Chapter 940 - Ch: 6 Part 2

The Beach House, Waivunu, Fiji, Feb 6th 1997...

Tonks opened the door and stepped into the living room, then stopped and stared. Harry was levitating himself, while sitting in a lotus position. She had seen him do that before, but this time he was upside down and reading a book.

Remus stopped behind her, then coughed lightly to catch Harry's attention. He looked up from his book and slowly rotated along one axis until he was right side up again, then he floated down to the floor.

"Welcome back," he said with a smile.

"What were you doing?" exclaimed Tonks.

"Studying," Harry replied firmly.

Remus glanced at his watch, concerned.

"Don't worry, Moony," Harry said. "I spent some time fixing up your bunker. You have fresh water, food, even a change of clothes. I've also refreshed the heating charm, since it seemed to be weakening. It gets down to sixty degrees at night around here."

Remus nodded at him gratefully. They had rushed as best as they could, but it had taken them too long to make it home. Tonight was a full moon and he was running very late.

"Thanks, Harry," he mumbled, then he turned to Tonks. "Harry will show you to my room. You can sleep there tonight."

When she nodded unhappily, he walked out of the living room, heading for his bunker.

"Don't worry, Tonks, he'll be all right. It's only one night," Harry offered.

She crossed her arms and nodded absently.

"So you and Remus, eh?" he prodded, smiling.

She glanced over at him. "What of it?" she asked warily. She had seen how the three of them behaved and knew to expect teasing of monumental proportions.

"Oh, I think it's brilliant. He needs someone that can see beyond the wolf."

She looked at him intently. "What would you know about that?"

"Hello? Boy-Who-Lived, remember? Hermione is the only girl I know who's interested in me, Harry, not some made up legend or the fact that I'm rich. I could understand it if I had actually done something, but I have no recollection of Voldemort's attack. I was fifteen bloody months old. For all I know, I threw a teddy bear at the blighter," he retorted somewhat bitterly.

She nodded thoughtfully and sat down on the couch. "I've been in the same boat. One of the things I like about Remus is that he isn't interested in me pretending to be someone else. He is fascinated with the ability, but he's never asked me to use it. I can't tell you how many boys, in school and then in Auror academy, had requests. They seemed to equate metamorph with some kind of versatile Veela sexpot."

"Even the Veela reputation is over done. They usually find one mate and stick with him, rather than sleeping around. But we are a strange group, even by wizard standards. Werewolf, exonerated convict, and me," he said in agreement. "I take it you're spending the night?"

She grinned. "Why? Want me to change into Hermione for you?"

He smirked. "No, but if you're interested in Remus, I'll make sure you have what you need to help him tomorrow. Do you know how to give a massage? He often needs help the next day from muscles that have been over stressed."

She frowned. "It's that bad?"

He nodded. "It can be. It would be easier if we had a steady supply of Wolfsbane. Cindy said she was going to try to brew it, but that plan was hosed when the homes were burned. She'll probably have it ready for next full moon though."

Tonks made a face. "My potion skills aren't good enough for that. I got into Auror academy well enough, but..."

A clock in the room began to chime softly. Before it had finished, a howl came from outside. Tonks started and shivered involuntarily. "He's all alone," she whispered.

Harry nodded unhappily. "But he knows that family is nearby. I had hoped I could be an animagus like my Dad so I could be with him when he transforms."

"Yeah, but Metamorphs have more fun," Tonks said with a grin. She was trying to latch onto any topic to distract her from what was happening in the bunker. "Your talent is slowly improving. At the rate you're going, you'll be able to change most of your features in a year or two. You can do most of your body parts now, so it's just a matter of practice and putting it all together. Considering how late you started, you're really doing well with it," she praised after tearing her eyes from the darkened windows that faced the bunker.

Harry stood. "I hope you don't mind, but I wasn't planning on company tonight, so dinner is going to be fairly simple."

She smiled wanly, trying hard to ignore the noises coming from outside. "I don't mind. Can I help any?"

"Sure, another set of hands won't hurt," he said over his shoulder as he walked into the kitchen.

Tonks followed and he motioned to the cabinets with the dishes.

"You're starting your NEWTS this year, right?"

Harry grinned. "Yup. I received my portkey to the testing facility in Wellington, New Zealand today. My first test is in three days, but I go a day early to recover from the portkey sickness."

Tonks shook her head. Harry's skills were very good, but he hadn't studied human anatomy that well to make major changes like she did. The best he had accomplished was mimicking the effects of Gillyweed and other body altering potions and he still took nearly a minute to make the changes. He could make some internal changes, thanks to her coaxing, but there was still things he couldn't do, like removing the inner ear.

"What's your first exam, then?"

"Transfiguration."

"Worried?"

"No, not really. I'm more worried about going to New Zealand than I am about taking the test. I figure I should pull an Exceeds Expectations at a minimum for Runes, Potions and Languages. I pulled O's in Defense, Charms and Transfiguration," Harry replied.

He popped open the oven and placed a pre-made platter inside.

Tonks watched him curiously. "So what are we having?"

"Its a staple of the island; baked fish and plantains with a coconut sauce."

He closed the oven and turned around.

She sat at the table frowning. "Plantain? Isn't that a banana?"

He grinned. "Sort of. You'll like it. It's tasty."

"Great, now show me your twelve basic transfigurations and then show me the alternate castings. And use your wand, not that ring thing of yours," she said.

The focus ring fascinated her and Remus had talked about taking her to get one, but she hadn't gotten it yet. Harry's ring was a little different, being hidden behind a charm so it really looked like he was doing things wandlessly. The first time she saw him cast with it, she had been totally floored by the idea that he was casting wandlessly.

Harry grinned, not minding her impromptu quiz. Tonks held a Mastery in Transfiguration and had helped him several times on the topic. He also knew she was trying to find reasons not to pay attention to what was happening in the bunker. Besides, it would pass the time until dinner was ready.

Bookspace February 13th 1997...

As soon as the disorientation ended, she looked around and spotted Harry. She rushed into his arms, fighting back tears. Harry, for his part, was caught entirely by surprise. He held her until the storm had passed, softly stroking her hair and whispering words of comfort in her ear.

"Hermione, what's wrong?"

She sniffled and then smiled when he handed her a conjured tissue. She took a moment to compose herself.

"Lavender is at it again," she replied softly.

"Why are you letting her get to you? Or has this gone beyond rumor and innuendo now?"

She shivered and he tightened his grip on her. "She's spreading some really nasty rumors, but I heard from Padma that she's also tricking several boys into doing whatever they can to make me break up with you."

"Break up with me?" he repeated dumbly. He couldn't see how that could happen.

She nodded against his chest. "Padma warned me about it. She heard about the plan from Parvati. Later that same day I was approached by Ernie McMillan, who asked me out. I told him no, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. I finally had to pull my wand on him."

Harry scowled. "What else?"

"I had to hex Lavender after she tried to break into my trunk. I think she's after my journal in the hope that it contains some juicy gossip. I nearly lost my prefect status over it. Professor Lawton wanted to remove me, but McGonagall wouldn't let her. Lavender ended up in detention and Lawton now hates me."

He nodded and conjured another tissue, then he cupped her cheek and lifted her head to wipe away the tears. "The only way we could possibly break up is if you told me you didn't want to be with me anymore because you didn't love me."

She nodded uncertainly again and he smiled, then he poked at her cheeks. "Show me that smile," he said softly.

She gave him a tentative smile.

"Lavender is an annoyance, sweetheart. You are so much smarter and better than she is. But if you want, I think I can find ways to occupy her time so that she leaves you alone."

She looked at him worriedly.

"No, I won't be coming to the castle either," he replied to her unasked question.

"I don't know."

He kissed her forehead and leaned his head against hers. "Just say the word and we'll tie her up in knots and they'll never be able to trace it back to you."

She remained quiet for a few moments, weighing her options. "No, I think I will take care of it. I guess deep down I just needed to hear you say nothing she did would affect us."

"You know it wouldn't. I'll let you deal with her, but if you need my help, tell me what you want done. You know I'd do anything for you," he replied softly.

She smiled and her heart melted, then she reached up to caress his cheek.

He smiled and sat down. Ever since last Halloween they almost always ended up sitting in the same position, Harry would sit with his legs open and she'd sit, leaning up against his chest with his arms wrapped around her.

She sat and cuddled back against him. Now that they could perform magic in bookspace they were able to conjure objects and items to make them more comfortable. Harry conjured a soft cushion to lean against and she conjured a blanket to cover them both.

"How did you do on your NEWT?"

"The preliminary grade is an Outstanding, possibly with distinction, but there was a problem at the test and it might cost me my grade," he said, sounding unhappy.

She sucked in her breath. "What happened?"

"You remember when I said I was testing as myself?"

She nodded.

"Well, that was wrong. Actually, I am testing as student X, still disguised as Evan. My grades were to be assigned, when all the tests were complete, to a new file in the name of Harry Potter. In the meantime, I'm taking the test anonymously."

She nodded again. It seemed like a reasonable way of doing it.

"At first, everything seemed alright..."

Harry walked into the room, his paper work clutched in his hand. He had just finished a grueling four hour written examination and the next six hours were dedicated to his practical, which was worth more than half his score.

