October 1989

It was strange. Harry had been living on his own for a few weeks now and he enjoyed it immensely. He loved not having to live with anyone and he loved this home. Potter Manor was… It was just so warm and comforting. So much so that it almost felt wrong. It felt like this house should have more people in it, like a whole family. Despite that though he still enjoyed it.

His very favorite part about the home though was the library. The library in the home was huge! It was near the same size as the public library at Surrey. The difference is that almost every book had to deal with magic in one way or another. He had been researching wards recently and how other wizards had used and implemented them. Unfortunately, they seemed rather complicated.

So, everything was going well, extremely well; which was why it was also strange that he had never been so miserable.

He hadn't seen Ciri in weeks. The first night when he had run away from home, he had thought it was his fault that he hadn't seen her. However, every night since then he had made sure to go to sleep at the correct time and not once had he seen Ciri. At this point, he was concerned that something must have happened to her. He knew that things in her kingdom were getting tense with the possibility of war against another kingdom.

He was worried. She had assured him that even if war did begin, as a princess, she would likely be taken as a political prisoner instead of being harmed. He knew that logically, but it wasn't enough to make him calm down. He needed to know that she was okay. He hadn't been sleeping well for a while now as a result of the stress. If he didn't go to their joined place, he would wake up in the middle of the night and would take hours to get back to sleep. A problem that was now being noticed.

"Hello Harry… You look quite tired, my boy." Dumbledore said as he entered the library. Harry blinked for a moment looking up from his book.

"Hello Mr. Dumbledore. Yes, I haven't been sleeping well…" Harry trailed off.

"I believe you said that last week as well. Is there anything I can do to help? Is it this house?"

"No to both, I am afraid. It is just something personal that'll hopefully resolve itself on its own… Thank you for asking though. You're here earlier than usual. Is there something wrong?" He asked.

"Oh no, nothing of the sort. I actually wanted to stop by and inform you I wished to have you meet someone who will sometimes come check on you when I do not. You said you wished to meet such people before allowing them access to your home."

"Oh… Who is it?"

"My colleague and Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. She was also a very good friend of your parents. She was actually one of the people who offered to raise you upon their deaths. She would have made quite the caregiver but unfortunately such a choice was too obvious and could have put both you and her in danger." Dumbledore mentioned. Harry frowned.

"You keep mentioning that, the danger. What's this danger we are protecting me from exactly?" Harry asked. Dumbledore looked at him for a moment before shaking his head.

"My apologies Harry, I seem to be having what they call a Senior Moment. To me the answer is so obvious I completely forgot you wouldn't know. You see… in the magical world, you are quite famous."

"What? Why?"

"Well, a decade ago, the magical world was in the midst of a war with a Dark Lord who was terrorizing the U.K and other parts of Europe. He was an international threat the likes of which hadn't been seen in decades… eight and a half years ago, however, he came to your house personally. As you know, he killed your parents. However, when he tried to kill you, the spell he used, considered to be unblockable and irreversible in its purpose to kill, reflected off of you and back at him. This killed him and ended his reign of terror. Because of this, you are widely held as a hero in Magical Europe and known throughout the magical world." Dumbledore told him sitting in a cushioned chair that was near his own.

Harry felt like he should be surprised but honestly, he wasn't. His life had turned upside down too much recently and he was getting used to the random important bits of information he kept being told.

"Okay… So why does this put me in such danger?"

"Well, while you killed the Dark Lord, he had many followers and many of them are part of high society and in high positions in government. They were able to use their positions to escape their punishments which means they still walk free. Many of them blame you for their master death and would stop at nothing to bring harm to you. That is why it was important to make sure you were well protected." Dumbledore finished explaining.

"I see. I guess that means I should start focusing more on my combat abilities before going to Hogwarts." Harry said, almost to himself.

"You seem remarkably calm for being told that there are people out there trying to kill you."

"Well… I can't really do anything about it. And it seems like my life recently is just one thing after another. I feel like I can't be surprised by anything anymore."

