Author's note: It's not as early as I usually like it, but this still counts as a Friday update! Hope y'all enjoy this chapter as I got to infuse a new setting with some details from my own life as someone who worked at a summer camp. Huge thank you to everyone who reads and comments; y'all mean the world to me!

WBurrow2008 - Thanks for the encouragement! It's tough to balance Harry's connection with his friends and wanting to tell them everything with what the adults are confiding in him, but I'm glad you're enjoying it as the story progresses.

scrappy8 - Thanks for dropping a comment! It was a tough fight to snag the horcrux, but the golden tint on the patronus may be important.

Quill will 1981 - Glad you enjoyed the chapter! Some of your questions may have to wait because there's something happening this chapter with Harry that won't involve the other students. Thanks for commenting!

Guest - There will definitely be more about the patronus in the future, but we'll have to wait a bit for clarification. There's definitely some tension amongst the group after the last time they were all together, but they find a way around it pretty quickly in this chapter. I haven't forgotten the original timeline, either, even though we don't check in on them often. Thanks for the encouraging comment!

Mewpagano - I love leaving things on a cliffhanger, so I couldn't help myself. Glad you liked the chapter and thanks for commenting!

GinnyPotter6891 - I like to think that Ron would be a bit more aware of Muggle baiting because of his dad, even if he's not usually super cautious. The encouragement of his tactician side might factor in, too. When I wrote the scene originally, Harry was walking with Kingsley at the beginning of the summer and learning from him, so I flipped the script a bit when I moved their discovery to this point of the story. It was fun to have Harry teaching a bit. Having a big fight gave more opportunity to write a battle set piece, which I enjoyed. Harry did prove to be good under pressure, which is one of the attributes I see in him a lot for this story. Thanks so much for all the encouragement! :)

Chapter 85

"To be honest, I'm not inclined to factor in his feelings at the moment."

Harry awoke to the frustrated voice of his godfather, whose whispered argument had grown loud enough to disturb the hospital wing's new patient. He wasn't sure how much time had elapsed since their fight with the horcrux, but his body felt tired and achy. He kept his eyes closed out of curiosity, eager to learn more about what was happening.

"Should trouble arise, having Albus close at hand would be greatly advantageous. I do not believe we should disregard his strengths haphazardly."

Professor McGonagall's words defended Dumbledore, but Harry thought her tone was already sympathetic to Sirius' point.

"We'll have contingencies in place, and you know as well as I do that Kingsley has thought it all through. We already know the sword works, but it'd be good to test out whether Fiendfyre does the trick, too. "

McGonagall sighed heavily. "I would greatly prefer having all of us present for such a crucial occasion."

"Trust me, I get it," assured Sirius, his voice more placating. "Maybe Dumbledore giving Kingsley space on this will help rebuild a little bit of trust between the two of them. Demanding to come along sure won't mend any fences. Between the two of us, Harry, Remus, and Kingsley, we should have enough wands at the ready."

Though Harry didn't hear a response from Professor McGonagall, he could imagine a stern look on her face as she considered the point. Warm gratitude bubbled up in his chest toward his godfather for including him in whatever they were planning. He shifted onto his side and yawned widely, unwilling to let on that he'd been listening in to the conversation as he reached for his glasses. His muscles seemed to scream out in protest at the movement and he felt much more tired than he thought reasonable.

"And speak of the devil, looks like he's done napping!" said Sirius brightly as he moved closer to Harry's end of the bed. "How're you feeling?"

Truthfully, Harry felt sore and drained from the bout with the horcrux, but he affixed a smile to his face and tried to answer excitedly. "Not too bad. How did things go after I passed out?"

"I consider it no small boon that Mr. Potter has not yet learned to lie as effectively as you did during your time here, Sirius," admonished McGonagall after glancing between them. "The collection process was completed almost at the same moment you lost consciousness. I doubt I want to know just how long the four of you were holding off the effects before Albus and I arrived. The other students received a check from Madam Pomfrey and a potion for the effects of their magical exhaustion, though it seems that you expended a good deal more energy. They have returned to their dormitories, though they proved quite obstinate about leaving before you had awoken."

"King took the chest and its contents to a secure location where we can deal with it," explained Sirius as Harry struggled to sit up. "We were just discussing some of the logistics. If we do it this evening, would you want to come?"