"This is examination room thirty one?" he asked from the door way. The signs on the door had been mixed up earlier, so a lot of students were having difficulty locating the room they were supposed to be in.

Inside the room, the three judges looked up from the table they sat at. "Yes, come in, come in," said the man sitting in the center. "I'm examiner Wentworthy. This is examiner Trent and examiner Mobius." He gestured to his companions, then he glanced down at his paperwork and frowned. "You're... student X?"

"There is a special memo attached to his file from the office of the Minister, as well as Magical Law enforcement, that this student is to remain anonymous for legal reasons," offered Trent.

"Damn unusual," muttered Mobius.

"Ah, I see it," Wentworthy replied, shuffling his papers. He paused and read for a moment before nodding to himself, satisfied that all was in order.

Wentworthy glanced to his companions, then motioned Harry in. He stepped up to the table and handed the senior examiner his paperwork, which also identified him as student X.

Harry stood nervously in front of them, his attention fixed on the senior examiner. He was unprepared for the attack when it came, but his defenses kicked in before he even knew what was happening.

He anchored the probe and sent a powerful blast back down the tendril of magic to its source. 

Harry staggered back a step, then pulled his wand. His other hand flared with magic around the hidden ring and he turned to face Mobius, who was slumped over in his chair, convulsing. The man, in an attempt to learn his identity, had tried to use Legilimency on Harry. He had not anticipated that Harry was capable of defending himself or that his active defenses would strike back viciously when attacked.

The other two examiners leapt from their seats in astonishment and stared at Harry.

Hermione gasped. "What happened?"

"It was a mess for a while. I think I spoke to twenty Aurors and ended up sharing a pensieve memory, plus I had to let a master Occlumens examine my shielding technique. It meant I started my practical three hours late and nearly exhausted. As it stands, I was examined by two examiners, not three.

"Normally, the grade granted is an average taken by adding up the examiners grades. I just hope they remember to divide by two and not three."

She shook her head. "Oh, Harry," she murmured. "Only you would find a nosy examiner and end up knocking him out. Will he be all right?"

"He'll be fine, once the headache passes. But they said they were going to charge him with using Legilimency on a student. That's a fifteen hundred galleon fine and the Pacific Rim DMLE is planning on investigating why he never registered as a Legilimencer."

She turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. "I don't remember us registering when you taught me the spells. And you never mentioned Eton registering you."

Harry grinned. "Oh, we're registered via the Ministry in Dubai. Apparently, they have very loose registration requirements. Besides, the British Ministry doesn't require registration for Legilimency. Although there is the Mind Arts Council, membership in that group is purely voluntary."

"So do you think your scores will be affected?"

He sighed and rested his chin atop her head. "I hope not. Examiner Wentworthy said it wouldn't be held against me, but this is a government we're talking about. You know how they work."

She nodded and shifted slightly in his arms. This was the time she enjoyed the most. They'd sit like this, talking for most of their hour and then he'd start kissing her neck and shoulders. It amazed her how they could go from a serious topic to making out so quickly.

He traced a trail of soft kisses from the top of her head to the back of her neck. She turned in his arms and pushed him down so she could straddle him. Her hair cascaded down to encase them in a curtain, blocking out most of the light and she leaned down to kiss him.

For now, life was good.

The Beach House, Waivunu, Fiji February 16th 1997...

Harry walked out of his room, heading towards the kitchen. Under his arm was his Japanese language textbook and he was muttering to himself in a mix of English, Japanese and Arabic.

"What's got you so worked up this morning? Your test?"

He stopped and spotted Tonks, sipping tea at the table. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat

down across from her. "No, I think I'll do alright on the test. I'm trying to solve a problem of Hermione's and all I can come up with result in dismemberment and bloodshed."

Tonks blinked and leaned forward. "What's the problem?"

He shifted his cup a few times in his hands. "She's being harassed by Lavender Brown, one of the girls that's in her house, same year. She's been trying to break into her trunk to get at her journal and trying to trick Hermione into compromising positions in the hopes of her breaking up with me."

Tonks scowled. "Why would this girl care who Hermione dates?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't understand it. She seems to take the fact that Hermione is dating Evan as a mortal insult."

"Jealousy," Tonks said sagely.

Harry stared at her in astonishment. "Jealously? Of what?"

"You and Hermione," she replied, then she waved a hand. "You're not looking at this from a girl's point of view, Harry."

"That's because only girls can understand that. If I understood that point of view, I'd write a book and become very popular."

She glared at him. "Are you done being a wise ass and are willing to listen?"

He flushed. "Sorry," he muttered. "Please continue."

"She's jealous, Hermione has become a beautiful young woman and she's been working out with you enough for it to show. And you? You are a walking dream. I love Remus, but you are seriously hot, Harry. If you didn't have Hermione, you'd have witches all over you like a heat rash. This Brown girl has problems with that. I bet she can't stand the fact that Hermione has one fine looking hunk of wizard for a boyfriend."

Harry nodded slowly. "Makes sense, I guess, but that still doesn't help me figure out how to stop it without going to Hogwarts and tearing into her. I had several ideas, but..."

"What is Hermione going to do?"

"I don't know. Last year I sent a letter that was read aloud in the Great Hall that had her backing off. She said she'd take care of it, but I worry about her," he admitted.

"If you want my advice, do nothing unless Hermione asks. You helped her once, but it's really her fight. She needs to stand up for herself and your helping her won't teach her that."

He frowned at the idea.

"You don't like that because you think it's your job to protect her, right?"

Reluctantly, he nodded.

"You can't be there for every fight, Harry. You've given her a set of tools. Give her the emotional support she needs, but let her fight her own battles. You can protect her whenever possible, but it's not always possible. This is one of those times."

"I guess," he replied dubiously.

She grinned. "Growing up is so much fun, isn't it?"

He glared at her hotly, but she refused to burst into flames.

From the Journal of Hermione Jane Granger (Transmitted Entry), Feb 17th 1997, Hogwarts...

Dear Harry,

I know this is a little difficult to read, my hand is still shaking. Every time I think about it, my blood boils. Two days ago I finally had the opportunity I wanted to deal with Lavender and I did it! 

I want to thank you for your offer of help. But I needed to do this myself. I needed to know I was capable of standing up to her bullying and disgusting comments. Ginny helped a little, by arranging for a crowd. She messed with the moving staircases, causing a huge crowd of students to form while they waited for the stairs to move properly. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning.

It all began two days ago in sixth year Charms. Professor Flitwick was late for class, and Lavender picked up on a theme she had been harping on all week. She was especially mad because she had earned another week of detention for trying to break into my trunk again. This time I caught her and hit her with a fifty point deduction and a week's detention, something which I had already cleared with McGonagall, should the occasion arise.

"Hey Granger, I bet your south Pacific boyfriend is probably getting it on with someone right now," Lavender called from across the class.

Several of the girls in the class snickered, but I held my tongue. I had put up with her all week and I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that she was bothering me.

"At least he'll know what to do if you ever decide you want to know why the rest of us humans enjoy sex so much," she quipped.

I said nothing, I just stared down at my books and remembered how much you desired me. That you find me attractive in that way makes me feel so loved. Anyway, I continued to ignore her and a moment later Flitwick entered and began the class, to my great relief.

I hoped that would be that, but I was wrong. After class, she started up again. I was one of the last to file out of the room, only to find my path blocked by Lavender, Parvati, Mandy Brocklehurst, several Slytherin girls and a few others that were probably just observing.

"You must be using a potion to keep that boy of yours, Granger," Lavender said snidely. "He couldn't want to shag you, that's for certain."

I ignored her and tried to push my way past them. Little did I know that Ginny had messed with the staircases, causing a major backlog of students. The crowd behind the girls continued to grow. Lavender, gaining courage from the crowd of laughing girls, pushed me. 

Once.

When she tried a second time, I used that hold that you and Master Kwang taught me. I spun on my heel after grabbing her hand and she went flying against the wall. Not even a second later, I had my wand out to cover the fact that I had stuck her to the wall with my ring.

Lavender wailed in pain. I might have broken her wrist a little, but it was an accident. Really! 

I am ashamed to say I had reached my limit. I put up with her all week and this was enough. I walked up to her calmly and she stared at me fearfully, unable to move from the wall.

"Unlike you, Lavender Brown, I do not have to be a slut to keep my boyfriend," I said in a voice loud enough to be heard throughout the hall. "My boyfriend loves me. He's my friend first and foremost. And we're still virgins, a condition, which if rumors are true, you left behind two years ago.

"My boyfriend has told me he intends to marry me. Can you say the same about any of your many boyfriends, Lavender?" I asked. 

Lavender's eyes flared with anger, and then she did something that she now probably deeply regrets. "Figures!" she spat. "You wouldn't know what to do with a cock if you saw one. I bet your boyfriend is really small. Why else would he hang around with a pathetic bookworm like you when there are women like me really who know how to please a man?"

"Miss Granger, you will release Miss Brown from the wall and go to my office. Miss Brown, you will go to Madam Pomfrey about your wrist, then come to my office when she releases you," Professor McGonagall said coldly from the doorway of the classroom. She stood there with Professor Flitwick and both looked incredibly angry.

