Hello, everyone. ThunderReborn from 2025. This chapter has originally been edited by Darklord331. Finally, in April 2025, this chapter was edited again by my current beta reader, Waroyer123. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story.
The following is a fan-based parody.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, TV Tokyo, Viz Media, and Studio Pierrot.
Harry Potter is owned by J.K Rowling.
All other references of characters or abilities are not mine.
Please support the official release.
"Hello." – Normal talking
"Hello." – Ichigo's thoughts.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō speaking
"Hello." – Zanpakutō thoughts.
": Hello. : " – Goblin Language
": Hello :" – French.
"$: Hello :$" – Parseltongue
Chapter 42:
The bright rising sun gently shone over Hogwarts. The sunlight filtered through a slightly opened curtain and landed on Harry's face. He began to stir, slowly opening his eyes and looking at the familiar curtains above him.
"Am I back in Hogwarts?" Harry thought, sitting up and noticing he was back in the same room as yesterday. "I guess I am." He turned to his bedside table and noticed his glasses were missing. "Am I already wearing my glasses?" He reached for his face but realized he wasn't wearing them. "I'm not wearing my glasses… My eyesight got fixed!"
Beside him, he heard a movement. He turned to see Hermione looking at him.
"Good morning, Harry," she said with a soft smile.
"Um… good morning, Hermione," Harry replied. She immediately noticed Harry's lack of glasses.
"He looks way better without those glasses," she thought but quickly pushed the thought aside. "Harry, where are your glasses?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Harry replied. "Maybe Healer Bloodfallen threw them away."
"She did what?"
"I think she threw them away because I no longer need them."
"You can see me?"
"I can."
"Good morning, lovebirds," Artoria called out from the doorway, smirking. "Time for breakfast." She walked away with a wink.
Hermione left the room, and Harry began to change. Five minutes later, Harry and Hermione walked into the dining area to find the table filled with food. Kaien and Artoria were already seated, waiting for them.
"Good morning, Hermione, Harry. How are you two?" Kaien greeted.
"Good, Kaien-senpai," Hermione responded.
"I feel better," Harry said.
"Good. Now, sit down." Kaien gestured to the seats between him and Artoria. Harry and Hermione sat down as Kaien pulled out a small vial containing a light orange fluid and handed it to Harry.
"Drink this," Kaien instructed.
"What's this?" Harry asked.
"This is part of your nutrition potion regimen that Healer Bloodfallen prescribed for you. It will help with your malnutrition," Kaien explained.
Harry sighed but uncorked the vial and quickly swallowed the light orange fluid. Once done, they began to eat. Harry noticed he felt hungrier than usual. By the end of breakfast, he had eaten three times more than he normally did at Hogwarts.
"What did the potion do?" Harry asked.
"Drink these two potions, and I'll explain," Kaien said, pulling out another two vials—one with a light blue color and the other dark violet. Harry took them and quickly drank both.
"So, what did these potions do?" Harry asked.
"The light orange potion temporarily suppresses your feeling of nausea and increases the amount of food you can consume," Kaien began. "The light blue potion is the counter to the orange one, helping your body digest and process the food quickly. The dark violet potion speeds up the digestion process, converting the food into nutrients to strengthen your body."
"I see…" Harry said.
"Now then, Harry and I need to see Nagnok," Kaien said.
"That's fine. I'll see what Hermione knows," Artoria said. With that, Kaien and Harry left for Gringotts, while Artoria turned to Hermione.
"Do you have any workout clothes?" Artoria asked.
Hermione shook her head. Artoria sighed and waved her hand, causing two pairs of clothes to fly from her room toward her. "Follow me," she said, motioning for Hermione to follow. Hermione hesitated, feeling as though she were walking toward her doom.
Scene Change: King Nagnok's Office
Kaien and Harry arrived at Gringotts and were immediately escorted to Nagnok's office. As they walked down the corridors, Kaien whispered to Harry.
"When we walk in, I want you to bow to Nagnok and say, 'May your vaults be filled with their riches' right after me," Kaien instructed.
"Yes, Kaien-senpai," Harry replied.
The goblin guards bowed to them as they arrived and opened the doors to Nagnok's office.
"May the blood of your enemies satisfy your vengeance," King Nagnok greeted.
"May the Goblin Nation be filled with joy from crushing your enemies," Kaien responded. Harry bowed to Nagnok.
"May your vaults be filled with their riches," Harry said, following Kaien's cue.
"How are you feeling, Mister Potter?" King Nagnok asked.
"I am well, King Nagnok," Harry replied.
"We've finished auditing the Potter Estate." King Nagnok handed Harry a sheet of parchment. Harry took it and began reading. Suddenly, a wave of magic surrounded him.
"Those bastards!" Harry growled, his temper rising. Kaien placed a firm hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Harry, calm down," Kaien said, his tone calm yet firm. Harry took a moment to compose himself. Kaien gently took the sheet from him.
The document showed who had deposited and withdrawn from the account. Kaien noticed that Albus Dumbledore had transferred 2,000 galleons from Harry's trust vault to his personal vault each month. By 1991, the amount increased to 3,000 galleons, with each transfer listed under the reason, "Using the galleons for the care of Harry Potter as his Magical Guardian." This trend continued until the present day.
"What will be done, Nagnok?" Kaien asked.
"Those thieves will have the stolen galleons reimbursed to Mister Potter's account with interest, plus an additional 10% bonus. After that, those vaults will be claimed for violating Gringotts' policies. Depending on the contents of the vaults we claim, we may take further action," Nagnok said.
"I see…" Harry said, his expression darkening as he fell deep into thought. He looked disappointed and lost in his own thoughts.
"Why... why did he do this? Why did he decide to steal from me?" Harry thought, his thoughts filled with confusion and hurt.
"Nagnok, where did the money Dumbledore transferred go?" Kaien asked. Nagnok pulled out another sheet of parchment and handed it to Kaien. Kaien examined it. Dumbledore had been transferring that money from his vault to the Hogwarts trust vault. This changed in 1991 when only 2,000 galleons were sent to the Hogwarts Trust Fund, while the remaining 1,000 galleons went to a new vault.
"Who owns this vault?" Kaien asked.
"Hm…" King Nagnok muttered, taking the parchment and pressing a rune on his desk.
": Get me the balance sheet for vault 685. The owner of that vault has been linked to the theft. :"
"That smart bastard… to think he would use the Hogwarts Trust Vault to launder his money," Kaien growled.
"He is smart," Nagnok replied. "He kept the contents of his personal vault to a minimum while transferring the rest of the money to the Hogwarts Vault, a vault that only the Headmaster could deposit or withdraw from."
"Do we have a sheet for the Hogwarts Vault?" Kaien asked.
"Hm…" Nagnok stood and walked to a filing cabinet. He rummaged through the files before pulling out another sheet and returning to the table. He presented it to Kaien. As Kaien looked over the parchment, he noticed that Cuthbert Binns was still being paid.
"Why are they paying a ghost?" Kaien immediately pointed out. King Nagnok looked at the sheet and noticed Kaien was correct. Dumbledore was still paying a wage to Cuthbert Binns. They also noticed that Cuthbert Binns' wages had gradually increased over time.
"Dumbledore could pocket the wages from Cuthbert Binns. After all, he is a ghost and doesn't need the money," Kaien theorized.
