Chapter 17: White Knight, Black Christmas
When the Grangers' car drove into their driveway, Harry now calm and comforted by the warm touch of his betrothed, the Holy Knight of Thunder sat up and, looking to Dan, heaved a sigh as he asked, "Dad, can we have a word before you go in?"
"Of course," Dan replied, seeing the determination and expression of remorse in Harry's eyes; turning to Emma, Dan shrugged as he replied, "You take Hermione inside dear; we won't be long."
As Hermione placed a light kiss on Harry's cheek, she warned him, 'Don't you dare try playing the hero again Harry Potter: I know you too well.'
'I'm not going to do that Kitten,' Harry replied, enjoying the warm touch of his girlfriend's lips against his cheek, 'I'm just going to clear the air: you go inside and see if the old dog's still there. If he is, tell him what's happened but then, for the love of God, don't let him come out here.'
Hermione replied to Harry's request with another light kiss, before she followed her mother and Tyler inside the house, Harry aware of the other Order members waiting for them near the door. Once the coast was clear, Harry moved into the front seat next to Dan where he could speak freely, the two of them seemingly silent for a moment before Harry shook his head and asked, "Did…did I disappoint you Dad?"
"No Harry," Dan replied, grateful that this young man still had the respect towards him to call him Dad; it showed that the blackness in him wasn't around. "I…I didn't mean to hurt you: I was just…just so angry: she's my little girl and I'd hate for anything to happen to her."
"I know you would," Harry replied, aware of a pair of eyes watching from the doorway; looking up, the Holy Knight smiled as he saw Sebastian observing their conversation, a look of confusion and hidden rage clear in his face. With a chuckle, Harry remarked, "I think Seba wants your head."
"He can have it," Dan answered, smiling with Harry as he commented, "I don't know why I did what I did: Harry, when I saw you, I was so happy and relieved that you were all right, but then you said those words and I felt angry…and I've never been angry, at least never to a child. I couldn't even fault my own little girl, so I don't know why…"
"I think I do," Harry replied, before Dan gasped as Harry revealed Excalibur, the blade's metal singing as its master held it before the elder Granger. Seemingly observing his reflection in the sword, Harry continued, "When Hermione was…taken from me, she said that it was like she couldn't control it, as if the reason for her being where the attack happened was due to what's known as a compulsion charm. Now," he looked to Dan, his silver eye glowing dimly as he spoke, "If I have your permission, Dad, I'd like to use my newfound powers to see whether or not you've been affected by these charms."
"Of course you have my permission Harry," Dan replied almost instantly, "Anything to clear the air between us: but before you do, I need to ask: why wouldn't Emma be affected by them?"
"Why else?" Harry retorted, "I call her Mum and she sees me as her son: that's a kind of bond that only my real Mother, Merlin rest her soul, could ever match. I highly doubt that kind of love and respect could be beaten no matter how powerful the spell was, especially when you consider how it is that I'm supposedly protected."
"Huh?" asked Dan.
"My Mother," Harry explained, "She died protecting me, supposedly creating a shield around me from some of the oldest, unknown, unexplored magic in the world: the power of love. Now, if that's true, then it's clear to me that Mum feels the same and that love protected her and seemed to redirect the power onto you."
"Hence the physical abuse," Dan nodded, "Which I can never stop being sorry for Harry, so please, do whatever you need to son."
"Thanks," Harry replied, laying Excalibur across his lap, before he looked deep into Dan's dark eyes, the Holy Knight sensing the presence of his betrothed as she seemed to enhance his skills through their bond. With a slow smile, Harry delved into Dan's mind and, as he had feared, he found several powerful compulsion charms, all of them tied to Harry and all of them designed to give Dan the kind of attitude that Harry would have experienced with the Dursleys.
'Bastard,' Harry thought coldly, Excalibur suddenly glowing with raw magic as the silver eye of the Holy Knight shone just as brightly, Harry now gathering all of his own magic into one Parseltongue command, {Release!}
There was a moment of silence before Dan shuddered and Harry pulled out of his mental scan, a sad, almost forced, smile crossing his face; seeing the expression, Dan asked, "Did you remove them?"
"I did," Harry replied, "Since Hermione and I underwent the Ritual of Release, my own magical prowess has increased ten-fold: if I were a normal third-year, I'd probably exhaust myself, but thankfully, I also happen to have my betrothed helping me and the power of the Holy Sword to back me up. I'm sorry that you were dragged into Dumbledore's manipulations Dad and I'm sorry if you ever thought me a failure towards Hermione. I promise you that I'll keep my word and protect her with my own life in future."
"I know you will son," Dan smiled, extending his arms to Harry, the Holy Knight allowing his child side to come out as he felt himself being embraced with the love and comfort that, since September First, he had been sorely missing.
Leaving the car, Dan watched as Harry stepped inside, the elder Granger following lightly; however, as he stepped through the door, Dan actually felt scared as a thick male voice demanded, "DANIEL GRANGER; WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING LAYING YOUR HANDS ON MY GODSON?"
"Ah," Dan laughed, looking to a now trimmed Sirius Black, his Azkaban robes replaced by a set that Harry had seen delivered to the Grangers' home, "You must be Sirius; pleased to meet you."
Sirius, trying to look intimidating and frightening, broke with the calmness and demeanour of the man before him, the ex-prisoner breaking down in fits of hysterics as he looked to Harry, "Sorry pup, I tried."
"No worries Sirius," Harry replied, watching as Dan and Sirius shook hands, the two sides of his life – magic and Muggle – united with the one motion.
HPHG
Once Harry had seen to the few light bruises that Dan's compelled attacks had given him – with a little help from Dobby – he found himself sitting in the middle of Emma and Hermione, Sirius sitting in a chair behind the living room door, his lithe form almost hidden from view as Dan sat in the other chair. Sebastian and the Order were seeing to their own tasks and Harry was now waiting on the arrival of Remus to complete this little set: when he had told Sirius of Remus' invite, the Marauder had seen the joke and the opportunity that he had waited twelve years for all come together.
While they waited, Sirius laughed again as he asked, "So, you really do care for Harry do you?"
"We do," Dan replied; he had been a little hostile when he learned that this man had been Harry's pet over the summer, but, when he'd received Hermione's letter explaining everything, Dan had seen that Sirius was just as loyal to those he cared for as Harry, the ex-prisoner not spending one single day, until today, out of his form as Padfoot. Dan, seeing Sirius' nod of acceptance, continued, "Sirius, you didn't see what Harry was willing to do for me last summer. Those…monsters decided to grab him and dare to call him their property; then, when I tried to help Harry, he ended up getting hurt. Well, the fat one wasn't going to accept that, so he tried to attack me, but, yet again, Harry saved a Granger from danger and jumped in the way of the attack."
"Do you remember what I said when you asked me?" asked Harry, shuddering slightly as to how calm and how different he had been not five months ago.
"I do," Dan answered, "You said it was a flesh wound and that he was losing his touch: to be perfectly honest Harry, you scared the hell out of me, but also earned my respect in that single moment."
"Hence the reason we became his guardians," Emma commented dryly, "I wanted to show Harry that not everyone was like those who dare to call him a freak and Dan wanted some way to keep Harry from getting hurt again."
"If only he'd remembered that earlier," Harry laughed, massaging his chest where Dan's fist had come into contact with him. "Merlin Dad, you're actually pretty strong."
"He's ex-Police," Emma remarked, "Used to work on the streets and late-night shifts on a weekend: he needed to be tough."
"Why did you quit?" asked Sirius, "Lily, Harry's birth Mother, used to tell me about those policemen, so why would you…"
"In a word," Emma replied, "Hermione: when she was born, Dan refused to put his safety and his life before the happiness and care of his child, so he took his medical experience and joined me in the dentist industry."
