It's odd how some stories work out. This story (named for an episode of The Prisoner, itself named after a quote from Goethe) was originally a Fate/Stay Night crossover shipping Harry with Medea Lily (which, incidentally, is still on the cards). Indeed, a lot of this first chapter was copied and pasted over from the original version, but modified to include Terra, as well as modified to substitute the story ideas here.

Incidentally, this story is my first foray into WBWL (Wrong Boy Who Lived, for those who don't know the terminology) fics, albeit with a twist: I will rant about the parts I hate and characters I bash or do not bash in the annotations, but I wanted to do my own version, where the WBWL is NOT a stupid, obnoxious prick, and where Lily is blameless for Harry's neglect. It will also be my first foray into Sirius-bashing, though I do think he deserves it at times.

Anyway, this story was also partially inspired by another of DZ2's challenges, The Heart's Familiar. I originally wanted to do it with Medea Lily (even without the WBWL angle), and even considered some Highschool DxD characters, but I eventually remembered an old idea I had. I wanted to do a story where the Esper half of Terra from Final Fantasy VI ends up on Earth, along with the Espers, after the events of the ending of that game. I've decided to make Terra Harry's familiar/girlfriend/lover, hence the tinkering with age. This will be my second crossover between the Potterverse and Final Fantasy VI, with Harry once more shipped with Terra.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

EDIT: (March 17, 2017) I edited this story slightly to change a bit of dialogue. I've changed the pairing to a three-way pairing. No prizes for guessing who number three is, given where Harry's been...

HAMMER INTO ANVIL

CHAPTER 1:

THE AWAKENING

The long-term care ward at St Mungo's rarely entertained visitors. It was where the helpless cases were left to be cared for, but with no hope of them recovering. It was a veritable necropolis for the not-quite-dead.

And yet, on July 30th 1994, the most famous patient of that ward received a number of visitors. Visitors who were more than a little strange, even by the standards of Magical Britain. Well, one of them, anyway. The boy with dark hair and a lightning-like scar and the scarred, careworn-looking man were relatively normal, and both were known to the staff of St Mungo's. The girl accompanying them with the green hair framing delicate features was an oddity, but not much of one in a world of Metamorphmagi.

Given what happened the last time the first two were in St Mungo's, the security was put discreetly on alert. Instincts screamed at them that there was trouble on its way. They didn't know it, but they weren't here to cause trouble. Not in St Mungo's, anyway. But this would be the beginning of events that would shake Magical Britain to its very core…

One of the most onerous duties trainee Auror Nymphadora 'Don't bloody call me that' Tonks was guard duty for Charles Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Sure, he wasn't as stuck up or stupid as some rumours made him out to be, and he was nicer than his father. The problem was more dealing with the reporters that hounded the Boy Who Lived's steps. That, and dealing with the blazing rows that erupted between father, godfather, and son over his older brother Harry's fate.

Harry had been disowned by his father during that whole Chamber of Secrets fiasco for being a Parselmouth, and after his fifth year had finished, had upped and vanished, along with his godfather Remus Lupin, who had been disgusted at how two of his so-called best friends had treated Harry. They'd even allowed him to be shipped off by Dumbledore to the Dursleys, though they kept the reason, if they knew it, quiet.

While Charles Potter had grown up somewhat spoiled, he had managed to get some of his best traits from his mother. And he managed to cultivate a good relationship with the older brother he had only heard about, despite James and Sirius shunning him. So too had a few other students, like Harry's fellow Ravenclaws Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood. But with James Potter disowning him, and Sirius Black refusing to allow him into the Black family, Harry had disappeared, along with his godfather.