I gasped, seeing the Headmistress and immediately released Lavender. Suddenly I was terribly ashamed of myself. I turned and pushed my way through the crowd, heading towards McGonagall's office. I was sure I was going to be expelled.

So there I was, Harry, in McGonagall's office, waiting for her to come and pronounce my doom. I was sure I was about to be expelled and have my wand snapped. My mind was racing furiously, and I was thinking, "I can go to Fiji and finish out my schooling there using my ring, since I won't have my wand."

And then McGonagall entered the room. She sat down and looked at me with that look of hers that makes you want to crawl under a chair and whimper for Mummy.

"Miss Granger, I had been wondering when you were going to put that harpy in her place," she said.

I blinked. "Er... excuse me, Professor?" I said meekly.

McGonagall tutted for a moment and pinned me with her murderous gaze. "Come now, Miss Granger. I am well aware of the problems you have been having, and I have spent the past week shadowing you in my animagus form. I knew sooner or later you would snap. I am grateful that you managed to do it and only break one bone."

All right, now I am confused, I thought. Is this really Professor McGonagall?

McGonagall shook her head. "Really, girl, she's been provoking you all week since you caught her trying to break into your trunk again. Your response was rather mild. I remember one time Lily Evans put a boy into the infirmary for a week because of his misplaced hands. While they could never prove that she was responsible, he was incapable of having children after that point - although James might have had something to do with that."

"So, I'm not going to be expelled?" I asked in a squeaky voice. Merlin, I hate how I sound sometimes!

McGonagall leaned closer. "No, you're not going to be punished at all. But I will warn you, I will not tolerate fighting at all in my school, especially Muggle fighting. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Professor!" I said, squeaking again.

"Excellent. Dismissed, Miss Granger."

I got out of there faster than you can reach for the snitch Harry! And I would swear that I heard McGonagall laughing behind her door, but that couldn't be, could it?

I ran all the way back to Gryffindor tower, where Ginny met up with me in the Common Room. She confessed that she had blocked the stairs in the hope that I'd stand up to the harpy. Both Ron and Neville congratulated me on standing up to her, and then they congratulated me on getting married!

It was only then that I realized I had basically proclaimed to the entire school that my boyfriend wanted to marry me. I was mortified! 

Don't get me wrong, Harry. I love you with all my heart and I want us to be together forever. But I expected to announce that sort of thing to my family and friends in a more controlled setting, not in a pique of anger at a jealous cow!

Yesterday, Lavender's parents were called to the school. Her father is a Muggle and apparently a strict Catholic who doesn't like the fact that she's a witch. He ran into her in the hall in front of the Great Hall and he laid into her, calling her a harlot and threatening to enroll her into a convent. Everyone heard him shouting at her. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

I don't know who is more embarrassed at this point; me or Lavender. Everyone now knows my boyfriend wants to marry me, and Lavender was called some really horrible things by her own father before McGonagall could usher them all up to her office.

The end result of this is that Lavender's cost Gryffindor one hundred points and probably the House Cup. Last night, she tentatively apologized to me. She's been keeping to herself pretty much. Poor Parvati seems lost without her Lav Lav to keep her occupied. The other good result is that the sixth years seem to be studying more now that Lavender's been reined in. 

Oh, good grief! I've spent the whole letter telling you about Lavender and I haven't said anything else! 

I'll write another entry in a day or two after you've digested this venting mess. I'm sorry I laid this on your shoulders, but I just had to tell this or I'd burst.

How's the studying for your next exam going? Languages, right?

I miss you.

Love,

Hermione.

From the Journal of Harry Potter (Transmitted Entry), Feb 18th 1997, Hogwarts...

Dear Hermione,

I'm impressed! I had been worried about you and what was going on, but it sounds like you managed to put her in her place without bloodshed. I know this will sound silly, but I'm proud of you love, very proud of you. And I have to confess I had thought of things I could do to Lavender, but all of them resulted in bloodshed and much screaming and shrieking on her part. 

While it made for a pleasant little fantasy, Tonks helped me see that I couldn't protect you all the time. And you proved that point marvelously. BUT! I will say this. I'm a dumb male, I can't help feel protective about you. I won't fight your fights, but if I can stop you from getting hurt, I will.

Your letter gives me hope that you won't be bothered by Lavender anymore. As much as I love holding you in bookspace, I'd rather be holding you and caressing you out of love than consoling you when you're upset.

My next NEWT is in Languages. Well, really it was Languages OWL last year, this year it's really Oriental Cultures NEWT, but I just call it Languages because I opted to center it around Japan. 

I have to go to Japan to take it on the 23rd, so I'll be leaving on the night of the 21st, then I'll take a day to recover from the blasted portkey vertigo. I am so tempted to apparate the distance. Merlin, I hate international Portkeys!

After this exam, I have Charms and Potions/Alchemy, back in New Zealand, which isn't as exciting as going to Japan. Frankly, I'm not worried about most of my exams, but I am worried about the Defense exam. Last year I injured one of the examiners. He recovered, but now that they know what to expect, I think I'll be facing a lot harder test than last year.

Remus and Sirius are at the beach house only a day or two a week now, so living here has suddenly gotten rather lonely. I don't know what I'd do if we didn't have bookspace and these journal entries. 

Another thing that helps is the fact that Cindy comes by several times a week when Sirius isn't here. She's really into astronomy and she loves the fact that she can hop over to your parents and switch from day to night almost instantly. Sirius gave her a permanent portkey, so it's like a three second trip from London to Oxford. I understand he's given one to your Mum so she can visit Cindy at the London house as well.

You should see the telescope that she set up here. It's huge! It's funny, she won't let Sirius touch it unless she's watching him carefully. If she treats their kids like she treats that telescope, they will be eighteen before Sirius is even allowed to look at them. She's been teaching me Muggle astronomy, which isn't the same as what they taught at Hogwarts. The zodiac isn't nearly as important for one thing. She could be a wonderful teacher. She loves the subject and she's managed to pull me in with stories of black holes and comets. 

In a way, she's a lot like your mum, and she really cares about what I'm doing and how we're doing. Did you talk to her about bookspace? She called it the backseat with no consequences. I didn't understand that reference.

Well, time to go for now. I still have some writing to do. I'm trying to get better at reading and writing Japanese, so I've been translating one of my defense notebooks into Japanese. If you think my handwriting is bad, you ought to see that! It looks like someone dipped Hedwig's feet in ink and then had her walk across the paper while drunk!

Until next bookspace, I wish you were here.

Love,

Harry

Mitsumi Magical Academy, Kyoto, Japan, February 23rd 1997...

Harry looked down at the slip of paper in his hand, then up at the sign hanging from the building. He was on his way from his hotel to the testing location for his languages course. Ostensibly, the building appeared to be a slaughter house and was therefore in the seedier part of town. To the Muggles, it was a nondescript building that housed a business that few were interested in. To a wizard, it was home to one of the premiere magical schools in Japan.

He doubled checked the sign against his slip of paper. Speaking the language was fairly easy for him, reading it was an art that he knew would take him years to master.

Nervously, he pushed open the door.

Inside was a clean office with a receptionist perusing a magazine at her desk.

"Ohayo gozaimasu," he said, approaching her.

"Good morning to you, as well," she replied in Japanese. "Are you here for the testing?"

He nodded. "Yes, I am," he replied.

"Your name please?"

Harry handed over his paperwork. The woman took his papers and quickly looked through them. Her eyebrows rose, reading the note from the Pacific Rim DMLE.

"Yes, we were told to expect you, sir," she said, smiling brightly at him. "If you would enter that door and proceed down the corridor to the waiting room, someone will call you shortly."

"Thank you," he replied with a nod of his head, then he turned and walked through the door and down a long corridor. The corridor emptied out into a room with several rows of bench seats. Inside the room were two men and a woman. He moved over to an empty bench and sat down.

The room was nondescript and bland with bare walls. With a glance at his watch he reached down into his bag and pulled out a book on Advanced Transfiguration theory. But before he could open it, one of the people in the room interrupted him.

"Excuse me," said one man in Japanese. "But the examiners are running late today. They told us to tell anyone that in that they would be delayed."

Harry smiled at the man. "Domo, domo arigato."

The man's eyes lit up with pleasure. "You speak Japanese?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, I'm here for the test... the examination?" he replied in Japanese.

"You have an unusual accent," the woman commented.

He smiled at her. "It's not easy to forget one's milk language. I'm British."

The woman nodded knowingly. "Yes, getting the idiom and vocalization right is never easy."

"Why did you chose Japanese to study? Surely there were easier languages for you to learn?" asked the third man. "French, Spanish or even German, and much closer to home, at that."

Harry shrugged. "I have a talent for languages. For my OWLS, I covered Japanese and Arabic. But I'm fluent in French already. The truth is, the Japanese culture intrigues me and their magic is very different from that in the west, so I continued my studies into Japan after my OWLS."

The man nodded. "Still, despite the accent, your Japanese is quite passable. Have you traveled much in Japan?"