"Hmm. I hope that's not true. Surprises keep life interesting." Dumbledore told him with a smile before looking at the pile of books on the lamp table next to Harry's chair.

"Hmm. I see you've been looking into wards and… Interesting, I don't think I have seen such books in a while." Dumbledore said as he pulled the three books at the bottom of his pile. Harry looked at them and instantly recognized the books. They were books that focused on the obscure topic of different worlds.

"Interesting reading choice indeed. I wasn't aware you held any interest on theories of multi-worlds." Dumbledore commented. Harry nodded at that.

Of course, he was interested in different worlds. Especially recently since he hadn't heard from Ciri in a while. He knew there had to be some ways worlds could connect, their relationship was proof of that.

"Do you believe there is other worlds besides our own professor?"

"I do, actually. The greatest evidence has to do with the disappearance of the higher races, several millennia ago."

"I haven't read anything about that. Could you tell me about this disappearance?"

"Well, we have some time, so I see no issue with that. There is evidence that several thousand years ago, humans lived along several other races. The High Elves, the Dwarves, and the Fae to be specific. However, a disagreement caused the other races to leave. The Elves and Dwarves left together but the Fae are believed to have created their own world after banding their power together."

"How interesting. And they have not been seen since?"

"The High Elves and Dwarves have not but every few centuries there is some rumor of someone contacting the Fae and making a deal."

"A deal?"

"Oh yes. Fae were known as quite powerful and would often offer deals in exchange for something. However, they were notorious tricksters and would often betray the people they made deals with. Not always, of course, but it was still something they were known for. It's just rumors, though, I believe that at least some of the encounters are true." Dumbledore told him.

"Well, what about the evidence you mentioned for the other two races?" Harry asked.

"Well, the Elves were actually isolated for the most part but lived for long periods of time and were known for their great wisdom. Most of their ancient cities have been lost to time but there is believed to be one still hidden to this very day under powerful protections and enchantments."

"If no one has seen it, then how do they know it exist?"

"Who said nobody has seen it?" Dumbledore asked with a sly smile. Harry blinked.

"So, wait, if it has been found, why is there doubt in the validity of the story?"

"Because it has never been found in one place or by one single person. There are occasions in history where a magic user will go missing for days or even weeks. When they return, they speak of a beautiful city that they had somehow got stuck in with no memory of how they got there. This has happened on numerous occasions and is usually dismissed as hallucinations when it happens, especially because it does not happen that often. However, there is one thing that connects each of these people's experiences."

"What is it?"

"The way they describe the strange city they are transported too; they all describe it the same way. A beautiful city with gardens, and ponds throughout it. The buildings are made from marble and gold with beautiful arches. One person who apparently went there even drew a painting of it. I have seen the picture and it is quite beautiful, yet the painter claimed it still could not touch the true beauty of the city he went to."

"Wow. I hope I can see that picture if possible. I wonder what those people had in common to apparently see the same place."

"Perhaps it wasn't the people at all…"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well… What do you think about the city itself? Do you not find it strange, the story about it?" Dumbledore asked him.

That was the hint he needed. There was something in the story about the city. Well, Dumbledore had told him the elves had places magic around the city to hide it. But they had been gone for thousands of years. That have must've been some crazy powerful…

"The protections… what did they use to power the protections?" Harry asked. He had learned recently that the magic world here had rune stones, or ward stones. to power the things, they needed. They were similar to the power stones in Ciri's world.

"Very astute Harry. You never fail to impress. Elves were certainly geniuses when it came to magic. They didn't have the raw power of the Fae but their ability to craft magic to their will as well as their believed close relationship with the Dwarves would have likely made them capable of creating their own power sources beyond even what we could produce in the modern day and age."

"But… That's just a thought, right?"

"Of course, it is only my own theory based on my own findings. I couldn't prove it to you or anything like that. I am simply giving food for thought as it were."