An attempt to track them down and persecute the werewolf only ended when they learned that the pair had sought sanctuary in France, and that Harry and Remus had enrolled at Beauxbatons, the former as a student, and the latter as a teacher. And the relations between Magical Britain and their Gallic counterparts were somewhat strained. So James Potter and Sirius Black decided to wash their hands of Harry Potter and Remus Lupin, at least for the time being. Dumbledore was perhaps more put out and tried harder to get Harry and Remus out of France, but for reasons Tonks was not privy to. But Gringotts upheld the adoption of Harry by Remus, and the French authorities made it clear that, Supreme Mugwump or not, Dumbledore had no business bothering either of them. Attempts to overturn this in the Wizengamot were blocked by a number of families, Light, Dark and Grey, who wanted to stick it to James Potter, Sirius Black and Dumbledore. Even Dolores Umbridge, noted for her hatred for werewolves, found her contempt for Dumbledore and Potter even greater, enough to wish the two good luck. Mentally, anyway.

Sirius had her assigned to look after Charles, hinting that he would reinstate her and her mother, something he had dangled over their heads for a long time. But considering that her parents had arguments with Sirius and James over Harry, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, and Tonks only did it on Madam Bones' suggestion, to help with her advancement within the Auror Corps.

Tonks had escorted Charles here because he wanted to visit his mother. He did so, hoping that his mother would wake, despite her being in a coma for nearly thirteen years now. Lily Potter was now thin and wasted under her gown and bedclothes, once called the brightest witch of her age, but now reduced to a condition where she would envy a vegetable.

Charles said nothing, just clutching his mother's hand. At least not until the door opened. He looked up, ready to snarl at the intruders, only to blink. "Harry?"

Tonks blinked. Harry had shot up like a weed during his time in France. He wasn't wearing glasses anymore, either. Charles was stocky with brown hair and hazel eyes, while Harry was slender with black hair and green eyes. Both had scars on their foreheads: Charles had two parallel lines not unlike an equals sign, while Harry had a lightning bolt-shaped scar zig-zagging out from under his fringe. Harry was 17, while Charles was 14. Quite by coincidence, the two had been born on the same day, three years apart.

She recognised Remus Lupin, that familiar scarred, careworn visage, though he looked happier than he ever did. But she didn't recognise the slender girl accompanying them. She had long green hair tied up in a ponytail, and delicate features, a vaguely unearthly beauty suggested by her. The girl was about Harry's age.

"Hey, Tonks," Harry said cheerfully. "Haven't seen you since Christmas at Grimmauld back in '92. How's things, Charlie?"

"You've been gone for a year, and that's all you can say?" Charles asked. "I missed you, Harry."

"Yeah, I missed you too, but I needed to go incognito, Dumbledore seemed intent on me going back to the Dursleys. I wrote, anyway."

"Not much," Charles protested. "Who's the girl?"

"Oh, right. Charlie, Tonks, this is Terra Branford. Terra, this is my brother Charlie, and that's 'Don't Call Me Nymphadora' Tonks. More introductions will have to wait for the moment, though."

Terra nodded, and walked over to the supine form of Lily Potter. Tonks, meanwhile, blinked in confusion. "Girlfriend?"

Terra spoke, her voice gentle and soft. "Not exactly. I am a student at Beauxbatons with Harry. We met under unusual circumstances."

"What, did you just fall out of the sky or something?" Tonks asked. The girl didn't have a French accent. In fact, her accent was…indefinable. Vaguely lilting and musical.

"Actually, yes," Terra said, as she examined Lily. After a moment, she said, "Harry, I've finished examining her. Given what I removed from your scar, she is beginning to recover. But she needs a boost to her core to regain consciousness. I can do that."

Charles, in disbelief, asked, "Can you revive her?"

"Yes, I can." Terra plucked out a green crystal, with what looked like a flame in the middle. "Phoenix: Flames of Rebirth," she intoned.

With that, the crystal flared with light. A massive, magnificent phoenix appeared in the room, hovering over Lily. Tonks had seen Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, but this phoenix made Fawkes pale by comparison. With a musical wailing cry, it bathed Lily in warm light, before vanishing. . Lily Potter's body glowed, and then spasmed briefly.

