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  This chapter was edited by Gdiusx. Check his works on HP and ASOIAF, I highly recommend them.

  Monday 26th of July 1993

  Nefertari’s Smoky Den

  Hermione sat with her new friend Mafalda as they waited for the verdict as the witch inspected the paper. They were in a popur tea shop in Diagon Alley, waiting patiently for the woman's decision. Her agreement or ck of would set the course for both girls’ future.

  “Miss Granger,” the witch pced down the sheets of paper, but her face was inscrutable. “You have answered all of my questions correctly. The same for you as well, Miss Prewett.”

  Maddie and Hermione shared a smile and turned back to the woman, “Miss Shafiq, does that mean you will–”

  “I have one final question for you before I decide if you are fit for the job. Answer correctly, and I will hire you both. It's more important than anything else you have done so far.”

  Hermione gulped as the woman's turquoise eyes bore down on her. While barely in her early twenties, Fayrouz Shafiq had a mean gre in her almond-shaped eyes, making her look far older. It carried the weight of authority, far different than that a teacher possessed.

  An elbow from Maddie had them both nodding to their potentially new employer.

  “You are both working a shift, one of you on the counter while the other on the tables. There are no other workers in the establishment for one reason or another.” Fayrouz leaned her elbows on the table, folded her fingers, and rested her chin on them. “Someone enters the shop and starts cursing anything or anyone they see. What would you do?”

  Hermione froze and bit her tongue to prevent blurting the first thing that came to mind. Harry or Ron would have tried something like cursing the intruder back or throwing a chair at their face. Gncing at Maddie, the girl was muttering to herself about calling the police, and that was a good idea, yet there was something more they could do. She stared at the shop's owner as if trying to divine an answer from her posture but failed.

  Fayrouz’s lips quirked in amusement, but she then subtly turned her head. Hermione followed her gaze and settled on the nearby firepce, specifically the pot of green powder. It was like a light bulb shined above her head.

  “We Floo travel away. To the DMLE or even the Leaky Cauldron. Then we call the Aurors.”

  Fayrouz smiled, “Correct! Your safety is my number one priority. I'm already going to get some raised eyebrows for hiring little girls like you, but I would rather not have to deal with angry parents or friends.”

  “Hey, we're not little!”

  “Especially your Daddy, sweetie.” The shop’s owner licked her lips as she grinned at Mafalda’s indignant face. “Such powerful arms, the things he would do to me if something happened to you~.”

  Hermione coughed before Mafalda could jump the woman - she looked ready to tear her hair out. Talk about being Daddy’s girl. But the little witch had plenty of fight in her, and mentioning it out loud would invite retaliation.

  “Does that mean we are hired?”

  “Indeed. Congratutions are in order. Now, let's talk about pay.”

  Hermione and Mafalda cheered lightly before they adopted their most serious expressions; she doubted it worked as Fayrouz merely giggled at what she must feel were two snotty brats desperate to earn some spending money over the next month.

  It was all her father’s fault! How could he refuse to buy her another set of books? So what if the Goblins raised the conversion rate for Pounds and Galleons? Her education was at stake here!

  “So, was there a point to those questions you had us answer?” Maddie suddenly asked, “I mean, they were basically maths, and you asked us to write some random sentences down.”

  “You would be surprised how many wizards and witches don't know how to count beyond fifteen.” Fayrouz shrugged, “Had to make sure your handwriting was also legible. Now, how does eight Knuts an hour sound?”

  “That sounds–”

  “What? That's way too low!” Maddie interrupted Hermione before she could agree. The bushy-haired girl stared in astonishment at her younger friend, worrying they would be kicked out for rejecting the offer. “Five sickles an hour, and we keep our tips.”

  “Hah, you must be delusional, sweetie.” Fayrouz flicked her mane of dark hair, her gleaming eyes narrowing. “Nine Knuts an hour, and I get two-thirds of your tips.”

  “Absolutely not! Four sickles and twenty Knuts an hour. We will keep all of our tips!”

  From there, Hermione was but a spectator as she saw an entirely new side of her friend. Mafalda had appeared diligent yet shy, coming from a rich muggle family before their peaceful life was torn asunder by dark wizards. She knew her father worked in finance, but she didn't think Maddie would know how to haggle like an expert!

  “Twenty Knuts an hour, you keep your tips, and I'll allow you to study or practice magic during downtime provided you invite your school friends over. I'll even give you an employee discount on the pastries and drinks. That's my final offer.”