"Well, if you are right… Even if they had better sources to power their protections and they had amazingly powerful protections crafted with their combined genius… It still has been thousands of years so… Whatever is powering those protections couldn't last forever, right? So, at some point, with no one monitoring them, the power will start to fail and the protections around the city with it."

"Exactly. A chink in the armor that grows bigger and bigger."

"Yet… Why would it pull magical people into it?"

"A good question. One I have thought long and hard about myself. I believe it is working as a failsafe of sorts. The city is actively trying to keep its protections up by bringing in people it is close to so they can somehow renew the protections. There was a similar spell known by the ancient Sumerians that did something similar though it has been also lost to time."

"So, the cities protections are dying and it's trying to find someone to renew them for it… But why would it be grabbing people from all over the world?"

"Another excellent question. Are you familiar with the story of the isle of Avalon?"

"I think, vaguely?"

"It's an island that appears in the story King Arthur. It has significance for both muggles and magicals alike. The point of it however was that it couldn't be found by normal means and it was often reported in different locations as well."

"So, you think Avalon is the hidden Elven city?"

"No, I merely am using it as an example of possibility. You see, Avalon has never been found truly and it is often believed that the reason for this is that it is not anchored to our world and actually lies within its own dimensional space."

"Dimensional space, sir?"

"Hmm, how to best explain it… A dimensional space is an empty space usually separated from whole dimensions. Our universe, for example, would count as the whole dimension we live on. A dimensional space is a small separated space outside of another dimension though usually attached in some way. Still connected yet separate. Do you understand?"

"I think so…"

"It is okay if you don't Harry. As I have told you, you are extremely intelligent for your age but you are still only nine. It would be wrong to expect you to understand everything I speak on. Especially since you seem to enjoy complex topics and theoretical knowledge."

"Alright, well, if I am honest, I think I have enough of a concept of what you mean but I don't believe I have a grounded understanding." Harry admitted.

"Hahaha. You already speak like an adult. I am not sure if that is a good thing or not…" Dumbledore said with a soft chuckle, though he sounded sadder than happy. Harry decided not to respond to that as he wasn't sure what he could even say to such an accusation.

"Well, why don't we get back on topic. Avalon is believed to be in a separate dimensional space. It then partially exists such a dimensional space and appears on our world but does so in sporadic locations because it is not directly attached."

"So… Do you think the elven city is like Avalon in that it is in a separate dimensional space most of the time?"

"I believe it is a possibility. Did you know that, according to legends, Avalon was originally created by the Fae?"

"I did not but I'd believe it based on what you have told me so far."

"Well… As I said earlier, this is all an old man's thoughts on the subject. As I said earlier, I have no evidence of any of it so don't take it as anything close to a certainty. Look into it more yourself and decide what you think. I believe I have a few books on the subject if you would be interested?"

"Really? You would let me borrow them?"

"I see no issue with it, most speak on theory only so they do not present any true danger." Dumbledore told him with a smile.

"Then I would appreciate that very much Professor." Harry said back eagerly.

"Ah, please young Harry. I am not yet your teacher. Outside of school, we are simple fellow explorers on the pursuit of knowledge and truth, you can simply call me Albus." The Old man said simply. Harry blinked at that. He had never met an adult who wanted to be called their first name by him before.

"Are you sure? Isn't that disrespectful, sir?" Harry asked.

"Not if the person gives you permission, which I have." Albus smiled at him as if they were sharing some inside joke. Harry nodded rapidly at that.

"Okay… Albus." He tried. The name felt strange to say and almost wrong. It would take some getting used to.

"Thank you, Harry. Hmm. I believe I just felt Minerva cross the ward lines. Shall we go greet her together?" Albus asked him. Harry nodded slowly. It would be impolite not to even if he was rather nervous to do so. He wasn't the biggest fan of meeting new people, adults especially.

"Then let us be off." Albus said as he stood and Harry followed suit.