"Which is also why I did feel angry when Harry told me what happened," Dan explained to Sirius, "I thought that he couldn't care for her and…"
"And you're a Grade O idiot Dan," Sirius laughed, "I've seen these two together: hell, Harry wouldn't even let me anywhere near Hermione and, when we met, what was it that you said to me pup?"
Harry laughed as he recalled his words, "I said that to hurt me, you'd have to get through Excalibur and I didn't want you thinking I wouldn't use it; even when you explained things, I still couldn't hurt you and I told you to run."
"Which he did," Hermione put in, "Until he met us in Hogsmeade and that was after Dumbledore had tried to stop Harry from going."
"What?" asked Emma, "Why would he do that?"
"The same reason he tried to place compulsion charms on you and Dad," Harry explained, "To get to me: I think Dumbledore knows – and if he doesn't, then he certainly does now – about my being a Holy Knight and wants to use that power to aid his own purpose; not to mention this fake prophecy he thinks I'll fulfill."
"There's a point," Dan then added, "What did Sirius mean by a Grade O idiot? The term, Mr Black, is a Grade A idiot."
"He was speaking as a wizard," Hermione explained, "In our world, O is the highest mark; it stands for Outstanding; then there's EE, which is Exceeds Expectations, followed by our A, which stands for Acceptable. Then below them we have P, D and T, which stand for Poor, Dreadful and Troll; in other words, a failed mark."
"And," Harry chuckled, giving his girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek, "Time was; that would have had my Hermione rocking backwards and forwards on the mat, wondering where she could have gone wrong."
"Now who's the Grade O idiot?" Hermione remarked, looking to Harry as she smiled at him, "I still worry about my marks, but now I have something slightly more important: a certain Knight by the name of Harry James Potter."
"Love you too Kitten," Harry replied, before they heard gagging noises from Sirius as they shared a kiss; when they parted, Harry looked to his godfather as he commented dryly, "Now, now Padfoot; don't get jealous, which reminds me," he looked up to Emma as he asked, "Mum, where did I put the Codex?"
"Upstairs on the top shelf in your room," Emma replied, watching as Harry flicked his wand once, the Potter Codex flying into his hand; seeing the magic in action, Sirius gawped.
"Harry…how are you…" he began, but was cut off when Harry gave him an incredulous look.
"Come on Sirius," he groaned, "Surely you don't forget the allowance given to me by Amelia on my birthday? Well, now that I'm back with Mum and Dad, I can use magic outside Hogwarts. Anyway," he opened the Codex and Hermione watched as he turned to the section on his new blood-brother, Neville's name now outlined by a string of golden ink and beneath that, written in silver were the words Luna Lovegood; SB.
"SB?" Asked Harry, "Sirius Black?"
"While those are my initials," Sirius groaned, "In a Codex, there are certain…well codes to a family member or a vassal; now, in this case, SB actually stands for Soul Bonded!"
"Soul Bond?" asked Hermione, looking to Harry as the penny seemed to drop, "That explains the glow: Luna and Neville must be Soul Mates."
"Must be," Harry agreed, lifting his head as he called out, "D-"
The House Elf appeared in a crack, his robe bearing the Potter Crest as well as Harry's Holy Knight moniker – the white phoenix over the lightning bolt – as he asked, "Harry Potter summons Dobby sir?"
"I swear this little guy's a psychic," Harry laughed, before he nodded and answered his friend, "Yes Dobby, would you mind going to find Sebastian for me and then could you go and ask Neville and Luna to come here straight away? There are things we need to discuss and I think they'd best be done in person."
"Yes sir," Dobby bowed once to Harry and left with another crack, Harry shaking his head slowly as he looked to Sirius.
"What?" he asked, "He respects me so much that little guy: I think I need to reward him."
"I gathered that much," Sirius commented, "I was just so stunned that you had a House Elf at such a young age pup: how did you do it?"
"It's a long story," Harry replied, before he was cut off by the sound of knocking at the door, "And we don't have time to tell it: you'd better change back Sirius and I'll get the door."
Rising from his seat, Harry moved into the passageway, shaking his head at the way that Sirius had talked about Dobby's loyalty to him: it was almost like he was surprised to learn of such a loyal friend to his pup. Moving to the door, Harry smiled when he opened it and found not only Remus standing there but, to his surprise, both Amelia Bones and Professor McGonagall, both of whom smiled when they saw Harry standing there.
"Professors?" Harry asked, looking to Minerva, "Amelia, what can I do for you?"
"Well you invited me Harry," Remus replied, "May I come in?"
"Of course," Harry replied, before he looked to Amelia and Minerva as he asked, "But Amelia, Professor McGonagall, what are you two doing here?"
"Well," Amelia replied, "Tonks informed me that you wished to speak with me over the break and, from the way she told me, it sounded official, so I thought I'd get it done as soon as possible."
"And I am here Mr Potter," Minerva explained, "To ask you if all is well: you see, I overheard Albus talking to an unknown party and he spoke of charms and you being forced back…there!"
"Ah," Harry replied, heaving a sigh as he looked to the lounge: Sirius was going to love this, "You'd better come in then; in fact, I'm glad you're here Minerva and, to answer your unasked question, yes, we've had a bit of trouble."
Moving through to the lounge, Harry smiled when he caught sight of Remus' eyes widening as he noticed Padfoot sat next to Harry's seat, the black dog turning his head to the side as he noticed Minerva and Amelia, the Vassal to Lord Potter petting the dog fondly as she conjured two extra seats, which she and Minerva occupied, before she asked, "So, what's been happening?"
"Dumbledore," Harry answered, "Whoever he was talking to knew of the charms: they were placed upon my guardians and, when Dad learned of what had occurred before the holidays, he…well, he hurt me."
"What?" asked Remus, looking to Dan in shock as he asked, "How could you? Harry's had nothing but good, borderline excellent things to say about you: why would you…"
"Remus," Harry snapped, "It's all right: calm down: as I said, this was all due to Dumbledore and, when we got home, I used my newfound powers and willingly entered Dan's mind where I found those compulsions. Apparently, somebody wanted me to experience the life I had with the Dursleys and, if I'm right, then the only reason that Mum wasn't affected was because of how she loves and respects me…like any Mother would their son."
"And I also notice that you finally refer to them as such," Amelia smiled, noticing Emma putting her arm around Harry lovingly.
However, Minerva was the one to ask it, "What did happen before the holidays Lord Potter?"
"Okay," Harry sighed, "Firstly Minerva, could you please use my name when we're alone? Lord Potter is only reserved for those who haven't earned my respect yet; my friends call me Harry. Secondly, when you get back to Hogwarts, ask any of the staff to check the second-floor girls' bathroom: they'll find a couple of chilled rodents hanging like Christmas Decorations."
"Harry," Amelia asked warily, "What did you do?"
"I'd rather not say," Harry answered, watching as Hermione shuffled into his embrace, "The memories affect my betrothed too badly."
"Harry," Amelia reminded him, "I am your Vassal, a place that is awarded with the highest of honours; if anything you've done gets brought before the Minister, I will vouch for you. Now tell me, my Lord, what happened and what did you do?"
"Mum," Harry spoke up, now looking to Emma, "Would you and Hermione mind going to make some drinks? I'd rather she not hear this again."
When Emma nodded, Harry waited until they were gone before he took a deep breath and, looking to Dan, gave a sigh of defeat as he added, "Before I explain this, I want you to know that I will never do anything potentially dangerous to anyone or anything without given reason. Also, I am willing to stand before any court and plead my case should those affected bring it on. Now, with that out of the way, I'll say it: last week, I was making my way back to Godric's Wing, which is the Founder's Chamber that Hermione and I have used for us and our friends; it's also been where Tonks and the Order have stayed. On the way back, I had this sudden rush of cold and made my way to Gryffindor Tower where I found Hermione having been sent a letter, asking her to meet where we'd first become friends."