  An hour ter, Maddie had her hands folded over her chest as she thought about Fayrouz’s offer. Hermione thought they would come to blows several times, but now that she looked closely, they both seemed to be slightly smiling, as if they had the most fun in their lives - or they believed they had outwitted the other.

  She recalled her mother mentioning Egyptians haggled over anything and everything, but while Hermione knew Fayrouz’s family came from Egypt, the young woman did not at all sound like a foreigner.

  “Hang on, practice magic? Are we allowed to do so?”

  Fayrouz turned to her quizzically before her eyes widened. “Ah yes, you’re both muggle-borns. I nearly forgot due to your names; Prewett and I think I know a Granger from somewhere.” Hermione fought the urge to tell her that, no, she was not reted to the Dagworth-Grangers - she asked them and got rudely shooed away. “No matter, you can practice magic in the Alley. The Ministry won't find out as long as you don't funt it in the streets.”

  “But that's–”

  “We will agree to your terms, but we demand a free drink and pastry a day.” Maddie interrupted, and they stared at the woman, waiting for her verdict. Hermione felt conflicted about btantly breaking the w, which would help her study more. Surely, that was a good thing?

  “Deal, you will start tomorrow.”

  “YES!”

  A*L*S*M

  Thursday 29th of July 1993

  Dear Harry,

  How are you? I returned from France a few days ago and have been spending my time in Diagon Alley. Imagine my surprise when I learned so many things had happened in my absence!

  Tom told me you are living in your grandparents’ home now, along with his waitress. Something about you seducing her? I think he was joking, but Tom always smiles, so I can’t be sure.

  I really hope you are not doing anything I wouldn't do. Just…stay out of trouble, Harry.

  First, I would like to congratute you on recovering your grandfather’s estate, though I would love to hear how it happened.

  Second, I made a new friend! Mafalda tells me she had already met you but was under the wrong impression that you had a harem of older girls at your beck and call.

  Are you hiding more things from me, Harry?

  I am joking, by the way, it's so hard to put proper words into writing. Maddie had been reading too much of those sappy novels in the pce where we started working.

  Oh yes, we got summer jobs! My father had tried to stop me from buying more books in an effort to talk to more people and hang out more. Well, the joke’s on him; I can now buy as many books as I can afford!

  By the way, I appreciate you giving your notes and books to Mafalda. That was very kind of you, especially after what happened to her mother.

  I have taken the liberty of reviewing the notes, which reminded me of the many times I had to go over your homework. I sincerely hope your handwriting has improved since.

  I wish I could meet you to catch up on lost time. Your birthday is in two days, so maybe we could meet then?

  There are so many things I want to talk to you about, from strange magic and even stranger creatures I've encountered in France to simpler things like how you have been doing.

  More importantly, did you know that there's a method that muggles have discovered to ascertain someone's lineage? It's called D-N-A testing, but I'm not sure it's avaible to the public yet. I read a science magazine discussing its implications, and considering my pursuit of who my great-grandmother was, it really has my hopes up!

  Say hi to Dobby and Hedwig for me! I've rented this owl from the Post Office, but I miss your clever owl.

  Yours sincerely,

  Hermione Granger.

  PS: Mafalda and I have started working in Nefertari's Smoky Den. It's a nice tea shop in the alley that offers a lot of Oriental delicacies. The owner mentioned her cousin knew you, a certain Shafiq. Anyway, we work for four to six hours every weekday and then spend the rest of our time studying or practising magic!

  Dear Hermione,

  Welcome back to civilisation! I've heard horror stories about the French. If their muggles eat frogs and snails, I shudder to imagine what the magicals eat.

  Then again, in the past few weeks, I've eaten numerous delicacies I would never have thought could be eaten. Did you know spider legs taste like a weird mix of crabs and chicken? You would probably be surprised to learn that a Manticore, despite having the body of a lion, tastes closer to mutton. A very succulent mutton at that.

  All that talking about food is making me hungry. Dobby tells me dinner is almost ready, so I will answer your questions quickly before my stomach eats itself.

  I'm doing very well, thank you for asking. No, I doubt I could ever trump your idea of trouble, Miss Stealing-From-The-Teachers-To-Brew-Controlled-Potions! Did you know Polyjuice is barely legal? Definitely not allowed for students. Makes me shed a tear of pride at how much rulebreaking you got up to over the past two years.

  Anyone who believed you're a teacher's pet had been deceived!