He then followed the old wizard out the door and towards the front door. As soon as they entered the entrance hall, a knock was heard from the front door. Harry rose his eyebrow as he thought of the good timing they had. He then looked to the professor and briefly wondered if he had somehow timed it so they would be here right when his colleague knocked. He put the thought out of his head though as the professor reach out and opened the door.

"Minerva, I'm glad you could join us. You took a little longer than I expected. Don't tell you me you forgot where the house was located?" Albus said in almost teasing tone. Harry still couldn't see who he was talking too since he stood behind the professor.

"Yes, well it has been more than a decade since I was last here. I can be forgiven for not remembering quite exactly where it was. Besides, I was close so I trust you were not waiting too long." An older female shot right back.

"Not at all, Harry and I used the time to speak on a few interesting topics, didn't we young Harry?" Dumbledore said turning to address Harry, finally giving Harry his first look at the woman in front of him.

She was an older woman which he had already guessed based on her voice. She had a stern look on her face that looked like it couldn't be knocked if you tried. She was wearing clean black robes that he associated as the style for most magicals. They were certainly less eccentric than Albus's were. Like, Albus, she also wore a pointed hat though hers stood up straight instead of drooping like Albus's did. All in all, she presented herself as strict, no-nonsense type of woman.

"Umm, yes were did. Hello ma'am, my name is Harry." He told her before holding his hand to shake politely.

"Oh, I certainly know who you are Mr. Potter. I was there when you were born after all. Even after all these years, there's only two people I know with eyes as green as yours and the other person was your mother. You likely do not remember me; my name is Minerva McGonagall. I was a good friend of your parents before they passed." She replied before taking his hand politely and shaking it.

Harry had heard that this woman was a friend of his families but to hear she was even there for his birth was surprising. They must've been closer than he had first assumed. She so far seemed nice enough though.

"Hello, Ms. McGonagall. A pleasure to… re-meet you." Harry finished after a brief pause. The woman's faced seemed to soften at his words surprisingly and he thought he saw the corners of her mouth twitch upwards.

"You are quite the polite child. Professor Dumbledore tells me you're quite gifted in magic already and like learning about different topics. I look forward to the moment you come to Hogwarts and I can perhaps teach you about my subject." She told him. He perked up at that.

"What subject do you teach, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all, I am the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts." She told him. His eyes widened at that.

He had read about Transfiguration already as it was considered one of the main branches of magic on this world. The thing that had him so interested in it was how similar it was to his illusions. Instead of making fake images though, it made real things. Even further, while transfiguration had spells for certain specific and popular transfiguration, like illusions, spell words were less of a requirement and it was often viewed that a casters imagination and willpower were most important. If that were true then it worked similar to his illusions which meant he would likely excel in it.

"Transfiguration? That's amazing! I've done some research on it since moving here and I can't wait to try it myself. Is it true transfiguration is really only limited by your imagination and power?" Harry asked quickly. The woman's eyebrows both went up and she looked surprised by his words before she schooled her features once more.

"There are a few exceptions but for the most part, that is correct. That being said it is usually much harder for most to master than some other disciplines like Charms." She told him. Harry scrunched his brow.

"I read that it changes things down to the molecular level, correct? If that is the case, do you think that the reason that it is so hard for many in transfiguration to create things that don't normally exist, because they are essentially making a new molecular structure without considering if it will remain stable? Especially when it comes to creating complex transfigurations, like living beings?" Harry asked. It was a question that had been niggling in the back of his mind for days.

Ms. McGonagall blinked at the question and said nothing for a moment. She then looked at Albus who simply smiled back as if everything was completely normal, which to Harry it was. She then looked back at him.

"That's an interesting theory and one that's considered quite advanced. I remember reading about such in my days as an apprentice. Unfortunately, there is no correct answer as of yet as there are only a handful of Transfiguration masters and only a few of them bother to look into such a thing while many work on the creations they at least know have the potential to be possible. I myself have not looked into such. Though, perhaps Professor Dumbledore could answer where I cannot. He was the Transfiguration teacher before me and is a Transfiguration master himself." She told him. Harry blinked at that. He hadn't known that bit of knowledge. He looked over to Albus who looked back at him.

