god. Harry, that's… I mean, I get it but… that was against the policy, Harry. Too far. I just stunned all of mine."
"Whoops."
"It will be ok. We can… put them back later if the ministry asks? I don't know. It feels like too much. This is what Dumbledore was talking about, Harry. Just because you can…"
"Yeah. I can see that. Hmmmm. Well, I'll do better next time."
"Next time-"
They both felt the spike of violent magic from the forest, back the way they came.
They looked at each other and took off at top speed.
…
Harry homed in on the familiar sparks of Luna and Neville while his stomach clenched. He could see a large group of malicious sparks, cruel and selfish things, bearing down on them where they huddled with Augusta and Zeno. He saw green light flash through the forest below.
The policy does not apply when our friends are in danger. End them, Harry.
Yes, my Queen.
He flew through the trees into range as several things happened at once.
He reached out with his power, ready to shred the threads of reality within the Death Eaters attacking their friends.
He saw the green light already streaking through the air, moving slowly to his perception. But not slowly enough.
He saw Xeno already diving in front of Luna as the deadly green light made its way unerringly towards them.
Harry's mind raced. He could try and conjure something in the path of the curse, but there was no time. He could-
He was blinded by an explosion of white, and he squinted through the brilliant glare in awe as the killing curse exploded against a shield of pure light.
"You will not take away my Daddy!"
He and all of the Death Eaters were thrown backwards as a shield of light extended from the huddled group. Behind Xeno, Luna rose eerily into the air. From her back sprouted great white wings of pure divine light, which radiated the same sense of beauty and horror that Harry had felt from the cracks in her soul. Her wide eyes glowed with shining white power, no pupil or sclera visible as her normally serene expression twisted into a furious glare. Cracks of ivory seemed to spiderweb across her skin, mimicking the fractures in her blazing soul.
Holy shit.
Beams of divine light flew from her radiant aura and unerringly struck all of the surprised Death Eaters, making their eyes roll back as they collapsed in unison.
Harry pulled himself up from where he had been thrown, joining Hermione as they made their way towards the group.
Luna had fallen to one knee and was breathing heavily as the light slowly faded, her wings disappearing and the glow leaking out of her eyes.
"Wow… that was…. Interesting…" she panted.
Xeno collapsed onto the ground beside her. "Good job, angel," he said, patting her shoulder. "I heard the Dark calling to me for a moment there."
"I did… too… not today…"
Harry and Hermione just looked at each other, unsure what to say. Luckily, Augusta was not so easily thrown off balance.
"Excellent work everyone. Now, I think that it is past time for us to return to the manor before the ministry arrives. That would be highly inconvenient." She stood stall as she spoke, "We must move quickly until we reach the edge of the anti-apparition wards."
The group moved in the indicated direction at a brisk walk. After a couple minutes, Harry felt a very slight tremor in his magic as they crossed the invisible barrier.
"Mimsy! Toggle!"
Two house elves popped into being beside her.
"Please apparate our young charges and Xenophilius here to the entrance hall. I will take Neville."
The house elves offered up their hands to Harry and Hermione, and they were gone with a loud crack.
…