CHAPTER 12:

A PEACE BROKEN

About two months later…

Swords clashed against each other in the courtyard. Not made of metal, but rather, black slime, even if it looked like black-coloured metal to the untrained eye. But an eye trained enough would have noted that the swords had no real edge, that they were blunt. Still capable of causing serious injury, but not able to cut.

That was assuming that they could cut through the black bodysuits of the ones wielding them.

Harry was knocked to the ground by a blow, his sword dissolving back into his bodysuit. His assailant, or rather, sparring partner, smiled, nodding in satisfaction, before reabsorbing her own sword. "You're improving."

"Yeah, though I'd rather use my magic outright," Harry said, even as he got to his feet.

Alpha sighed, blowing out a breath from her pursed lips. "And there's nothing wrong with that, but it's best to have some grasp of the basics of swordfighting anyway. At least you're better than Gamma. Even after so many attempts to teach her the basics, she basically swings her sword wildly while calling out 'Swish! Swish!'."

"I can believe that," Harry said, smiling a little at the memory of the clumsy Elf girl's antics. She had a tendency to trip over almost anything, even when wearing sensible shoes.

"Still, you did need to unlearn things. Swordfighting does not work like it does in TV and movies, as I have said before. There are various styles in this world, like the Royal Bushin style, but beyond basic moves, I believe that it is better to train one's own swordplay style, to suit one's ability and temperament. They call that the Common Sword in this world, and sneer at it for not being stylish or powerful. In fact, my style is my own, created and refined over the past few years."

"You seem to be pretty good with it, Alpha," Harry said.

She nodded in gratitude, but otherwise didn't comment. He knew of her famous aunt and ancestor by now. Beatrix was a famous swordfighter, and Olivier's battle prowess was legendary, even if her true gender was obscured thanks to the Cult of Diablos' machinations. Maybe she had inherited their potential for such things.

A scowl returned to his face when an unwelcome thought intruded. "Is something wrong, Harry?" Alpha asked.

"…It's Halloween on Earth, I'm pretty sure," Harry said. "I don't really like that day."

"Any particular reason?"

"…Firstly, it was the night that Voldemort attacked us," Harry said. "I lost my father, and got that damned Horcrux in my scar. Then, during my first year at Hogwarts, I had to save Hermione from a Troll. During my second year, the first attack of the so-called Heir of Slytherin happened, and I was the first on the scene. Guess who got accused by that little bastard Longbottom? During my third year, I was in Hogsmeade, and a Dementor got too close to me, enough that I passed out. It's not the best of days for me. At least for me, birthdays and Christmas have been better." Hermione being murdered around his thirteenth birthday notwithstanding, he thought bitterly.

"…I'm sorry. But…even if something happens, know that you have us to help," Alpha said.

And Harry knew that she had meant it. Over the past couple of months, he had become good friends with four of the Seven Shades: Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma. He had a cordial but cool relationship with Zeta, not helped partly by her attempts to have his mother become a god, but also because of her rather gruff attitude, especially towards Delta. Delta, for all her flaws and boneheadedness, was a good and warm person, and while he understood Alpha and Lily disciplining her at times, antagonising her the way Zeta did felt like kicking a puppy in more ways than one.

Epsilon, however, he managed to improve his relationship with. The haughty Elf would never be his best friend, but they were on decent enough terms, and he had to admit, she played the piano masterfully. Dealing with her was much like dealing with some of the more decent Slytherins at Hogwarts. She seemed a bit jealous of Harry's closeness with Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma, and had demanded to know whether it was because of their buxom figures. Harry, as much as he liked said figures, also liked the girls for their personality and, in Alpha and Beta's cases, their intelligence. Epsilon may have had a more slender figure, but she was still quite attractive anyway. But her personality was a touch too haughty and obnoxious for him.

As for Eta…well, she was a mad scientist. Harry was worried that she was going to try and vivisect him. She was also rather slothful: when not consumed by her research, she was frequently taking naps.

The Numbers that Harry met, he had variable relationships with, though he wasn't quite friends with any of them. He got along well enough with Nu, for example, a human girl whose original name was Nicoletta Marquez, and who was Gamma's protégé. A relatively new recruit, she had shot up through the ranks. Lambda, on the other hand, was a hardarse drill sergeant, and Harry avoided her somewhat. Chi, aka Werner von Herzog, was someone he had mixed feelings, given that she was a defector from the Cult and one of the First Children, while Omega, whose birth name was Olga, was like a big sister in a very Tonks-like way, only sans clumsiness.