"She is correct Harry. In my youth, I actually once spent quite a bit of time trying to create something that did not exist to see if I could get past such a barrier."

"Did you have any success?"

"I did actually though not as much as I wished, that being said, it did seem to be as you suggest in that when you are making something brand new, you need to find a way to make it stable otherwise it falls apart. Another interesting theory for the day." Dumbledore answered with a smile. Harry frowned at the man's words. He was happy he had an answer but it also meant that using transfiguration to create new things that didn't exist would likely remain out of his reach. Nevertheless, he nodded at the explanation.

"I see Albus was not lying or exaggerating on your intelligence. You are quite a bright child; I am happy to see." Ms. McGonagall told him, nodding in approval at him.

"Thank you, I enjoy learning about magic." Harry replied back.

"Well then, what do you think Harry? Would you be amenable to sometimes being watched over by Minerva as well?" Dumbledore asked him. Harry thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"Okay. I don't see any problems with it." Harry agreed easily enough. The woman seemed nice and he didn't think she would try anything to hurt him, despite seeming rather strict.

"Excellent. Well, why don't you get further acquainted while I go update the Wards list." Albus said before walking away. Harry watched him go before looking at the other Professor. He wasn't really sure what to say at this point.

"So, Albus says you're very interested in studying up on magic. Is there anything in particular you are studying right now? Perhaps I could assist you.?" The woman suggested. Harry thought for a moment on it and nodded in agreement.

"Okay. Should we go to the library then?"

"I shall follow you there."

Harry then led her to the room he had been in before she had arrived. He did notice that she seemed to be familiar with the Manor as she didn't seem to have an expression of seeing the layout for the first time.

When they arrived, Harry took his previous seat while Ms. McGonagall took the one Albus had previously been in. He then picked up the books he had been looking at and handed her them.

"I have been trying to figure out how to make various protections but am having little progress." Harry told her. She looked over the books and then back to him.

"Do you mean you are having understanding the material or how one would take the information from the material and put it into practice?" She asked him.

"The second one, I think. Most protections I see are spells but I am having trouble mimicking them." Harry admitted.

"Well, that is because Wards are usually advanced forms of charms that almost always require a wand due to their complexity and the way you constantly have to shift and shape your magic while making them. Jumping to them without an already firm understanding in charms is a little foolhardy." She told him though she sounded like she was making a comment rather than admonishing him.

"Okay… You said your magic is constantly moving when doing it? Do you think you could show me how?" Harry asked.

"Show you? Can you elaborate?"

"Well, would you be able to make a ward right here and now and allow me to watch as you do so?" Harry asked. The woman frowned and looked up in thought.

"I suppose that would be alright. Though I shall tell you, I only know some basic ward spells. As I said, it is quite an advanced form of charms and anything to complicated is best left to professionals." Ms. McGonagall told him. Harry nodded eagerly, happy at her agreement.

She then stood and reached into her own sleeve. She withdrew a wooden stick and Harry immediately assumed it must be her own wand. It was only the second he had ever seen and he noticed it looked quite different from Albus's wand. So, they were likely each quite unique then.

He then watched her start to move her wand in the air and slowly whisper out something. Her wand tipped glowed and Harry immediately started to pay attention to the magic around them to see how it moved. Upon the opening of such senses, he immediately took notice that Ms. McGonagall seemed to be quite powerful herself. She didn't have as much as Albus but she certainly had much more than him.

Next, he noticed how her wand seemed to be drawing magic from her with ease and a speed he likely wouldn't be able to match before it started shaping at the tip and getting released to the outside. He watched curiously as he could feel the way her magic seemed to almost go back and forth and layer itself onto the floor around her. The more her hands moved back and forth, the more condensed the magic seemed to get before she began to move in a circle and continuously repeating the motion all around her.

He also couldn't help but notice the way her magic almost felt like it took shape after she had finished in a spot. The magic she seemed to leave seemed to have geometrical shaped patterns in it which reminded him of the hexagonal pattern he saw in his basic shield that he could create.

