Harry Potter and the Game of Life

by Abadashery

Harry's plan to let Voldemort kill him has backfired as there was no Horcrux in his head. Instead Fate is one grumpy deity and decides that if Harry wants to play games well then she'll give him a game to play. A fresh attempt on the Life is a Game genre! Powerful!Harry. Fling!Harry. Soon to be out of Hiatus!

23. Chapter 23

A/N: Hello again all! Welcome back to another chapter. This one started as a struggle but I feel I caught a bit of a stride in the middle and produced an overall decent chapter for you all. Let me know what you think!

And Away We Go!

Chapter 23: Decisions, Diagon Alley, and Daily Prophets

Game Saved! Don't Die!

Harry was torn. On one hand it frustrated him that Hermione acted the way that she did, it really frustrated him. To have a best friend act like that when you were telling them about such an awesome and unique opportunity was disheartening. That was what best friends were there for, to make victories sweet and defeats a little less harsh. On the other hand, Harry thought to himself as he cut down another skeleton that had wandered into the cubby near the entrance that he had chosen to think in, Hermione loved challenge. She loved competition. With Harry's newfound skills she viewed him as competition. And he had stepped away from every opportunity to match her in her endeavors. She resented that it seemed.

Could he really be mad at her though? Did he have that right? His whole life had changed. Harry was the Gamer now. Talent came to him as easily as unlocking a Skill and putting points into it. There was no need for talent with an advantage like that. Not good at it? Spend a few points. Time and time again Harry had proved that. His duel with Lord Greengrass. Just the other day with saving the school. It was indicative of what his life would be like from here on out. Sure, he could refrain from spending points for a while. Earn things in a slightly more natural way. And if he was honest with himself the Gamer ability was almost… too easy. His swordsmanship alone attested to that. Parry a few blows from a skeleton, and become good enough that he felt comfortable using his sword in every combat thereafter. That skill took many years to master it to the point that Harry had, but for Harry it was just a few months. Hermione didn't, couldn't, know that.

She had to be let go. Not as a friend, never as a friend, but… as a rival. Harry had advantages now that she couldn't even imagine. To stay here because she was upset at him would only hurt both of them. For Hermione it would hurt her to see that Harry would only keep growing at a rate that was crazy, and she would likely drive herself mad either trying to keep up or trying to figure out his secret. For Harry it would stunt his potential if he didn't step away and reach for the stars. He could honestly say that he loved what the Gamer abilities had done for his life. He enjoyed being able to bounce from hobby to hobby, subject to subject. Some might fear that he would get too strong or comfortable with his new abilities but his life was far from ordinary. He had Lord Voldemort to think about. The man was talent personified with over fifty years of study and experimentation to back it up. Harry needed to bounce around and learn all he could because his days could very well be numbered. And that started in the Instance.

***Break***

Combat Started!

Harry shook himself from his thoughts when another skeleton had come into the room. These guys were simple. Parry, parry, pirouette, and decapitate.

Combat Completed! You gain 5 experience points!

Simple, and borderline worthless. Apparently, since he was now a few levels higher the enemies no longer gave the same reward they once had. This had prompted Harry to Identify the next skeleton that had come up. It had told him some basic numbers for Health and such, but what was interesting was the name. The skeletons' names were a faded green and they only awarded 5 experience points. The ghouls however were a slightly brighter green and were awarding 30 experience points. Bringing out the Player's Handbook and flipping to the sections about enemy statistics, a section that had appeared after he had received his Mage Sight, had only confirmed his outline of a theory. Different enemies were worth different experience at different levels. Green was minimal, low reward and low risk for your current strength. Orange was higher risk but also higher reward. Red was dangerous, and likely to be either a Boss or Quest target or simply a creature you were not ready to handle. The glow, or intensity, of the color dictated approximately how much of a risk they were within their own category.

What was interesting to Harry was that at no point did enemies stop giving experience. This was why he felt fine just wandering around the dungeon killing whatever enemies he came across. Sure 5 experience points was nothing, and the Handbook warned that enemies of a certain strength would eventually only give a single experience point, but it was still limitless. And it didn't stop Harry from practicing his Skills on easy targets.

The first ghoul was intimately aware of this as Harry took his time and Transfigured the ghoul into various animals and objects before releasing it and killing it. He netted 2 points in Transfiguration for the minimal trouble. After that Harry was having fun. The next enemy was targeted with Levitation Charms until finally being dropped enough times from the ceiling to die. Charms had reached 60 with the bit of fun that had been.

Harry knew that he had an opportunity to polish up some Skills before he returned to the school and from there to his first outreach program. So he took out his Character Sheet frequently and worked on some of his weaker Skills to bring them up to at least their first Boon if he was able. This was where he learned something that amazed him, and frustrated him. He was able to Identify parts of his Character Sheet. This was how he confirmed that Dark Arts was more than just your run of the mill evil curses but also Jinxes, and Hexes. Defense against the Dark Arts had gone over this but he had not seen proof that that magical theory had carried over to the Game. So Flipendo, a spell that Harry and indeed many students had used quite often, was technically Dark. It was certainly weaker in the Dark aspect than just about every other spell in the Dark category, but in the interest of training his last 4 points in Dark Arts without killing something outright with a Sectumsempra it was perfect. It was also simple enough to cast Silently and Wandlessly to help those 2 Skills out.

Dark Arts Skill increased! It is now 25! One Skill Boon available!

A Boon in Dark Arts. Interested, Harry Paused and opened his Character Sheet to see what his options were. His first 2 options were par for the course. Dark Enhancement: Enhances the effect of all Dark Spells by 10% and makes them harder to counter. Seething Darkness: 10% Increased Skill Gain from casting Dark Spells. What caught his eye was the third option which was Know Thy Enemy: Dark Spells are 10% easier to counter, but 5% harder to train in. This was almost… a Light option from training his Dark Arts. With a moment's hesitation he chose it and almost jumped when another Notification came in.

Hidden Quest Completed! Resist the Temptation of the Dark Arts Part 1 of 4! Your Boon Choice in the Dark Arts shows an inclination towards understanding the Dark Arts not dominating with them! Rewards: 2 Skill Points, 1 Stat Point, 5 Respecialize Points.

Maintaining the Pause in confusion, Harry summoned the Player's Handbook and checked on what that meant. The section on Quests was a few paragraphs longer than the last time that he read it, detailing Hidden Quests which were small objectives that were not detailed like a typical Quest. The rewards were minimal but still beneficial. The rewards from this particular quest made him want to check on what exactly Respecialize Points were as well as he had received 20 for completing the Quest to save the school. The section was easy enough to find and let Harry know that Respecialize points basically did what they seemed to sound like they would, pulling points from one skill to apply to another. That could potentially be useful, but a quick perusal of his Skills let him know that that would not be a decision he could make spur of the moment. With the rules of how his Skill Points worked that would mean any of the ones that he was really enjoying and levelling naturally or regular Skill Points would require a bigger investment from other skills to bring higher with Respecialize points. Out of curiosity though Harry used 2 Respecialize points to pull 2 points from Keeper to apply to Seeker.

Seeker Skill now 50! One Skill Boon available!

So they worked like regular Skill Points, to the detriment of another Skill. Switching back to his normal Character Sheet Harry selected the Boon Seeker: Your Dodge while on a Broom is increased an additional +10. With that done, Harry scanned his Character Sheet a moment to confirm what Skills he wanted to get higher next and dismissed it before he Unpaused. Hidden Quests were interesting, but without knowing where they were hidden they only served to be surprise points which he was more than fine with. The one he had seemed to have 3 more parts and those were likely the 50, 75, and 100 marker for Dark Arts Skill.

The next crossroads that Harry got to had 3 ghouls, which made his next Skill a little easier to train. Keeping a careful eye on his Magicka Harry cast a wide Depulso to see how much it affected his Magicka Supply. 30 Points that quickly recharged. With a deep breath to ready himself Harry Transfigured the floor to bring it up into an open faced triangular dome with a tight corner inside which he stepped into. The structure was wide enough to let the ghouls approach and swing at him unimpeded but prevented them from coming from too many angles. Another deep breath and Harry dismissed his wand.

"Come on boys. Let's do this." Harry taunted the unresponsive creatures and readied his hands. Wandless, Silent Shield Charms was the name of the game. Harry cast an experimental Protego just to prove he could do it since putting himself in a corner was something he wouldn't normally do unless he was sure of it. Satisfied Harry waited for them to come to him. The first one's swing met a shield, as did the second's. The third complicated things and Harry was forced to Banish them once more with his wand. The plan had had its merits, but lacked freedom to move. He would have to move around the room a bit more than he had guessed. Harry waved his wand and dismissed the dome.