The irony was, he got along best (aside from the aforementioned quartet from the Seven Shades and his mother) with two outside allies of Dun Scaith. Claire Kagenou, while stern, hard, and old beyond her years, was also a compassionate and friendly girl, and on the few occasions when they met, she fussed over him like an older sister, possibly because of the brother she lost during childbirth. Harry was reminded again of Tonks, albeit in a far more serious way, even more than Omega.

Yukime, on the other hand, visited more frequently, and while the Fox Therianthrope was the epitome of a femme fatale, she was also more rounded and complex than such a term would imply. There was something maternal about her, even though she was only in her twenties and, from what Lily said, wasn't a mother yet. Then again, she was not only the leader of one of the factions in the Lawless City, but she owned and ran a number of brothels, and was apparently famous for ensuring the prostitutes under her were protected and cared for.

"Sorry," Harry said to Alpha, shaking himself from his reverie. "I've just become deeply cynical about Halloween. Especially as they celebrated the vanquishing of Voldemort, even though I lost my father, and Neville, for all the fact that he's a selfish little shit, lost his parents. Not that it stopped him from blaming me and my parents for it."

Alpha nodded, giving him a reassuring smile, before walking up to him and hugging him. "It's okay. I'll tell you what…do you want to see Gamma's mock-up for the department store she's having built?"

After a moment, Harry chuckled. "Sure, why not?"

While Dun Scaith was mostly based in Alexandria's palace, it didn't mean they didn't use the rest of the city to their advantage. With the Mist Dragon having given them leave to inhabit the city, they used what intact buildings there were for other purposes. Mostly for training other members of Dun Scaith, but a particularly large building had been, on Lily's suggestion, commandeered by Gamma to act as a mock-up for her currently under-construction department store chain, Evanescence.

The building had once been a rather decadent manor belonging to one of the nobles of Alexandria, but the vast atrium and rooms were surprisingly adaptable to their new purpose. It was mostly intact, with only some work needed on part of the roof and the windows. And Harry had to admit to being impressed. It was like walking into Marks and Spencer, Selfridges, or Harrods back in London.

It also doubled as a warehouse for their various wares, with the perishables kept under a stasis charm. Gamma was clumsy when it came to physical combat or even walking on anything but a perfectly flat floor (and even then, occasionally, she tripped, making Nymphadora look like an epitome of grace instead), but she was pretty decent at spells for the most part. She already had a keen mind for business: her father was an insurance broker, while her mother worked at a bank. But even before Lily brought back photos and books about department stores, Gamma did a good job on emulating them from anecdotes.

The five of them (Beta and Delta had come along, being Harry's friends as well, and Gamma was also coming, for obvious reasons) entered the mock-up for Evanescence, dressed in casual clothes. Or rather, their slime bodysuits formed into casual clothes. Harry wore a dark shirt and trousers (and was grateful he had learned enough magic control to reshape his bodysuit on the fly if need be). Alpha and Beta wore a white shirt with a skirt, with Alpha's outfit looking more like a school student's, while Beta's looked a little more formal. Delta wore a white shirt and dark trousers, her bushy tail wagging from a hole at the top of her trousers. Gamma, meanwhile, wore a rather glamorous black dress more suited for a ballroom, but she apparently enjoyed wearing it.

Harry looked around the opulent surroundings. "You know, I'm still impressed by how well you've managed to recreate this, Gamma."

"My parents knew a merchant who dreamed of creating a store that was like a palace, offering as many products under the sun as possible," Gamma said. "But he went bankrupt trying. They viewed it as a cautionary tale, but I viewed it as a dream to fulfil. Lily's tales of the department stores of Earth helped me realise that the dream was within reach, one just needed to know how to do it."

"And how would your parents feel if they saw you now?" Harry asked.

Gamma scoffed. "…They disowned me the moment I showed signs of Demonic Possession. I had other siblings, both older than I. They cared only about money and appearances. It's probably why my parents got into insurance and banking. Do not misunderstand me, they were mostly honest in their business, but they were also focused on reputation more than anything else, not about being good with others. I saw my father refuse to pay out an insurance policy after the policy holder died, supposedly after committing suicide. It turned out to be murder, but he refused to pay out the policy to the widow and children, even though they weren't the ones responsible, because murder wasn't covered by the policy. And this was despite the fact that they would have welcomed the money."

"…Okay, that's pretty cruel," Harry said.

Gamma rolled her eyes. "Insurance is a business for making money, not a charity distributing alms, they told me. While true enough, that doesn't mean that simple kindness should be forsaken. If anything, I am perversely grateful to them for banishing me, or else I would not have had the opportunity to do things like this, never mind helping people more directly with Dun Scaith."