He shook his head. "Regretfully, not as much as I'd like. I spent time in hospital in Tokyo and I did manage to tour that city a bit. The Imperial Palace is very beautiful."

"You have nothing like that in your country?" asked the woman.

"We do, but it's different. English Royalty seem to like large imposing structures. We have the quiet gardens, beautiful ponds and carefully sculpted landscapes, but the Imperial Palace had a soft, almost ethereal quality to it. I suppose it's a matter of what you grow up with," he replied.

"That is true," said the first man. "I recall visiting Washington DC many years ago and I was struck by the monuments and buildings. I found it all rather intimidating. It was not what I was used to."

"And what of Japanese Magic? Do you find that different as well?"

Harry grinned. "That is one of the best parts. I find it hard to believe that there were Samurai Wizards who were capable of casting using special swords. The Wakizashu?"

He frowned as he mangled that last word, then repeated it properly. "The Wakizashi."

The three people nodded approvingly. "Yes, they were a force to be reckoned with. But what of modern magical Japan?"

Harry launched in a long explanation about the Japanese shields he had studied. Some of the more powerful shields could be tied to an object, like a ward. And Japan was one of the few countries who boasted knowledge of shields capable of stopping kinetic projectiles, like bullets.

"You seem uncommonly interested in defense related topics," commented the woman.

Harry shrugged helplessly. "It is a necessity in my life. As much as I would like to spend time studying the transfiguration spells for Japanese gardens, at this point in my life, defense is more important. Perhaps in the future I'll be able to study other things that interest me."

Harry glanced at his watch and was surprised to discover he had spent the last two hours conversing in Japanese to these people.

"Perhaps someday you will come back and learn what it means to be a wizard in Japan," the first man said.

"Yes, immerse yourself in the culture. That is the way to truly learn what it means," offered the second man.

The woman stood and looked to her two companions, then she face Harry. "You have passed your exam, student X, and as headmistress of the Mitsumi Academy, I would invite you to return someday. Perhaps you could spend a term doing independent study on those transfiguration spells you are interested in."

"This was the exam?" Harry stammered in English. He was so shocked he had reverted back to English.

The older man grinned at him. "Quite right, old bean," he replied in a flawless English that would have sounded at home in Cambridge. "We find it's often better to just converse with the student instead of holding a formal, ritualized examination. I don't know what my fellow examiners think, but I think you did an outstanding job today. You could easily make your way through any prefecture in the country with little difficulty."

"His pronunciation was a little off," said the second examiner.

"And yet his knowledge of our past and our culture is excellent. And not muddied by the revisionist dung the government is trying to force down our throats. No, I think his performance was one of the best I've seen, considering he is a Westerner," countered the woman. "Outstanding, in my opinion."

The second man grudgingly acknowledged the point with a shrug. "Yes, but I still think he should work on his accent," he muttered.

"I will work on it," Harry promised. He wasn't sure if it were alright for him to speak at this point, but he couldn't help it. Especially if they were going to argue his grade in English right in front of him.

The woman smiled and turned to Harry. "There you have it. Your language OWL was an Exceeds Expectations, and you have surpassed that. You will receive formal notification of your grade when you complete the testing cycle. You have heard the judgment of the examiners, and their thoughts on how you can improve. This concludes your NEWT examination for your languages requirement."

From the Journal of Harry Potter (Private Entry), March 1st 1997, Waivunu Fiji...

Well it's official. Everyone is mad at me now.

After the test I decided to take an day or two in Japan. I had enough money and quite frankly, the thought of taking that portkey back to Fiji made me ill even without actually taking it.

I hate wizarding transportation! I'm sure I could apparate the distance, but Sirius and Remus are worried I'll splinch myself. Have they no sense of adventure?

So I take those disgusting potions that are supposed to help reduce portkey vertigo, but don't, and then I'm off for several hours of spinning like a top.

No one has explained it right, so I looked it up. The history of the portkey was fairly straightforward to locate. It was created in 1762 by a Frenchman who wanted to travel from Paris to his Chateau in Normandy. Apparently, he was incapable of apparating without splinching himself, so he sought other means of magical transport and came up with the torturous portkey.

Portkey facts:

Top speed is limited by the magical core of the person using it.

Average Speed: 820mph

Maximum Safe distance to travel without Portkey vertigo: 350miles

RPM: 10-30

Are you seeing the picture here? Everyone walks around telling me how powerful I am, then they hand me a spell which is powered by my own core. The trip from Waivunu to Kyoto, distance of approximately 4,500 miles, still takes me three and a half hours!

Let me repeat that.

THREE AND A HALF HOURS OF SPINNING LIKE A DERVISH!

Is it any wonder that I broke my word and apparated? I mean, it was bad enough going to Wellington, New Zealand for my Transfiguration NEWT. That particular trip is a lot shorter and it was still over an hour at that.

I would have gotten away with it, except that I discovered something that no one else has discovered before. When you are apparating that far, you need to take into account the curvature of the Earth. So off I went, apparating some 4,500 miles and I came out several thousand feet above my destination.

Fortunately, I've fallen before and heights don't scare me. I apparated again, but this time I got sloppy. All right, I was kind of in a rush. After all, the ground was approaching very quickly!

So I arrived in the living room of the beach house (which had been empty when I left it), to discover that Remus, Tonks, Sirius and Cindy were sitting around trying to figure out where I was. Oh, and I guess I should mention that my arrival was accompanied by a clap of thunder so loud it broke every window, glass and plate in the house.

Sirius was seriously pissed. It took several hours of much yelling and screaming while I'm walking around repairing stuff before he calmed down enough for me to explain the portkey problem.

On the plus side, we've proven I can apparate intercontinental distances, now that I've figured out how to add an altitude component to the coordinates, and from here on I'll take a Muggle airplane to Wellington for the rest of my NEWTS. Thank Merlin. If I have to take one more portkey, I'm going to hurl and never stop.

I think once he got over the shock, he was actually pleased that I was willing to do something and get in trouble for it. Or as he said, "Good! I'm glad to see you're still enough of a kid to do something stupid."

Should I feel good about that or not?

Did I mention that Hermione is mad at me, too? Cindy told her mother, who sent Hermione an owl explaining what I did. I wasn't going to mention it at all, but when I went into bookspace, there she was, scolding me for doing something so rash. Merlin, she's beautiful when she's angry! Still, by the time she was done she made me feel three inches tall. How was I to know that apparating that distance would hurt her feelings? I swear I'll never understand girls!

Thankfully, none of them know about my little slip in my first apparate. By my calculations, I arrived at 7,400 feet above sea level. Pretty cool, eh?

You know, maybe I won't show this book to Hermione when we're older. There's some things in here I don't know if I really want her to see.

Office of the Headmistress, Hogwarts, April 4th, 1997...

Minerva opened the door and stepped to one side to allow Sirius to enter. He nodded congenially and took a seat in front of her desk. As she walked back to her desk, a house elf appeared with a tray of tea and biscuits.

"You are looking well Minerva," Sirius said with a disarming smile.

She scowled at him as she sat down behind her desk. "Don't give me that smile, Sirius Black. I know you're here because you want something."

He nodded in acknowledgment. "Yes, well, it's like this, Minerva. You know what we're doing in relation to the person we've been helping."

Her eyes widened slightly and she nodded. "Yes. Not the details, but enough to understand it's importance, and why we need to keep it secret."

"We have reason to believe the final piece of the puzzle is heading in this direction on the mistaken idea that it might find an ally to aid its cause. It won't find any ally of course, but we want to take certain precautions. We can't stop it from entering the school, nor can we prevent it from leaving. What we can do is erect a ward to warn us if that happens. And that brings me to the reason for my visit. I'd like your permission, and your assistance in placing such a ward on the school. As the Head, you are the only one capable of warding the school."

Minerva's frown deepened. If what she believed was true, then her charges were once again about to be put into extreme danger.

She flicked her wand several times, placing privacy and anti-eavesdropping charms on the office.

Sirius sat back and watched with a slight grin. He knew she would want more information.

Once she was done, she turned back to Sirius. "Now, why don't you explain exactly what you mean by this moving puzzle piece you spoke of."

He launched into a description of the Horcruxes and how they had destroyed every one that Dumbledore had identified. He then explained what they thought had happened to Voldemort with the destruction of the first Horcrux after Harry left the school.

She stared at him for a moment, then shook her head. "So, Riddle is a spirit again, but he's possessing the snake?"

"Not quite. We don't think it's a true possession. We think that the presence of the Horcrux within the snake has locked Voldemort's spirit up in that object. The Horcrux is a powerful talisman in it's own right, but Nagini lacks the ability to activate it. And his spirit, being locked away while still magically powerful, has no way of focusing that magic enough to invoke any spells. At best, he controls a snake, but he can't cast magic."

"What about the students? Won't this place them in danger?"

Sirius sighed. "Honestly, Minerva, it will. But the fact is we know how to detect a Horcrux. Destroying one is rather difficult. Harry might be able to do it, but I lack the power, as do most wizards and witches. And like it or not, we're certain it's heading in your direction.