"Okay, attempt two." Harry said to himself. This method worked a bit easier, but Harry was forced to cast Depulso 2 more times before he got the hang of it. With a snaplike movement, Harry Wandlessly and Silently cast his shield once, twice, thrice, each time following it up with a quick shove enhanced with his impressive Strength score. This freed him up to keep his feet moving and not let them attack all together. This continued for almost 2 hours, with Harry taking a few breaks by hopping onto his Firebolt to float and regenerate Magicka, before Harry saw the Notifications he was aiming for.

Silent Casting Skill increased! It is now 28! Three Skill Boons Available!

Wandless Magic Skill increased! It is now 31! Three Skill Boons Available!

Defensive Spells Skill increased! It is now 50! Three Skill Boons Available!

Pause!

Harry grinned widely. He had been laser focused on his task but it had panned out the way he had wanted. With a sigh of satisfaction Harry pulled up his Character Sheet to see what Boons were in his best interest. Right away he saw one in the Wandless Skill that he wanted. Wandless Conduit: Wandless Spells are 15% cheaper and more powerful. He had noticed very quickly that a Protego from his wand was not only stronger but consumed less Magicka. This worked to bridge that disparity a little. In Silent Casting there was only one Boon, so Harry chose Apprentice Silent Caster: Spells of a Skill Requirement below 25 no longer need to be Mastered to be cast Silently. Defensive Spells had a few options, but none as tempting as the Shield Mastery: Shield Spells are 100% stronger and the Shield Enhancement-Deflection: Shield Spells deflect Spells with increased velocity. Deciding that spells bouncing back harder would be too difficult to take advantage of Harry chose Shield Mastery.

Unpause!

Harry Transfigured the floor to trap his 3 enemies briefly so that he could cast a quick Tempus. It was around 2:30 AM. That meant he had a good bit of time before he would need to return to the School as he was not needed in classes thanks to Dumbledore giving him a week off. Cracking his knuckles Harry chuckled menacingly.

"Payback bitches." Harry conjured 3 ropes, hit them with an Unbreakable Charm, and animated them to securely hold the ghouls arms and head before releasing them from the stone that he had trapped them in.

"Come and get it!"

***Break***

Fisticuffs Skill increased! It is now 25! One Skill Boon Available!

Harry kicked the dead ghoul one more time in the head, because he could. His first 3 victims hadn't lasted long enough as his increasing Skill was doing increasing damage, and he had needed to search for 5 more before he was able to get his Fisticuffs Skill to 25. Wiping the sweat from his face, Harry checked his Character Sheet once more. A quick perusal of the Boons available had Harry choosing Iron Bones: Your bones are sturdier and harder to break!

"Useful, if a little late." Harry noted, glancing at his left hand where his thumb still throbbed from one of his first punches. He had set it as best he could, and bandaged it, shifting to lighter jabs and using his right hand for the harder punches while he trained.

"Maybe I should get a trainer for this. Oooo, I wonder if the other schools have any martial art classes!" Harry thought out loud, before glancing at his Minimap to remind himself where the Basilisk resided. Two more turns, then follow the long hallway. He had wondered about this conversation since the first time that the idea had occurred to him.

Albus was smart. Wise even, in a few areas. He was also one of the few living who might understand how Harry was struggling with his newfound abilities and balancing them in the social minefield. Yet try as he might Harry couldn't shake the small level of distrust he still held. Harry respected the Headmaster, deeply, yet had a whole list of ways that the man had failed not only him but Britain as well. No one was infallible, Harry understood that. And he intimately remembered the conversation that he had had with Dumbledore when Harry had felt at one of his lowest points. The only thing you can do is decide for yourself what you are going to do, and live with the choices you make. This had prompted Harry to seek another opinion. One from a creature immensely older than Dumbledore and also the only living creature that seemed to exist inside the game that didn't seem intent on killing him. He hoped.

Harry sighed heavily and stopped suddenly. Every time he thought he had it figured out, he would second guess himself. It was almost pathetic, Harry thought. Invest some points in Intelligence, yet still too stupid to make your own decisions. Invest some points in Charisma, yet your own best friend is mad at you.

"As much as it starts to make sense, it just ends up confusing me further in the end" Harry gripped his hair in frustration then huffed and summoned his wand. He needed to let out some energy or he wouldn't be calm enough to talk to the Basilisk. Harry flexed his Magic. Brought it forth and around him in a thick blanket of warmth and comfort. At least that had yet to abandon him. Through everything his Magic had at least been with him for the ride. Revelling in the feeling for a moment Harry slowly drew in a breath. As his lungs filled he imagined the energy surrounding him filling him up as easily as the air did.

Starting as a small burn his lungs began to fight against the intake and Harry held both the air and Magic for just a moment, his eyes closed and unable to see the soft glow he was emitting, then like a waterfall he felt the Magic move from his core to his wand. Raising it, Harry turned as he felt more than heard a skeleton behind him.

"Bombarda" A mere whisper that felt like a roar, and Harry was amazed as the Magic rushed through him. As though in stop motion he was able to see the Magic swirl from his chest to his arm to coalesce into a small ball just above the handle of his wand, the pure silvery white Magic shifting in color as his arm danced through the simple wand motions until it settled onto the orange-white of the Bombarda. Once the color was correct and Harry was reaching the end of the wand motions the orb seemed to flatten before more Magic swirled from his chest and with a zip shot from his wand. Harry didn't even need to look at the skeleton to know that it was no more, instead his eyes were locked onto his wand in wonderment.

"What was that?" Harry whispered to himself. His eyes flicked to his Notifications, switching them to the rarely used Combat Log.

Natural Mage Perk Activation. Enhanced Bombarda hits Basic Skeleton for 218 Damage! Overkill!

Character Sheet. Scroll Down. Mage Sight. Harry's eyes locked onto his perk Natural Mage to Identify it.

Natural Mage: You are in tune with the flows of Magic. +10 to Wandless Magic. +5 to Magicka Regeneration. +5 to Ritual Magic if done at a Nexus of Power. This Perk allows the Gamer some level of connection with Magic, both their own and that of their world. This Perk can allow enhanced effects from a wide array of Skills, as well as many other Perks such as Mage Sight, for a short period.

"Wicked" Harry whispered softly, a wave of excitement passing through him at the thought of how absolutely amazing it had felt to be that in tune with his Magic. He was almost tempted to try again but knew that he was on a time crunch. Almost regretfully Harry dismissed his wand to his Hotbar and stepped into the antechamber that housed the Basilisk.

***Break***

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four!" Harry stared at the statue that loomed over the antechamber. A loud rumbling and grinding filled the Chamber before the mouth slid the rest of the way open. Harry ducked his head and listened intently. After a moment a loud hiss filled the Chamber and Harry almost choked.

"I will eat you" The feminine voice of the Basilisk seemed to grumble. A loud thud echoed through the Chamber and Harry could feel the immense presence of the Basilisk as it moved closer.

"Oh. It is you, small Speaker. You smell slightly different. Are the students in danger?" The Basilisk reared up unseen to Harry and flicked her massive tongue out once, then twice, testing the air and the pheromones Harry was releasing. No more fear than was normal for a wizard around her.

"No, I … I came to talk." Harry suddenly felt like an idiot. Talk. To a thousand year old creature whose ingrained purpose was the defense of the school. He almost chuckled at the idea of how hard Fenrir would have crapped himself if Harry had brought the Basilisk to bear during that fight. Harry's attention was brought away from the ideas of how he could have used the Basilisk in that fight without causing risk to both the students and the Basilisk herself.

"Talk?" The Basilisk sounded intrigued and excited, "I have not had the pleasure in centuries. The last few Speakers seemed more concerned with using me against their enemies instead of making sure I wasn't among that list. Oh how I would have loved to eat that damned Romanian student back in… It must have been nearly 700 years ago now."

"How many witches and wizards have opened the Chamber?" Harry asked in sudden interest. He didn't dare look up though.

"Once upon a time it was frequent. Some would bring allies or students towards the end of their apprenticeships. Until around six hundred years ago the Headmasters used to be well acquainted with this Chamber. Until that damnable Spaniard Headmaster. Can't even remember his name. I hate him so much. Followed some Muggle ideology and felt that snakes were evil. He struck the records of my existence from the Charter and since then only seven Wizards, and four Witches, yourself included. As the story of the Chamber became more legend than history and the gift of Parseltongue waned in even the oldest families centuries would pass before 1 or a few inquisitive Parselmouths would find the way into this Chamber." The Basilisk had settled into a comfortable position during her recollection, using one of the pillars to scrape a fleck of skin off her scales.