"Even if that's true, there's nothing we could do about it," Nagnok said. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter!" Nagnok called. The door opened, and a goblin entered the office. The goblin greeted Nagnok and handed him another sheet of parchment.
"By your leave," the goblin said before leaving. The doors closed behind him.
"According to this, vault 685 is the personal vault of a woman named Molly Prewett."
"Do you recognize that name?" Kaien asked.
"No. The only one I know is Molly Weasley," Harry replied.
"Hm… Weasley…" Nagnok muttered, clearly thinking.
"According to my friend, Molly has a brother who works here as a Curse Breaker," Kaien added.
"I see…" Nagnok said. He touched the rune again. ": Get me the personal files of any currently employed Curse Breakers with the last name Weasley. :"
"Um… How was Professor Dumbledore allowed to access my vault?" Harry asked.
"He was allowed because your government, the Wizengamot, decided that he would be your Magical Guardian, as you had no other guardian at the time," Nagnok explained.
"Didn't Harry's parents leave a will or something?" Kaien questioned. "I mean, they were in a time of war… You'd write a will in case either one of them or both died, right?"
"That's… actually a valid point," Nagnok said, clearly taken aback by the suggestion. Suddenly, there was another knock on the door.
"Enter!" Nagnok called. The door opened again, and another goblin entered with a file. The goblin handed it to Nagnok.
"I want you to look for a copy of the Will of Lily and James Potter," Nagnok ordered.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the goblin said, and then quickly left the room. The doors shut behind him.
"According to this file, William 'Bill' Weasley is the son of Arthur Weasley and Molly Weasley, née Prewett," King Nagnok announced.
"No…" Harry said in shock.
"So, Molly Weasley was involved in this theft as well," Nagnok growled.
"So, what can we do to stop Dumbledore from accessing Harry's vault?" Kaien asked.
"Hm… The simplest solution would be to change the locks on the vault," Nagnok replied.
"But is that a permanent solution?" Harry asked.
"No. Dumbledore could use the Wizengamot to force us to grant him access again due to his position as your Magical Guardian."
"So, we need to find a way to remove Dumbledore as my Magical Guardian," Harry concluded.
"What ways could this be done?" Kaien asked.
"The easiest way would be if there was a will stating that someone else was supposed to be Mister Potter's guardian," Nagnok said.
"Which we aren't sure exists," Harry said.
"The other methods would involve emancipation," Nagnok added.
"Emancipation?" Harry asked, confused.
"Emancipation is when a minor is considered an adult by law," Kaien explained. "This is typically used when the minor can financially support themselves or when the guardian has endangered the minor and the minor refuses to accept another guardian."
Kaien cracked a small smile. "I guess we do have a case against Dumbledore then."
"Oh?" Nagnok said, intrigued.
"The Triwizard Tournament," Harry said, his eyes widening with realization.
"Exactly," Kaien confirmed.
"What does that stupid tournament have to do with this?" Nagnok groaned.
"On Halloween night, Harry's name came out of the Goblet of Fire. The Ministry representatives and Dumbledore himself insisted that Harry had to compete. Yesterday, we discovered that Harry's participation in the tournament could have been voided," Kaien explained, a smile beginning to form on his face.
"Professor Dumbledore warned all the students that the tournament was designed to test the limits of the champions and that only students above the age of seventeen would be allowed to enter," Harry added.
"Just to clarify, who were the Ministry representatives who were there?" King Nagnok asked.
"Mister Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Mister Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports," Kaien replied. "Not to mention Madame Maxime, Headmistress of Beauxbatons, and Professor Karkaroff, Headmaster of Durmstrang. We were all witnesses to this decision."
"Mister Potter, just to clarify, did you willingly submit your name to the Goblet of Fire?"
"No. I did not."
"Mister Potter, do you want to enter the tournament?"
"No."
King Nagnok closed his eyes, thinking.
"Based on what I've heard, we can argue for Mister Potter's emancipation on the grounds that Albus Dumbledore purposely placed Mister Potter in danger by forcing him to participate in a tournament designed for adults. Albus Dumbledore, the Chief of the Wizengamot, Mister Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Mister Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, all agreed that Mister Potter should be considered an adult." King Nagnok said, pressing the rune on his desk.
": Get me the emancipation form. Also, what is the status of the Will of Lily and James Potter?:"
"While we wait for the paperwork, we have a few more things to look into before proceeding," King Nagnok continued. "The first thing we need to decide is the adult supervisor for Mister Potter."
"Adult supervisor?" Harry asked.
"Yes. To ensure the emancipated minor can handle all the responsibility, they must have an adult supervisor to guide them."
"I believe we've already taken care of that," Kaien said.
"Oh?"
"Yes. I took Harry on as an apprentice for the duration of the tournament."
"That would satisfy the adult supervisor requirement."
There was a knock on the door.
"Enter!"
The door opened, and two goblins entered. They greeted King Nagnok, and one-handed him a sheet of parchment while the other stood silently.
"I've found that the late Lord and Lady Potter did write a will. However, it is currently sealed and placed in the Potter Family Vault," the goblin reported.
"I see... both of you may leave," Nagnok said. The goblins bowed and left quickly.
King Nagnok pulled out a regular quill and began to fill out the emancipation form. He soon swapped it for a crimson quill. "This is a blood quill; it's a magical tool that allows the writer to sign documents in blood." He signed at the bottom of the sheet and turned it around for them to see. Kaien and Harry quickly read the document. Kaien took the quill and signed beneath Nagnok's signature, handing it to Harry, who signed as well. The parchment glowed golden and triplicated itself.
"So... now what?" Harry asked.
"Now then…" King Nagnok pulled out a small box. "You need to put on the Lord Potter ring." He handed the box to Harry. Harry opened it to reveal a large ruby ring, engraved with a coat of arms featuring a lion and the words 'Audentes Fortuna Iuvat' [Fortune favors the bold].
Harry took the ring and slipped it on his finger. It began to glow red and resized itself.
"Now then, Lord Potter. How do you feel?" King Nagnok asked.
"I feel good," Harry replied.
King Nagnok pulled out a large folder. "This is the portfolio of the Potter Vault." Harry took the folder and opened it. His eyes widened in shock.
"This—this is all mine?" he asked.
"It is," King Nagnok confirmed. "Now then, shall we release the solicitors?"
"Huh?" Harry said.
"According to the audit, you did not receive any commission from the various companies that created products based on your image," King Nagnok explained. Kaien remembered seeing the "Boy Who Lived" books in Borgin and Burkes.
"Um…"
"We also discovered that when the Ministry of Magic acquired your house at Godric's Hollow and turned it into a national monument, no compensation was sent to you."
"Um…"
"We also discovered that all your fan mail was sent to one of our vaults."
"Wait... fan mail?" Harry asked.
"Yes. Your fan mail."
"Um…"
"Has this mail been screened yet?" Kaien asked.
"It appears it has not."
"I want you to get the mail screened for any threats. After that, send a few stacks to Hogwarts each week," Kaien instructed.
"As you wish," King Nagnok said. "What about the other two matters?"
"If I may make a suggestion," Kaien said. Harry nodded. "Send them each a warning letter, informing them of the lack of compensation. Demand that they send us that compensation with interest or face legal action," Kaien suggested.
"Um… sure," Harry said.
"Anything else I can help you with?" King Nagnok asked.