After another few moments though, he saw that she was completely encased in an invisible wall of magic. She put down her wand and finally looked back at him.

"There we are. This is a basic ward; it just makes a physical wall around something preventing anyone or thing from entering including magic."

"How interesting. I believe I understand now what you meant about the constant movement of magic. The amount of back and forth just to make sure it is sufficiently layered to remain in place would be difficult. I assume it takes a decent amount of magic to make any powerful wards."

"Powerful wards are often erected by teams of wizards rather than just one so they can share the burden rather than have one person take all the strain… Can you see the ward?" She asked curiously.

"Not really see but… I can feel that it's there. I don't really know how to explain it. I can feel it and even tell its shape and the way you formed it but it's not like looking at it or a normal feeling of touching something. It feels almost like an extra sense that's a combination of other senses melded together specifically allowing me feel the magic around me."

"Remarkable. Dumbledore mentioned your sensitivity was higher than normal but I think he perhaps understated it. That will most certainly help you in the future when trying to learn magic, especially from others."

"Albus said the same thing to me."

"Albus?"

"Oh, um… Professor Dumbledore said I may call him that since I am not yet a student and we were both just pursuers of knowledge and truth or something…" Harry explained feeling embarrassed. It didn't seem to bother her though as a smile appeared on her face as she shook her head.

"That man… Well, in that case, you may call me Minerva unless we are in a school setting." Minerva told him. Harry frowned, at now having to get used to calling another adult by their first name but nodded nonetheless.

"Okay… Well, I want to see if now that I saw you do it, if I can improve my own." Harry said as he moved and stepped away from her.

"What do you mean?" She asked him.

"Let me show you, just give me a minute. It takes me longer to get it built up to perform then you." Harry told her as he took a few steps away and closed her eyes before she could reply. He focused on building up his magic and couldn't help but notice how slow it was compared to Minerva with her wand. It definitely showed the advantages of having a wand. He wouldn't complain though. As long as he could perform magic, he was happy.

He felt his brow furrow as he felt that he likely had enough magic built up to do what he wanted. He started to then have the magic leave him and move back on forth on top of itself, making it more and more layered. The movement took a lot longer as well then Minerva's with her wand since he was basically forcing his magic to do it were as the wand almost seemed to do it for the caster.

It took a minute or so before he believed the invisible wall he had created in front of him was concentrated enough to maintain itself without being directly connected to him. He slowly cut of the connection to it see if he could notice any change like it falling apart. To his delight, it maintained itself and remained right where it was even once it was disconnected. He also noticed his seemed to be a little… tighter bound maybe than the one Minerva made.

"Okay, I did it. Though I only put it right in front of me. Thank you again for showing me how to do it. I think I see now why it would be so complicated. Even ignoring how much magic it took to place, this is a basic one that only physically stops things. I know the more complicated ones can have illusions, compulsions and a whole host of other thing added to them. With how tight the magic already is, I can see how it would be extremely difficult it would be to add such things without the precision a wand gives." Harry said as he couldn't take his eyes off the spot where he knew his ward was set up.

"I'm sorry, I am confused. What did you do?" Minerva asked him.

"I made a ward." He said back simply as he pointed to where it was.

"You… Made a ward?"

"Sure. You can't feel it, it's right between us? Why don't you try and walk forward? I think I did it right so you should be able to feel it." Harry told her as he continued to point out where it was. Minerva's eyebrows scrunched as she looked at him with a look that may have been skepticism. She didn't call him out though, instead she took a few steps closer and reached out her hand. Harry watched as her hand made contact with the ward as if it was touching a wall of air. Her eyes widened in shock.

"It's here…"

"Yep. I've never been able to make one that stays in place. It always just stays around me. I wouldn't have thought of the layering trick to stick it somewhere." Harry commented as he watched her pull out her wand once again and wave it in front of his ward. He could feel magic around the wand release and hit the ward, the magic simply splashed off however and the ward stood as if nothing had happened.