"Fascinating. The Spanish were devout Catholics, was he a Muggleborn?" With a subtle wave of his hand Harry conjured a chair behind him and sat.

Transfiguration Skill increased! It is now 65!

"I never got to ask. I assumed he was the ill conceived child of a goat and a troll" Harry couldn't help but snort a bit at that.

"Do pick your head up. I feel like a fool sitting here with my eyes closed if you aren't even going to look at me." The Basilisk slithered into a better position, unwrapping from the pillar.

Harry carefully raised his head and looked up. In a blur of motion the Basilisk struck forward, jaws opening wide.

"Oh fuck!" Harry shrieked and kicked his foot against the floor as hard as he could out of reflex. The chair's legs gave out and he rolled over the back in a heap. Rolling through the motion Harry brought his wand out and jumped hard forward and to the side to overcome the natural flexibility of the Basilisk in a hope of not getting caught by the mouth. With a snap of his wand the floor rose up in a dome over him and was reinforced repeatedly.

The sound of his heart beating echoed through his ears along with… laughter? Yes. That was laughter, a hissing oddly not unlike Colin Creevey's laugh if only greatly increased in volume.

"A millenia alive, and that joke has still not gotten old." The Basilisk continued to laugh for a while while Harry calmed down and set the floor right once more. The chair was Banished in favor of a new one with sturdier legs.

"A good recovery though. I did that to Salazar once and I still have the scar somewhere. Blasted three scales off, if you can believe it. He said I was lucky it wasn't more." Harry glared at the Basilisk's body and retook his seat, "I was serious about picking your head up."

Harry's head snapped up in irritation, and was shocked when he found himself staring into the vivid yellow eyes of the Basilisk.

Untimely Gaze attack negated! Gamer Protocol disallows forced aging!

"Did you just try to trick me?" Harry glared at the Basilisk who was staring back intently.

"I knew it. You smell different than most humans. Something… Powerful." The Basilisk's tongue flitted near Harry's face and he was sorely tempted to swat it. "What are you? It is not the typical Horcrux method that prolongs your life, your soul is solid and whole, yet you are not prey to my gaze."

"... You just risked my life… on a hunch?" Disbelief clouded Harry's tone. He very vaguely remembered Tyran saying something about a function within the game that prevented his aging. It suddenly occurred to him that this might mean that he would be stuck at 13 forever.

Pause!

Player's Handbook!

Harry urgently flipped the book open from the back, to access the index. He looked up Aging, and bounced to the relevant section.

"In an effort to preserve the integrity of the game and prevent overzealous Gamers from aging themselves during either certain Instances or through the various Magics available to the Gamer throughout their playthrough, the Gamer's Age is hereby relative to the World's Age. Outside of Magics that would age the planet as a whole, there are no magical forces capable of aging the Gamer. Exceptions: Ageing Potions, or any effects that are temporary." Harry read the section aloud and heaved a sigh of relief. He wouldn't be in this hormone ridden body forever.

Unpause!

"It was more than a hunch. You have some strange ability, and I could tell that it related to Time in some sense. Horcruxes have a similar feel though yours is untainted by those dark magics. So I ask again, what are you?" This time the Basilisk asked firmly, all hints of jest erased from its tone.

"I'm the motherfucking - - most kickass Wizard you'll ever meet." Harry went with the first thing that came to mind as his theory crumbled. Despite the fact that the Basilisk existed within an Instance, she was still a creature of this world and therefore wasn't allowed to know of the Game that Harry lived in. And now he sounded like some sort of imbecile.

The Basilisk to her credit was seemingly unaffected, instead raising herself high and slightly opening her mouth. "I will ask once more. What. Are. You. No more jokes and no more lies!"

"And who are you to ask that of me? What sort of Basilisk can't kill with their eyes?" Harry opted for a different route to break up this situation. Though he dreaded the idea of a dick measuring contest with a 60 foot Basilisk. Even if this one technically didn't have a dick. Did male ones have a dick? Did they truly have a gender? They were created by breeding a chicken under a toad, so would they be able to breed outside of that?

"I am the Queen of Serpents!" The Basilisk roared, no exception to the pride that snakes suffered from, shattering Harry's panicked train of thought.

"And yet you can't kill the same 13 year old Wizard that prevented you from being used in a ritual! Boohoo! Get over it! I can't be aged by your pathetic Magic! Do you really need to test me further?" Harry rose up to his full height, which probably was such a miniscule difference that the Basilisk didn't even notice. He started to draw in Magic like he had earlier, hoping he was doing it right. He spared a quick glance down with Mage Sight and changed his posture a bit and tried his damnedest to relax.

The Basilisk hissed in annoyance. "You Wizards are all the same! Egos that match the serpent tongues you speak with! My eyes may not work on you, but I know fang and venom will!"

Harry almost flinched at the volume of the Basilisk's voice. He finally started to feel the trickle of magic seeping into him, and tried to focus on that while stalling for time. "Mighty confidence for someone who can't even figure out how I thwarted your killing gaze. Do you want to risk losing more than a few scales simply because I won't answer your question?"

The tight feeling in his chest returned, and Harry felt like he was at capacity. Now he just needed the right moment to bring it to bear.

"I would. Those who hide things cannot be trusted!" The long and lithe body of the Basilisk began to sway, and Harry knew that the strike was coming. Spells started fleeting through his mind, and he discarded them as fast as they came. He really didn't want to fight the Basilisk once again. "They have no worth to me!"

Worth. There were few spells that he knew of that had an inherent degree of 'worth' involved to cast them. But one came to mind and Harry smiled. His Magic rumbled and roared inside him and he fought to tame it.

"Expecto Patronum" Harry breathed. His wand bucked against the force of the spell and a brilliant shape emerged. A silvery Basilisk that was the same as the one threatening him. And to Harry's amazement the Basilisk seemed to be brighter and longer than usual. He spared a look at his Combat Log but since he was not technically in combat it shared no details with him.

The Basilisk reared back in amazement. The Patronus Charm. And a Basilisk one, at that. She knew of the inherent qualities of the spell, many of the visitors she had seen over the years had cast the spell around her. Either to fend off an attack to the school or to pass messages from the Chamber to elsewhere. Yet not a one, save for her beloved Salazar, produced a Basilisk. And even he did not produce one that was so large and beautiful.

"I don't mean to hide anything from you, Great One. However I, much like yourself I am sure, have things that I cannot say to others. You said that you could tell that my version of longevity is more pure than those who would reduce themselves to the use of Horcruxes. Take comfort in that, if nothing else, and let our friendship continue and grow." Harry held the spell as long as he could but it was clear that this 'enhanced' version took much more Magicka to sustain than his usual one. With a sigh he released the spell.

Charms Skill increased! It is now 63!

"You speak like him as well. Tell me this at least. Are you related to Salazar?" With a thump, the immense snake slumped back down, the fight taken out of her at least for the moment. Harry knew he would be more mindful in the future dealings with the snake. Respect, deference, and honesty.

"I am not. I have however defeated Slytherin's heir Tom Riddle on a few occasions" Harry admitted, "He is more known by the name Lord Voldemort, as you know"

Again that echoing hissing laughter bounced off of the walls of the Chamber "You defeated Riddle? That little psychopath?"

That response struck Harry as odd, and confirmed his suspicion that this Basilisk was somehow a copy of the one he had defeated a few months ago. Brought back to preside over the Instance, with no memories of the events of his 2nd Year. Did that mean if someone not related to the game came down here they would see the Chamber that he had come to last term? Could he bring people into an Instance? Did he want to? Always more questions than answers.

"A few times. I've destroyed… at least 2 of his Spirit Fragments. However I know that he is still out there. We're linked by fate you see. I'm meant to defeat him, or he me. It's actually why I am down here I have an… interesting problem that I wanted your opinion on" Harry finally began to relax once more. The conversation was almost… pleasant now that Harry knew he couldn't be killed by the Basilisk's Gaze. He kept a careful eye on the head of the snake though.

"Before that I was curious. I did not know, before our little spat there, that I was immune to your Gaze. Does it affect time somehow? I thought it was similar to the Killing Curse" Harry had to know, the nerd inside demanded it.