"And where was this?" asked Minerva, her question earning an amused chuckle as Harry looked to her.
"You should know that Minerva; it's where a certain girl who has my heart lied to you for the first time," he laughed, before he grew serious again. "Once there, I found the door locked and barricaded and so, calling on my control over the power of the storms, I blew the door off and rushed into the room where I found Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle standing guard outside a cubicle. Well, I saw red: I froze them in place with help from a snowstorm and then, before I could ask any questions, Hermione had run into my arms and she was in tears."
"Oh no," Remus gasped; he seemed to understand where this was going.
"Oh yes," Harry replied, "Draco Malfoy had cornered her, but he wasn't alone: a certain weasel was with him and, to put it lightly, his trousers were undone."
"You're not serious?" asked Minerva, Harry smirking as he heard a low growl from the mutt at his side; he had this inkling that Sirius would have made a joke about that.
"No, he's my godfather," Harry replied, earning a groan from Remus and a gasp of shock from Minerva as he added, "Yes I know who he is: anyway, back to what happened: well, once again, I saw red: as you well know Minerva, I won't let anyone hurt my Hermione and I had been feeling angry for some time. Guess what? The so-called Oncoming Storm that most of Gryffindor refer to when they speak of my anger? It came out: I used the four winds to hold Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy against the wall, Malfoy having the gall to insist that filth like my Hermione was unworthy to be in the same room as him. I couldn't, nor did I want to, hold back any longer: I don't know how I did it, but somehow, I manifested the four elements into fire, snow, ice and lightning before unleashing it on the two of them, freezing them both in place. Then, with Hermione safe and sound at my side, I left the room and left them hanging there: they've been there all week and, if I hadn't told you of this, then they would still be there on my first day back."
Minerva looked thunderstruck; Remus looked angry; Amelia looked horrified; even Dan was clenching his fists, but he held a look of mixed pride as he seemed to understand what Harry had meant by the way he had felt when he'd learned of Hermione's pain.
Harry, on the other hand, heaved a sigh as he explained, "I am willing to face any and all members of the community who think I should be punished, but do not think for one second that I won't hesitate to use my rank as a Pure Knight and a Double-Founder's Heir to help me. Also, I will willingly provide my memory as evidence and submit myself to Veritaserum, but the important thing is this: no-one, but no-one will ever lay a hand on my Hermione and think they can just walk away from it."
"And I believe you," Dan remarked, his voice showing the shock he was feeling, "Now I understand why you were so distraught: Remus?" he then asked, looking to the Professor, "You're their new Defence Teacher, aren't you?"
"I am," Remus answered, "And I agree with Harry's words: no doubt he's told you Mr Granger…"
"Daniel…or Dan."
"Dan," Remus corrected himself, "No doubt he's told you, but in our first lesson, Harry encountered a Boggart, a creature that…"
"Manifests itself into whatever scares the person the most," Dan nodded, "He told me."
"Well," Remus explained, "When he saw it, Harry went into some kind of psychosomatic shock and wouldn't come out of it. Now, from what I've heard, it took your daughter to bring him back and that took nearly all day. I don't know the details, but I saw him and how he was feeling: he wouldn't speak anything except to apologise and that made me realise that Hermione means more to him than any amount of gold, treasures or even being handed his mantle. She is his most prized treasure and he, to her, is a White Knight who will never abandon her side: to separate them would take guts; to do what we just heard and think you'd get away with it? You'd have to be either immortal, invincible or Merlin himself to achieve such a feat."
"Well," Dan spoke up, "I want to thank you Remus; apparently you've been a good friend and support for both Harry and Hermione: I want you to know that you're welcome here anytime."
"And the Hollow," Harry added, "Which reminds me: I'll need you all here on Monday morning so I can perform the necessary allowances and admit you to the wards."
"Of course cub," Remus nodded, Harry smiling as he saw Dan wondering about the address.
"Now," Harry added, "I'm actually glad you're here because there's something you need to see and some information you need to know, but, before I reveal it, I need your word that you won't react in the wrong manner or attempt to keep me from saying what I need to."
"I promise," Minerva nodded, "After hearing what you did; how could I not?"
"I'm your Vassal," Amelia explained, "And as such, I'm bound to the House and Family in confidence and secrecy: plus Harry, I am the head of the DMLE, so whatever you need to say won't go beyond me."
"I can guess what you're going to say," Remus chuckled, "But you have my word too cub."
"In that case," Harry sighed, "There's someone you need to meet: Padfoot, if you would?"
"Padfoot?" asked Minerva, the penny dropping for her as the black dog changed…into Sirius Black. "You?"
"Me," Sirius grinned, "Hello Minnie, Moony, Amelia: have I got a story to tell you!"
HPHG
When Sirius was done, Harry provided the icing on the cake as he retrieved the still-frozen Wormtail from his robe, Amelia gasping when Sirius informed Harry of the necessary spell and the rat changed into a rather short man with a rat-like face and snivelling appearance to him, his robes and body as patched and dirty as the rat himself.
"This," Harry explained, "Was the only good thing that came of that day we spoke of; Hermione risked everything to get him, the coward was being held by the Weasleys and, Amelia, if you don't believe this and think I'm playing a joke on you, then you can think again."
"Peter," growled Sirius, Harry moving to his godfather's side as he held him back.
"Down boy," he joked, placing a hand on Sirius' arm, "It's all going according to plan: please Sirius, you said you wouldn't."
"And I won't," Sirius remarked, looking to Amelia, "I'm sure I don't need to tell you Amelia, but I think this is proof that Pettigrew is alive and I am innocent: if you want more…Harry, the sword."
Drawing Excalibur, Harry held it out to Sirius, who placed his hand upon the blade as he exclaimed, "I, Sirius Black, swear on the power of the Holy Sword Excalibur that I did not betray Lily and James Potter to Voldemort nor did I murder thirteen Muggles. If I am to tell a lie, may the sword strip me of my magic, so mote it be."
"So mote it be," Harry remarked, watching as Excalibur's blade shone with bright light before Sirius, borrowing Harry's wand, cast several spells to prove he still had his magic.
"There," he announced, "Innocent: not that I had a trial either."
"Sirius," Amelia remarked, "As Head of the DMLE, I swear that I will get you that trial…not that you need it with all this evidence, but in the meantime, you are under the protective custody of House Potter; my Lord Potter, do you agree?"
"I do," Harry replied, smiling as he saw Sirius glowing with magic, the magic of the House keeping him a free man…for now. "Thank you Amelia: now please, get that out of here before I am forced to take my own revenge."
Amelia bound Pettigrew and, one Floo call later, courtesy of some assistance from Remus and Minerva, Tonks and a large, dark-skinned Auror had appeared and taken the coward away, Harry waiting until they were gone before he turned and hugged Sirius tightly.
"You're free!" he exclaimed, Sirius swinging Harry around, laughter echoing throughout the Granger household as Minerva excused herself and Amelia said that she would join Harry on Christmas morning to grant her access to the new residence of Lord Potter.
HPHG
The next morning, Harry, with Hermione in his arms, wasn't awoken by his own will, nor was he woken by Padfoot licking his face; instead, he was woken from his sleep by Emma, who had crept into the room and placed a light kiss on Harry's forehead, the Holy Knight stirring as he asked, "What was that for Mum?"
"Hermione relayed everything you said yesterday," Emma whispered, her face showing she had been crying, "Harry, I can't thank you enough for protecting her and I am so glad that your godfather is now free."
"Not yet," Harry replied, slowly sitting up, his motions disturbing Hermione as she mumbled sleepily, "He's under House Protection, but in technical terms; yeah, he's free: Amelia even sent me a letter last night saying he could go to Gringotts and claim his assets back, but we've decided to wait until the trial for that. He's got his wand and he's got me back, so he's a happy man."