"He most certainly may not!" Harry's mood and energy deflated as Madam Pomfrey wheeled around the partition, carrying a tray of various potions and wearing a dangerous expression. "Mr. Potter is my patient and I will have no part in sending him out for any sort of excursion until he has recovered to my satisfaction! The headmaster expressed significant concern about his health following this latest episode."

The matron stared at Sirius with venom, daring him to defy her. Even Sirius' usually unflappable demeanor lost some of its luster in the face of Madam Pomfrey's show of force.

"He wouldn't need to use his wand or do anything strenuous," offered Sirius lamely. "We just want him to be present for an event that would be… Academically important for him to witness."

"I am this close to physically booting you from my infirmary, Mr. Black," she almost growled, her voice low and deliberate. "Mr. Potter has exhausted himself doing who knows what, the headmaster is concerned that the exertion may have aggravated something about his scar, and I will not allow him to set a single toe outside of the hospital wing until I deem him ready to do so. Do I make myself clear?"

Not that Harry believed he could add much to Sirius' argument, but he felt light-headed and decided to lay back onto his pillow before sitting up caused him to collapse again. From the corner of his eye, he caught Professor McGonagall's small smile as Pomfrey upbraided Sirius further and swore that they'd have to get the headmaster to fire her before she released a student before they were well.

"Especially a student with such a knack for getting himself into situations like this!"

Harry didn't have long to dwell on her tirade, because soon he was drinking two potions meant to help his recovery and another that promised to put him to sleep for the night. Sirius had given up the argument and was instead quietly talking to McGonagall just beyond Harry's earshot. As the effects of the potions began to take hold, Sirius walked back to the bedside and ruffled his godson's hair before removing his glasses.

"Don't worry about it. We'll wait until we can spring you out of prison to go on our little adventure."

The last things Harry heard before sleep overtook him were the sound of Madam Pomfrey smacking Sirius' arm and his godfather chuckling as he sprang up away from the bed.

~RLM~

Remus' strong hand grasped Harry's shoulder as they materialized on a grassy knoll. For the life of him, Harry didn't know why he couldn't get the hang of traveling via portkey any better than using the floo, but he was grateful for the steadying hand of his former professor as he attempted to right himself before any of the other adults noticed his near-stumble. With a quick pat to Harry's back, Remus peered out over the wet landscape.

"Welcome to the ATC!" called Kingsley to Harry, striding confidently forward to greet him. The auror gave a terse nod to Remus before leading his four guests toward a series of wooden cabins laid out around an open field and beckoned for the others to follow him. "Those are the barracks just ahead and the arena is beyond them."

Harry quickened his pace to fall into step with Kingsley, while McGonagall and Sirius maintained a more deliberate pace at Remus' side. The palpable discomfort between Kingsley and the others made Harry appreciate the decision to not bring Professor Dumbledore. Despite the tension, the youngest member of the group drank in the view and imagined what it all looked like when swarming with hopeful Auror candidates.

Kingsley's previous description of life at the Auror Training Camp recaptured Harry's imagination. The spartan cabins weren't much to look at, but Harry figured they'd be much more inviting after a hard day learning to be an Auror. There was a long, winding dirt path dotted with muddy puddles that snaked away into the forest that the trainees ran every morning and a fire pit surrounded by stumps that Kingsley said served as a makeshift dining room. Though Harry wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to join the Aurors after Hogwarts, he still found himself picturing his life during a six-week stint at the ATC.

Passing the empty cabins, the group walked to a low clearing surrounded by small hills. A large, square plot of earthen ground spread out before them. It was almost completely bare, except for several pools of standing water left over from a recent rainstorm. Four great wooden posts that Harry thought must have once been trees fifty feet high jutted out from the corners of the square to create a cube. The nearest post had a box attached to its base at Harry's chest height.

"I'll get the arena set up if you all will begin preparing our other materials," said Kingsley with a nod to Sirius, handing him the Containment Chest before walking down the muddy path to the nearest post. "I doubt it's been used since February, so it might take a few minutes before everything's ready.

"Harry, would you like to help me with the arena? It's a fairly impressive bit of magic that might spark your interest."

It didn't take much convincing to get Harry to hurry down the hill to catch up with Kingsley.

"So, the arena is one of the main stations where our potential Aurors do their training. From what I've heard from Alastor, you've been going through something similar in your Advanced Defense lessons." There was a small flash of pride within Harry knowing that Kingsley and Moody had spoken about him. He smiled to himself as they approached the nearest post. "There's enough room in here for a nice little ten versus ten matchup between trainees, but it's a big chore to set up obstacles and cover between each run-through. Luckily, we found a way around that."