"If our eyes worked like the Killing Curse I fear that no one would bring us into existence. No, our Gaze affects the Time of the prey. We age their Soul, until it passes on to the next life. Those who are Immortal in some fashion are usually immune though there are some exceptions such as those only Immortal in body. Golems with Souls inside, the Thralls of True Vampires, various wraiths. Dark Wizards who have created Horcruxes are immune, making us a frequent pet of those few who think themselves our betters. If they only knew. It is also why if the Gaze is… distorted through another surface they instead have their Souls stopped." With a harsh scraping news the Basilisk curled up and settled in.

"Fascinating" And Harry meant it. He wondered if the distortion would still work on him since it did not technically age him. Not a theory he wanted to test unless he had someone with the Mandrake Restoration Draught close at hand. "But onto the matter I've come here for. I'm… to put it lightly I am talented. I have yet to encounter a skill or technique I was unable to at least become competent in in a shorter timeframe than most. This has made many resentful of my abilities. Even my best friends are struggling to come to terms with my advancements. Salazar Slytherin was likely the same, as were many of those who have come into this Chamber. Did they… have any good advice?"

The Basilisk regarded Harry with a level stare, secretly revelling in the ability to talk to one who was untainted by the Magic of a Horcrux as that particular method tended to make one slightly unhinged at best. With an exhale that was peculiarly like a sigh the Basilisk spoke, "And why do you care what others think? What's the reason for your power, what motivates you to make these advancements?"

"To better myself. And to prepare myself for my fight against Voldemort" Harry answered immediately, having had this thought many times.

"Then it is for yourself, and your survival. Are you fighting alone or with friends?" The tone was once again level and unjudging.

"Errr, preferably alone, though I doubt Voldemort will afford me the same courtesy. He has a habit of pretending to fight me alone until he starts to lose then he cries for help" Harry chuckled at the thought of Voldemort crying for his mum until he remembered the sad life that Merope Gaunt had lead.

"Therefore you plan to exceed even the loftiest expectations, and without reservation. Do I have this right?" Harry nodded to the question, then spoke his affirmation.

The Basilisk made a thoughtful noise as she seemed to ponder the facts, bare as they were. It was a fascinating sight for Harry to see the Queen of Serpents act almost exactly like Kijani. After a moment the large snake spoke.

"Then you must continue to strive for this goal, fervently. Salazar was much the same and had a similar dilemma. He and Rowena would constantly strive to better the other, yet when Rowena began to outperform him there was a period of resentment. Many nights Salazar spent down here trying to beat Rowena at her subjects of excellence. In the end he failed to catch up, of course. But then he began to explore where his interests and talents lay and became Rowena's better in many areas. Every Wizard and Witch has an area of magic, at least one, that they are immensely talented in or have the drive to become proficient in. Some have more than one. And rarely, though I have seen it once before, they excelled at an absurd amount like you claim to. Tell me, are you related to Merlin? Also, can you heat this floor? I've yet to have a good bask in this century and I find myself craving it" Harry almost laughed at the off the wall request, and waved his wand in a wide arc and layering multiple Heating Charms in the process.

Silent Casting Skill increased! It is now 29!

What could only be a sigh of contentment reverberated off of the walls. Harry took the moment to respond to the other question, "No, I don't think I am related to Merlin. Did he come down here?"

"Once, with Salazar. A strange one. His Soul wasn't tainted yet it was significantly older than even Salazar's and immune to my Gaze much like yours though the feeling was different. I had the suspicion that he was masquerading as a student yet Salazar disregarded all of my concerns" The Basilisk shook her head in annoyance when she remembered the strange human named Merlin.

Amazement was apparent in Harry's eyes. That would make so much sense. He had of course heard the story of King Arthur and Merlin, but when he heard that Merlin was a student at Hogwarts it didn't seem that the two were one and the same since the times didn't line up. Yet if the Merlin of King Arthur's era didn't die then of course it was possible that Merlin assumed the form of a student to assess the teaching of the Founders at Hogwarts as that would have been a huge leap in progress for Magicalkind. Harry put it out of mind though, knowing he might never get to the truth of that rabbit hole.

"Should I abandon my friendships then, in pursuit of my goals?" Harry asked after he had mulled over the response that the Basilisk had given him.

"Not abandon them. But abandon the idea that you need to forfeit your aspirations or feel bad in doing so. Especially if those aspirations are key to your survival." Harry nodded. The advice was much like his original thoughts before he came down. Yet to have them reinforced with a second opinion felt good.

"Thank you. I knew that but I think I needed to hear someone else say it." Harry smiled and reapplied the Heating Charms after standing. He opened the statue and hit it with a powerful stasis charm to prevent it closing for a while.

"The passage should be open for around 12 hours. I'd recommend climbing in around the 11th to ensure you don't get locked out" The Basilisk merely curled into the warm spot on the floor, content to relax for at least a little while.

***Break***

Harry bounced once, twice, thrice. Like an arrow he shot forth with his feet slapping the stone floor of the Instance with a loud echo.

Running Skill increased! It is now 31!

Once he had the proper momentum Harry cartwheeled hard, preserving his movement as much as he could with previous failures still fresh in his mind despite having been doing this for the past hour and a half on his way out of the Instance. The cartwheel turned into a series of handsprings

Acrobatics Skill increased! It is now 25! One Skill Boon available!

Harry launched on his last handspring to then flip twice in the air. He landed securely on both of his feet after having failed to do so in the first few sets.

Jumping Skill increased! It is now 22!

Finally at the Entrance, Harry glared at his Jumping Skill. It had only increased 3 times during his strange travel method. Sighing in annoyance, Harry conjured rough approximations of hurdles that he had seen them using when he had toured Stonewall High a few weeks before his first acceptance letter from Hogwarts. He spaced them out fairly well, and ran them as well as could be expected, having to lower them a few inches after an embarrassing faceplant.

Jumping Skill increased! It is now 25! Two Skill Boons Available!

Harry ascended the staircase to the hidden Entrance to the Instance, and waited behind the false wall at the end of the corridor while he selected his Boons. For Acrobatics he chose Gymnast: Your Acrobatic maneuvers consume 10% less Stamina. Jumping received the Springy Boon which let him jump a meter higher. Lamenting, and celebrating, the fact that not all Boons were created equal Harry exited into the corridor. He had timed it so that Breakfast would be over and everyone in their first class of the day, or likely elsewhere if they had a free period first.

Stopping quickly at the Kitchens for a snack that he ate as he went, Harry headed to the gates of the school. Harry spotted Hagrid leading a class of Upper Years and waved at the large man as he passed by the hut. Hagrid of course waved back but thankfully didn't interrupt his lesson to ask Harry where he was going. Once beyond the gate Harry activated his Portkey to Diagon.

***Break***

Diagon Alley was much like it always was, though with far less foot traffic. Harry knew from experience at the beginning of the Summer that it would increase in activity around lunchtime as many of the Alley's restaurants attracted people who were looking for a quick bite. Harry kept his head low and headed to Gringotts. He was on a schedule and wanted to make sure that things were handled accordingly. A teller was quick to attend to him as he had switched to his best Lord robes and had his ring on prominent display, and Harry soon was meeting in a private office with a supervisor that was more able to handle his to-do list in one sitting as Goblins preferred to do.

Harry eyed the Goblin seated behind the desk, and greeted him in Gobbledygook while he took his seat before switching to English, "My Gobbledygook is nowhere near good enough for the whole conversation. Let's get down to business. I need to set up 2 Trust Accounts with the Potter Vault as the Primary. In these, I want… 2,000 Galleons each to be restocked every Quarter and statements sent along with any from the Potter Vault. I'll give you a moment to set this up. I also need the keys to have full access to the Potter vault if used at St. Mungo's, just in case"

The Goblin, ever the businessman, soon had Harry squared away with 2 new keys for the Vaults in question.

"Vaults 942 and 943." The diminutive creature explained before handing Harry the keys which he took a moment to conjure tags for so that he did not forget.

"Perfect. I also have one simple question, as soon I will be travelling. How universal are Galleons across the world?" Harry got to the last matter of his short stop at Gringotts.

"Completely universal. Galleons in Britain are stamped with the local banks insignias but are accepted everywhere. Galleons in another country will simply have a different stamp." The Goblin answered simply.

Harry took a moment to summon his portfolio, a list of the holdings of the Potter Family that he had received some time after his acquisition of the vault. He moved his fingers down the list of holdings and smiled. Many of the businesses were still in fine working order and were in line to provide him a return the next quarter at least. Nothing needed to be done to these to keep seeing a profit.