"Well," Emma smiled, ruffling Harry's black hair as she sat there, her eyes catching sight of Hermione waking up, though Harry didn't notice yet, "I still owe you so much Harry: you did everything to protect Hermione and you're willing to risk it all again."
"I'd risk myself a thousand times over to protect Hermione from harm," Harry told her, "And I will never consider her anything less than the precious gemstone of a Holy Knight that she is…and you know I'm telling the truth, don't you Kitten?"
Emma was quickly forced to leave Harry and Hermione alone as the Holy Knight of Ocean proceeded to thank her glorious, brave White Knight of a boyfriend…
HPHG
For the rest of the day, over a glorious Sunday dinner provided by Dobby and aided by Harry, the young wizards spent most of their day together, Harry's peace and tranquility only disturbed by Sirius, who seemed to spend time with Harry, saying he would one day do the right thing and someone would love him for it.
"I already did," Harry remarked, his arm around Hermione as they sat in the living room, a late afternoon movie on the television, "And she already does: there's no doubt about that Sirius. By the way, how did Remus eventually take it?"
"Not too bad," Sirius replied, "He says that he wants to help restore my family home over the summer, but I told him not to bother: you couldn't pay me to set foot back in that place. No, I'm perfectly content being in the home that welcomed me so well when my own family would not."
"I know how that feels," Harry replied, earning himself a light kiss from Hermione as he asked, "But what about your Lordship?"
"Well," Sirius answered, "The first thing I plan on doing is re-acquiring my own Codex so that I can see what's been going on while I've been a guest at the Hotel Azkaban and then, even if you say no, I'm still going to do it."
"What?" asked Harry.
"Name you," Sirius answered, "As my sole heir and benefactor, which means that, in the event of my death, you'd inherit everything."
"Appreciate it," Harry smiled, looking to Sirius as he asked, "But what about Dumbledore? Where do you stand with him?"
"After seeing and hearing what he's willing to do to keep you on his side, I think it's safe to say that I stand with you pup," Sirius remarked, running a soft hand against Harry's cheek, "I'll do anything you say as far as this destiny of yours goes. If you need anything, then all you'd have to do is ask and I'll move heaven and earth to get it for you."
Harry laughed in response, before he started slightly as Dobby appeared, his eyes wide with glee as he exclaimed, "Harry Potter sir; Dobby is here to say that Mr Neville and Miss Luna will be here sir."
"Took you long enough," Harry joked, but suddenly sat bolt upright when Dobby wrung his hands, "No Dobby," he insisted, "Don't even think about it: I was joking. Thank you for everything: what about Sebastian?"
"Master Seba says he will meet Harry Potter at the Hollow sir," Dobby remarked, smiling now as Harry nodded in acceptance, before he returned to the comfort of Hermione's arms.
"Thank you Dobby; now, why don't you take the rest of the day off? I insist," he added, seeing Dobby's wide eyed look, "Why don't you go and see some friends or whatever it is that House Elves do in their spare time?"
"Harry Potter is so generous sir," Dobby cried, before he vanished with a pop, Harry suddenly finding himself enveloped by Hermione's warm hugs, her lips pressed against his as she held him close.
When they parted, Harry gasped as he asked, "Whatever I did to deserve that Hermione, can you tell me so that I can use it again later?"
"You got that for just being you," Hermione replied, "Don't ever change Sparky."
"I won't Kitten," Harry laughed, before he noted a stunned, almost disbelieving look on the face of his godfather. "But next time, I think we had best warn others: Sirius looks like he's going to have a heart attack."
HPHG
True to Dobby's word, Neville and Luna turned up a little after seven, Harry and Hermione both working their way through their holiday homework, the Holy Knight of Thunder revising his Advanced Charms Homework as he looked up, seeing Dan and Emma walk in with their two best friends. "Hey guys," he smiled, "Thanks for coming: have a seat."
As they obliged, Neville cocked his head as he asked, "AC Harry?"
"Yep," Harry remarked, scratching his head with the tip of his quill as he added, "For some reason, the fact that I can enter and leave the Void at will makes it easier for me to know what the hell I'm going on about."
"Well you've certainly impressed Flitwick," Luna commented, smiling at her second friend as she explained, "I overheard him telling some of the other Ravens that you've excelled in AC and that it's living proof that the course works. In fact, I think I'll choose it next year when I start my OWL courses."
"Well if you need any help," Harry laughed, looking up to them as he just came out and said it, "Why not ask your soul mate?"
"Yeah she could…" Neville answered, his voice trailing off as he seemed to come back to reality, "Are…are you serious?"
"No that's his godfather," Hermione laughed, Harry chuckling to himself as he summoned the Codex to his hand and, opening it to the page on his family, indicated Neville's name.
"Wow," Neville gasped, mentally slapping himself, "I should have thought to check my own Codex huh? At least I now understand why Luna makes me feel so special."
"And there's more," Harry explained, looking to Luna, "I've been speaking with Hermione, Sirius and am going to speak to the Warriors tomorrow, but there is a chance that you, Luna, could be an Anointed One like Neville."
"You mean a Holy Knight?" asked Neville, Harry nodding in response as he continued.
"It's only a chance, but if it's true, then we'll have half the forces all together: the Knights of Ocean, alias Water, Fire, Thunder and whatever Knight Luna is going to be."
"Then there's what you were told about Riddle," Neville explained, Harry having explained that part of his destiny a while back.
"Yeah," Harry agreed, "The Knight of Darkness, so, in Luna's case, that leaves three: Light, Sky and Earth; but you never know what could happen. I mean, you remember what Sebastian said, didn't you Neville?"
"Uh-huh," replied the Holy Knight of Fire, "He believed, as you did Harry that I would be the Earth's Knight given my love of Herbology and affinity with the earth, but, instead, I became the Holy Knight of Fire."
"Which I figured out," Harry picked up, "Is actually due to your courage and determination to believe in your friends, not to mention that you are a Gryffindor, whose power came from the Fire himself."
"So," Hermione continued, "It's a case of wait and see, right Harry?"
"Right," Harry replied, looking to his blood-brother as he added, "Anyway, I just thought you'd want to know…in case anything were to happen to her like…what happened to my betrothed."
"Thanks for the heads-up," Neville remarked.
"What are brothers for?"
HPHG
Neville and Luna spent the night with Harry and Hermione, all four of them agreeing to travel to the Hollow together; when they awoke, there was a light chill in the air and, as he allowed himself to be embraced by the cold around them, Harry actually thought he could feel a snowstorm on the way: it would be perfect for Christmas and, if not, then he would just have to give it a little hand.
At 10am, Harry summoned Dobby and, with help from Sirius, Remus and Amelia, who had all turned up half an hour earlier, Harry told his loyal friend, "Take us to Godric's Hollow Dobby."
In a matter of seconds, Harry gasped as Dobby dropped both he and Hermione off at the edge of what appeared to be a rather well-kept graveyard, a small group of hooded figures waiting for them as Remus, Amelia and Sirius arrived moments later, Dan and Emma gasping as they were brought by the latter.
Looking around, Harry spotted it straight away: standing right in front of them, at least three floors high and as long as three detached houses was a beautiful, old-looking white stone building, beams of wood and slate mixed into the walls and roof. The garden, which looked seemingly renewed, held four topiaries that, when he looked closer, Harry felt tears creeping at the edges of his eyes: a dog, a doe, a stag and a phoenix, a solid gold plate on the front gate, the words Albion House inscribed on the plate, a stag and doe at either end of the words.
"Remind me," Harry gasped, "To thank Ragnok for all his help."
"How do you know he…" Remus began, before he too noticed the designs and outlook of the building.