"Can you reach out to the Daily Prophet and arrange a private interview in three hours?" Kaien asked. Harry looked confused.
"Why?"
"Well, the Daily Prophet is starting to speculate about your admission to the Triwizard Tournament and claiming that you're a second champion for Hogwarts. I want you to get an interview to clear the air," Kaien explained.
"I see…"
"It would also be a good idea to explain the fan mail you received. I wouldn't be surprised if many of those letters are from students at Hogwarts, and this would give you an opportunity to make more friends there."
"That's a good idea," Harry said.
"Great. While King Nagnok arranges the interview, someone here needs some new clothes," Kaien said.
"But…"
"No buts," Kaien said.
"I expected this," King Nagnok said, pulling out a pouch and handing it to Harry. "This pouch is connected to your vault. Just stick your hand in and think of the amount you want," he explained. Harry stuck his hand in the pouch and pulled out ten galleons and four sickles. Kaien led Harry out of King Nagnok's office.
Time Skip: Three Hours Later
Kaien and Harry were escorted to a private room. They entered to find two reporters already sitting there.
"Hello, Michael. Rebecca."
"Hello, Kaien," they replied. Kaien and Harry sat down across from them.
"Before we begin, allow us to formally introduce ourselves. I'm Michael Carneirus."
"And I'm Rebecca Almeidas."
"A lot of people have been wondering about how you became the second champion for Hogwarts."
"The first thing I want to clarify is that Harry is not the second champion for Hogwarts," Kaien said.
"Oh? But Mister Potter is a student at Hogwarts," Michael replied.
"He was. However, the judges decided that Harry would be a champion of the Shiba Academy of Mystical Arts instead."
"Oh? How come?"
"To make it fair for the other schools," Kaien explained.
"I see," Rebecca said, quickly jotting down the information.
"So, Mister Potter, why did you join the tournament?"
"I didn't. I had no intention of joining the tournament at all," Harry said.
"But how did your name enter the Goblet of Fire? We have various witness reports stating that Professor Dumbledore drew an Age Line to prevent younger students from entering," Rebecca asked.
"There were ways to get around that Age Line," Kaien began. "Look at Fred Weasley, Hogwarts' champion. He's currently sixteen and tried to cross the Age Line using an Ageing Potion."
"However, the Age Line rejected him. So, I showed the students three different ways to bypass the Age Line."
"What were those methods?" Michael asked.
"The first, and arguably the easiest, is simply throwing the parchment into the Goblet itself."
"I see."
"The second method is to ask someone older to put your name in for you."
"And the final method?"
"The last method is levitating the parchment into the Goblet," Kaien said.
"And Mister Weasley used one of these methods?"
"He did, under my instruction," Kaien replied.
"So it would be possible for Mister Potter to have used one of these methods to enter the tournament?" Michael theorized.
"He could have if he wanted to," Kaien interrupted, as Michael and Rebecca were about to write it down. "However, that was not the case here."
"How come?" Rebecca asked.
"When we inspected the sheet of parchment with Mister Potter's name, it appeared to be from a school assignment."
"I see…" Rebecca said, taking notes.
"We theorized that the Goblet of Fire was confounded to believe there were four schools in the tournament."
"And Mister Potter was entered into that fourth school?" Michael asked.
"Exactly," Kaien confirmed.
"I'd also like to mention two things to the public," Harry said. Rebecca and Michael turned their attention to him.
"The first is an overdue apology."
"An apology to who?" Michael asked.
"To the general public," Harry answered. "I recently discovered that any fan mail I received was rerouted to a vault here in Gringotts."
"So, what are your plans for that fan mail?" Rebecca asked.
"I will gradually read the letters and respond to them," Harry said.
"But those letters have been sitting there since you were just a baby."
"Which is why I owe an apology for the idiotic actions of my Magical Guardian, who allowed those unopened letters to accumulate."
"Who is your current Magical Guardian?" Michael asked.
"I don't know who my Magical Guardian is. I was sent to live with my Muggle relatives," Harry replied.
"What?"
"Yes. I lived with my Muggle relatives, unaware of magic until I received my Hogwarts letter."
"I see," Michael said, scribbling down notes.
"I will also be filing lawsuits against all the companies that used my name and image without my approval or any commission," Harry said.
"What?" Rebecca asked, dropping her quill.
"Indeed," Kaien confirmed. "We spoke with Harry's current account manager, who informed us that none of these companies sent any money to Mister Potter's vault."
"Dear Merlin," Michael muttered.
"Not only that," Kaien added.
"There's more?" Rebecca asked, astonished.
"Yes. We will also be filing lawsuits against the Ministry of Magic."
"How come?" Rebecca asked.
"For stealing House Potter's property," Kaien said.
"Huh?"
"The cottage in Godric's Hollow was left abandoned, and the Ministry of Magic constructed a memorial there. They claimed it as a national monument." Michael and Rebecca nodded.
"However, according to my account manager, the Ministry of Magic has never purchased the cottage or land from House Potter, nor have they paid any rent or compensation for the property," Kaien concluded.
"I see…" Michael said. Kaien and Harry sat in silence as the reporters wrote down everything.
"Anything else you'd like to mention?" Rebecca asked.
"Hm… I don't think so," Kaien said, turning to Harry. "Anything to add?"
"No," Harry replied.
"Here are our notes," the reporters said, handing over the interview notes. Kaien and Harry quickly read through them before returning them to Michael and Rebecca. With the interview concluded, the reporters were escorted out of Gringotts.
"Harry, would you like to retrieve your parents' will?" Kaien asked. Harry thought for a moment before nodding. Kaien turned to their goblin escort.
"We wish to go to the Potter Vault," Kaien said.
"Very well," the goblin replied. They walked down a narrow stone passageway, lit by flaming torches. The path sloped steeply downward, with railway tracks running along the floor. The goblin whistled, and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in, and the cart whisked them down the twisting tracks. After ten minutes, they arrived at a large vault. The Potter Coat of Arms was clearly carved into the vault door. They climbed out of the cart.
"How do I open it?" Harry asked, remembering that he needed a key to open his trust vault or some sort of goblin intervention.
"You need to place your Lord Ring on the door and command it to open," their goblin escort explained.
Harry walked up to the vault door and placed the ring on it.
"I, Harry James Potter, Lord of House Potter, command the vault door to open," Harry said. The door began to glow, and it slowly opened. Both Kaien and Harry were shocked by what they saw—the vault was filled with galleons, jewels, and all sorts of treasures. They entered the vault and quickly spotted a rolled scroll in the center of the room. Harry picked it up and noticed the wax seal.
He tried to rip it off, but it wouldn't budge.
"I believe you need to use your ring to open it," Kaien said.
Harry placed the ring in the wax imprint. The wax melted away, unsealing the will. Kaien stepped back, allowing Harry some privacy to read the will. Suddenly, there was a frustrated scream from Harry.
"Are you all right?" Kaien asked.
"I wasn't supposed to go to them… and he knew that. He was there when they wrote the will," Harry said. Kaien quickly understood what Harry was referring to. Harry rolled up the will and placed it back in the vault. With that done, they all left Gringotts.
Scene Change: Hogwarts
Kaien and Harry returned to Hogwarts and managed to slip into their room unnoticed.
"Artoria, where are you?" Kaien mentally called out.
"You're done already?"
"I am."