Kingsley opened the box on the huge post, revealing nearly two dozen wooden buttons with a variety of pictures next to them. There were illustrations of trees, ropes, and small structures on the left, and arrows pointed in different directions on the right. Harry didn't understand what it all meant, but he felt excitement welling up inside him as he eagerly anticipated learning.

"Let's say we want to practice a tactical dueling situation where one group is defending while the other is trying to break through their defenses. We can set up the arena to facilitate that exact kind of scenario."

He tapped his wand on multiple buttons in quick succession. Within a few moments, gaping holes emerged from the arena floor. Out from them ascended a bevy of structures that corresponded to the buttons Kingsley had just pushed. On the far end of the area, a small, fortified building slightly larger than Hagrid's cabin emerged, flanked by defensible barricades of stone. Across the rest of the arena, tree-like posts sprang up from the ground.

"We can send a few of the trainees to defend that structure and have others start from this side and try to clear it out. All the materials are strong enough to be impervious to most damage, so it's not exactly like a fight in the real world, but it's really helpful for building good muscle memory in a battle and correcting bad habits before we get into the field."

Harry let out a low whistle as he marveled at the possibilities. As much as he enjoyed training in the Defense Chamber, this was far better than the lumpy, gray conjured cover he was used to. With a smile, he imagined Ron's enthusiasm if given the chance to plan out strategies for dominating these kinds of situations.

"What are your favorite scenarios to have trainees play out?" asked Harry, his voice brimming with curious energy. Kingsley chuckled, which was a welcome sound to Harry.

"I love a good round of Capture the Flag. We set up a fortified structure on both sides and populate a lot more trees and barricades. Both groups have to defend a flag within their base while also trying to snag a flag from their opponents. It's a good mix of offense and defense, and the teams always end up very competitive. It's especially fun when we turn out the lights."

The Auror placed his wandtip near the top of the box and drug it downward. Despite the bright sunshine, the light within the arena became dull red before everything faded into shades of blue and violet. As Kingsley's wand went lower, the light continued to fade until the cube was engulfed in inky blackness.

"It's one thing to practice a situation like this when everything's visible, but it's something completely different when it's pitch black. Can't use a Lumos without giving away your position, and even firing off spells lets your opponent know where you are."

"Alright, King, enough with the recruiting talk," chided Sirius good-naturedly. "You'll have plenty of time to convince Harry and a gaggle of his friends from the Defense Club to join the Auror corps, but we've got important business pressing."

McGonagall and Remus had joined Sirius by the entrance to the arena and were examining its outer edge curiously.

"These protection wards are quite extraordinary," mused McGonagall, her wand in hand as she cautiously approached the line where the darkness of the arena shifted back into the brightness of day. "They are some of the strongest I've encountered."

"Since they're warding a relatively small area, we were able to boost their power significantly. It's not like we're trying to safeguard a whole property, much less something as sprawling as Hogwarts. It's important to keep any spellfire contained within the arena, because we'll often have instructors and trainees watching while an exercise is ongoing."

"And you're certain the wards can withstand Fiendfyre?" she asked, her eyebrow raised as she peered into the darkness.

"Absolutely," assured Kingsley, who was tapping various buttons within the box to return the arena to its previous state. "This is where I've been practicing the curse. Scrimgeour was the one who pushed for the upgrades to the wards, and he wanted them to be able to take a beating. Definitely wouldn't risk it if I didn't believe it could hold up."

McGonagall nodded, looking convinced. "Very well, is there anything else we need to go over?"

"The Fiendfyre should be enough to destroy it, but there's a chance that it survives somehow. If that happens, whatever piece of soul is in there will probably be fighting mad and likely to defend itself," cautioned Kingsley. He glanced at Remus. "In that case, once the flames die out you'll need to run in to finish the job. It fought like hell yesterday, so the rest of us will come in to give you support if it comes to that."

The last of the structures disappeared into holes in the arena floor, which splashed muddy water as they shut tightly again. The cubed area between the corner posts was again brightly lit by the sun peaking from behind the clouds. Sirius tossed the chest to Kingsley, who gave the man a longsuffering stare after catching it carefully with both hands. Sirius winced slightly and shrugged an apology.

Kingsley carried the Containment Chest to the center of the arena, where he opened the lid and allowed the diadem to slide out onto the muddy ground. It landed with a heavy THUNK! that didn't match its relatively-dainty size. After returning to the spot where he'd entered the arena, Kingsley closed the lid of the chest and handed it gently to Harry while shaking his head at Sirius. He released a frustrated sigh, albeit with the beginnings of a wry smile.