"I will be making a trip down to my vault to redeposit much of the funds that I took from there during my first visit. I was unsure if I would be on the run or not after seizing my Lordship you see. I will need a set of Communication Mirrors. Let's make a set of 5, with one central unit capable of connecting to each of the others individually and a pair of them linked to one another as well. I also need 2 Expanded Pouches for money carrying, loaded with 100 Galleons each yet room for at least 500, 10% commission if you get them to me before Tuesday." Harry laid the lists in front of the Goblin who picked them up and gave them a brief perusal.

"We'll have them by the time you leave Gringotts, if you will agree to a 15% commission" Harry nodded, and shook the greedy hand that was offered to him.

***Break***

Harry made a stop at the Portkey Area of Diagon to pocket the 2 pouches, one green and silver and the other red and gold, then quickly transported to the Ministry. It took slightly longer than usual to register his wand with the on-duty Auror as the man wouldn't stop gawking at Harry long enough to do his job. Harry spared the man only a brief look of exasperation before heading to the lift. Level 5, Department of International Magical Cooperation. Here Harry found the office that would get him a passport.

Seated in the office were 3 people, 2 women and one man, and Harry sat near a couple who were in a small waiting area. Confirming that all 3 office workers were busy Harry reached out to the table that held the Daily Prophet and a few magazines. Seeing that it was today's edition Harry flicked the newspaper open and barely contained his groan.

Harry Potter: The Lovestruck Lord

"Fucking Rita Skeeter" Harry hissed to himself quietly, but as many of the journalist's fans and enemies did he read the article. It included a picture of Daphne leaving the Chamber of Reception that Harry had talked to her within when he was talking about his opportunity. It caught that her clothes were barely ruffled, yet spun a web that there was romance blooming between him and Daphne starting over the summer and Harry's duel with Lord Greengrass and how that romance was being used to bring Daphne out of classes to explore their newfound feelings. It also had a snippet about Harry and his talk with Hermione. It did not go over the details, yet seemed to hint that Harry had dumped Hermione to explore things with Daphne. It was a far cry from her usual work, but plausible enough to bring the reader in and would likely result in further articles if Harry put himself in positions like that in the future.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and added catching Rita Skeeter to his to-do list. There wasn't anything he could do about this article, and thankfully it wasn't as risque as her usual work. Harry flopped the newspaper down in annoyance and the noise drew the attention of the couple nearby.

"Oh look, honey, it's Harry Potter!" The husband, middle aged, tapped the woman beside him on the arm to get her attention away from her copy of Witches Weekly. Harry groaned internally and exchanged pleasantries with them both while he waited for either them or himself to be called to a desk.

Luckily, his fame seemed to save him for once as one of the office workers noticed the commotion and quickly finished up with the man she was working with and called Harry over.

"Lord Potter! How can the Department help you today?" The woman asked him in a kind customer service tone. She motioned to the seat across from her before taking her own and organizing a few papers.

"I'm just here to get a passport." Harry said simply, settling into the uncomfortable seat.

***Break***

A few pictures, and a stack of paperwork later had Harry registered for travel from Great Britain, and he was soon far away from the Ministry. Thankfully placing his Wizengamot seat in stasis was as simple as notifying the Chief Warlock which he was soon to do anyways, the stone gargoyle hopping out of the way before Harry could even address it.

"Come in" Albus beckoned Harry through the door and soon they were seated comfortably with teas in hand.

"I missed you at breakfast, I assume you took a moment to head home and secure it for your travels?" Albus noted that Harry was still in his Lord robes.

"Yes, I also made a stop at Gringotts and the Ministry to settle some matters there and acquire a passport. It will be delivered Saturday once the paperwork makes it through the proper channels." Harry explained, savoring the tea. It was exceptional today.

"My, you work fast. You didn't secretly learn to Apparate did you?" Albus jested while he moved some papers across his desk.

"Not yet. I purchased some Portkeys at the start of Summer to make my movements a little easier. Secure, too." Harry spared a fond look to Fawkes who let out a small squawk from his pile of ashes he sat in. "I see Fawkes had his burning day recently.

"Early last night in fact, and he has been exceedingly talkative ever since." Albus too looked at the bird in fondness, memories of their long lives together easily coming to mind. "It's good that you handled some of your business so early, as interest in the outreach program has increased now that some of the more distant schools and institutions have had a chance to respond. You just missed the Headmistress of Ilvermorny in the Floo. Talented Headmistress."

Harry nodded. He hoped that he would have a chance to visit Ilvermorny, as it was a premier institution. "So I'm going to visit 10 schools this year? Or just 9 since September is part of the way through?"

"First I was thinking that it would be simplest to visit Beauxbatons, as the curriculum there is most similar to our own, however it occurred to me that finding you a translator for some of the more remote institutions would be quite difficult. This could interrupt the projected time frame" Albus sat back a moment and sipped his tea as he appraised Harry.

Harry merely waved his hand dismissively, switched to French, and said "If I can have a primer or a dictionary beforehand, I should be able to get by" Switched to German and continued, "I know enough to get by on some, and would benefit from the practice."

Albus's eyebrows rose in surprise before grinning and screeched at Harry loudly, clearly saying something that Harry couldn't understand.

Harry grimaced, and plugged his ears until Albus stopped, before stating in an annoyed manner, "Mermish isn't something I've had the time or inclination to learn."

"Fascinating that you were even able to recognize it. I merely said that I was impressed that you had learned a few languages, as they open a lot of doors that would otherwise be closed. A primer will have to be purchased on your own time, though some languages in this world are not written as I am sure that you will learn." The Headmaster teased Harry.

Harry, not one to back down from the challenge, merely switched to Spanish which he was much more fluent in and replied, "I am already aware of that, as most snakes don't have hands."

"Most impressive! Do you know any more?" Dumbledore responded excitedly, enjoying seeing that Harry explored other avenues of knowledge outside of Magic.

"Not yet. I'm a quick study though, I only learned French and German this past Summer." Harry admitted.

"Impressive as always. But we are off track. As I was saying Beauxbatons would be the most simple, and will occupy your September as a sort of trial run of this outreach program. Then it is your choice after that on what schools to visit as again, the interest is very high. I have my recommendations but I've compiled a list… here, of the institutions that are ready to receive you. Let me just add their respective languages so you can get the appropriate primers. Take a moment to peruse it, and as long as I have your choice a few weeks before the end of the month I can notify the school in question to expect you the following month. Follow so far?" Albus gestured with his hand and sent the parchment floating to Harry.

Harry nodded idly and glanced at the list. There were some big names that he recognized but a few that he did not. "What sort of recommendations? Will I need to secure my own lodgings or will the schools be taking care of that?"

"Well, Ilvermorny, Mahoutokoro, Beauxbatons, are the top three. Durmstrang has quality in… some areas, but the stigma prevents many from going there. There is also a lovely academy in Egypt that has some interesting Magic to learn. I will not try too hard to sway your choices though. I would not wish to deny you an opportunity to see the world. As for lodgings the schools, one and all luckily, are able to house you with the students or somewhere on their campus" Albus folded his fingers and sat back in his seat, enjoying himself in Harry's presence as he often found himself doing as of late.

"Beauxbatons will be fine for the first month. I'll look over this list while I'm there and send you an answer if that's alright." Pocketing the parchment Harry stood. "I also wish to notify you as Chief Warlock that I will be placing my seat in the Wizengamot in stasis for the foreseeable future"

Albus nodded in acceptance and made a note on his parchment that reminded him of Wizengamot matters to attend to at the next session. "Understandable. If I may ask, what will you be working on until Tuesday?"

"First, I'll be acquiring primers for some of the languages I'll need. Then I have to break a few hearts." Harry smiled knowingly and Albus merely raised an eyebrow as Harry exited.

***Break***

Harry headed to the Leaky Cauldron first, as the day was still fairly early. He exchanged some simple pleasantries with Tom before heading through the door into Muggle London. Stopping at the first notable bookstore Harry took a moment to peruse a few Skill Books that lit up upon his entry.

History Skill increased! It is now 51!

Science Skill increased! It is now 35!

Mathematics Skill increased! It is now 50!

Logistics Skill increased! It is now 31! One Skill Boon available!

English Skill increased! It is now 77!

French Skill increased! It is now 33!

German Skill increased! It is now 20!

Spanish Skill increased! It is now 63!

Sword Skill increased! It is now 56!