"I'm at the training room with Hermione and a few others."
"Um… okay," Kaien said, then turned to Harry. "Let's go."
"So what's the plan?" Harry asked.
"We'll meet up with Artoria and begin your basic training."
"Okay. What should I wear?"
"I'd recommend the black t-shirt and running shorts," Kaien said.
A few minutes later, Kaien and Harry walked out of their room.
"We'll begin with a light jog to the training room," Kaien said, already jogging. Harry followed suit. Kaien guided Harry up a few moving staircases, and Harry managed to keep up. They soon arrived at their training area. Harry was surprised to see more people than he expected. While he was prepared for Artoria and Hermione, he certainly wasn't expecting Fleur, Krum, Fred, and George to be there as well.
"Um… what's everyone doing here?" Harry asked. Everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around.
"You don't want us here, Harrykins?" Fred asked.
"Um…"
"It's partly our fault," Fleur said.
"After the first day of training with Kaien, we both wanted to continue," Viktor added.
"However, when you decided to be an instructor for another school, we weren't sure if we could still train with you," Viktor said.
"So when we got back, we ran into the other champions," Hermione explained.
"They asked me if they could train with us, and I thought it would be fine since it wasn't against the rules," Artoria said.
"I see…" Kaien said, glancing around.
"Um… wouldn't this give the other schools an advantage?" Harry asked.
"Normally, yes," Kaien replied. "But the goal of this tournament is to promote international relations, not just to show which school is better."
"I see."
"Knowing our luck, our respective heads will probably try to block this," Viktor said. Fleur nodded in agreement.
"So… have your respective headmaster/headmistress or professors approached you for assistance yet?" Kaien asked.
Fred, Fleur, and Viktor all looked confused.
"I thought they weren't allowed to help us?" Fred asked.
"Nope," Kaien said, pulling out a contract and handing it to them. "The only thing the contract states is that your headmasters, headmistresses, and professors are not allowed to assist with the actual challenges, not the preparations for them."
"Oh."
"It also doesn't help that they could've voided my forced entrance into the tournament within the first hour after my name was drawn," Harry grumbled.
"WHAT!?" Fred and Fleur exclaimed.
"Indeed," Kaien said, pointing to the escape clause in the contract.
"It's as if they intended for Harry to stay in the tournament," Viktor said.
"It seems that way," Harry said with a shrug.
"Now then, let's do some light dueling and then head to dinner," Artoria said. With that, Viktor and George would duel each other, Fleur would duel Fred, and Hermione and Harry would face off. Kaien noticed that Harry and Hermione were beginning to slow down.
"Harry, Hermione. Stop," he commanded. Harry and Hermione paused, both slightly out of breath. Kaien walked toward them.
"Are you two all right?"
"I am," Harry said.
"So am I," Hermione replied. Kaien rolled his eyes.
"How are you both feeling?"
"A little tired," Harry answered. Hermione nodded.
"Anyway… let's go over what you two are doing well and what you could improve," Kaien said. He turned to Harry. "You have a habit of sticking to Reducto, Stupefy, and Expelliarmus during duels." Harry nodded. "But those spells are significantly stronger." Kaien turned to Hermione. "As for you, Hermione, you use a lot more spells, but they're generally less powerful." Hermione nodded. "Both of you rely on Protego rather than dodging attacks." Kaien glanced at his watch. "I believe that's enough for today," he said. Fleur, Viktor, Fred, and George stopped their duels and walked over to Kaien.
"Based on what I saw, many of you are good right now… but there's still room to grow," Kaien continued. "Tomorrow, we'll meet up here at five in the morning," Kaien said.
"WHAT!?" all of the students yelled in unison.
"We'll be doing physical workouts to strengthen your bodies," Kaien said. "Anyway, let's wash up and head to dinner." He pointed to the showers that magically appeared. They all nodded and walked toward the showers.
"It's a good thing you can change certain things in the castle," Kaien commented once everyone entered the showers.
"Indeed. All that effort to improve the wards and regain control of Hogwarts was worth it," Artoria replied.
Soon everyone came out of the showers, cleaned and refreshed. They walked toward the Great Hall.
"So, where are we going to sit?" Harry asked.
"Hm…" Kaien thought for a moment.
"Do you think you can add a table just for us in the Great Hall?" Kaien asked.
"Easy," Artoria replied.
"Don't worry about it," Kaien said. They entered the Great Hall, which appeared normal at first glance. However, in the far-right corner, there was a small table.
"We'll sit at that small table. All of you are welcome to join us," Kaien invited.
"Sure," Fleur said immediately. Viktor nodded.
Fred and George exchanged a glance before speaking.
"Us too," they said simultaneously.
Everyone walked toward the small table, and the chatter in the Great Hall died down as everyone noticed them heading to the isolated table.
"Fred, George. Where are you going?" someone called out. Everyone turned to see Ron.
"We're going—"
"To sit down—"
"And eat dinner, Ronkinns."
"Why are you going over there? Sit with your fellow Gryffindors," Ron said.
"Well, you see, Ronkinns…"
"We're just making friends—"
"With our foreign guests."
"Isn't that the purpose—"
"Of this tournament?"
"Indeed." Ron turned around just in time to see Professor McGonagall standing behind them.
"That indeed is the purpose of this tournament. To promote friendship with the other schools. Forty points to Gryffindor for promoting the spirit of this tournament." With that, everyone sat down at their table and began to eat dinner.
"Mademoiselle Delacour," Fleur turned to see her headmistress standing behind them.
"Good evening, Headmistress Maxime," Fleur replied.
"Where were you? I've been looking for you all day," Madame Maxime said.
"I apologize. I was training with my friends," Fleur replied. Madame Maxime seemed shocked.
"I see… I wish to speak with you after dinner at the carriage."
"Very well, Madam. See you then," Fleur said, returning to her meal. It was clear that Madame Maxime was annoyed by Fleur's behavior. Madame Maxime turned and walked toward the Professor's table. Right behind her, Professor Karkaroff approached their table.
"What are you doing, Viktor?" Professor Karkaroff asked.
"I'm eating with my friends," Viktor replied. Professor Karkaroff frowned at Viktor's answer.
"I will need to see you after dinner," he said.
"Very well," Viktor said, resuming his meal. Professor Karkaroff sneered and walked away.
"You do know your respective heads are going to lecture you both about this," Kaien said, once Professor Karkaroff was out of hearing range.
"We know," Fleur said.
"But what can they do to stop us from being friends?" Viktor said.
"Could they invoke the contract?" Hermione asked.
"Nope," Kaien replied. "Nothing in the contract states that the champions can't be friends."
"Can you keep an eye on them with the wards?" Kaien asked Artoria.
"I can. Both the ship and carriage are within the wards," Artoria replied.
Kaien nodded and continued eating. Soon, everyone finished their dinner. They stood up and left the Great Hall. Everyone said their goodbyes. Fleur and Viktor walked out of Hogwarts, while the others headed upstairs. Fred and George left the group, continuing to walk a few more floors. Kaien, Artoria, Hermione, and Harry returned to their dorm. Hermione and Harry entered their room, and Artoria sat down, focusing on her two students.