"You actually made a ward without a wand…"

"Well, I don't have a wand yet. Albus says I need to be eleven before I can get my own." Harry said back easily. Minerva just looked at him slowly and he suddenly felt as if he were being eyed by a predator like a bunny in front of the eyes of an eagle. He felt himself shrink into himself at the look but he didn't move.

"You can consciously perform wandless magic?"

"Well yes… Did Albus not tell you that?" Harry asked as he squirmed at the scrutiny he was now being placed under.

"As a matter of fact, he did not. Did he tell you how rare that was?"

"He mentioned how hard it was for kids to learn magic before eleven because it wasn't stable enough and how methods to try and train them to do so were outlawed a long time ago for the danger and low success rate. He said it was fine if I already knew how to do it though as no one had broken the law by training me to do it." Harry responded as best he could.

"I'm not speaking of just children Harry. Even most adults cannot perform wandless magic. And the ones who can barely are able to manage a few basic spells. I myself only know a few tricks and the person who I believe knows the most is Dumbledore. Even his ability in the field is quite limited. Being able to perform magic without a wand is an extremely special ability." She said clearly doing her best to press the importance of it on him.

"Oh." Was all Harry could think to say back. Already, he felt his mind start thinking about possibilities on why it would be so hard for others to perform wandless magic.

"Why can't others perform wandless magic?"

"Several reasons. One, wandless magic takes more power and effort to use then magic with a wand. So, if a magically weaker person tried it, they could easily injure themselves. Next, most do not start to even begin to attempt to learn wandless magic until later in life where they have already spent years using a wand. They are unused to shaping magic through simple force of will."

"So… A wand is like a crutch? It can help you walk easier but if you become to use to it, then you can't really walk without it?"

"An excellent analogy and yes, that is indeed how it is viewed. That being said, even if you didn't start with a wand, wandless magic is still hard to learn because most cannot feel how their magic is reacting and moving the way you can. Therefore, they often have to use a lot of trial and error to accomplish even the simplest tasks."

"But then… How did sorcerers manage to use it so easily so long ago?"

"It is often believed that magicals use to have naturally higher sensitivity to magic and that hundreds of years of relying on wands has naturally dulled our senses to it." McGonagall explained. Harry frowned. So, was he just lucky then to both have a high sensitivity to magic and large reserves right from childhood? That seemed strange to him.

"Hmm."

"How is everyone getting along with each other?" Dumbledore asked after finally reentering the room. Harry looked over and a smile returned.

"Minerva taught me how to cast a ward." He answered back easily. Besides everything else, he was actually excited about that. Dumbledore rose an eyebrow at that and looked at the mentioned woman.

"Did she?"

"Unknowingly but yes. It would seem you forgot to mention a few capabilities of Mr. Potter here to me Dumbledore. Things like wandless magic perhaps." She almost seemed to growl. Harry took a step back unknowingly at the upset tone. Was Albus in trouble? Perhaps not since he seemed to just laugh off the accusations.

"I thought it would be an interesting surprise for you. Yes, young Harry is already quite an accomplished wandless user. His repertoire is not yet that large but rather versatile if I do say so myself. I am pleased to hear he has had some success in expanding it even further." Albus said while stroking his beard. Minerva growled at the man's words again before just tutting to herself and shaking her head. Harry just watched the dynamic before his eyes lit up in understanding. This is just like how he and Ciri acted. They must actually be very good friends then!

"Now, I do believe it is time for us to leave Harry to his own devices. Harry, did you need anything further before we departed."

"No, I don't think so. Just needed more food as usual."

"Excellent. I took the liberty of leaving a potion for you on your kitchen counter known as dreamless sleep. If you find yourself continue having trouble sleeping, you could perhaps consider taking it. It will guarantee you some much needed sleep, at least for one night." Dumbledore suggested.