"This place was destroyed," Sirius explained, "Ragnok must have rebuilt it out of respect for Harry, hence the reason we're stood here right now."
"Anyway," Harry sighed, turning to his guests, "Shall we get on with this?"
"Lord of the Manor goes first," Sirius explained, indicating the gate, "It's only right; oh, but be wary: if the wards are still tied to that old bastard, then he'll know you're here."
"Good luck getting in," Harry hissed, stepping across the road and up to the gate, his blood rushing with a whole cavalcade of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. Putting his hand on the gate, Harry gasped as he felt a strong rush of wind and, on his robe, his phoenix crest lit up, the Potter Crest now glowing with raw magic.
"There," Remus explained, "The House recognises you as Lord Potter: go on Harry; go in."
Pushing the gate open, Harry walked up a stone path towards the front door, his eyes trying and failing to hold back the tears of longing and memory that filled him at that moment. Stopping before the door, Harry smiled as he saw a stained-glass window in the door, the images in the window matching the Hogwarts Shield except for the fact that the four animals in the shield were the same as the topiaries, a golden letter P in the centre.
Holding out his hand, Harry watched as the door opened and a rush of warmth filled his heart; the entranceway to the House was decorated in Gryffindor colours, a long red and white carpet stretching through the hallway and off towards the left and right of the house, a selection of doors around him, a winding stairway leading to the upper floors.
'Right,' Harry thought, 'Let's do this.'
Removing Excalibur from his belt, Harry held his weapon outwards before he announced, "I, Harry Potter, Holy Knight of Thunder, Heir of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, call upon the magic of the Holy Sword Excalibur to protect the walls of my domain and keep those unwelcome by my will out of this building!"
With that, he drove Excalibur into the floor, a powerful wave of red and gold magic suddenly flying from his blade, Harry's silver eye glowing with the raw magic that he could feel; while the sword was placed in the ground, Harry gently nicked his skin against its edge and allowed a drop of his own blood to stain the blade. Turning to the door, he nodded and watched as his guests approached, each of them nicking their own skin against the blade, their bloodstains making the sword glow as it recognised their allowance.
When the last member of the group – Dante – had offered his blood, Harry raised his voice once more and exclaimed, "By the Holy Sword, I welcome Hermione Granger, Daniel Granger, Emma Granger, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Sebastian McDale, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Elora Shaw, Felicia Harrow, Amelia Bones, Tyler Kingston and Dante McShane to this domain: their presence is authorised by the will of Lord Potter and recognised as friends to House Potter."
Excalibur's blade shone once more, its glow now pulsing seemingly around the small company as Harry removed the blade from the ground, Hermione looking on in shock as the hole created by Excalibur was sealed once more, Harry now sheathing Excalibur not at his belt, but over his shoulder, his eyes shining as he nodded to them, "Welcome my friends; now, shall we look around?"
When they answered in the positive, Harry turned and immediately made for the third floor, Sirius, Remus and Hermione all following while the others explored the downstairs area; knowing all too well where he was going, Sirius watched as Harry came to the room on the end, his hand brushing over the door handle.
"It's here," he whispered, his mind hearing words from a time that seemed like an age ago;
'Lily, it's him! Take Harry and run!'
'Not Harry, please not Harry.'
'Stand aside, stand aside you silly girl.'
'Not Harry; please take me instead.'
"Harry?"
Turning on the spot, Harry smiled as he saw Hermione watching him worriedly, her eyes on his as she asked, "What is it?"
"Nothing," answered Harry, "Just memories."
Turning back to the door, Harry pushed it open and gasped in awe: what once had been his nursery – and he didn't know how he knew that fact – was now a master bedroom decorated in the colours of the Four Founders, bolts of lightning and different creatures lining the walls in mouldings and mosaic designs, a large portrait standing at the head of Harry's bed, bearing an image of his Holy Knight Crest. Above the majestic four-poster, Harry saw words carved into the wall and, as he read them, another pang of memory hit him; he had heard those words before.
Harry, be safe, be strong and know that you are loved
"Mum," he whispered, approaching the bed, walking past a walk-in wardrobe and a private bathroom; standing beneath the words, Harry called on the winds and hovered upwards, running his hand over the engraving as he remained there, Hermione, Sirius and Remus watching him in case of any sort of reaction.
"I'll make you proud," he whispered, "I swear it."
Returning to the ground, Harry wiped his eyes and left the room, Hermione, Sirius and Remus following suit; moving along the third floor, they noticed that it bore only one other master-like bedroom that Harry assumed would either be for Dan and Emma or Neville and Luna – later, when he offered, Neville and Luna gave it to Dan and Emma – before he descended to the second floor, finding an array of guest rooms, all with en-suite facilities and smaller wardrobes, as well as something that made Hermione's day, her excitement bringing a smile back to Harry's face.
The Potter Family Annexe, which held not one, but two libraries as large as Hogwarts, the space seemingly increased through magical means; as he was later exploring the libraries, Harry then noticed why there were two: one was normal magic and one was for the power and majesty of the Holy Knights.
Then came the ground floor and Harry heaved a sigh as he found a well-kept kitchen, dining room, study, living room and even a ballroom, the back area of the house holding what looked like a greenhouse while a door on the ground floor led down to a fully-functioning Potions laboratory.
"It's perfect," Harry whispered, now sitting with his friends and family in the ancestral living room.
"It's home," Hermione remarked, her arms around Harry as he was still failing to hold back the tears.
HPHG
Home is where the heart is;
Truer words couldn't be spoken;
Harry and Hermione soon found themselves enjoying the House and all it had to offer, though Harry usually found himself having to entice Hermione and Emma – which told him where she got it from – away from the libraries, Hermione usually reading late into the night while Emma just stared in shock and awe. Harry, meanwhile, spent most of his time either in the master suite or down in the ballroom; a large, marble-decorated room that held what Harry called his favourite portrait.
Lily and James Potter, on their wedding day – or at least that was how it appeared – with baby Harry, clearly less than a year old, in their arms, all three of them waving merrily, Lily usually crying when she saw older Harry standing there. Underneath the portrait were the same words from Harry's room and this was the reason that it became his favourite portrait: while he had only seen his parents in the Mirror of Erised or in the photo album Hagrid had given him, that was nothing compared to this.
On Christmas Morning, Harry awoke to the scene he had hoped to see: a glorious, white-washed village decorated in snow, the graveyard opposite the house blanketed by the frost. This image, combined with the fact that it was Christmas, gave Harry an idea; forsaking everything else, he left his bed and got dressed, before he snuck out of the house and over the road, a look of love and memory on his face as he put a special Christmas surprise into action.
Hermione was going to love this…he hoped…
When said witch opened her eyes, she was slightly concerned to see that there was no sign of her betrothed, but, instead, a note and a single white rose; opening the note, Hermione saw Harry's writing and, when she read it, she was at first confused, but then, considering it was her Harry, she began to accept it:
A white rose for my white princess; want more? Come to the graveyard for a special present;
Harry
Dressing herself, Hermione crept downstairs and out the front door, crossing the road where she found more white roses lining the gate and decorated around the topiaries. Harry was clearly going all out here; entering the graveyard, Hermione gasped when she saw the snow seemingly coalesce before a familiar shape approached her.
A pair of white antlers atop a white head, a small doe at his side, Prongs bowed his head to Hermione and turned away, the doe nuzzling Hermione's hand, the Holy Knight of Ocean gasping as she felt not only the cold snow, but actual white fur. How had Harry done this?
Following the stag and doe through the graveyard, Hermione gasped with awe and wonder when she came upon a ring of white roses, Prongs and his mate standing at the edge of the circle, but there, standing tall and proud before what appeared to be a headstone was Harry.
"Hello Hermione," he said, a note of sadness in his voice, "Merry Christmas."