Scene Change: Beauxbatons Carriage
(Entire conversation in French)
Fleur entered the carriage. The interior was much larger than its exterior suggested. The walls were a soft cream color, with sky-blue furniture scattered around. On the walls, paintings of famous French landmarks added a touch of elegance. The room was illuminated by candles set in golden fixtures. The students were scattered around: some were doing homework, others were chatting. It was a relaxed atmosphere until someone noticed Fleur entering. The calm atmosphere quickly vanished, and all eyes were on her.
"She's waiting for you in her room," one of the students said.
"Thank you," Fleur replied as she walked away. She made her way down a hallway leading to the sleeping quarters. Soon, she arrived at a door with the words "Madam Maxime" written on it. Fleur knocked.
"Enter."
Fleur opened the door to find Madam Maxime sitting at her desk.
"Close the door behind you and sit," Madam Maxime instructed. Fleur obeyed, closing the door and sitting down.
"Why… why were you fraternizing with the enemy?" Madam Maxime asked.
"Because they are my friends," Fleur replied.
"No! They are not your friends. They are your competition. They make you think you're their friend to learn your strengths and weaknesses," she argued.
"No, they're not," Fleur countered. "I've already sparred with Kaien, and he knew my weaknesses before I even became a champion. He was willing to train me."
"ENOUGH!" Madam Maxime slammed her hand on the desk. "You will cease all communication with them."
"Or what?" Fleur shot back.
"You will no longer receive the benefits of being part of Beauxbatons," Madam Maxime threatened. Fleur glared at her.
"You wouldn't dare." Madam Maxime pulled out a sheet of paper and signed it. She handed it to Fleur. The parchment read:
"Effective immediately, Fleur Delacour is hereby banished from the Beauxbatons carriage. She is banished for purposely fraternizing with her opponents in the Triwizard Tournament and revealing secrets of Beauxbatons to her competitors."
Fleur glared at the paper before storming out. When she entered her room, she found all of her belongings already packed. She grabbed them and walked out. As she left, she felt the eyes of the Beauxbatons students on her, many of them filled with glee at her banishment. Fleur sighed as she walked out of the carriage, heading toward Hogwarts. On her way, she bumped into Viktor, who was also carrying his belongings.
"So, you also got kicked out for being friends with them?" Fleur asked in English.
"Indeed," Viktor replied. They continued walking toward Hogwarts. The large wooden door opened to reveal Kaien and Artoria standing there.
"I guess your respective heads kicked you out?" Kaien asked. They both nodded. "Come on. We have space in our quarters." Kaien and Artoria led them up the stairs. They arrived at the painting of the Black Knight.
"Avalon," Kaien said.
The Black Knight nodded and opened the way. They entered their room.
"Both of your rooms are down the hall. There's a plaque on each door," Kaien explained.
"Thank you," Viktor and Fleur said.
"No problem," Kaien replied. They began walking down the hall toward their rooms.
"Wait." Kaien's voice stopped them. They turned around to see him with a sinister smile. "Do you two want to get back at them?"
"How?" Fleur asked.
"With the one thing every celebrity hates," Kaien said with a grin. Viktor's eyes widened with realization.
"You mean an interview?"
"Exactly." Fleur and Viktor stood there, contemplating the idea. After a moment, they nodded.
With that, they headed toward the Floo. Artoria stood by, amused at their plan for revenge.
Scene Change: The Next Morning
It was early dawn at Hogwarts. The morning sun had yet to rise. Kaien was leading a long run around the Black Lake. Behind him were Viktor, Fred, George, Harry, Fleur, and Hermione, jogging to keep up. Artoria was at the back, making sure no one fell behind.
"Come on! We're almost done with the run. Fifty more meters (164ft) to go!" Kaien yelled.
Soon, they finished the run.
"All right, now cool down. Keep walking and control your breathing," Kaien instructed. He had to remind them a few times. Finally, everyone stopped to do cool-down stretches.
"Good job, everyone," Kaien said. "Let's take a quick shower and head to breakfast." They nodded and made their way toward the castle.
An hour later, everyone met at their table in the Great Hall. Students from the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables glared at Viktor and Fleur, who sat at their own table, ignoring the stares as they ate.
The sound of wings flapping soon filled the Hall. Owls swooped down, delivering letters and packages to the students. A large package landed in front of Harry. Many students who couldn't afford a subscription or didn't have one were puzzled when they received the Daily Prophet, the only newspaper in Magical Britain. Kaien had paid extra to ensure that everyone, even those who typically didn't receive the paper, would get a copy of this edition.
One glance at the front page and everyone had a variety of reactions. There were two major headlines:
"Madam Maxime, Headmistress of Beauxbatons, and Professor Karkaroff, Headmaster of Durmstrang, punish their champions for becoming friends with Hogwarts's and Shiba Academy's champions."
The other read:
"First Official Interview with Harry Potter: The Truth and Lies Over the Years."
At the Professor's table, Madam Maxime and Professor Karkaroff glared at the table where their champions sat, ignoring the chaos they had caused. Hermione, however, focused on the second headline, as it was about her best friend—and crush.
"So, those packages you just received… those are the old letters, right?" Hermione asked once she finished reading the article.
"They are," Harry confirmed. "Gringotts has already scanned them for anything harmful." Hermione nodded.
Soon, everyone finished breakfast and left the Great Hall. They headed for the library.
"So, any ideas on what the first task might be?" Harry asked.
"Based on past tournaments, it's usually some sort of creature challenge, and it often ends with at least one champion dying," Hermione said, with a thoughtful expression.
"Now that you mention it," Fred said, "Charlie mentioned something during the Quidditch World Cup… something about seeing him more."
"Doesn't your brother work at a dragon reserve?" Harry added.
Fleur's eyes widened with realization.
"Are those idiots insane?" Fleur blurted out. Everyone turned to look at her.
"They'll have us face a dragon."
"Knowing these idiots," Kaien interjected, "they'll use mother dragons, making them even more ferocious and dramatic for the audience." The champions stared at Kaien. Slowly, the blood drained from their faces as they realized how much sense Kaien's words made.
"Let's go see if we can find any books on dealing with dragons," Hermione suggested. They all walked over to Madam Prince's desk.
"Hello, Miss Granger. What can I do for you?" Madam Prince asked.
"Hello, Madam Prince. We were wondering if you have any books on dragons," Hermione asked. Madam Prince studied Hermione for a moment before looking at the other champions standing behind her. She sighed and stood up, pulling a book from the shelf. She flipped through it and began writing titles and locations on a sheet of parchment. She handed it to Hermione.
"These are all the books we have on dragons, both in the library and the Restricted Section," she explained. Hermione took the list.
"Thank you," Hermione said. The group spent the next twenty minutes gathering the books listed by Madam Prince. Harry and Hermione recognized some of the books—they were the same ones Hagrid had used when he was taking care of Norbert. They sat down at their table with their stacks of books and dove into them. As they skimmed, they made notes on everything that could be important for dealing with a dragon. In the end, they learned a lot about dragons. A few key points stood out: their skin is magic-resistant, and their eyes are the only weak point when it comes to magic. Dragons could also be easily distracted by animals or certain magic.
Hermione came across a unique theory that would only be useful for Harry. It suggested that dragons might understand Parseltongue. She quickly showed Harry the theory.
"But Hermione, remember when I accidentally revealed that I was a Parseltongue? Everyone shunned me for the rest of the year," Harry said.
"I know that, Harry. But it doesn't matter what the public thinks. What matters are those you consider your friends and family," Hermione replied.