Normally, coma patients don't wake up instantly, instead having brief periods of wakefulness that slowly and gradually lengthen. This wasn't the case here. Lily's eyes opened, and then looked around the room. "Harry...Charlie…" she rasped. "Moony…Nymphadora…"

Tonks chose not to berate the newly-awakened woman for using her much-hated first name. "It's okay, Lily…you've been asleep for a long time…"

Lily nodded. "Nearly thirteen years…I know…" She looked over at Harry. "While my lifeforce was protecting Harry…I could see his memories…oh, Harry…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry for what you went through…"

"It's not your fault, Mum," Harry said. "It's Dumbledore and his pawns. Potter…Black…Snape…you tried to save me…save both of us."

Lily nodded again, then turned to Charles. "Charlie…my little boy, all grown up…thank you, for befriending your brother, despite the poison Potter dripped into your ear." She grimaced. "They're going to pay."

"They will, Lily," Remus said softly. "We'll make sure of it. We're staying in England for the year. Friends have arranged for us to stay in London until the time comes."

Charles blinked. "Wait a moment…this Tri-Wizard Tournament thing…are you coming with the Beauxbatons delegation?"

"How do you know about it?" Remus asked.

"It's the worst-kept secret in the Ministry," Tonks said. "James and Sirius were bragging about it, and pissed that they're restricting it to those who are undertaking NEWTs or equivalents. They wanted Charles to be in it, naturally."

"I'm going to. So's a friend of mine, Fleur Delacour," Harry said. "Plus, I want to see my Hogwarts friends, as well as the teachers who actually gave a damn about me. Flitwick, Sprout, McGonagall…and I want to stick it sideways to the sperm donor and the flea-bitten mutt."

"And Terra?" Charles asked. "She doesn't sound French, so where does she come from? And what was that phoenix she made appear?"

"It has to be a secret, Charlie," Harry said. "Terra…means a lot to me. But there are things about her that, if they get out…I mean, we're talking stuff that's almost as bad as the whole Parseltongue thing, if not worse. They'll either want us locked up in Azkaban, or else have what is ours taken away from us. Or both."

"And she's your girlfriend?" Charles laughed, not noticing the odd look Harry and Terra exchanged. "Lucky you! Dad's pushing through marriage contracts with Ginny or Susan! Ron's beside himself at the thought of me marrying his younger sister, even though I want to marry Luna."

"Yeah, Ginny's a major fangirl, isn't she?" Harry asked wryly. "Though Susan's all right. So, you and Luna? I thought you'd be with Hermione."

"No, she's with Neville. She misses you. We all do, Harry," Charles said.

"Well, I'm back for now," Harry said. "And believe me, I've got some surprises in store…"

James Potter was staring at a wall at 12 Grimmauld Place, a tumbler of firewhiskey in his hand, thinking about what his oldest friend Sirius had just told him. "He's back in England?"

"They both are, Prongs," Sirius said. "And it seems the Slytherin-in-hiding has a girlfriend. Pretty thing too, he doesn't deserve someone like her. I don't know where they've gone, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's gone to visit Lily. Problem is, Charles and Tonks are there, and you know how they feel about the traitors."

James shook his head. "Charles is already being disobedient lately. He didn't take me disowning that snake-tongued shit very well. Neither did the wolf. Those damned Goblins allowed Moony to adopt Harry. I might need to call on Dumbledore to brew up some Loyalty Potions. Charles is getting too rebellious."

"That's a crime, remember?"

"Only if you get caught," James said. "Nobody caught onto my using Amortentia to get Lily to me."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Prongs, you'd think it was Wormtail who needed Amortentia to land a girl, not you."

"Says the perpetual bachelor. So, potions aside, what do you reckon?"

"Apparently Moony and his snake-tongued cub are part of Beauxbaton's contingent to the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He can't participate, obviously, but they're heading to the Quidditch World Cup for a time, before they do some sightseeing around Britain, and then, for Halloween, they're going to Hogwarts. We can't do much to assail Harry directly, though. Rumour has it that the Flamels have taken an interest in Harry, and they're practically unassailable. We can wage a campaign against Harry anyway. And in any case, there's something else."