"Harry?" asked Hermione, looking to the two deer at either side of the rosy circle, "How…how did you…"
"Come in," Harry answered, "I can't keep this up for long: I set it up for the moment you touched the note."
"You set…" Hermione then gasped when she saw Harry's hand glowing, his left arm moved up to his heart, the Holy Knight lost in concentration. In one moment, Hermione understood, "Illusions: Charm-Casting!"
"Yes," Harry replied, before he felt Hermione piercing the edge of his circle, "I did exactly what Professor Flitwick said: I envisioned the illusion, let my mind enter the Void and cast it into the real world. Did you like Prongs and his friend? I call her Ariel."
"Ariel?" asked Hermione, watching as Harry lowered his hands, the stag and doe fading into the snow.
"Yes," Harry replied, "I'll tell you why later; for now, come here."
Hermione approached his side, her eyes wide as she then noticed the circle and the white roses were still there, but, when she approached Harry and saw the headstone he was standing in front of, it all made sense.
"Harry," Hermione whispered, "I'm here."
"I know," Harry replied, taking her hand, "I felt this was appropriate."
Before him, as Hermione linked her hand with his, Harry looked upon a snow-covered headstone, his Knight's magic having removed the wear and tear and replaced the words to mean something;
HERE LIES LILY AND JAMES POTTER
THE SIRES OF A HERO
MAY THEIR SOULS FIND PEACE
Right there, standing in the graveyard, the snow falling around them, Hermione took Harry's hands in hers, put her arms around him and kissed him, her eyes closed as she took in everything that he had done for her.
'Merry Christmas Harry,' she whispered mentally, their peace undisturbed as the two Holy Knights remained there for quite some time, taking in everything that they had gained;
And remembering everything that they had lost…
Oh my god that was a long one, but the idea wouldn't stop until I had written it all out; I hope Harry's example of Advanced Charm-Casting was all right: anyway, with the demons of the past finally laid to rest, can Harry officially start down the road to his destiny?
Also, will Amelia succeed in freeing Sirius or will Harry be forced to take extreme measures?
Keep Reading to Find Out;
Next Chapter: The Family enjoy their time together with Dan and Emma having a private talk with Sirius and Harry; also, after their private moment in the graveyard, Harry and Hermione explore the regions of their bond and their powers and Harry receives a mysterious message; plus, it's back to Hogwarts and Harry has to attend a meeting…with Lucius Malfoy and Molly Weasley!
Chapter 18: The Storm and The Sword
When Dan and Emma heard about Harry's gift to Hermione, Dan had to actually move aside when his wife wrapped Harry in a warm, loving embrace, Hermione smiling sadly as she stood with her Father, all the while explaining about the power displayed by the Holy Knight of Thunder. They had remained in the graveyard for a few more minutes before a Christmas snowfall had begun to drift across the village, prompting a cold and wet Harry and Hermione to return to the warmth of Albion House. Once they were safely warm and dry, Harry had reached out with his magic and cancelled the white rose decorations around his home, but kept the ones that now adorned his parents' gravestones.
"He misses them," Hermione explained to Dan, watching as Sirius shared in the awe as to the power of his godson, "It was a well thought-out gift and must have taken him ages to practice."
"Well," Dan explained, "Before we came here, Harry did say that his powers had excelled thanks to that ritual that you and he performed; it doesn't really surprise me that he finds it easy to use such complex magic."
"I know," Hermione sighed, before she stepped forwards, the small crowd of well-wishers allowing her access to her boyfriend, "But that's what I love about you Harry James Potter."
Taking Hermione in his arms, Harry placed a light kiss on her lips before she put her arms around his neck and seemed to force him to stay there, locked in her embrace for a while, Sirius nodding towards the kitchen, leaving the two Knights to pick up where they had left off in the graveyard.
HPHG
Professor McGonagall arrived at the entrance to the house at midday, Harry adding her to the wards with help from Excalibur, before he talked about the magic he had performed earlier that day. When Minerva gave him a sceptical look, Harry sighed before he called on Dobby and asked for him to provide a Pensieve. Showing his Head of House those memories, Harry felt a strong wave of elation and freedom from simply watching what he had already experienced: it was almost as if his demons of the past had finally been laid to rest.
Christmas dinner was a hearty affair: Dan, Sirius and Remus were all deep in conversation with regards to Harry's ever-growing power levels; Emma, Minerva and Amelia were discussing where things went from here for the young man that now sat at the head of the table, said teenager sharing a glass of ice-cold drink with his girlfriend, Sebastian and the Order around them, the commander still in shock as to the memories they had seen. His Lord's power was growing each and every day and, when the time came for Harry to take his place at the head of the Holy Knight's Circle within the magical lands of Camelot…Sebastian actually shivered when he thought about it.
"His strength is growing," Elora commented, her voice low so that she did not disturb the atmosphere around the table, "And as long as he has Hermione at his side, he will show a lot more strength in the trials that are to come."
"Those two complete one another," Dante agreed, "Harry makes Hermione feel strong and loved and Hermione makes Harry feel safe, calm and like the proud young man that he is. The Boy-Who-Lived doesn't exist here: he's all Harry and he's all hers."
"Such is the strength of his resolve," Sebastian remarked, looking to his team, "The time may be coming where we won't need to escort our L…Harry and Hermione all over the place anymore."
"What do we do when that time comes?" asked Tyler, his own gaze not on his Lord and Lady, but the spot in front of him, as if he were staring off into space.
"We support his family," Felicia put in, "We protect them when he cannot and we make sure that our roles as the Order are respected. We know that Harry will always need us: his parents prove that through your early years Sebastian, but he won't need us as close and personal as we have been."
"She's right," Harry laughed, the Order all looking up to see their Lord standing next to Sebastian, his eyes shining brightly as he continued, "Sorry; I couldn't help but overhear the end of that conversation, but I am glad for everything that you have done for me and I am honoured and privileged to have such loyal friends like you at my side."
"We appreciate the compliment Harry," Tyler smiled, looking around as he asked, "But the point is clear: we may not be needed as your protectors and mentors, but we will always be needed as your friends."
"Tyler's right," Harry nodded, before he placed a hand on Sebastian's shoulder, his voice almost firm as he added, "All of you: you are my friends and you've helped me out in so many ways. I hope that the alliance we've formed in these past few months lasts for the rest of my life."
"It will," Dante told him, before he actually provided the Christmas humour as he asked, "But will it last for the rest of our lives?"
HPHG
After dinner, Harry and his company of friends and family all made their way into the lounge where the two Holy Knights turned into big kids at Christmas when they saw the large pile of presents that awaited them, Harry turning on his heel and hugging both Dan and Emma warmly, whispering his thanks as they all took their places.
"We'll go round one at a time," Dan explained, "One present each and then do a free-for-all: okay?"
"Sounds good," Harry agreed, before he reached for one of his gifts, his eyes narrowed as he recognised the scrawl as Hagrid's: it was a fairly large gift and, as he began unwrapping it, Harry noticed Hermione's smile crossing her face.
Once he unwrapped the gift, Harry gasped in awe: in his hands was a gilded red set of reins and a saddle that bore the Crest of the Holy Knights; attached to the reins was a note from Hagrid:
Harry; Think this'll help when yeh go ridin on Beaky; 'e misses yeh lately; Merry Christmas; Hagrid
'Wow Hagrid,' thought Harry, placing the reins and saddle aside, his eyes then catching sight of something hidden under the saddle; pulling it out, Harry found what appeared to be a riding cloak made from Acromantula Silk and bearing not only the Crest of the Knights, but a bolt of lightning across the back.
"That was my idea," Hermione explained, not regretting it for a second as she then found herself on the receiving end of a kiss from Harry.