"The snake is dangerous and highly venomous. We have reason to suspect that it's been traveling north since the summer following the tournament, but it's progress is slow. Scotland is not conducive to a snake of that size. It's too cold, even in the middle of the summer. Our last reported sighting was sixty miles south of here in a Muggle town. We think it will take her most of next summer to cover the remaining distance."

When she frowned again he leaned forward in his chair. "If you think it would help, I could talk to the Board about bringing Remus back as DADA Professor next year and Harry wouldn't be far away."

"Remus would be a big help. I'm beginning to think Albus was right about one thing. The DADA position is cursed."

She paused and her expression tightened. "So Mr. Potter will be scouring the countryside looking for a snake? Alone?"

Sirius shrugged apologetically. "Mostly. We don't have anyone who can accompany him, and he is the only person we know who can talk to snakes. He hopes to enlist their aid in the search."

"Are you sure that's wise? Can't you accompany him?" she asked. Harry wasn't her student anymore, but she still felt a measure of responsibility for him.

"As much as I'd like to, I'll only be able to be with him a small part of the time. I'm getting married early in the summer and my duties in the Wizengamot are increasing, as the Minister has started to rely more and more on my help," he replied. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but by the time he begins his search, he will be an adult wizard and fully accredited by the Pacific Rim Ministry."

She nodded unhappily. "Please tell him that he will be welcome in the castle, should he need anything; a hot meal, a warm bed or such. I understand the need, even if I do not like what he will be doing. He continues to sacrifice himself for our world."

Sirius shook his head. "No, he's doing it for Hermione and his family. He's not trying to save the world. He can't do that. But he can save Hermione and her family - his family. That's what he's focusing on. And despite all that, he's still enough of a kid to do dumb things on occasion."

"Oh?"

Sirius leaned back comfortably on his chair and grinned broadly. "Let me tell you about his Languages N.E.W.T. and his hatred of intercontinental portkeys."

Tuvutha, Fiji, June 5th 1997...

Harry limped towards the clearing and paused just inside the jungle that surrounded the small fishing village. One arm was in a makeshift sling. His shirt was torn, most of its cloth gone, donated to make a bandage that wrapped around his forehead. A burn on his left knee resulted in a slight limp.

He straightened up and surveyed the small village carefully. This was his goal, to reach the village. He was going to get some answers, or he was going to start collecting scalps.

He winced and wished once again that he had taken that course in field medicine. He knew a little, but not enough to heal the compound fracture in his arm. Fortunately, that had been the last injury he had received during the last six hours. Had it been one of the first injuries, the test would have ended as quickly as it began.

He shivered in the bright humid heat. His injuries were giving him considerable difficulties and he wasn't sure, but he thought he might be going into shock from his arm. The only thing keeping him going was a massive pain numbing charm that he cast every few hours - and anger - intense and highly focused anger over what he had endured so far.

He faded back into the shadows of the jungle and carefully moved around the outskirts of the village. Few people were visible anywhere, not that he was really concerned about it. The village was for show; no one really lived on this island. Tuvutha was a volcanic rock that jutted some three hundred feet above the ocean, covered in jungle.

Three and a half miles long by a mile and a half wide, it was used by the Aurors in this part of Oceania. Of course, the Muggles thought it was that size. The Aurors had increased its size until it was more than thirty miles long and fifteen miles wide.

He grumbled and for the millionth time in the past forty hours, wished he had not agreed to this special test. Why had taking a hit wizard exam sound so cool at the time? he grumbled to himself.

I have to be insane. Yes, that's it. I'm nuts. If I get out of this, I'm going to kill Remus for suggesting it. No, wait, I'll lock him in his werewolf form and sell him to a zoo! The thought warmed him somewhat.

He crouched down in the shadows and surveyed the scene, trying to decide what to do.

It began nearly a week ago, on June 1st,when Remus and Professor Murphy spoke to him about the possibility of taking the Hit Wizard exam. 

"So, what's it entail?" Harry asked.

"It's no walk in the park," Remus cautioned. "If you take this test, you could end up seriously injured, or worse."

"On the other hand, if you pass, and I think you will, you would jump from earning a NEWT to earning a Defense Mastery," countered Murphy. "I wouldn't suggest it, except that your examiner from your OWL exam suggested it to me and it sounded like a good idea. If anyone can pull it off, you can."

Harry looked at his instructor for a moment. The man was absolutely brilliant when it came to teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration. "What do I have to do?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure," replied Murphy. "The exam changes every year, so no one knows what it's all about. When I took it, I, along with four others, had to go subdue a family of giants that had moved into central Asia."

Harry nodded absently, Murphy's Mastery hadn't come from the Pacific Rim Ministry, so he wouldn't know about their testing methods at all.

"If I fail?"

Murphy frowned. He hated when Harry doubted his own abilities. "If you fail, you take the regular NEWT a little later than expected. If you pass, you make it beyond NEWT level in a single shot."

He thought about it for a moment, then he grinned. "Why not?"

Murphy leapt to his feet. "That's the spirit!"

Remus nodded and looked uncomfortable.

Two days ago he had been taken to a dock and placed on a boat with several other men. He had been told that the test had begun and to not ask questions. He would be told what he needed to know, when he needed to know it. Then they put a hood over his head and someone snapped a bracelet on him.

They explained the bracelet was an anti-apparation bracelet. He nodded uneasily under the hood. He was starting to get the feeling that he was in over his head. Around him various men made crude jokes and comments about the rookie kid who thought he was good enough to take the Hit Wizard exam. Several men laid bets as to the outcomes, most of which included dismembering or death, usually in a grisly manner.

The boat traveled for several hours, then the motor was cut. He perked up, trying to get a feel for what was going on. They hadn't docked and he didn't hear surf hitting the shore. 

Someone jerked him to his feet.

"You have your wand on you, kid?" hissed a voice.

He nodded. The Aurors of the Pacific Rim expected him as a westerner to rely on his wand and not his ring. Only islanders native to Fiji and the other Pacific islands used the rings.

The man pushed him and he stumbled. Someone caught him, hauling him upright roughly. 

"Due south of us is the island of Tuvutha. Other than wizards, no one lives on it. There is a small village on the south western shore, which is operated by us. Between you and that village are obstacles. Your job is to get to that village. Don't let anyone or anything stand in your way."

"I understand," Harry replied, somewhat nervously.

"Good," the voice said. "You start now by swimming."

And with that, he was unceremoniously pushed over the side of the boat. The motor gunned and it pulled away, while he struggled with the hood. When he got it off, he could see the boat moving away at a good clip. It was dark; dawn was still hours away. In the distance, a mile or more away was a low dark hump on the horizon.

Cursing his luck, he concentrated, calling on his metamorphagus abilities. No one except his family knew of his talent, and while he could not transform as fast as Tonks could, he could transform nearly every part of his body. His feet elongated into flippers and he grew webbing between his fingers. Finally, he grew gills in his neck, emulating the effect of Gillyweed perfectly. The gills were the most difficult part, but Tonks had drilled him extensively about making changes like this.

He summoned a small orb of light and fixed it so it always moved towards the island in the distance, then he slipped below the waves. If they wanted to play games, he could do the same. Without giving it any consideration, the bracelet snapped open and dropped from his wrist.

Rules, he thought, were made to be broken.

An hour later, he slowly surfaced near the shore and examined it carefully. His eyes and ears were barely above the surface of the water. On the beach were two men who were staring out to sea and looking anxious. 

"Any sign of him?" asked one man.

"Nothing," complained his companion. "I don't get it. Why are we testing a kid?"

"Because the boss said we are. Just remember we're to stop him anyway possible, but not kill him. So keep your curses to something that won't kill right away. I found a new bone crushing hex I can't wait to try out."

"I still don't like it. Since when are we supposed to test children?"

Harry had heard enough. He used his ring to summon two coconuts, hitting both men within a second of each other. They fell to the sand without a sound. He closed his eyes and returned his body to normal, then he sprinted towards the fallen pair. 

If they were talking about using magic that wouldn't kill him outright, he'd have to be equally brutal. He stopped at the pair and stunned both, then he dragged them up into the tree line using his ring. There he searched each and stripped them of several knives, wands, focus rings, portkeys and everything else he could find. 

He cast an anti-apparation ward on their belts and removed their shoes, banishing them into the ocean. The island was a mix coral and volcanic rock with a sand beach. Walking barefoot would be a humbling experience for these two trained wizards. The razor sharp rock would teach these burly wizards a lesson in humility and it would set the stage for every 'obstacle' he ran into from that point on.

Finally, he stunned them again, and buried them under some loose palm fronds so they wouldn't be seen.

It would be hours before they woke up and when they did, they would consider themselves two of the luckier members of the team assigned to stop this student. After all, they got out with all their limbs attached.

He shook his head. He was exhausted, hungry, thirsty and in considerable pain. It had taken him thirty six hours to cover a distance of nearly thirty miles to this village. In doing so, he had engaged four hit wizards in three running battles, had run into a colony of South Pacific Horned Acromantulas and had subdued another six wizards by taking them in ambush.

For his efforts, he had a broken arm, a cut on his scalp that burned and throbbed, a flash burn on his knee and he was sure he had sprained, or broke his big toe on his right leg. He walked with a limp but between the pain in his left leg and the pain in his right, the limp sort of balanced itself out.