Harry rubbed his eyes roughly, nursing a small headache. He reminded himself that he still had the rest of the library at Hogwarts to go through as well and sighed heavily. With mentally tired steps Harry went over to a section that had primers for various other languages and just grabbed one of everything before checking out. The attendant manning the till tried to make some small talk but quickly realized that Harry was in no mood for it and proceeded to check Harry out quickly.

***Break***

Harry felt better almost as soon as he was outside, the bright sun for this time of year banishing his tiredness quickly. Glancing around Harry was looking the other way when a familiar voice rang nearby.

"Harry?" Madeline's voice rang out behind him and Harry turned to her in surprise.

"Madeline! Hey!" Harry quickly approached her and they shook hands, as Madeline was pretty particular about hugs.

"I thought you were off to school, I didn't expect to see you here." Madeline eyed a bench nearby and took a moment to stretch since Harry had interrupted her run.

"I'm on break. Came to get a few books." Harry gestured at the bookstore that he had just left, "How is everyone at the studio? Still bruising up new students like you did me?"

"Oh please. You gave as good as you got quickly enough. I still haven't had a spar as fun as the last one I had with you, unless Cadence matches against me to put on a demonstration." Madeline stretched her arms up and switched legs on the bench.

"How is Cadence doing?" Harry asked in interest, stepping to the other side of the bench and helping the woman stretch out her leg muscles by pulling on her hands when she gestured to him.

"Still fawning over the cute teacher I see, your girlfriend wouldn't appreciate the interest." Madeline teased him, finally stopping her stretch to sit on the bench and sip on her water. Harry joined her.

"We broke up, unfortunately. Difference of opinion was too strong to work out" Madeline raised an eyebrow at his declaration and bumped him with her shoulder like she had often done when these talks were a common occurence.

"What happened?" Again the water bottle rose up and came down a fraction lighter.

"Long story that matters less the longer ago it was." Madeline rolled her eyes at this.

"You always talked like someone twice my age. Fair enough, I suppose. Cadence is good if you must know. Still running a tight ship like always. Keeping your grades up?" Madeline rose and started stretching again, letting Harry know that she was soon departing.

"Actually yes. I'm going into an exchange program and will be in France in a week." Harry admitted as he rose as well.

"Very nice. Get me something cool. Like a foil. Always wanted to try fencing." Harry nodded with a smile.

"Of course. It was great seeing you, but I can see you getting restless. Land yourself a boyfriend while I'm gone so I can tease you when I get back." The jest made Madeline roll her eyes.

Jogging away she tossed over her shoulder, "Hard to find a boyfriend when I'm interested in women!"

Harry laughed, and tossed the woman a wave just before she turned the next corner.

***Break***

After a stop at another store to update some of his wardrobe, Harry was soon back in the Wizarding World and from there to Hogwarts. It was lunchtime so Harry made his way to the Great Hall and found Astoria easily enough. The young girl had an entourage consisting of the majority of first year Gryffindors as well a few of the Hufflepuff First years seated behind her. Her bubbly attitude acted as a magnet for the more shy individuals that had not come into their own quite yet.

Harry's presence was noticed pretty early, with many of the First Years shifting and shuffling out of the way once they realized that he wanted to sit with them. Astoria cocked an eyebrow at Harry who merely glanced back, busying himself instead with putting together a plateful of food. Despite his movements being completely normal, the more impressionable First Years watched as though he was teaching them the secrets of the universe.

"What's the story, Stori?" Harry said finally once the first bite had been swallowed.

"Did you spend the last three minutes coming up with that one?" Astoria jibed playfully, "The story is what you've been up to the last few days. Fighting Werewolves, saving students, breaking school property, and now the grapevine says you haven't been to class the last few days. Maybe you should tell us what the story is?"

Harry glanced around noting the many interested faces, not all of them part of the original eavesdroppers of the conversation. He would not miss the Hogwarts gossipping, that much at least was true. With a sigh Harry brought forth his wand. "You certainly never let me take a break, Astoria"

Whipping his wand to and fro, Harry moved seats back into their original positions and disrupting the poorly veiled attempts to listen in. He then erected a simple yet powerful Silence Ward layered with a Repelling Ward around Astoria and the majority of her original entourage since they would likely hear about it anyways shortly afterwards.

Warding Skill increased! It is now 17!

The casual display of advanced Magic was impressive even to the upper years, as had become the norm for anyone watching Harry work. While many people contented themselves with simple rote memorization of the wand movements and incantations it was becoming more and more as though Harry was conducting the magic like it was a classical music piece.

"If you want other people in here, the edges are colored only from the inside and only those inside can bring in more people" Harry stated. He took a moment to polish off the rest of his meal while the Ward was packed to the very edge with those who wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Alright. This will be in the grapevine soon enough anyways. Thanks to my recent exploits and the clear advantage I have over a few of the other students in my Year I'm set to restart the exchange program that Hogwarts once prided itself on. I'm due to head to France next Tuesday to attend Beauxbatons for the remainder of September. Then I have my pick of a large portion of the other magical institutions in the world. I'm leaning towards checking out the one in Brazil, and Japan. Likely Ilvermorny as well. Each month I'll head somewhere new and get started on an advanced curriculum, exploring the various facets of Magic across the world and sticking with the ones that interest me the most. If it goes well we'll probably see a few other students try it next year though they'll typically be bound to one school for the year" Harry was surprised that no one, especially Astoria, had interrupted him. He guessed there were at least some perks to being slightly scary to those who didn't know his disposition.

A low whistle escaped one of the students in the back of their little meeting, and Harry realized that it was Percy of all people "That's some amazing stuff Harry. I almost wish I was staying another year just to see what that'd be like"

Harry grinned, "You still set on joining the British Ministry of Magic after you graduate? I could keep an eye out for some opportunities abroad, put in a good word if you'd rather try your hand as an administrator somewhere else. I hear the pay in MACUSA is very competitive. I'll be reachable by letter if you don't want to answer right now"

Percy seemed to appreciate that, if his enthusiastic nod was anything to go by. Harry knew the young man had a ton of ambition and an eagerness to please. A mentality that tended to be taken advantage of in Britain. Maybe he'd have better luck somewhere else. He just hoped he wasn't talking out of his ass about the competitive pay, he had no idea what the MACUSA paid their workers but he intended to find out if he could.

Astoria saw her moment to chime in and jumped on it, "This isn't about what we talked about the other day is it?"

"No. This happened just the other day, and completely shocked me when Dumbledore offered it to me after our duel" As soon as Harry let that bit slip he wanted to slap himself.

"Your… what?" Astoria's tone let Harry know immediately that he had no way to talk his way out of this one. He sighed.

"Our duel. He wanted to test me. Before you ask, I didn't stand a chance but was still able to impress him enough to receive this opportunity. That's all I'll say about it" Harry shot Astoria a look to tell her that he would fill her in another time if she was still interested.

"Then you'll be gone the entire school year?" Astoria started to come to terms with the idea that Harry wouldn't be present as much this year, and while she appreciated not falling under his ever increasing shadow she would be lying if she were to say that she wouldn't miss the weirdo.

"I'll be able to come back on weekends if I wish. I'm not sure if the same offer would be made to students who want to try this out next year" Harry debated the merits of a Scholarship program, and possibly donating some Portkeys to the school to let families like the Weasleys, who had talented children but not necessarily the means to send them across the globe, attend the program if it worked out. Could be a decent tax write-off too, his more pragmatic side reminded him.

"Good. Then you can still take Daphne to a Hogsmeade weekend or two" Astoria nodded firmly as if that were that, fighting back the giggle at Harry's facepalm.

"You know as well as I do that there is no merit to anything that was in the Prophet" Harry responded firmly.

"Oooo was there another article about your blossoming love?" Astoria had a coy look, "I don't have a subscription"

Groaning Harry stood up, "You know I hate when you do that. And I know you have a subscription, I'm paying for the bloody thing. Now let's go. I need to speak to you and Daphne before class. Together, so don't get any ideas"

The last part was aimed at those around him who looked ready to disagree until Harry's level look swept across them and they realized he wasn't kidding. Harry nodded firmly, dismissed his Wards, and caught Daphne's eye across the Great Hall. He ignored her look of confusion and worry since he was coming over with Astoria in tow. He also ignored the flutter his stomach gave whenever he looked at her.

"Come to whisk away your girlfriend again, Lord Potter?" Pansy taunted when she noticed the golden boy walking up.