  Jokes aside, Chiara and I, along with Dobby of course, have been very busy making this pce habitable. It was in a terrible state when I found it - so much so that I had to fight a family of trolls on the first day!

  If you think one troll in a bathroom makes a stench, then you would shudder at the stench of a dozen.

  Congratutions on finding a job! Money is important. I have spent so much time fixing up my home, yet the work seems endless. The only Shafiq I know well is Tariq, who is a seventh-year now and a Ravencw prefect. Decent enough bloke, I’d say.

  I'm happy you befriended Mafalda. The girl reminds me of myself and you, actually. Don't show her this letter because I don't want her to get a big head, but I think she has great potential. She's very diligent and smart, but with a massive chip on her shoulder, and quite a bit of sass. Her father is a decent man and loves his daughter a great deal. Maddie also cares a lot about her dad. It's so endearing, actually.

  As for my handwriting, well, this letter speaks enough, eh?

  Thank you for the birthday present! I regret to say that I have not had the chance to properly care for my Nimbus. That Broomstick Servicing Kit will see a lot of action over the next few days.

  I'm happy about your discovery regarding muggle methods for lineage identification. I know a muggle-born healer who could potentially be interested in the topic. Perhaps something to speak on ter?

  I am going to be very busy over the next few days. I have discovered a portrait of my great-grandfather, and we have pns for my birthday.

  How about we meet at that tea shop you mentioned ter? Does Saturday the 7th work for you? I'll bring Susan along as well, we started dating after the Ministry Ball, and she had been looking forward to speaking to you again. Maybe invite the Weasleys, too. They are reted to Maddie and should be interested in meeting her.

  It would also be a good chance to finish our school shopping. I know first-years get their acceptance letters early, but we should get our shopping list from Hogwarts in a few days.

  Regardless, I've already managed to learn an interesting titbit. Did you know Hagrid will be teaching Care of Magical Creatures? This should be fun.

  I wonder who our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher will be.

  Yours sincerely,

  Harry Potter.

  PS: Hedwig nearly killed that poor owl you sent when it refused to relinquish your letter. Brave but foolish bird. Hedwig will know when you want to send a letter from now on. Remind me when we meet to take you to my cousin's store, the Magical Menagerie.

  .

  .

  .

  Hermione frowned as she absentmindedly stroked Hedwig’s snowy plumage. She always made a copy of any letter she wrote so she could review it ter, such as when she got a reply. The open window behind her was charmed to block any noise from the Alley while allowing the te afternoon sun to shine on the letter and a cool breeze to soothe the summer heat.

  “Did you really try to kill that owl, Hedwig?” At the owl’s proud chirp, Hermione cursed under her breath. “The Post Office charged me extra when it returned injured, you know. That was a day's worth of work gone just like that!”

  Hedwig lowered her head in shame… but that only sted for two seconds before she barked defiantly and fpped her wings, nearly blowing away the papers Hermione had spread over the table.

  “I don't speak owl, but I can assume she said something in the range of, ‘That stupid bird deserved it!'”

  Hermione turned to her new friend as she returned from the counter with a tea tray. Their new boss, Fayrouz Shafiq, waved at her from behind the counter, causing her to hesitantly wave back. Hermione and Maddie had just finished their shift when the woman sent them along to enjoy the rest of their day.

  Nefertari's Smoky Den had become their go-to pce for hanging out, even when they did not have work. Hermione had gained a liking for the rge variety of tea blends they sold here and the soothing incense and comfortable lounges. The plush pillows and the velvet couches sounded cliché, but she could not deny their comfort.

  That they got excellent discounts for such high-quality beverages and food definitely helped.

  The rge table they occupied was covered with so many books and notes that the varnish below couldn’t be seen. Most were hers; Hermione had a lot of reading to catch up on, especially, now she could afford to buy her own books.

  She even purchased Harry's birthday present with her own money!

  Mafalda, or Maddie as she preferred to be called, pced the tray before sitting on a rge pillow set on their divan. The store was designed like something from the Arabian Nights, and combined with Egyptian motifs and themes, it added to the exotic sense of mystique.

  Hermione knew that British people were obsessed with Egypt, her parents hinted several times they would take her there in the future, yet the magical side was even more!

  Thankfully, they had a non-smoking area, for Hermione had spied many customers pulling on water pipes with their coffees.

  Smoking was an absolute No in her house. She wouldn't mind trying coffee, though.

  “I think Harry pampers you a bit too much, Hedwig.” The owl looked indignant, but Hermione simply stroked her wings. “If you aren't careful, you might pick a fight with something you can never beat.”