"So, what new products do you have?" Beta asked.

"Some new perfumes, various clothing items, particularly underwear and swimwear, and I finally managed to get the publishing and/or sales rights to a number of popular books and periodicals," Gamma said. "Sorry, Beta, but 'Natsume Kafka' can't be the only author on my shelves by a long shot."

Beta nodded. "No, it's fine. I understand that, and my books so far are selling quite well."

"What about the restaurants, Gamma?" Delta asked, her tail wagging eagerly. "Changed the menu much?"

"Not much, just a few things tweaked here and there," Gamma said. "You could happily eat there, but your manners may attract comment, Delta. Unfortunately, Evanescence will probably be only able to cater to those from the middle class and higher."

Delta snorted. "Who gives a crap about manners? I mean, seriously, nobles put too much store in such shit to show they're better than anyone else, when they don't truly act like it. You have food, you eat it. Utensils just make things less messy. At least Claire's okay, but the way Epsilon acts, even now…"

Gamma chuckled. "You do technically have a point. Many nobles or wealthy businessmen have table manners that you'd surpass."

"Maybe you should see how Ron Weasley eats," Harry snarked. "He's got to have the worst table manners I have seen in a person, well, aside from Delta, anyway. And at least Delta's a nice person."

Delta chuckled, not being offended by Harry's words. The wolf-girl had grown on him, and vice versa. Then again, while she did have a bad habit of putting her foot into her mouth, disdained social graces, and was not the sharpest tool in the shed, she was also very friendly, easy-going and warm. In many ways, she was like a loyal pet dog, but he never thought of her that way. It made her seem like a pet rather than a friend, even if some people thought they were interchangeable. Besides, he already had a pet in Hedwig, who had been brought to this world (she had been treated for a wounded wing at the time of the Quidditch World Cup, due to a boobytrapped letter Harry was too careless in checking). The snowy owl was definitely a hit with most in Dun Scaith.

Harry had grown closer to the others, too. True, he was a bit wary of replacing Hermione in his affections, and both Alpha and Beta reminded him a lot of her, in their own ways. But the Elves had won him over with their genuine compassion. Alpha was cool, calm, and collected. Beta was excitable and yet shy. Gamma was very much the epitome of a classy and elegant girl, even if her clumsiness marred that impression.

Harry didn't have that many friends at Hogwarts. In hindsight, there were many reasons why. Most people wanted to befriend the Boy Who Lived, not the one who survived at the same time. That bitch Augusta was also influential, and she had poisoned the reputation of the Potters in the eyes of many, and while most adults saw through it, their kids were another matter. And when Harry lost his mother to an accident, he admittedly became withdrawn and guarded.

Hermione and the Weasley Twins had drawn him out of his shell. And while he didn't have that many friends at Hogwarts, he had more than a few friendly acquaintances. But his chances were still coloured by Neville's reputation, and him and his grandmother trying to hobble his own.

In a way, these four's friendships were the opposite. He had to make sure they weren't befriending him solely because he was Scathach's son, Lily's son. They held her in some awe, after all. But he found otherwise, thankfully.

His thoughts were interrupted when Beta suddenly shrieked. "Harry!"

Harry was startled by her exclamation, but before he could ask what was wrong, he realised it. Blue flame was covering his body. There no pain, no sensation of burning. Magical flame?

Before he could say or do anything else, he vanished in a flare of azure flame…

…Only to end up somewhere else.

It took every ounce of self-control not to have the slime bodysuit go into combat mode, even though he was quick to recognise his surroundings. The long hall, the floating candles, the ceiling with the illusion of the night sky. The four long tables in front of him, and the long table behind him. The eyes staring at him, even as a flame from an ancient metal goblet went out. He noted some unfamiliar uniforms amongst them, some blue, some heavily fur-lined.

But he was on guard. Because he had, somehow, been snatched back to Hogwarts. And he didn't know why.

"Harry? Is that you?"

On hearing the aged voice, Harry looked to the familiar ancient and bearded features of Professor Dumbledore, staring at him in absolute shock and surprise. He nodded. "…Professor, may I ask what the hell just happened? Why am I in the Great Hall?"

The answer came not from Dumbledore, but another seated at the High Table. The too-familiar features of Barty Crouch Senior. "It seems that the Goblet of Fire has chosen you, Mr Potter," the moustached man said. "Your name came out of it. You are the fourth Champion for the Tri-Wizard Tournament…"

CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:

Oh dear.

I had to hurriedly write in Hedwig's current condition and prior injury. I'd forgotten about her.

No numbered annotations this time.