Circling the village, he could see it was clearly guarded by Aurors and they were not happy about their current assignment. He looked around and started collecting coconuts. He was going to need to time this precisely.

Eight Aurors were visible, and another two he could detect were standing in front of one building, and disillusioned.

He moved slowly, banishing coconuts at any Auror that isolated himself from the others, then summoning the Auror to him. Then he'd remove their wands and rings and any other toys before placing them in a full body bind and silencing them.

One by one, the Aurors fell to his flying nuts until only four remained, two of them still disillusioned. Then things changed suddenly. One man stepped from the building the two disillusioned Aurors were guarding and placed something to his face.

Uh oh, Harry thought. Those are Muggle infrared goggles. Cindy told me about them when we watched that movie.

The man turned and stopped, looking in Harry's direction.

"Damn! Busted," he hissed to himself, then he gestured, sending his pile of coconuts hurtling at the small group of Aurors.

Five Aurors, including the one using Muggle technology, versus twenty coconuts. Not good for the Aurors. Harry winced as he heard the crunching of bones and screams. His coconuts hadn't been well aimed, and in his haste, sent with a little too much force.

Harry sprinted for the building, stepping over one downed Auror who was gripping his crotch and moaning loudly.

"Sorry," Harry muttered. He hit the door at a run and stepped inside. Once inside, he cast a cannon blast charm with his ring and a solarium with his wand. The combination had the same effect as a flash bang grenade, in that it stunned everyone inside. Before anyone else could move, he had them covered at wand point.

"No one move," he said, letting his anger loose. His aura flared and wrapped around him like a loving embrace and his eyes glowed, lighting the interior of the building.

Four men sat at a table staring at him. On the table before him was a map of the island. Remus stood to one corner, a grin slowly forming on his face as it dawned on him what was happening.

"Harry!" he exclaimed.

"Holy shit!" exclaimed a distinctly American voice.

"Indeed," said another, this one Australian.

A gray haired man stood and walked over to Harry. "Send for a healer," he snapped after taking in his condition. "You managed to surprise us, Mr. Potter."

Harry glanced at Remus questioningly.

"It's alright, Harry. Mr. Smith is the head of the Pacific Rim DMLE. He's known about your identity since last year."

Harry lowered his wand and looked around warily. "Does this mean the test is over?"

Everyone chuckled at that and Smith motioned for him to take a seat.

"Yes, the test was over when you reached the edge of the village. None of us expected you to attack the Aurors who were looking out for you."

Harry flinched slightly and the door opened, allowing a woman dressed in healer green to enter. From outside, someone shouted for more healers.

"Er, about that... I'm sorry?"

Smith grinned and ran a hand through his graying hair. "No worries, Mr. Potter. If you can sneak up on my Aurors, then they needed the object lesson. Now then, you wouldn't by any chance know where my team of people are that were supposed to stop you?"

Harry let the healer help him into the chair and hissed when she pulled off the bandage that he had around his head. With his free hand, he started to pull rings and wands from his pocket, dropping them on the table.

Remus took one look and turned away, trying hard not to laugh.

Murphy, who had been sitting silently at the table, barked out a laugh and pointed a finger at Smith. "What did I tell you? I told you he'd do it," he all but chortled at the head of the Pacific Rim DMLE.

Harry winced when the healer carefully examined his arm. "I sort of left them all over the island, although I did leave one surrounded by acromantulas," he said softly. Seeing their alarmed looks, he rushed to explain. "He's safe. They can't get to him, but he can't get out of the hole I put him in."

That set Murphy off on another round of laughter and this time Remus joined in.

The healer straightened up and turned to Smith. "Begging your pardon, Director, but my patient needs to go to the infirmary. His left arm is badly broken and he's got the start of a nasty infection. He'll be fine in a day or two, but I need to treat him."

Smith nodded and looked sourly at Murphy.

The healer turned back to Harry. "Can you walk? Never mind, you shouldn't walk with that broken toe and the burn."

She conjured a stretched and floated Harry onto it, then she handed him a potion. "Drink it all," she commanded.

Harry nodded and drank down the foul tasting brew. Almost immediately his eyelids started to droop. His last recollection would be of Remus bending over him, patting him on the shoulder, and saying he'd be nearby.

Murphy, Remus and Smith watched the healer walk Harry out of the building, then Remus turned to them. "He should have been told that getting to the village was enough. Don't hold him responsible for any damage he did once he got here."

Smith waved Remus silent. "Don't worry, Mr. Lupin. I wasn't lying when I said that if he could sneak up on my Aurors and subdue them, they deserved it. I have no intention of doing anything except offering your charge a job. Most candidates never make it to the village. Those that do are in worse shape than he was in. He took on a team of six Aurors and four hit wizards and made it through. His time could have been better, but he's young and inexperienced. With a little training, he could be the best there is."

"Not to mention, once he arrived at the village, he attacked it," added Murphy gleefully.

Smith shot him a sour look. It was one thing for his Aurors to be caught flat footed, but he didn't need this crazy American rubbing his nose in it. He shook his head and reached for a folder he had nearby. He opened it and he pulled out some parchment. "His OWL scores were excellent, and his NEWTS are even more impressive."

"You have his final scores?" exclaimed Remus.

"I was going to share them with Mr. Potter when he arrived, but I had not expected he would arrive here injured like he was."

He reached for a quill and added a quick addition to the parchment, then passed it to Murphy.

Murphy scanned the grades and grinned broadly, then handed it to Remus.

Defense M

Transfiguration O+

Charms O

Potions/Alchemy E

Runes/Enchanting O

Estate Management E

Languages (with Oriental Cultures sub) O

Apparation certificate assigned.

Portkey creation certificate assigned.

A Mastery in Defense awarded, automatically conferred an outstanding NEWT.

Remus' expression broke into a wide smile.

Seeing it, Murphy laughed. "I told you, Remus. The boy's a natural."

"Do you think he'd be interested in a job offering, Mr. Lupin?" asked Smith, trying to hide his eagerness.

Remus shook his head. "Not immediately. You know his history, Mr. Smith. He has unfinished business that he needs to attend to back in Britain."

Smith nodded. "Yes, I can understand that. But I think we might be able to help, especially if he'd be willing to accept a reserve position."

Remus leaned forward, looking interested. "A reserve position?"

"Tell him the whole story, Frank," Murphy said seriously.

Smith leaned back in his chair and lit a cigar. "It's like this, Mr. Lupin. For nearly fifty years now the British Ministry has been a growing problem on the world stage. It's changed in recent years, what with Minister Bones taking the helm, and Mr. Black has been a big help. But the international community is worried. We all know that one slip and we could be back into something as bad as the Scrimgeour Administration or worse. We also know that your Dark Lord problem isn't going away anytime soon. Frankly, the internationals are worried. If something isn't done, our world could be in danger if your war spills into the Muggle world."

"You, Mr. Black and Mr. Potter are at the heart of that problem and we've done all we can do on the sly to help you."

Remus' eyebrows rose. "I thought it seemed strange that the Americans had been so willing to help us destroy those dark objects."

Smith grinned. "Now what you don't know is that we've been watching and helping where we could. My head of the Auror academy in Japan sat in on Harry's language exam and came away very impressed. He feels that he would make an excellent field agent or investigator. We understand that Mr. Potter is well off and doesn't need the job, but if he accepted a position with us, he'd have our protection, even in Britain, should conditions change in the government. Not to mention access to resources he wouldn't normally have."

Remus stared at him for a moment, then turned to Murphy with a suspicious look. "You're not really a free lance Defense instructor, are you?"

Julius Caesar Murphy smiled benignly, but refused to answer the question. The original Defense tutor that James and Lily had contracted had died in the intervening years. Murphy had approached them when they put out the word they were looking for an independent tutor. He had been the only one to reply to their request for a tutor.

Daily Prophet Headline, June 6th 1997...

DMLE Conducts Raid Against Doomsday Cult.

Four perish in the raid.

Ministry spokesperson Perky Weatherbee announced that the DMLE conducted a raid last night against the Cult Of Voldemort, in which four people were killed and two DMLE officers were injured. 

In the past year, the cult has been responsible for one attempted robbery of Gringotts, which failed spectacularly, and several attacks against prominent members of the community, including Wizengamot member and Ambassador candidate, Sirius Black. 

Last night's raid came after a tip was received that cult members would attempt a ritual that, if successful, might have brought Voldemort back to life. A researcher for the Department of Mysteries, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, "there was very little chance of success in this ritual and it would have killed the participants to perform it. However, had they brought back Voldemort, they would have achieved one of two things. Either they would have brought him back, magic and all, which would have returned all magic to Harry Potter, our hero, or they would have brought him back as a Muggle, forcing Harry Potter, at some point in his life, to fight the Muggle Voldemort."

DMLE experts agree with that assessment, but hastened to add that, "This increases the risk and threat of the cult to our way of life. They are obviously searching desperately for a way to bring back their fallen Master. We will continue to work to suppressing this dangerous sect wherever it turns up.