  Hedwig stilled as a statue - almost as if she was remembering something. Then she nodded and chirped sadly. Some days, Hermione could only marvel at how intelligent the owl was - almost like a human.

  In fact, she had seen dumber wizards than Hedwig, who showed far more intelligence than Crabbe and Goyle.

  “I must reiterate that I don't speak owl, but that probably means something like ‘you don't have to remind me, I nearly got my feathers plucked by a troll!'… or something.”

  The owl gred at Maddie's raised eyebrow before looking away petuntly. Hermione giggled before taking a sip from her mint tea.

  “So, anything from Potter?”

  “Harry suggested we meet in a couple of weeks for our school shopping. Or, well, mine and his school shopping since you already finished yours.” Mafalda twirled her new wand in pride as Hermione touched her chin with a forefinger. “He mentioned his cousin having a shop in the Alley.”

  “Interesting.” Maddie shuffled uneasily and fiddled with her wand in worry. “Did-Did he invite anyone else?”

  Hermione smiled kindly at the younger girl, “You’re also invited, Maddie. Harry will bring his girlfriend as well.”

  ‘Of course, the rich boy has more than one girl.’

  Hermione rolled her eyes at the girl's not-so-subtle whisper, causing Maddie’s lips to quiver for a moment, as if about to smile, before stopping herself.

  Hermione frowned, “Stop that.”

  “What?”

  “Your teeth have grown back already. You have a pretty smile, Maddie. Don't let it go to waste.”

  Unlike mine. She shook her head inwardly; Hermione had come to terms with the fact her buckteeth would always make any smile from her look weird.

  “… If you say so.”

  Mafalda awkwardly looked away, then grabbed a book to read while Hermione spread a clean sheet of paper to write a reply to Harry.

  Her eyes went back to the letter. She had so many questions, but there was no way to get all the answers unless they met face-to-face. Hermione could guess what he had pnned for his birthday, which was that ritual Susan mentioned on the train. Why he would eat Acromantus and a Manticore, however, she did not want to know.

  Harry had also avoided answering some of her questions, but she figured they had plenty of time to talk.

  Putting her quill in her ink pot, the bushy-haired girl thought for a moment before writing.

  Dear Harry…

  A*L*S*M

  Saturday 31st of July 1993

  Potter Manor

  “Are you sure using that sap is a good idea?”

  “I do,” Harry replied to his great-grandfather without looking up from his work. “Cinder had coaxed the Heart Tree to donate a bucketful of its sap for the ritual. I doubt we would have been capable of extracting so much in so few days if not for her.”

  “Ah, yes. Your, er…friend.” Henry had been astounded when Harry introduced Cinder to him - The mere idea of a wizard gaining the fealty of a Fae was unfathomable. “Where is she, by the way?”

  “Who knows? Probably sunbathing by the ke.” Harry shrugged as he finished drawing the inner diagram of the ritual circle, a pentagram. “Chiara?”

  He turned to his attendant, who was drawing the outer diagram of the ritual circle, an octagram made from two squares.

  “Most likely with Dobby in the wine celr, scheming a way to make liquor out of the Weirwood Sap.”

  The werewolf finished the st of the diagram and wiped the sweat from her brow. Harry was gd his birthday fell on a Saturday. This way, he could easily have Chiara watch over him in case something happened without her skipping work.

  They were in one of the circur towers in the corner of the mansion; the ceiling was removed to allow the bzing sun above to shine on them. It was a hot summer noon, and Harry didn't think it was possible for it to get so hot in Wales, even if it was the height of summer.

  Henry had been a great boon in helping them develop the ritual circle that would combine his maturity ritual and the huntsman ritual. At first, Harry wanted to perform the ritual in the Chamber of Secrets, but Henry convinced him it was unnecessary.

  “A simple stone room with an open ceiling will be more than enough.”

  Since he was born in the summer, the ritual had to be done during the daytime, specifically when the sun was at its highest. If he were born in winter or autumn, it would be the opposite; when the moon was at its brightest.

  Why it had to be like that, Harry did not know. He recalled learning in muggle school how the moon’s light was just the sun's reflection, but Henry just ughed.

  “Let the muggles come up with whatever expnation that helps them sleep at night.”

  Harry did not particurly agree with Henry on that, especially as the man never truly interacted with muggles. Muggles could be narrow-minded, especially about things they did not understand, such as magic. Yet their studies and discoveries had, for the most part, complimented magic. For instance, combining wind and fire spells to produce a confgration was a known combination of magic, yet Harry had not found any magical expnations.