Hermione went next and, when she saw Harry almost shying away, she knew who this was from: opening the gift, Hermione gasped as she found a silver necklace with a doe-shaped pendant, the eyes of the doe made from what appeared to be a sea-blue gemstone. Looking to Harry, Hermione gasped as she asked, "How did you…"
"Back in France," Harry explained, looking to Dan and Emma with a knowing smile, "While we were in Les Terres Magiques, I spotted the pendant and, well, given who you are to me, I thought it fit: look at the back."
Turning the pendant over, Hermione found a small inscription that was composed of two small words: My Ariel.
"Ariel?" asked Hermione, watching as Harry shrugged ruefully.
"The doe," he explained, "But I also think it makes a good name for you as a Marauder: what do you say Padfoot?"
"Not a bad idea," Sirius agreed, "But how…"
"Her name," Harry explained, "Hermione: it's a name from Shakespeare, so I used that as inspiration and, boom, I found this amazing story…"
"The Tempest," Dan smiled, his eyes on his daughter as he added, "One of your favourites as a little girl, do you remember Princess?"
"Yes," Hermione replied, "Ariel was a spirit that was controlled by Prospero to serve him and be his eyes and ears on the island; in the end, Ariel is freed by Prospero, but Harry, why did you give this name to me?"
"Because," Harry explained, "Like Ariel to Prospero, you saved me: you made me see the Light and I can never thank you enough for everything you did for me."
Now it was Hermione's turn to give Harry the kiss as they moved onto the next gift; this one was for Sirius and it was from both Harry and Hermione: when he opened it, the now free man gasped and Harry saw tears in his eyes as he found himself looking at an exact copy of the journal that Harry had been given by Hagrid, a large black dog on the front page of the book.
Dan and Emma's first gift was from Harry and, when they opened it, they shared Hermione's gasped shocks as they found a set of wizarding robes bearing the Holy Knights' Crest as well as two diamond rings that bore the words Mum and Dad on the crown of the rings.
Minerva's first gift was from Hermione and, when she saw it, she understood why: it was a box of rich Honeydukes Chocolates and a bottle of Dr Ambrosias finest red wine, as well as a note that said she was sorry she lied.
For Remus, Sirius had actually managed this one, though how exactly was a mystery to Harry: inside his present was a book format of the Marauder's Map, the book signed by Padfoot, Ariel and someone called Sparky, though Remus figured that to be Harry from what Hermione loved to call him.
That just left Amelia, since Neville and Luna were enjoying their time at Neville's home, and when she opened the parcel, she gasped as she found a miniature copy of Harry's favourite portrait, the portrait's lower side now bearing the words:
To Amelia, thank you for everything; I owe you my life and everything I am; Harry.
When Harry then looked to the Order, Sebastian smiled before he shook his head, "We didn't ask for presents Harry; the knowledge that you are getting stronger and you see us as friends is enough of a gift."
"Oh well," sighed Harry, before he snapped his fingers and, as if summoned from somewhere else, a large parcel flew to his hand, the wrappings revealing a set of five blades, each one personally inscribed to their owner as he added, "I guess I'll just have to give these goblin-made blades that were burnished by my own powers to someone else."
"M…My Lord!" gasped Sebastian, watching as Harry handed the swords to his warriors.
"Don't say anything Seba," Harry told him, "You deserve these: Ragnok crafted the blades for me and, once they were complete, I had them burnished with a bolt of white lightning and branded with your names; they'll only allow themselves to be bore by each of you, so I suggest you take them. Besides," he added, now summoning Excalibur from its scabbard, "I'm going to need someone to teach me swordsmanship if I'm going to wield Excalibur like the weapon that it is."
"Thank you Harry," Tyler remarked, his hand now holding onto his own sword, the others following suit as he then asked, "But won't Excalibur shatter our weapons?"
"No," Hermione replied, going into bookworm mode as she added, "Goblin steel is unbreakable and, considering what Harry used to burnish them, it makes them about 10 – 25% weaker than Excalibur, but still able to bear the brunt of Harry's training as and when he needs it."
"Hold on," Harry then added, before he pulled back a folded wrapping and, feigning shock, discovered a sixth blade, this one bearing a set of wings on the hilt and cross-guard, the blade shining with a bright shade of blue like the waters of the ocean. "If the Order have theirs, then whose is this sword that looks like steel-fused water?"
It was a good thing Harry had dropped the sword at that moment as Hermione practically dived on him, hugging him close as she held onto her blade, Harry smiling as he told her, "I didn't just burnish that sword with my power Hermione, I willingly gave some of my blood to craft it; thanks to our bond, that sword is now as strong as Excalibur. I even named it, if you didn't mind."
"What do you call it?" asked Hermione, eyeing her blue-bladed weapon, "And why's my blade blue?"
"To the first," Harry answered, "I gave your sword the name Nimueh, after the Lady of the Lake in Arthurian legends: it seemed to fit given what my sword really is."
"And the second?" asked Hermione.
"Well," Harry explained, "That's the unusual thing: according to a legend that I found in the Hogwarts library, Excalibur actually did have a twin sword that was destroyed by Morgana Le Fay during her battle with Arthur and Merlin; that sword was said to have the same power as Excalibur, except for the fact that it was blue. When I looked into why that was, it was said that the sword was forged from the tears of the Lady of the Lake herself and burnished by Merlin's powers."
"So it's blue because of its ties to water?" asked Hermione.
"Not exactly," Sebastian answered, Harry and Hermione looking to him as the commander continued, "Your sword, Hermione, was forged from Harry's powers, but, in the eyes of fate and the souls of your predecessors, he's almost as strong as Merlin himself; so, to imbue a goblin-made blade with not only his magic, but his blood as well would bestow that sword with the same power as the one that was forged from Nimueh's tears."
"Which is also why I gave it the name Nimueh," Harry explained, holding Excalibur before him as he looked to Hermione, "After the legend…if it is a legend."
"And also so that you could join him on those sessions," Emma realised, "Harry sees you as his equal Hermione, so a weapon for you is the icing on that cake."
"I guessed that part," Hermione replied, before she gently tapped Nimueh's blade against Excalibur's, the two metallic weapons singing with the raw magic of their bearers as she added, "And it's perfect: thank you Harry."
"Right," Sirius remarked, becoming the big kid that people knew him to be, "Now, who's for that free-for-all?"
Other than his riding set from Hagrid, Harry received a new wizard's chess set from Neville, his eyes widening when he saw that the White pieces all represented the current Holy Knight Order – Harry and Hermione were the White King and Queen, Neville and Luna were their Knights, Sebastian was the rook/castles and Dan and Emma were the bishops; the pawns took the forms of their friends and the other Order members – and all in all, it was a very thoughtful gift. Luna had sent Harry a mysterious, almost crystal pendant bearing a still image of a Thestral in flight within its heart: it was both beautiful and wondrous; Amelia gave him a selection of Harry's favourites from Honeydukes as well as a new scabbard for Excalibur, this one bearing his Crest as well as an array of lightning bolts. Minerva gave Harry a book on meditation techniques and how to use your emotions to control your magic – he guessed she was making some kind of hint towards the frozen rodents at school – and, from Sebastian and the Order, Harry was actually awed when they handed him a brand new set of robes made from real golden thread, the Holy Knight's Crest woven into each of them, the robes accompanied by what appeared to be a mysterious collection of crystals. Harry made a mental note to ask about them later, but, for now, he thanked his friends and allies for their gifts.
Sirius and Remus explained in no certain terms that their gifts for Harry were their alliance, before Remus then handed Harry a book on Advanced Magic, before he asked if Harry would like some additional lessons to see if they could learn to harness the magical prowess within Excalibur. When Harry agreed, he added that Hermione would be joining him as he figured that anything Excalibur could do, so could Nimueh.
