It had been a week since their fateful potions class, and the most bizarre part was having an actual friend who seemed genuinely happy to be around Neville. Whether it was laughing his head off while catching bouncing bulbs, or completely failing at Astronomy because "the bloody stars aren't right!" Harry seemed genuinely happy to be near Neville.
Neville had also had his first flying class, where he had broken his wrist and been brought to the Hospital Wing. Harry had, well after Madam Pomfrey had fixed his wrist with a flick of her wand and an incantation, burst in full Sage equipment. Instead, they went up to the Gryffindor common room and Neville taught him how to play gobstones.
Today, Saturday, Harry had walked into the great hall in his black overcoat, golden canisters dangling down one hip. His large, mechanical sword over one shoulder and a roughly packaged thing over the other. Considering the thing was fairly long, Neville got the feeling he knew what it was and it made him a little nervous and excited.
"Don't open it here," Harry said, "We'll go outside after and you'll have plenty of time to get acquainted."
"You're sure I'm ready for this?" Neville asked, nervously.
Harry snorted, "No offense Nev, but if you manage to land a solid blow on me, I'll be very impressed."
"You? I'm gonna be trying to hit you?" Neville asked, slightly horrified.
"Don't worry about hurting me," Harry said, "that's what this is for," he tapped the sword on his shoulder, "Might not seem like it, but Gunbreaking is a defensive job. I'm not gonna do anything but block."
"If, if you're sure, Harry," Neville said, suddenly feeling a lot less confident in his training. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it certainly wasn't trying to hurt his friend.
"It'll be fine Neville," Harry said, before finishing his meal and standing up, "Ready to go?"
Neville stood in turn, butterflies in his stomach as they passed by Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who had looked rather pale since the flying lessons. They walked out onto the grounds and found a place to settle. Neville unwrapped his scythe as Harry popped open a canister on the side of his sword, loading the little golden canisters into it. Unfolding the scythe, Neville gasped.
It was a bit large for him, likely so he could grow into it, and had a pitch black half that ended with an intricately designed head enladed with gold. Two blades, one far smaller than the other, sat flat against the handle.
"There's a trigger to make it open," Harry said, laying his sword flat against his shoulders. Neville did so, the scythe popping open, "alright, let's go."
Neville's hands naturally found the spots he was supposed to hold, and he launched an overhead swing at Harry. Harry twirled his sword and there was a loud bang as a barrier sprung up between Neville's scythe and Harry.
—
Hermione locked up as she walked onto the grounds to the unmistakable rapport of a gun going off. Locking up for a second, she turned around and rushed for the Great Hall. Running in and up to the head table, she breathed "Professors, Pot- someone is using a gun on school grounds!"
She was sure it was Harry Potter. Even if Professor Dumbledore had asked about the Soul Crystal and given the all clear for Neville to keep it, she just didn't trust him. Nothing in any of the books sbe had written described a magic that could make someone who should be 11 permanently 19!
"A gun?" A professor Hermione didn't know asked as another bang echoed out through the windows, "You're certain?"
"Yes!" She said.
"Very well," McGonagall said like there weren't lives on the line. Standing up, she said, "Filius, would you come with me? Ms. Granger, lead the way."
Hermione hurried towards the gunshots, Professor Flitwick having to run to keep up. Finally they reached the spot where they were coming from, Hermione falling behind the Professors in case things went south, only for her mouth to drop open at the sight before her.
Neville was swinging around a scythe like a natural, none of his typical clumsiness, and aiming it at Potter. Hermione watched as he angled his giant, mechanical sword in the way of the blow and pulled the trigger. A gunshot went off, and a barrier formed around Harry, catching the blow. Neville panted, "can we take a break?"
"Yeah, sure," Harry Potter said, "I need to refill my ammo anyways, and it wouldn't do you good to strain yourself too far."
"Thanks," Neville said sitting down and hitting a trigger that caused the scythe to fold up on each other.
"Oh, we have guests," Harry Potter said, sheathing his sword and sliding out a series of bullets from his bandolier, white energy pouring into them, "What can we do for you?"
"What are you doing, Potter?" McGonagall asked.
"Reaper training!" Harry said cheerfully, "Neville's got a real nack for it, if I do say so myself."
"Reaper? Whatever is a Reaper?" McGonagall said.
"Combat specialization from my home, It's what the Soul Crystal Neville was picked by is for.
"And you didn't think to, at the very least, inform a teacher in case someone got hurt?" McGonagall asked.
"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore's voice came from behind them, "is a trained healer. You could say he's quite the, what's the Muggle term? Renaissance Man. I personally watched him heal Mr. Longbottom from injuries he suffered at potions class. Isn't that right, Harry, Neville?"
"Yes sir," Neville said, "You wouldn't even know I had hurt myself in the first place!"
"I'm trained in a lot of specialties," Harry Potter said, pulling out a necklace full of Soul Crystals, "What are you doing here professor?"
"The gunshots from that rather remarkable sword echoed to my office. I decided to come see that nobody was harmed. I doubt barriers are the only thing that weapon can fire. That said, Harry, I do feel the need to insist that if you're going to give Neville these lessons, and I know you would refuse not to, that you have a teacher on hand to make sure it doesn't get out of hand. That's quite reasonable on all sides, don't you think?"
"You're not going to stop them?" Hermione demanded.
"It's always good to have a trump up your sleeve, Miss Granger. So long as the magic isn't dark, I see no reason not to allow it."
"I feel we talk about different things when it comes to Dark Magic," Harry said.
"Oh? Does your world classify dark magic differently than ours? Please explain.
"Darkness, also known as Astral forces due to a common misunderstanding, is associated with chaotic forces. Fire, Thunder, and wind for example. Light, or Umbral Forces due to that same misunderstanding, are associated with static forces, Ice, Water and Earth. What Neville is doing is learning our version of Dark Magic. A force associated with the chaotic."
"But it requires no pain caused on another living creature?"
"No," Harry shook his head, "the worst that is required is draining plantlife of their Aether."
"Well them, I must definitely insist on a teacher, in case you are mistaken and it is our definition of Dark Magic.
"Professor, he admitted-!" Hermione insisted.
"Harry doesn't come from a place like us, Ms. Granger, it is only natural they have a different definition of Dark Magic than us."
Then where the hell did Harry Potter come from?