"Thank you. I will keep it in mind." Harry told him, already knowing he had no intention of ever drinking it. He could not risk not seeing Ciri just so he could get one night of sleep.

"I am glad to hear that. Well, shall we be off Minerva?" Albus asked turning to the woman in question. The other teacher nodded silently before turning to Harry.

"It was lovely to get reacquainted with you Harry. I do hope we can continue to do so next time we meet. " She said with a smile at him. Harry gave her a tentative smile back.

"I agree. I enjoyed speaking with and learning from you. I hope we can continue to do so in the future. Have a good rest of your day." Harry told her as he held out his hand for her to shake which she took easily.

With that, both of them departed together to leave the grounds so they could apparate back to wherever they had come from. Harry didn't walk them out though. He simply sat in the library and looked at his ward. He eyed it before reaching his magic to it once more, as soon as it connected, he commanded it to dispel and watched it do so with ease. That was nice. With that done, he decided to go look around for some more books for reading.

Several Hours Later

Harry blinked for a moment as he saw a familiar blackness greet his vision. He simply sat staring in confusion for a moment before bolting up right in realization.

"Ciri!" He immediately called out as he started to look around wildly. For a moment, he could see no one else here with him and he felt the panic in him start to rise. Then he saw a flash of white in the corner of his vision and his head snapped, almost painfully, in the direction of it. And there she was. She must've been twenty feet from him but he was to her in almost an instant with his arms wrapped as tightly around her as he could manage as if to assure himself, she was really there.

"Ciri, I missed you so much." Harry told her before drawing away for a moment to look at her. He immediately frowned as he took in her appearance. She was wearing clothes that were extremely dirty and even torn in some places. They were clearly meant for traveling of some sort. Her hair which was usually in some fancy hairstyle or another was dirty and looked like it had physical dirt clumps in it.

The thing that most took his attention though was her face. Like the rest of her it was covered in a layer of dirt. This helped him easily spot what were clearly dried up tear tracks that had gone down her face. Her eyes which had always seemed so bright to him now seemed dull and almost lifeless. Her lips which were almost always turned up in a smile or mischievous smirk was now seemingly stuck in a straight line. She looked absolutely terrible.

"What happened?" He immediately asked as finished taking in her appearance.

"They attacked us. Nilfgaard attacked us. Grandmother and grandfather… they're…" Her eyes started to water and her lips quivered. Harry saw what was happening and drew her into another hug.

"It's okay. You don't have to say it. Just... let's stay like this for a while." Harry told her before silently holding her. It seemed his worst fears had been realized. With this, Ciri was now an orphan and considering her condition, her status as princess had not helped her.

He could feel her shudder and shake slightly and felt as she cried into the crook of his neck. He let her with no issue, he could do nothing else but hold her and do his best to comfort her. He had never felt so helpless and angry with himself than in that moment. Ciri was in trouble and he couldn't do anything to help her. He couldn't swoop in and come to the rescue. He couldn't give her any helpful advice. All he could do for her was hold her as she sobbed her heart out and such a realization pierced his heart like a knife.

They sat like that for what felt like hours and they had moved to the ground but hadn't broken away from each other. He wasn't sure when, but at some point, he had noticed Ciri had stopped crying but he hadn't said anything, he just kept holding her as close as he could. After a while though, he decided he should probably try speaking to her.

"Ciri… Would you be okay if I asked you some questions?" He asked as gently and quietly as he could. She didn't say anything but he could feel her nod into him.

"Okay… Are you somewhere safe in your world?" He asked her. She didn't answer for a moment causing some tension to rise in Harry. It calmed though when he finally felt her nod again. He sighed in relief at that as he held her tighter again in relief.

"Good, good. Is… Is there anything I can do…" He tried, though, he could already feel defeat in knowing her answer.

"No…" Ciri answered speaking for the first time since they had first entered. He knew it already but he couldn't help but grit his teeth in anger at his lack of ability.

"I… Swear to you… I'll find a way to reach you Ciri. I'll find a way to come protect you and help you and you won't have to be worried ever again."