The final presents on the list were from Dan and Emma as well as the Weasleys, Harry not really wanting to open the one from the Weasleys in case it was a trap of some sort. However, when he tapped the wrapped gift with Excalibur and found it devoid of magic, Harry opened it and was surprised as to what he found.
Inside the Weasleys' gift was an egg about the size of Excalibur's blade – roughly 11 inches – and covered in red and black spots, the shell of the egg was warm to the touch; looking to the note that came with the gift, Harry was surprised when he found out who it was from:
Lord Potter;
We've never formally met; my name is Charlie Weasley and this gift is from my entire family: inside the egg is a Russian Silverback, a dragon that, even at full height, will be no larger than what the Muggles call an American Football; it is a serpentine dragon, so your skill will be able to commune with it and, when it grows, it will bond to you.
Consider this a personal gift from your Vassal House and Dragon Master; if you need anything to help with raising the dragon, do not hesitate to call me: I am at your command, my Lord;
Charlie Weasley and Family
PS: Don't suppose you know where Ron's been this Christmas? No-one can find him, but I'm not saying a word.
"A dragon?" asked Hermione, reading the letter over Harry's shoulder, "I don't think I've ever heard of the Silverbacks?"
"I have," Sebastian explained, "And they are very strong: some say that they're the reptilian incarnation of phoenixes; despite their serpentine bodies, they do possess two foreclaws and can breath not only fire, but ice, hence the name Silverback. They are very loyal creatures and Mr Weasley is correct when he says that they are bonding creatures."
"But how do I bond it?" asked Harry, "Do I use Excalibur or my blood or what?"
"The egg is still in its early days," Sebastian explained, "It will be close to the summer before it hatches, but I will look into the research on the breed for you, my Lord."
"Thank you Sebastian," Harry smiled, before he looked to Amelia as he added, "You do know that when it hatches, be it he or she, it will be coming with me, don't you?"
"I do," Amelia smiled, "I'll see what I can do Harry, but you won't get the little guy taken from you: even I know of Silverbacks and they are very loyal, very protective friends, but, once tamed by their bonds, they will be as docile as a puppy."
Placing the egg aside, Harry opened the last gift from Dan and Emma, his eyes widening as he saw a picture of him and Hermione, magically crafted, the image in the picture showing the two of them relaxing in what Harry recognised as their villa in France; in the corner of the picture was an inscription:
This is the Harry we know;
This is the Harry we love;
Don't you ever change son;
Mum and Dad
"Wow," Harry gasped, moving to Dan and Emma, the two Granger elders hugging him to them as he whispered, "Thank you: it's perfect."
"Well," Dan laughed, "It's not a dragon egg or anything like that but…"
"It's still perfect," Harry whispered, "They all are: Merry Christmas you guys."
"Merry Christmas Harry," the others chorused, Harry now sitting back in front of the fire, his Silverback egg in his lap: it may be the biggest as far as gifts go, but the best would have to be from Dan and Emma…
His new family were finally together again…
HPHG
After their rather interesting Christmas, Harry and Hermione spent the rest of their holidays going between the Granger household and Albion House, Dan and Emma having offered to sell their house and move into the family home where Harry felt safe and comfortable. Though he had agreed with them, Harry had explained, "It doesn't matter where I live or where I lay my head at night; now that I have my family, I'm perfectly happy as long as I see you two and my Hermione on a daily basis. They tried to take my family and my freedom from me once before; it will take hell freezing over to do so again."
At the New Year, Harry made use of the House's ballroom as he and his friends enjoyed a mild party, Harry and Hermione spending the night in each other's arms, the Holy Knight of Ocean feeling as giddy as ever as she found herself moved and swayed by her Prince Charming. The morning after their party, Hermione awoke on her own, but, when she began to look around, she didn't have to look far: Harry was seated on the floor of his bedroom, his legs folded underneath him, Excalibur lying flat across his lap, his body glowing with a dim, but strong silvery aura.
Moving around him, Hermione kneeled down and, deciding to see how deep this trance of his was going, she leaned in close and brushed her lips against his, a sudden pull of magic drawing her not only into his mind, but into his magic, her body moving of its own accord as it took the same position as Harry's, Nimueh lying across Hermione's lap.
Within their mindscape, Hermione opened her eyes and was surprised to find that she was standing on the edge of a beach, the sand and sea washing over her bare feet, the cry of the gulls overhead making her turn several ways as she sought out her boyfriend.
"You shouldn't have kissed me Ariel," Harry's voice remarked, Hermione turning to the source of his voice; what she saw made her eyes widen: Harry was seemingly rising from the water, but where his body should have been, there was only water that coalesced and formed into the body of the Holy Knight of Thunder.
"I'm sorry," Hermione replied, watching as Harry stepped onto the beach and took her into his arms, "You just looked so peaceful: where are we?"
"To put it simply," Harry explained, taking her arm and walking along the beach with her, "We're in my soul room, a place I formed in my mind shortly after becoming the Holy Knight of Thunder and performing the Ritual of Release with you. I manage to come and go into my soul room through a deep meditation, but, if anything touches my glowing body, they get pulled in here as well and they can't leave unless I do."
"And," asked Hermione, admiring the magical strength of her beloved, "How did you create this place?"
"Through imagination," Harry explained, stopping close to a sheer cliff face, before he held out his hand and Hermione gasped when she saw a rocky seat forming at their feet, Harry now sitting on the seat and staring out across the water. "Anything I want to happen in here usually does: I discovered that I can use this place to calm myself should the Oncoming Storm rear its head. Do you remember the day that you had to sleep naked in bed with me?"
"Yes."
"My fear," Harry explained, lifting his hand to her face, Hermione gasping as she felt his touch: this was real and yet, at the same time, it wasn't real: Professor Flitwick would have a field day if he learned about this. "My fear," continued Harry, "It drew me in here and, for a moment, I was trapped: my subconscious wouldn't let me escape because it felt the danger, but, when your angelic body touched me, even when I was fourth-base naked, you drew me out and my mind recognised you as a friend. Thank you Hermione," he brushed his lips against hers as she lay her head on his shoulder. After a moment, Harry added, "You're wondering about the water thing, aren't you?"
"Pretty much." Hermione replied, her voice soothed by calmness and a sense of serenity that she had not felt since that morning in the graveyard.
"This is my mind," Harry explained, gesturing with his hands; as Hermione watched, a pod of dolphins suddenly leaped from the water, their slick, wet bodies shimmering like crystal in the sunlight. "I can be anywhere, anything, anytime: when I entered my mindscape after waking up, I needed to clear my head and so, my subconscious became nothingness, making me one with this world; when I felt your presence, I formed myself from the water, but, at a whim, I can be anywhere anytime."
"And anything," Hermione added, a light chuckle escaping her lips as she remained next to Harry.
"Yes," laughed the Holy Knight, "And anything, but right now, I'm yours and I'm here."
"Next time," Hermione remarked, "I'll ask to come in here with you."
"There won't be a next time," Harry told her, "Because we are one Ariel; I'll help you form your world like I have mine, but once it's done, the door will always be open. Just don't try doing it when I'm asleep, okay?"
"Okay Harry," Hermione replied, watching the waves and the almost peaceful scene before them, her mind at ease and her soul at peace in his embrace.
This chapter is written as a thanks to all of you and as a reward: 400 REVIEWS: WHOO HOO! Anyway, with their minds at peace, can their physical selves be just as peaceful?
Also, when the egg hatches, how will Harry react to a dragon for a pet? Or will it be something more?
Keep Reading to Find Out;
Next Chapter: It's back to Hogwarts and Harry has to attend a meeting…with Lucius Malfoy and Molly Weasley! Also, to calm down after the meeting, Harry and Hermione have some fun in Harry's mindscape – this IS a Fantasy story so I can go nuts – and the new year brings back some old problems, namely Albus Dumbledore!