"Actually, I was coming to get Daphne for a family matter, but we can visit a broom closet if you really want to. Seems a bit forward this early in our relationship though Pansy" Harry winked at her, and surprisingly she blushed and didn't say anything else. Let the snake pit handle that for a while instead of talking about his actual business. Daphne primly set aside her cutlery and placed her napkin on the table before joining Harry without a word. Together with him and Astoria they left the Great Hall.

***Break***

Harry glanced around once they exited the Great Hall and almost chose the same side room he and Daphne had used before. But he knew that Rita had watched that room at least once before. He just hoped that she was off doing questionable journalist work somewhere else. Instead he lead the girls up a flight and over to an unused classroom. Wards were applied as were quickly becoming his custom. It was only paranoia if they weren't actually after you. His wand danced and seats were brought into existence for them all. A couch for Daphne and Astoria, with Harry taking his usual armchair.

"Okay. I know that class starts soon so I won't keep you. I've filled Astoria in on the details of my arrangement with the school, Daphne. I'm headed to Beauxbatons first. However I wanted to give you both a gift since I do now know how much time I'll be spending at the school until I leave Tuesday" Harry reached into his pocket and brought out three of his five mirrors, along with the two pouches he had prepared at the bank for them both. Their respective keys were already inside.

"These pouches each contain an allowance of 100 Galleons along with a key and access to your own Trust Vault, one for each of you, to be used while you remain my Wards. No isn't an answer here, Daphne" Harry spotted her growing reluctance to take the pouch, but with his words she took it in hand.

"This doesn't affect our Inheritance does it?" Daphne said quietly. She was holding the pouch as though it contained a nest of angry spiders.

"Of course not. But I know that Hogsmeade is coming up. And I just want to make sure that you both have access to some funds should the need arise. The Vaults contain 2,000 Galleons each. I highly doubt, and sincerely hope, you won't have need for that amount anytime soon but if I am unable to be reached due to being halfway around the world and something were to happen. Anything. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you didn't have some sort of basic protection. The keys have full access to my funds if used at St. Mungo's as well. Again, I hope you won't need this beyond just needing a new set of clothes from a potions mishap or something small. I just… ugh this conversation was easier in my head" Harry chuckled to himself to try and alleviate the growing embarrassment he was feeling. Daphne was oblivious as she was staring hard at the pouch still but Astoria could tell what Harry was trying to say. The younger sister got to her feetand stood in front of Harry.

"Thank you, Lord Potter. On behalf of my sister and myself I thank you with the trust you've shown us in opening up your coffers for our wellbeing. We will be sure not to abuse this trust. Thank you." Astoria curtsied low, flashing Harry an apologetic grin as the formal behaviour had caught Daphne's interest. Daphne huffed, shoved the pouch into her bag, and stood.

"Thank you, milord. The gift is well received" Daphne's tone betrayed none of the warring emotions inside of her, and her curtsy was flawless as it always was.

Harry smiled thankfully at Astoria for breaking her sister out of her thoughts, "Now that that business is done I have the actual gift here. These mirrors are quite interesting. Here, Astoria, I'll let you be the example. You hold this one and wait just a moment. When it chirps press this rune here."

Harry handed her the mirror and walked to a corner of the room. He made a show of putting up a Silence Ward, then shocked them both by Transfiguring the floor up and over him, hiding him from view. Astoria almost dropped her mirror when it chirped loudly, and she quickly pressed the rune in question.

"Wicked!" Astoria said when Harry appeared inside the frame, wand aloft and alit with a simple Lumos since his Transfiguration also blocked the light.

"Wicked indeed" Harry responded, his voice coming from the mirror clearly, and Astoria was astounded. "These have no range requirements, so you will be able to reach me wherever I am. The time zone might be different but if I'm able to answer I most certainly will. To use it you simply hold the same rune that I showed you and speak my first name clearly. The frame will go black while it waits to see if I pick up. If I don't answer after a certain period of time then the frame will turn red. It's much like the Muggle telephone that I showed you in that book, but with picture"

"To end it, you simply press the rune on the other side" The sound of the floor being set back to right let them know that Harry had dropped his ward. Astoria did just that and Harry handed Daphne her mirror as he passed back by.

"Currently these are all keyed to mine, I have another few for personal use, but I also took the liberty of linking both of yours. Same methods to contact each other. I know it's only been a few days into term but… well you know. Wanted to make sure you both could keep in touch without having to send stupid letters" Harry Banished his seat and turned to them both ruffling his hair in annoyance.

Daphne was equal parts annoyed about the Trust Vault, impressed with Harry stepping up and making sure they both had proper care and resources, and thankful that Harry had been thoughtful enough to give them both a means to contact each other. Sure they could just find each other in the halls but this allowed them a level of privacy and intimacy that the castle lacked at times. All of this warred with Daphne's own growing attraction to Harry and her desire to not see him go.

It was the right mixture, and the catalyst, for some out of character actions. At least that's what she told herself after she had thrown her arms around Harry's neck and pulled him into a fierce hug. Harry to his credit stood there like someone had told him Voldemort was in the castle. Astoria chuckled and joined the hug, easing some of the awkwardness Harry had felt at the unexpected affection and prompting him to return the hug to them both. The Warning Bell rang through the school letting Daphne and Astoria know they needed to rush to class. Harry waved them out the door and took a moment to set the room back to right.

***Break***

The Library was quiet, and that suited Harry just fine. He glanced around and spotted a plethora of Skill Books he had been unable to handle last time that he was here, and since class had just started this seemed like a good opportunity to get them out of the way. It occurred to him then that the other schools likely had libraries of their own with potentially different texts to read through. The thought excited him, his inner bibliophile surprisingly okay with the way that the Game handled books. He, in a sense, absorbed the book and was able to recall it with perfect accuracy. For fiction it was frustrating due the ruining of any surprises or twists in the plot not being able to be experienced in real time. But for nonfiction it was a godsend. No book could bore him, no matter how dull, as he never gave it the time to.

Madam Pince sat as she always did, like an owl in the night, waiting for the slightest noise to occur before she swooped in on her prey. There were only a few students in the Library, those few who had this period free and were diligent enough to use that time for study and homework despite a full stomach from lunch. Heading to the first glowing book Harry settled into a rhythm of flipping through it and committing the contents to memory, ignoring the building headache and determined to see this through.

+2 Animagus Transformation

+1 Transfiguration

+8 Herbology

+2 Charms

+4 Potions

+11 Astronomy. Two Skill Boons Available

+4 Care of Magical Creatures

+5 Divination

+4 Ancient Runes

+3 Arithmancy

+7 Alchemy

+13 Enchanting

+2 Warding

+1 Equestrianism

+6 Performance

+11 Disguise

+6 German

+4 French

+10 Gobbledygook

+4 Tailoring

+3 Trunk Making

Harry found a dark corner after the last book and put his head down onto the table, enjoying the cool wood's soothing temperature. His wand came out for a moment and he waved it 4 times, layering a few spells to protect him before opting to enable the Sleep command as the headache was severe. Blessed darkness enveloped him and after what seemed like just a moment, yet was actually an hour, he woke up feeling immensely better.

Mage Sight confirmed that his spells had held through his short nap, so Harry took a moment to check his Character Sheet, savoring the feeling of seeing some more respectable numbers in the Skills that he had not yet had a chance to practice. Chief among them was the Animagus Transformation which was now resting at a tempting 20. Seeing that there were a few Boon options Harry highlighted Logistics first and smiled wide. Organizational Excellence was a Boon that would allow Harry to Auto-Sort his Inventory and storage containers among a few different parameters. He had not really given his Inventory much thought, there was so much in there and he had only added to it over time. This allowed him to maneuver things within it much quicker, and was a more effective Boon than the other options had been. He vowed, even if he knew he would likely not keep it, to organize his Inventory at some point.

Astrology surprised him, as the Boons were unique. There were 2 similar options, Student of the Moon and Student of the Sun. Each had the same benefit of boosting Learning +2 during the night, or the day. There was another that provided a bonus to his Minimap at night. Thinking about it after a moment he chose Student of the Sun in the interest of taking advantage of his classes. In the night Harry rarely had a teacher and was usually practicing what he had learned the day before.

Taking a moment to debate his options Harry decided that Animagus Transformation was simply too useful to keep ignoring so he tried to sink 5 Points into it to bring it to 25. The first 4 worked just fine but as he tried to put the 5th Point in he received an Error in his Notifications, something that had never occurred before.