"Last night, two teams of Aurors stormed a building in Hogsmeade that the cult was using, interrupting a foul ritual. In the process, four cult members perished and many others escaped. Six Aurors were injured, but only two seriously enough to require an overnight stay at St. Mungo's. Also freed in the raid were four Muggle teenage girls who were being drained of their blood for the ritual. The girls were taken to St. Mungo's, treated and obliviated before being handed over to Muggle authorities."

It is estimated that at least sixteen cult members escaped before anti-apparation/anti-portkey wards could be put in place.

Minister Bones and Wizengamot member Sirius Black toured the building after the raid. Black has been asked to represent the British Ministry at an upcoming Paris conference. For the conference, the Ministry and the Wizengamot have opted to confer Black with Ambassador status. 

Black has been a target of the cult at least once, although there is a rumor that another attack occurred while he was overseas. The most recent attack came this past January, when the buildings owned by Black and his muggle fiancée were burned to the ground.

Both Black and the Minister declined to comment, sending our reporters to the Ministry Department of Public Relations instead.

Celestina Warbeck denies pregnancy by former boyfriend, page 2

Severus Snape Parole denied again, page 3

List of Cult dead and DMLE injured, Page 17a.

Quibbler Headline, June 6th 1997...

The Lost Continent of Atlantis Rises from the Ocean, Then Sinks Again!

Harry Potter blamed!

In a bizarre turn of events yesterday, Atlantis, the mythical continent that sank under the waves eons ago, rose to the surface yesterday, surprising Muggle merchant shipping and people everywhere. 

Reporters flocked to the scene only to discover an ongoing party being hosted by none other than Harry Potter, who had recently returned from his broom trip to the moon. His trip makes Potter, age 16, the first teenager to walk on the moon. We were unable to confirm if he planted a flag made from a pair of panties and claimed the orbiting orb for Botswana. 

We feel this once and for all time proves that Harry Potter is not a Muggle, like so many believe. Instead, we've come to suspect he's been hiding behind the pretense of having magic and he's really from the planet Crypton, like another famous supposed Muggle.

Potter was at the head of a huge conga line consisting mainly of Mermaids and Centaurs. When the reporters arrived, he declared the party over and left after donning his patented bat swooping suit. He stated that Atlantis was far too muddy to hold a party, and swooped away leaving the astounded newsman standing there. The Mermaids and Centaurs vanished seconds later.

Fourteen Muggle news crews and a reporter from the Daily Prophet were killed when the continent slipped beneath the waves again.

When this paper asked the Ministry about the reappearance and disappearance of Atlantis, the Ministry spokesman, Perky Weatherbee, had this to say. "What? Are you insane? Why don't you leave me alone already? Are you following me? I'll call an Auror! Stop following me! I'll scream! I'm warning you!"

Clearly the Ministry's effect to pacify the population is not working with the Ministry spokesman. We urge Minister Bones to publicly admit they are putting dynamite, a dangerous Muggle chemical, into our butterbeer supply.

Coming Next week: An expose of King Tut Tut's Tomb and the Potter Walk, the dance craze that's sweeping the Muggle world, and why it involves sheep.

The Granger Home, June 10th 1997, Oxford England...

The train pulled to a stop with a lurch and a squeal of metal on metal, then everyone stood, reaching for their various packages. Hermione opened the cat carrier and placed an unhappy Crookshanks inside. Fortunately, Crookshanks knew he was on the way home and wouldn't be caged for too long. Outside, hundreds of anxious parents milled around, while Hogwarts house elves unloaded trunks from the baggage cars.

"What kind of plans do you have for the summer, Hermione?" asked Hannah Abbott. She stood next to Ron, holding his hand. It had taken a while before she was accepted in their little Gryffindor group, but Hermione had welcomed her with open arms. She admired the red haired witch for her ability to get Ron to grow up, something which he had fought her tooth and nail over.

"I won't be going to Fiji, as Evan is coming here. I expect we'll spend the summer enjoying the weather and doing some studying. He promised to help me start studying for our NEWTS."

"What about his NEWTS?" asked Neville, now looking at her with interest.

She shrugged. "He took his NEWTS a year early, but he hasn't shared his grades with me yet," she replied with a bit of a pout.

Ron frowned and shook his head. He didn't want to think about studying for exams that were a year away. He opened his mouth, then closed it immediately after seeing the warning look from Hannah.

Hannah enjoyed having fun like Ron, but she had patiently explained to him that the better educated people were capable of having more fun than those who let their education slack off. Then she proceeded to entice him into studying and kept him going until he developed decent homework habits.

Hermione held Crookshanks' carrier and she peered around it, trying to see the steep stairs on the train. A hand reached up and pulled the carrier from her grasp, then another hand gently took hers, helping her down the stairs.

She looked up and gasped when she spotted Evan staring at her with a goofy grin on his face.

She squeaked and hurled into his arms. Crookshanks complained loudly when he flailed for a moment, trying to maintain his balance.

She held Evan tightly for a moment, just reveling in the feel of his body pressed against her. She smiled to herself, feeling him inhale deeply, his face buried in her hair. She loved when he did that!

She finally pulled back enough to look at him. Her eyes darted to the bandage attached to his head and she could feel something bulky under the shirt on his arm. "Harr... mmmpfh!"

He dived in and kissed her, hard, muffling her before she could finish saying his name. He was in his Evan persona and she had nearly ruined it by calling him by his real name. For her part, she instantly realized her mistake, but she apologized by holding him tightly and kissing him for all she was worth.

When they broke apart, he leaned his forehead against hers, but still managed to avoid the bandage. "I've missed you," he whispered.

She gazed into his eyes intently and everything seemed to fade into the background. It was just them and no one else. They were alone in the world. "I've missed you too," she replied.

A cough behind them distracted her and she looked around, suddenly realizing where she was and what she was doing. She saw her father coughing uncomfortably and her friends standing nearby, grinning madly at her. She colored from her toes to the tips of her ears and she stepped away from Harry, latching onto his hand.

"Ron, Ginny, you remember Evan?" she asked, then she turned to Neville and Hannah. "This is Evan Black, my boyfriend."

Hannah and Neville's eyes lit up at the idea of meeting the mysterious boy from the South Pacific. Hannah ran an eye over him. He was as tall as Ron, but broader and more muscular in the shoulder. The bandage on his head gave him a very rakish air.

"G'day," Harry said, offering his hand to Neville.

"Merlin, what Hippogriff ran over you, Evan?" asked Ginny with a smirk. Despite his obvious bandages, she thought he still looked hot.

Harry shrugged. "Left overs from my Defense exam. If you think I look bad, you should see my examiners," he replied with a satisfied smile.

Hermione peered at him, her expression turning to one of worry. "Wasn't your exam four days ago?"

"It was, but I only got out of the infirmary two days ago," he replied.

"Did you pass, at least?" asked Neville. He had become a lot more confident, with Ginny's help, but the idea of an exam that landed him in hospital for two days boggled his mind.

Harry gave another satisfied grin. "You could say that."

"Hermione says you two will be spending the entire summer in England?" asked Hannah.

Harry nodded. "That's right. I'm done with school for the moment. I'm hoping that between my helping Hermione with her studying, we'll be able to see some of the sights around Britain."

"Hey, why don't we all meet up in Diagon Alley later in the summer? We could get our books and school supplies then," Ginny said, a bit awkwardly. She was firmly interested in Neville, but she had to admit there was something about Evan that pulled on her; something she couldn't put her finger on.

Harry glanced over to Hermione, who nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. Right now though I best release her hand and let her say hello to her parents."

Hermione blinked and suddenly looked ashamed. She had been ignoring her parents! She turned and stammered a hello. Her mother came up to hug her and Harry released her hand. He stepped back and Dan gave him a knowing smile.

Ginny, Ron, Neville and Hannah moved off in search of their own families.

Harry looked around until his eye fell on Lavender, who stood, head down, next to a stern looking man. This was a far cry from the Lavender he used to know. He almost felt sorry for her.

He walked over to the pile of trunks and quickly located Hermione's. With a swish of a fake wand, he removed it from the pile and placed it on a trolley.

Looking up, he spotted Tonks smirking at him from her position further up the platform. He grinned and nodded to her, then started to push the trolley towards the spot where the Grangers stood.

He stopped a few feet away and picked up Crookshanks, placing him atop the trunk on the trolley, then he waited for Hermione and her parents to finish.

Ten minutes later they were all in the Granger's car, heading for Grimmauld Place.

"We're not going straight home?" Hermione asked in surprise.

Harry shrugged and pointed towards her parents. "Ask them, they have plans that are a secret."

Emma smiled knowingly and Hermione gave a shudder. "Hang onto your hat, Harry. Whatever they have planned, it's a doozy. When Mum looks like that, we're in trouble."

Dan and Emma laughed, but neither offered to shed any light on their plans.

Hermione turned to Harry. "All right, what's wrong with your arm and your head?"

Harry sighed and launched into an explanation about his Defense exam and how he had been injured. In the case of his arm and his head, the open wounds had picked up a tough infection that he needed to smear with a salve twice a day. The wounds were healing, but slowly and both would leave scars.

"So you spent a day and a half battling with ten adult wizards and a colony of tropical acromantulas to reach a village and in the process you got hurt. Not just a little hurt mind you, but badly injured. That arm fracture was nothing to sneeze at. I hope they gave you an outstanding for your effort."