"Hermione, I'll consider it as another option."
Hermione nodded and went back to reading. They had received special permission from Madam Prince to have lunch in the library, and they used the time to develop a few ideas for dealing with a dragon.
"All right, guys, enough studying for today," Kaien said, standing up. "Let's do some more training." The group followed him and returned any unnecessary books to Madam Prince. Hermione and Fleur checked out a few more books.
"Artoria, do you think you can create a dragon illusion in the training corridor?" Kaien asked.
"I could… though it wouldn't be viable for them to train against," Artoria replied.
"It's fine. The illusion will give them a taste of what's to come," Kaien said.
"If you say so."
They soon arrived at the training corridor. Viktor opened the door, only to be greeted by the illusion of a dragon. The dragon stared at them and let out a deafening roar.
"RRRRROOOOOOAAAAARR!"
The group turned around and ran. Kaien and Artoria stood there, unmoved. The dragon turned to face them.
"Begone," Artoria commanded. The dragon nodded and disappeared. Kaien turned to the terrified students.
"That—that was an illusion," Fleur said, her voice shaky.
"It was," Kaien confirmed.
"Why did you do that?" Hermione asked, still calming herself. They all entered the training corridor.
"Simple," Kaien said, turning to face the four champions. "When you see your dragon, it will not be tame. It will be wild, ready to attack. You must act immediately before the dragon attacks you." He paused, then added, "For now, I want you to expand your strategies for dealing with a dragon. Use this time to try out powerful spells on small moving targets."
They all nodded, understanding where Kaien was coming from. "The eyes are one of the dragon's weak points. You should also think about ways to distract the dragon through its five senses."
Just then, four rooms appeared in front of them.
"To make this a challenge, each of you will enter one of these rooms and keep your plans secret from the others," Kaien instructed. "Don't worry—I promise not to tell the other champions your strategy." The champions nodded, and each entered a room with their assistants. Kaien followed Viktor into his room.
"So, what's your plan?" Kaien asked.
"I'm going to use the Conjunctivitis Curse on the dragon. With its eyes closed, I'll run past it," Viktor said.
"Hm…" Kaien mused. "Using that curse is a good idea. It targets their eyes, their weak point. But is that enough?"
"Seems like a good idea. Do you have any backup plans?" Viktor asked.
"I'll use other spells to attack the dragon, hoping for a direct hit to the eyes," Viktor suggested.
"But will you be able to aim for the eyes?" Kaien thought. "Do you need my help with anything?"
"Do you have something to practice aiming at?" Viktor asked.
"Hm…" Kaien said. He conjured a flock of small birds, which took flight. Viktor aimed at them.
"Rosea oculus [Pink-eye," Viktor cast. The birds easily dodged the spell. "Rosea oculus!" he repeated, continuing to cast the spell as the birds flew around. Kaien left the room and entered Fleur's.
"So, what's your plan?" Kaien asked.
"I'm planning to make the dragon fall asleep," Fleur said.
"How are you going to do that?"
"I'll use the Deep Sleep spell to force it to sleep."
"Hm… is that your only strategy?" Kaien asked.
"It is."
"Hm…" Kaien thought. "According to From Egg to Inferno: A Dragon-Keeper's Guide, dragons are known to have six senses, five of which are similar to a human's." Fleur nodded, recalling that part of the book.
"What does that have to do with this?" Fleur asked.
"You could also sing to help induce sleep," Kaien suggested. Fleur nodded. "If that doesn't work, you could use various charms to confuse the dragon's senses. Maybe spells that create loud noises to distract it."
"Hm… good. Can you conjure an animal that mimics a dragon?" Kaien asked. He conjured an elephant. Fleur nodded.
"I can do this," Fleur thought, pointing her wand at the elephant.
"Sommeil Profond [Deep Sleep," Fleur cast. The elephant stared at her before swatting her with its trunk. The elephant turned and slowly walked away. Fleur growled and chased after it. Kaien chuckled and left the room, heading into Fred and George's.
"What do you two need?" Kaien asked.
"Well, we were thinking about using a combination of the Disillusionment and Silencing Charms," Fred said.
"Hm…" Kaien thought. "That's a good idea—those spells will help you hide from the dragon."
"How will you distract the dragon?" Kaien asked.
"We could transfigure some animals to attack the dragon," George suggested.
"While the dragon is distracted, I'll cast the charms and sneak behind it," Fred added.
"Good start… but do you have any backup plans?" Kaien asked.
"Quick question. Are we allowed to bring anything into the task?" Fred asked.
"Nope. You're only allowed to bring a wand with you."
"Oh," Fred said.
"Why?" Kaien asked.
"I was planning to bring some of our inventions to use against the dragon."
"Hm…" Kaien pulled out the contract and looked at the rules for the tournament. "When you enter the task, you're only allowed a wand. But it doesn't mean you can't summon them," Kaien said. Fred's and George's eyes widened with realization.
"You're saying that I…" Fred started.
"He could use our inventions…"
"In the task?" Kaien glared at them for a moment before he whacked both of them on the head.
"OW!" They yelled. Before they could retort, they remembered Kaien's dislike of their twin speak. "Sorry," they replied.
"Yes, you can use your inventions in the task," Kaien said. "Remember to use the Amplifying Charm to advertise them at the end of the task," he added as he walked out of the room. Both Fred and George began pulling out parchment and sat down, planning what they could use against a dragon. Kaien entered the fourth and final room. Harry and Hermione were sitting down, looking over their notes.
"Hermione, I don't think I can cast these spells strong enough to affect a dragon," Harry said.
"Harry, you can. You need to believe in yourself. Remember what Professor Lupin told us about the Patronus spell? Not many wizards or witches are strong enough to cast wisps, but you managed to cast a fully corporeal one," Hermione reasoned.
"I-I guess you're right," Harry replied.
"So, what do you two lovebirds have in mind?" Kaien asked. They both turned to see Kaien standing there.
"Um…"
"We were just discussing some spells or techniques past Dragon Keepers used to control dragons," Hermione replied. She handed the sheet to Kaien to look at.
"I see," Kaien said. "But I also noticed something interesting here," he continued. "All of these appear to be secondary options." Kaien stared at them. "So, what's the first option?" They looked at each other for a few moments.
"Hermione read in an older book that a Parseltongue could communicate with a dragon," Harry said.
"And I assume you can speak Parseltongue," Kaien said.
"I can."
"$: So, can you understand me? :$" Kaien hissed in Parseltongue. They both widened their eyes in shock. "$: Well? Can you? :$"
"I can," Harry replied.
"$: Then reply in Parseltongue. :$" Kaien replied. Harry stood there for a moment.
"$: I :$" Harry started to say in Parseltongue. "Can," Harry finished in English.
"Hm…" Kaien said. "When did you use Parseltongue?" Kaien asked.
"When I'm with a snake," Harry said.
"I believe right now you're mentally associating Parseltongue with the presence of an actual snake," Kaien said as he summoned a garden snake.
"$: Where am I? :$" The garden snake hissed.
"$: Hello snake. My name is Kaien. I'm trying to help my friend speak in the Serpent's tongue. Are you ok with that? :$" Kaien asked. The garden snake turned to Kaien.