"Even with the wards up, it may get hot if you're too close to the edge. Might be worth taking a few big steps back."

Lupin's gaze betrayed no hesitation, his stern face marked by steely resolve. Kingsley nodded to the others as they moved further back before staring back into the arena.

"Pestis incendium!" he cried, slashing his wand before bringing his off hand forward to steady his grip.

Waves of burning heat washed over Harry as great orange flames blasted forth from Kingsley's wand and into the arena. The fire began to spread across the ground quickly, building higher and wider each second. The rain puddles evaporated before the flames could even reach them.

To Harry's astonishment, the fire looked almost alive. Difficult to distinguish forms could be seen within the flames. With a gasp of realization, Harry saw that the fire was made up of enormous beasts rushing forward. Even from behind, he felt that the fiery creatures radiated malevolence and the desire to consume and destroy. Without consciously choosing to do so, he stepped backward and away from the blazing onslaught.

From what Harry could see, the fire was wreaking destruction on the ground beneath it. The magical flames grew as they moved, leaving the floor of the arena scorched, cracked, and bone dry in its wake. When the fire collided with the boundary wards set by the tall corner posts, it bucked against the invisible barrier before ricocheting back toward the center of the arena.

Behind the wall of flame, the diadem was completely hidden. Before Harry could wonder how the horcrux would react to such an assault, an otherworldly screech cut through the air. Several of the larger fiery beasts reached the center of the arena, and the diadem levitated into the air. Acrid black smoke belched from the empty space in the middle of the horcrux. The flames seemed to snap at the smoke, which looked to Harry as if it was trying to push away the fire.

More fiery forms converged in the middle after bouncing off other walls of wards. Smoke poured out from the horcrux as bolts of lightning flashed through the darkness billowing down from the relic. As more of the flames collided with the smoke, the creatures made steady progress toward the object hovering in the center of the arena, until a terrifying maw of fire rose from the blaze to consume the diadem. With a sickening crunch, the gaping mouth closed around its prize.

Another screech that seemed to lodge in Harry's head echoed across the hills, before fading into nothingness.

Kingsley used his wand to tap several buttons within the controls of the arena, then swept his wand from the bottom of the box to its very top. From the top of the four corner posts, rainclouds that were already dropping a torrential downpour began to emerge.

The heat of the Fiendfyre kept them from covering the middle of the arena, but the deluge quickly began diminishing the outermost flames. The roiling mass of fiery creatures in the center looked every bit as dangerous as they had before, but Harry noticed that when one strayed near any of the corners, it would begin to lose both size and ferocity.

For ten minutes, the blaze roared in the middle while small offshoots sizzled under the downpour. The rainclouds slowly made progress as they encircled the middle of the arena, partially held at bay by the intense heat of the flames. Eventually, several of the largest fiery creatures sprang apart in different directions. The steam of evaporating rain obscured Harry's view, but he could tell that the clouds were rapidly filling in the gap that had been left in the middle. The Fiendfyre extinguished with a hiss, which was soon drown out by the patter of raindrops forming puddles on the cracked earth beneath them.

With a few more wand movements, Kingsley dispelled the clouds and reset the arena to how it had stood prior. If not for the black ash coloring the puddles of collected rainwater scattered about, the arena would have looked just as it had before they began.

"That was brilliant," marveled Sirius with awe in his voice. "Incredible job, King."

Kingsley wiped his brow and gave Sirius a tired smile. Whether it was from being close to the heat or simply exhaustion from casting such powerful magic, Harry thought the Auror looked like he could use a long rest. Despite the weary expression, he gestured for McGonagall.

"It looks like the Fiendfyre took care of the horcrux, but no letting our guard down until we're certain. We'll flank Minerva as she approaches to check it. Remus, have the sword at the ready. If there's any movement, stab it hard and fast. Wands out to cover her, just in case."

Though Harry couldn't imagine anything, not even a horcrux, surviving the onslaught they'd just witnessed, he dutifully took a position between Kingsley and Sirius as the group formed a semi-circle around Professor McGonagall. All four moved forward cautiously, their wands trained on the horcrux. A viscous, black ooze had poured out of the diadem, but had been hardened by the heat into something resembling tar. McGonagall performed a few quick wand movements before her shoulders relaxed.

"That's another one down!"