"What's that?"

"That idiot Bagman wanted a drink the other day," Sirius said. "He's in deep debt, he had the nerve to ask me for a loan to keep the Goblins off his back. I might do that…in exchange for ensuring Harry gets a harder time in the Tournament. I'd pay good money to see that little shit eaten by a manticore."

James grinned at the thought. And then, another idea occurred to him. And with that idea, his grin widened, devious and malevolent. "Padfoot…how are they going to pick the Champions?"

Sirius, after a moment, found his own grin matching his old friend and partner in crime's. It was the sort of grin that held the portent of pain and humiliation for one's enemies. But little did they know that Harry would be more than ready for them, and for anything they could throw at him. And by attempting to plot his humiliation and possible demise, they didn't know that they were merely signing their own death warrants…

CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:

A pretty dark start to the story. Then again, it was originally much darker: I had James basically raping Lily in her coma, like Buck raping Beatrix in Kill Bill while she was in a coma. Yes, I know, I am making James Potter really bashable, but frankly, I don't think he's that far from it in canon. And truthfully, neither is Sirius Black.

A lot of you are going to be up in arms about portraying Sirius this way, as in most of the WBWL stories he's in, he's a more heroic character. And in fact, I've never bashed him before. But when you think about it, Sirius was probably the worst of the Marauders, nearly committing murder by proxy, and while Snape was no saint, it would have been Remus who suffered the most in that incident. Sirius is really only given a pass in canon and in fanfic because he's one of the coolest characters in the franchise. And I generally portray him as such. But I have more sympathy for Remus Lupin, with my only concern for him being what happened in Book 7, and his abandoning of a pregnant Tonks. That, and drinking the Dumbledore Kool-Aid, but let's face it, just about everyone does in canon who is a protagonist.

As for James Potter, well, what little we see of him in childhood doesn't paint him in a good light. I have done stories before where he is the villain, including Verdant Magic, as well as the original version of Underground's Champion. It's frankly not that much of a stretch to write him as a villain. Frankly, it's actually easier writing him as a villain than it is to write Dumbledore: for all the man's faults (and he has many), I like to believe that the canon Dumbledore (as opposed to the one in this fanfic) was a fundamentally decent man beneath his flaws, and if he had another, less risky means of getting the Horcrux out of Harry, he would have done so as soon as he could. If there was another Muggle relative Harry could have stayed with other than the Dursleys, canon Dumbledore would have sent him there. Of course, this story isn't about canon.

However, two things really stick in my craw about WBWL stories, things that appear most, if not all, of the time. The first is that the WBWL is a complete idiot with arrogance oozing everywhere. It's good for a few fics, but to have it in every goddamn fic (or what seems like it) really gets old after a while. I wrote Charles as an antidote to that: he's still arrogant to a degree, and certainly spoiled. But he's not an idiot, he's not utterly self-centred, and he actually gives a damn about Harry. He embodies the better parts of James, in canon, anyway, whereas this version of James features James' worst properties, exaggerated admittedly, but taken to a logical conclusion.

The second thing that pisses me off about WBWL stories is Lily's behaviour. While Lily Evans/Potter is no saint by any means, she was willing to sacrifice her very life to save her son's in canon. Indeed, this was the case in this story, hence her being in a coma rather than dead. And yet, in WBWL stories, she behaves appallingly. There are a few stories where Lily is controlled into neglecting Harry, but I didn't want to do that. Lily's coma was a means to have her out of Harry's life, without the moral turpitude. She'll also be a willing partner in taking down those who wronged her and her children. Not just her husband and Sirius and Dumbledore, but also the Death Eaters and Voldemort.

We'll also find out more about Terra and how she ended up in the Potterverse in the next chapter…

No numbered annotations for this chapter.