"$: A speaker!" The garden hissed before turning to Harry. "I will be honored to help a young speaker. :$"
"$: Thank you. :$" Kaien thanked. He motioned for Hermione's arm. Hermione cautiously moved her arm toward Kaien. She knew what Kaien was about to do. The garden snake slowly slithered over to Hermione's arm. She flinched as soon as the snake touched her arm but remained calm as the snake gently wrapped itself around her arm.
"Good luck you two," Kaien said as he left the room.
"Kisara. Valiona. Mysteria, what do you think about their strategies?" Kaien asked.
"Harry's idea of speaking to the dragons may be the most successful…" Kisara said.
"But his idea will be more dangerous in the future," Mysteria said.
"How so?" Valiona asked.
"Because of their Dark Lord Tom," Mysteria said. "During his reign of terror, the public found out that he was a Parseltongue. The Ministry of Magic, in its infinite wisdom, labeled Parseltongue as Dark Magic," Mysteria explained.
"That would explain all the books in Parseltongue we found in that shady place," Kaien said.
"Indeed," Mysteria replied.
"What about the other three champions' plans?" Kaien asked.
"Victor's and Fred's plans for their dragon are the most dangerous," Kisara said.
"Victor's curse may cause the dragon to go out of control, rampaging around the arena, trying to use its sense of hearing and smell to find him," Valiona said. Kaien nodded his head in agreement with their assessment.
"And Fred's?"
"We don't know what they're planning to use on the dragon," Valiona said.
"From what I've heard from the other students about their 'pranks,' I may feel sorry for the dragons," Kaien added.
"What about Fleur's?"
"Her idea is also a good one. But the issue is that even though the dragon is asleep, it can still act based on muscle memory," Mysteria said. Kisara and Valiona agreed with Mysteria.
"Do you think you can help them?" Kaien asked.
"Harry's the only one we can help for certain," Kisara said.
"We are significantly stronger than these dragons," Valiona said.
"However, if they manage to affect you two, then it's certain they can affect those dragons," Kaien countered.
"They may feel self-conscious if they aren't able to affect us," Valiona said.
"Maybe we should let them know that these dragons are significantly stronger than the ones they'll face in the tournament."
"If we do that, we need to make sure this information doesn't get revealed to the public," Kaien said.
"If we were going to do this, we need to see if they have any Occlumency barriers," Mysteria said.
"We should also have a contract to make sure they don't accidentally say it," Kaien added. He went to a nearby table and wrote out the contract for everyone to sign. Kaien knocked on the first door.
"Come in!" Victor shouted from the other side of the door. Kaien opened the door to see most of the birds had been shot down.
"What do you need?"
"I have certain things that will help all of you survive the impending tasks," Kaien started. "But I realized that I need a way to prevent those 'things' from being revealed to the public." Kaien handed Victor the contract.
"I agree to undergo a Legilimency attack to test the strength of my Occlumency barrier. I will not reveal any information or knowledge I've learned from Kaien Shiba or Artoria Shiba without both of their consent. Kaien Shiba will not use any knowledge obtained from the Legilimency attack to harm the signer." Victor quickly signed the contract. Kaien signed right after.
"Are you ready?" Kaien asked.
"Yeah," Victor said.
"Legilimens." Kaien entered Victor's mind. "There is an Occlumency barrier here." Kaien gently poked around the barrier. "It could withstand some Legilimency attacks." Kaien withdrew from Victor's mind.
"So how was it?" Victor asked.
"Your Occlumency barrier is fine. Though, it could break if a strong enough Legilimens tries to pierce it," Kaien warned. Victor nodded.
"I'm aware of that," he replied.
"Good. Let me test the others first, then I'll show you something that might help with your preparation for the task."
"Very well. Can you bring in more birds?" he requested. Kaien summoned smaller and faster birds for Victor to aim at.
"Thank you," Victor said, as he began to aim at them. Kaien left Victor's room and walked toward Fleur's door. He knocked.
"Come in," she replied. Kaien opened the door to see Fleur standing over a sleeping elephant.
"Looks like you managed to get it asleep," Kaien remarked.
"I did," she replied. "What did you need?" Kaien handed her the contract and explained its purpose.
"Very well," she said, signing the contract. Kaien quickly tested her Occlumency barrier. Just like Victor, Fleur had already established an Occlumency barrier, but unlike Victor's direct defense, Fleur used her Veela Allure to subtly attract male invaders. This would have worked on any ordinary man, but Kaien resisted it. The rest of her defenses were designed to ensnare invaders in illusions and false memories. Kaien withdrew from Fleur's mind.
"So how was it?" she asked.
"Your Occlumency barrier is strong. The use of your allure to ensnare male invaders is unique, but I was able to bypass it," Kaien explained.
"I see... Can you bring me a few more elephants?" Fleur asked. Kaien summoned several elephants. He decided to make it a little harder for her. Kaien clapped his hands, creating a loud boom, causing the calm elephants to panic and scatter. Fleur stared at the frightened animals.
"Good luck," Kaien said before he left, narrowly dodging a fireball. He knocked on Fred's and George's door.
"Come in," Fred said. Kaien opened the door to see Fred and George surrounded by piles of parchment.
"So what's going on?" George asked. Kaien showed them the contract and explained its purpose.
"Hm… What do you think?" Fred asked.
"If he enters our mind, then he'll discover our connection," George said.
"The contract would prevent him from revealing it," Fred countered.
"Fine," George agreed.
"Done with your mental conversation?" Kaien asked. Fred and George were shocked.
"How... How did you know?"
Kaien smirked. "Sign the contract and find out." Fred and George signed. Kaien then entered Fred's mind. He detected a weak Occlumency barrier, strong enough to block basic intrusion. Kaien easily bypassed it and began exploring Fred's mind. At first, it appeared chaotic, with all their wild ideas floating around. However, Kaien realized that this chaos was a cover for their real secrets. As he moved deeper, he found that their Occlumency barrier was based on trickery and deception, similar to Fleur's. He soon discovered an old iron gate. Kaien opened the gate and entered George's mind. George's mind was very similar to Fred's, and for a moment, Kaien thought he was still in Fred's mind. He quickly left George's mind.
"So how did we do?" Fred asked.
"Your Occlumency barrier is satisfactory. However, I would suggest adding defenses to the door to prevent invaders from sneaking into each other's mind," Kaien advised. Fred and George nodded in agreement. Kaien left them to continue their brainstorming.
Kaien walked to the final room and knocked on the door.
"Come in," Hermione said. Kaien opened the door to see Harry and the garden snake talking in Parseltongue.
"$: It seems that you're getting the hang of it. :$" Kaien said. Harry turned to Kaien.
"$: I am. :$" Harry replied.
"I need both of you to read this contract," Kaien said, showing them the paper.
"Um… What is an Occlumency barrier?" Harry asked, switching to English.
"An Occlumency barrier is a mental defense that prevents people from reading your mind," Kaien explained.
"People could be reading our minds?!" Hermione shrieked in fear.
"Indeed," Kaien said. "As part of the contract, I will help both of you develop your Occlumency barriers and teach you different ways to protect your minds." Harry and Hermione quickly signed the contract.
"Who wants to go first?" Kaien asked.
"I will," Harry said.
"Very well," Kaien said as he moved toward Harry. Kaien stared intently at Harry's eyes. "Legilimens." Kaien entered Harry's mind. Unlike the others, he couldn't find an Occlumency barrier. Kaien continued to explore deeper into Harry's mind, eventually finding Harry floating in the vast space of his own consciousness.