He grimaced. "Actually, I didn't get an O for the exam."

He grinned and handed her his official results. She took the parchment with a glare, then her forehead wrinkled and she nibbled on her lower lip for a moment while she tried to figure out what it was saying.

"You've been awarded a Mastery?" she whispered, looking up from the parchment.

He nodded, grinning broadly at her. Only her seatbelt prevented her from hurtling into his arms again. She leaned as far as the belt would allow and he leaned close enough for their heads to touch. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered to him.

For Harry, this was a defining moment unlike any other. His eyes grew shiny and he ducked his head. "Thank you," he replied in a whisper.

She knew instantly what was happening and she caressed his face with one hand. Her approval meant everything to him, and to know he had made her proud of him moved him deeply. She knew that this was tied to his upbringing. He wanted her approval and even though she had been giving it freely for the last six years, saying that touched him deeply.

"That's nothing, pumpkin. Harry, tell her about the offer they made you," Dan said from the driver seat.

Harry nodded and looked away while wiping at his face. She reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing hard for support.

"I've been given a reserve position in the Pacific Rim Auror force. Subject to my completing an accelerated run through their academy, the position will switch to full time Auror. I'm not sure I want to be an Auror and they know that, but they urged me to accept the position. so I did. It will give me access to resources I wouldn't have otherwise."

"If you don't want to be an Auror, what do you want to be?" Emma asked from the front seat.

"I'm not sure yet. I do know that I have several opportunities open to me. I've even been invited to spend a year at the Mitsumi Magical Academy in Kyoto. That's one of Japan's finest schools. I want to keep my options open for now. The Mastery is nice, but it shouldn't be much of a surprise. I've been training for that for three years now. In fact, the last three years I've managed to cram nearly six years of schooling in, add that to Hogwarts time and I've had almost nine years of material in six years. My Transfiguration and Charm scores are more useful for career choices and I think Languages might help also."

He paused and smiled at Emma, then he held up Hermione's hand clasped in his. "Besides, once Voldemort is out of the picture, I think I'd like to do something that lets me keep my best friend close by."

Doctor Emma Granger, dentist, glanced at her husband, Doctor Daniel Granger, dentist and nodded. "Absolutely," she said in agreement.

It wasn't until nearly three in the morning before Harry was able to crawl into bed. Sirius, Cindy and Hermione's parents took Harry and Hermione out for a night of dinner and dancing to celebrate his wonderful scores and her return from Hogwarts.

He was fussing with the bandage on his arm when Hermione slipped into his room. Surprised, he looked up at her, the bandage falling from his fingers. "Hermione?"

"It looks like you could use a hand with that," she said in a calmer tone than she felt.

He glanced down at the fallen bandage and grimaced. "Its not easy to do and every time I use magic on it, it goes on too tight."

She walked over and picked up the bandage. "Well, let's get this on you and then get into bed. It's been a longer day than I like."

"B-b-but, your parents?" he stammered.

"Will understand and expect us to be cautious. Mum and Dad do not want to be grandparents just yet," she replied firmly.

He blushed and his mouth opened and closed a few times while she grinned at him. His mind was having difficulty putting thoughts together. It had been a long time since they'd been together like this.

A few moments later, she finished tying off the bandage. She didn't comment about what was sure to be an nasty scar where the bone had broken through.

He stood and nervously pulled back the sheets, then she climbed into his bed. The situation astounded him. Her parents were asleep on the other side of the wall! He climbed into the bed and she rolled into his arms.

"I have missed this so much," she whispered, already beginning to fall asleep.

He held her tightly and raised his head so he could kiss the top of hers. "Me too," he replied. "Me too."

Authors Notes:

Bob's letting me do the notes this time around. He took my toys away though, so I can't torture or maim any of you. He's taking all of the joy out of it for me.

Yes, Harry was a Horcrux...right up until he refused to participate in the tournament (first chapter). When his magic fled, the Horcrux (and any tracking charms, etc) had nothing to sustain it and was destroyed.

Nope, Harry will not be teaching at Hogwarts.

Cut the journal entries out? Um, no. This story is character driven. It's going to be slow paced, as we've mentioned before. If that's not something you're interested in, there are other stories available for your enjoyment. Go find one.

The saving roll on a Nuclear bomb? Easy. It's 22 on a 1d20!

~Intercepts all the donuts sent our way and beats Bob off with a bat (that doesn't sound right, does it?).~ What are you people thinking? He hasn't had sugar in almost a year and you're going to pump him full of the stuff? He'll be bouncing off the walls for hours! And if my ass gets any bigger, I'll be walking through doors sideways. Bastards!

How are the journals able to tell the exact age of the users? Magic! The exact enchantment? It's called The Ages Tellus charm! (Our new motto is 'We excel at being snide'. We were going to go with 'Smart ass is our middle name', but were afraid people would take us seriously.)

Odd little disclaimer world? I hate to break this to you (actually, I don't) but that world is our reality. That should tell you everything you need to know about us...and probably quite a bit you didn't need to know at all. Welcome to our rabbit hole. Please fasten your seat belts and keep the screaming to a minimum.

As for lurking readers, we don't mind them. In fact, some of them are quite tasty with a bit of mustard and mayo. There's no need to identify yourselves. The sent of fear is obvious and pinpoints your location nicely. You will be harvested on our next grocery shopping trip. Resistance is a waste of time, so please don't struggle.

I bet you're all longing for the days when Authors Notes actually answered your questions, aren't you? Bob never should have let me do this...though he isn't any better. ~Cackles~

Erm...right. Back to the program.

Can Harry eventually transfigure a motorcycle? Possibly, but he'd have to know a lot more about engines and design before trying it. In any event, he won't be doing it in this story.

Someone's waiting for the snogging to get serious. I'm not sure how serious you're talking here, but we don't write explicit sex scenes. We're more the fade-to-black types. The best you're going to get in this story is us killing the lights before you see anything and turning that back on in time for the "What the hell did we just do and when can we do it again" awkwardness that sometimes follows. Sorry, no wank material here.

Yes, the Death Eaters appeared in Fiji, but if you read it again, you'll see they were after Sirius, not Evan/Harry. He was just a convenient target, nothing more.

Let's see. In TpotP, Nagini is large, extremely venomous and magical. She also has a Horcrux inside her, Voldemort screaming at her, and she's intelligent. What does all this add up to? Several dead farm dogs. We're not talking about a rattlesnake or a cobra here. We're talking about a large, magically enhanced reptile in a FICTIONAL environment. She wins. Sorry.

Don't worry, Donald. I never chase after our generic readers; I set traps. Lace up those runners if you wish, but watch your step! ~Evil Grin~

For those wishing to see a bit more Japanese, here ya go. Aren't we generous? And the fact that it was in the outline to include the bit with Harry's Language NEWT has nothing to do with how generous we are. Really. ~Nods~

And coming soon! A Harry Potter, Japanese anime crossover called Elven Cried: The Sad Tale of Dobby Gone Bad. (Kidding Ask for it and we'll mock you!)

Cindy's potion brewing skills: She's had 12 years of medical training with an emphasis on biological research. She's also a decent cook. What does that add up to? She can follow a recipe and brew a potion. Hermione could also do it, except that she's not around often enough. Harry doesn't like potions. He could probably do it, but he's just a tad busy at the moment.

We've always envisioned potions as a rather simple thing (disregarding Snape). Follow the recipe in the book exactly and you'll succeed. Even a Muggle would be able to do it. It's the ingredients that are magical, not the person stirring the pot. Now, that may not be canon, but... Well, you all know how we feel about canon, right?

Will there be an epilogue for this story? Yes, it will read something like this: Seventeen Years Later...

I'm kidding! Put down the torches and back away! Yeesh, you people are so violent...

Kittycatgirl: Yes, you can keep the story, but only on one condition. You must name it George.

Compiling all of our disclaimers and AN's into one story? What a truly frightening thought!

No, theAnti-Cruciatus potion is not canon as far as we know.

James: Wait. Wait. You pissed on your cat? You actually laughed so hard you urinated on your cat? I don't know where to take this, as I have so many places I can go with it. And I can only imagine the expression your cat was wearing as it tried to clean itself! Oh, and leave us your girlfriend's email address, would you? We'd really love to explain to her just why the cat is so angry with you!

I really didn't think this was necessary, but what the hell... Warning: Do not read a chapter until after you've emptied your bladder or put on a diaper. You'll save yourself animal abuse charges and having to deal with homicidal felines in the future.

Crabbe? As the brains of Slytherin House? There's a plot bunny in there. ~Glares~ Sorry, Infin1x, we have to kill you now. Don't struggle, it will only hurt more... Bob! Fire up the barbecue, please. We have another vict...volunteer!

~Bob pokes Infin1x with a fork~ Is it tasty? Will we's like it?

Damnit, Bob, we are not doing a Harry Potter/LotR crossover and you are NOT Gollum!

~Watches Bob pull out a Darth Vader mask~

That's it for the AN's folks. I'm sure Bob will be back to write them next time.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go hurt my husband.