Error! Skill Locked due to qualifying step not being taken! Please try again later once requirement has been met! Requirement: ****

Harry tried once more to be sure, and when the same Error came up he huffed in annoyance. It seemed to Harry that a talk with either Dumbledore or McGonagall was in his future before he remembered that he knew another Animagus, one who would likely relish the idea of helping Harry take that step in his magical education. And one whom Harry had already allocated one of his mirrors. Putting the thought out of mind for now Harry took a moment to observe the people in the Library, looking for one particular person. As expected he saw Hermione moving around a bookcase in search of something. Harry took a deep breath and countered his own Wards, hoping that by taking that extra step he could train the Skill a little easier. He was surprisingly frustrated that even though he seemed to cast the Wards every chance that he got, the Skill was downright slow to level.

Hermione to her credit heard Harry before he approached, but chose not to say anything in favor of continuing to scan the index in the book she had pulled from the shelf. Harry leaned against the shelf, arms folded, waiting patiently for Hermione to finish finding the section she was looking for and letting her read the paragraph without interruption.

"Hermione, do you have a moment?" Harry tested the waters. Hermione placed the book back onto the shelf. Her finger lingered for a moment on the spine before she turned to look at Harry, contemplating escape unbeknownst to Harry. Immediately he saw that her eyes had a tinge of red around them,a sign that she had been crying some time in the last hour or so.

"No," She said firmly, and made to move around Harry. Normally Harry would respect her wishes, and let her by, but the impending deadline of his departure from Hogwarts made him reconsider and his arm barely came out in time to stop her from leaving.

"Please, Hermione. I want to talk. It would only hurt us both to leave it like this when I leave" That seemed to work on Hermione, who took a step back and then indicated for Harry to start by crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"Not here," Looking around, Harry instinctively grabbed Hermione by the hand and pulled her in. His Cloak swirled around them both and despite her surprise at the suddenness of Harry's closeness Hermione could not ignore the flutter her stomach gave when the Cloak made her intimately aware of how warm Harry was. Hermione let herself be guided by Harry's selfsure movements, her mind desperately going over the laws of Transfiguration starting from the beginning of the list. She would not let herself think about how close Harry was to her right now. Nope. Not a single thought. Together they headed over to the section of the Library with research rooms, typically reserved for upper years.

A wave of Harry's wand granted them entry, and Harry stuck his head in briefly to ensure that the room was not in use. It was typical practice that the rooms remained locked, but the room was of a decent size and suited their needs for a private discussion. His luck held out and the room was empty. He nodded to Hermione and they both headed in, Harry taking a moment to reapply the Locking Charm and adding a Silence Ward to it as well.

Warding Skill has increased! It is now 18!

"Finally" Harry mumbled to himself which luckily went unheard by Hermione.

***Break***

Hermione looked around the room in interest. She had not yet needed to use the research rooms, but had discovered their intended use last year when she was looking for a suitable place to brew Polyjuice. They were meant to be used by the upper years who were working on tougher homework, or for group projects during their OWL year and under the strict rules set forth by their Professors. There was a table, with 4 chairs, a spot for Potions, and a worktable that could be modified to suit the needs of whichever group was using the room.

She knew she was hiding, stalling even, by not saying anything, but she did not know what to say. Hermione wasn't mad at Harry but simply mad at herself. She had reacted poorly to Harry's announcement yet sheer stubbornness had prevented her from apologizing. Her stupid hormones were driving her nuts and she found herself, for the first time in her life, without a concrete answer about what she wanted to do. Some part of her wanted to convince Harry to stay, to continue to be her driving force for excellence like he had always been. Though in recent months it was out of competition instead of necessity. Another wanted to shove him as far away as she could. And still another wanted to risk it all and explore the strange new feelings she was having for her best friend. It was a cocktail of emotions, thoughts, and things that a book gave you very little tools to handle. Hermione Jean Granger was completely out of her depth. But she had to say something. Anything.

***Break***

Harry propped himself on the table. Sitting did not appeal to him at the moment. Hermione was silent, something he had not had in his first four plans for this conversation. He expected yelling, a stern dress down, or a lecture. Even a rant had seemed more possible than silence. Gryffindor courage warred with Slytherin pragmatism on whether he should be the one to break the silence.

As though they had been having the same thoughts they both started "H- you first"

Harry grinned slightly, their words in perfect sync. "You first"

The bushy haired witch nodded and tossed her bag onto the ground. Normally she was one for complete sentences, well thought out words, and a calm discussion. What she went with instead was stepping close to Harry and pulling him into a hug. Her head was barely too high to fit under his chin so she contented herself with resting her head against his chest and shoulder. Harry a year ago would have fought the simple gesture. The Harry before her today was not the same. She was coming to terms with that. Harry brought his arms around her gently.

Once more they spoke at the same time, "I'm sorry"

Harry felt more than heard Hermione's scoff, but he did hear her say "We need to stop doing that, or we'll get nowhere"

"I actually find it endearing. If we're on the same page this early in the argument it bodes well for the remainder" Harry joked, and his chuckle sounded so different and so similar to the Harry she had known for what felt like a decade as opposed to only 2 years. "I am sorry though. I just… I don't want to miss this opportunity you know? And if it goes well it will open it up to other students in the future. Hogwarts might actually get back onto the radar for education, as opposed to the best option for simply Great Britain. Did you know that as little as 5 decades ago there used to be quite a few foreign students around our corridors and… sorry I'm rambling"

"No. You're right. It's just a crazy change, and it was unexpected. Your education has taken more twists and turns in the last 3 months than I would be comfortable with in an entire year but I think that just proves that you're the better choice for this. More… flexible. And maybe I can check out some of the other schools next year so you better not embarrass us." Hermione held off on moving as long as she could but she eventually had to move before it got awkward. Harry surprisingly immediately missed her warmth when she separated herself from him.

"Does this mean you're okay with it?" Harry asked with a genuine smile.

"Yes. Though I expect letters as often as you can send them. And pictures! If this is an option next year I want to be well informed" Hermione shook her finger warningly at Harry with a soft smile letting him know she was only half-kidding.

"I'll do one better. Since I've had all this free time I commissioned a gift for a select few. I've given Astoria and Daphne theirs but this one is yours" Harry presented the mirror to Hermione who took it with an appraising eye.

"Thanks? Is this a code of some sort?" Hermione noted the 2 Runes at the top right and top left corners, but could not discern their use just yet and her ever cautious nature prevented her from trying anything that could be risky. She ignored the twinge of jealousy that Daphne had received hers first.

"They're communication mirrors. If you press this button here," Harry showed her on his own mirror that had appeared in his hands while she had been observing her own "And speak my first name, Hermione, you'll see that the other begins to chirp"

Hermione jumped when the one in her hand let out a loud noise, her ever working mind recognized it as a simple bird call of unknown breed.

"If you press this rune here, perfect" Harry's voice suddenly doubled in volume as the mirror began imitating his every move and word "And voila we are now communicating. No inherent range issues though there could be some interference from Wards at certain schools. We will have to test it I'm sure"

Hermione was fascinated. Intricate yet also simple spellwork. She wondered how it was all done. Some sort of spell to link the two and perhaps a runic scheme that switched the reflections of the mirror and replayed the noises spoken on one side onto the other end? What an interesting concept, similar but almost superior to the telephone. It was honestly most like the satellite phone she and her father had looked at during the science expo a few years ago.

"Earth to Hermione" Harry laughed, drawing Hermione out of her thoughts. She blushed and allowed Harry to show her how to end the connection. They tested it once more with Hermione initiating the contact first. It was a lovely gift she thought, and would let her stay in touch with Harry which was honestly a bit of a relief. She already had Daphne to contend with, who knows what foreign witches might think of the tall, handsome, talented, famous, and rich British Wizard.

Where the hell did that come from? Hermione wasn't sure, the feelings too new for her considerable mind to make sense of just yet, so she ignored them and instead listened to a part of herself that she tended to ignore. Her gut and the opinion it was loudly voicing.

"Are you al-" Harry was lost for words physically and mentally when Hermione placed her lips against his.

*Fin*

A/N: Boom. Now I had thought about not putting in the last scene in, but I didn't want to drag out the chapter anymore than I had. I was working on the Basilisk scene just this morning and have put quite a bit of work into this.

Special shoutout to Joe Lawyer who has been speeding through all of my chapters letting me know his thoughts on the story thus far. I hope you're still reading Joe I put in a scene or two for you. Also special thanks to GreatBubbaJ who checked up on me just to make sure I was still breathing.

'Til Next Time!