"Is this my mind, Kaien-sensei?" Harry asked.
"It is," Kaien replied. They observed the disorganized mind. Some memories were clear and near, while others were faded and distant. Kaien spotted a familiar cloak in some of the memories.
"So, he already has one of the three artifacts," Kaien thought.
"What do I need to do?" Harry asked.
"The first thing is to establish a foundation for your mind," Kaien instructed.
"A foundation? Like a building of some kind?"
"Yes. Some people build a city or a familiar place," Kaien said. Harry closed his eyes and concentrated. The ground began to form beneath them.
"Good. Keep going," Kaien encouraged. Stone walls began to rise, and within moments, a familiar castle stood before them. Harry opened his eyes to see Hogwarts standing in front of him.
"Now then…" Kaien said, "You need to organize your memories inside the castle. Each memory should be stored in a way that's easy to access."
Harry sat down and began concentrating. The memories floating around Hogwarts slowly began to enter the castle. Some memories entered easily, while others took more time. Eventually, all the memories were inside. Harry opened his eyes, looking drained from the effort.
"If you want, we can take a break now," Kaien suggested.
"No. This is something I needed," Harry replied. Kaien nodded.
"The next step is to create defenses to protect your castle," Kaien said.
"What should I do?"
"Many create a basic barrier around the castle and have a creature or being patrol it," Kaien explained. Harry nodded and focused. Slowly, a pack of hippogriffs appeared and began roaming around the castle. Some took flight, soaring above, while owls flew from the castle windows and perched on the roof and nearby trees. Together, they scanned the surrounding area. A giant dome barrier began to form, enveloping the entire castle. Kaien gently tapped the barrier. It was strong, capable of withstanding a few blows from an invader. Harry opened his eyes, looking more focused.
"The final piece for you is to continue to maintain this mindscape. Always spend some time, maybe at night, to sort your old memories and review your mindscape." Harry nodded. With that, Kaien left Harry's mind.
Kaien opened his eyes to see Harry staring at him.
"How do you feel?" Kaien asked.
"I can think and remember much more clearly now," Harry said.
"I think it's my turn," Hermione said. Kaien turned his gaze to Hermione.
"Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded.
"Legilimens," Kaien said as he entered her mind. Just like Harry's, Hermione's mind did not have an established Occlumency barrier. Kaien soon arrived in a room with books scattered everywhere.
"It appears that Hermione's mind has subconsciously begun the process of establishing a mindscape," Kaien thought. Hermione soon appeared in her mind.
"Um…" Hermione said, trying to explain the mess.
"No need to look embarrassed. This is a good start," Kaien reassured her.
"Huh?" Hermione questioned, clearly confused.
"Your mind has already begun the first step in forming an Occlumency barrier: creating a place to store and organize your memories." Hermione's eyes widened as she understood.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but these books represent your memories." Hermione picked up a book and nodded.
"Now then, you need to create bookshelves and place your books in order."
"How?" Hermione asked.
"You need to close your eyes and focus on the shelves appearing and where the books belong," Kaien instructed. Hermione nodded and closed her eyes. She concentrated, and some of the books around her opened and began to glow.
"She must be using her memories to create the shelves," Kaien thought. Wooden bookshelves began to materialize around them. The books began to float and move into place. Some books landed in a single spot, while others split into multiple copies and flew to different shelves. Soon enough, all the books were organized. Hermione opened her eyes, clearly drained.
"Are you all right?" Kaien asked.
"I-I am," she replied.
"Do you want to continue or take a break?" he asked.
"I-I need a break," she said. Kaien nodded. Two chairs appeared for them to sit in.
"Kaien, why are you helping Harry?" Hermione asked. Kaien glanced at her.
"I'm helping Harry because someone asked me to assist him."
"Who?" Hermione pressed.
"I cannot say," Kaien replied.
"Why?" Hermione pressed further. The organized books began to float off the shelves, a sign of her agitation.
"Hermione, calm down or you'll disrupt what you've already built," Kaien warned. His interruption broke her train of thought, causing some books to fall. She realized what had just happened.
"I can't reveal to you who sent me to help Harry, but I promise you this: neither I nor the person who sent me here have any ill intentions toward Harry," Kaien reassured her. Hermione sighed.
"Okay then," Hermione said.
"Great. Do you want to continue?" Kaien asked.
"I guess," Hermione replied as the books returned to their shelves.
"Good. Now, I want you to think of ways to defend this place from invaders," Kaien said.
"Um… like walls?" Hermione asked.
"It could be anything," Kaien said. Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated. The large bookshelves duplicated themselves. Kaien couldn't tell them apart, but he felt a giant dome enveloping the library. He gently prodded the barrier.
"How's the protection?" she asked.
"While the barrier itself is weak, it would be enough for you to detect any mental intrusions," Kaien commented.
"I also have this," Hermione added. Some of the nearby books began to float toward Kaien, shooting paper at him. He easily deflected the attack, though it was strong enough to harm an unprepared foe.
"Good. That attack would injure the invader and give you more time to expel them from your mind," Kaien said.
"Have I satisfied your expectations?" Hermione asked.
"Indeed," Kaien replied, then left her mind.
Kaien reappeared in the room with both Harry and Hermione.
"We're all going to meet back up in the main room. Gather your belongings and meet us there." Harry and Hermione nodded, and Kaien left. He informed the other students that training for the day was over and asked everyone to regroup in the main room. In a few minutes, everyone had gathered, and the training room vanished.
"Right now, it's about 4 in the afternoon. The rest of the day is yours to spend however you wish, but it will not be training-related," Kaien said. "The reason is simple: you need a break to relax your mind and body." The other champions nodded.
"In the library, there's a set of rooms called the Shiba Study Room. If you wish, you could go there and assist the younger students," he added.
"We'll be having dinner in the Great Hall tonight," Artoria said. Everyone nodded and left. Kaien and Artoria were the last to leave, and the door behind them vanished into thin air.
"We need a room to hide things," they thought together. The room around them began to transform. The training corridor expanded into the size of a large cathedral, with high windows, filled with all kinds of belongings.
"This will take a while," Artoria said.
"Not really," Kaien replied as he focused on Voldemort's reiatsu. "Found it," Kaien said, leading Artoria down a path. They soon arrived at a silver diadem on an old bust. The magic from the diadem radiated, attempting to influence them to wear it, but Kaien and Artoria resisted the temptation. Kaien summoned his black gloves and put them on, gently pushing the diadem. He dislodged the soul fragment from it. Before the fragment could react, Kaien quickly bound it with kidō and sent it to his mindscape.
"So, what are we going to do about this?" Artoria asked. Kaien looked at the diadem. Despite being free of the soul fragment, it still reeked of dark magic.
"I've got it," Kaien said as he summoned Longinus. He tapped Longinus against the diadem, and it began to glow with golden holy energy.
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, then concentrate your holy energy into purifying them," Kaien said. The holy energy engulfed the diadem, purging the remaining dark magic. Kaien dismissed Longinus and picked up the now purified diadem.
"What are you planning to do with it?" Artoria asked.
"I believe we should ask the previous owner what should be done with this," Kaien said.
"Previous owner?"
"He may be referring to me." A voice said. They turned to see a ghost floating before them.