  If one were to take a scientific approach to it, however…

  If science was the study of the world, wouldn't magic be part of it? He now knew that the divine was undoubtedly real and had powers that none could ever imitate, magic or not. Yet, regur magic should still be studied as another field of science, simir to physics or biology.

  It did not all add up, however. According to Chiara, magic bent the so-called ws of muggle physics ughably easily, “Like a little bitch”. There was possibly some overp, but it did not mean the muggle path was of much use beyond some basic matters.

  Ugh, such thinking was best left to Hermione. It was her fault for bringing up the idea of muggles discovering a way to test one's heritage.

  “Hang on,” Harry rubbed his brow to wipe the rivulets of sweat threatening to spill into his eyes. “I didn't know we had a wine celr.”

  “Apparently, we do now. Turns out, Cinder is a voracious drinker of all kinds of beverages. Dobby and Bell had stuck to her like two orphans finding their long-lost mother.”

  Harry snickered at the vision of the fiery Fae acting like a momma hen as she dragged the fairy and house elf on misadventures. He had struggled to come up with a name the fairy liked, but Cinder simply called her Bell for her tinkling ugh, and the thing loved it. So simple, yet so practical.

  “I suppose I now know who drank my supply of mead. I was looking forward to a drinking session this morning, especially since I can't get drunk.”

  And wasn't that a disappointment? Still, at least he could enjoy good wine and mead for their taste rather than any buzz they would give him. He wondered how he got drunk back in school.

  “You can talk about the fine art of sampling spirits ter; It's almost noon.” Henry reminded them. “Harry, you remember the order of ingredients, yes?”

  Harry quickly retrieved the beast parts from the table and began arranging them. They had everything stored in a charmed stasis box, yet they did not bring such a magically charged item to the room.

  “Primary ingredients go into the inner diagram, the pentagram. That's the Basilisk gallbdder, the Troll Chief’s liver, the Acromantu’s venom gnd, the Manticore’s scorpion tail, and the Chimera's snake tail.”

  “I still find it ludicrous how you managed to hunt all those beasts in such a short amount of time.” Henry shook his head ruefully. “Any one of those monsters would have been a glorious feat that would be sung about for years! It makes my accomplishment of sying a hellhound at sixteen seem woefully pedestrian.”

  Harry chuckled at his ancestor's self-pity. It was all good fun, and Harry knew Henry was very proud of him. Not a moment passed when his great-grandfather complimented him on something or the other.

  He hadn't shut up about how prestigious Harry was making the Potter name. Henry was upset that no one would know of his deeds, but Harry had no wish to bring even more attention to himself.

  “Harry? Are you ready to pce the secondary ingredients?”

  He turned to where Chiara had set the rest of the ingredients on a table. “Yes, let's get on with it.”

  The secondary ingredients went to the outer diagram, eight parts for the eight prongs of the octagram. If the primary parts were proof of his prowess, then the secondary parts would be anchors that showcase his resourcefulness.

  First was Fawks’ tail feather. Harry never thought he would be using it so soon. He might have failed to make a wand out of it, but hopefully, it would still give him a boon.

  Next was Chiara's werewolf tail hair; his loyal attendant had enjoyed running around the grounds in her werewolf form. Harry had fun chasing her on his broom, though some of him wished he was on the ground, running on all fours as well.

  Probably Ghost whispering in his ear.

  Afterwards, where the parts he received as a gift in the Forbidden Forest. The thestral tail hair, Fluffy’s fang, the yeti’s fur, Laura's ponytail (Chiara had been very amused about that), the pegasus's horn (Henry was supremely interested in that one), and finally, Cinder's gem-like eye.

  Harry stared at the st one, the eye staring back at him. Even after so much time, he could feel some heat from it, and he thought the eye was smirking at him.

  He shook his head and pced it on the final prong of the octagram.

  Harry walked outside the ritual circle, careful not to touch any of the sap, and inspected their handiwork. They had to prepare this room over the st ten days or so. As little magic as possible was cast in this part of the mansion, and everything had to be set by hand; it was why they removed the ceiling first thing and had to clean the ground with brooms and mops for the ritual. Finally, after so much preparation, the double rituals were ready.

  The huntsman ritual was the pentagram, while the maturing ritual in the octagram—a total of thirteen parts, a powerful magical number.

  “Alright, Chiara. I believe Harry is as ready as he will be,” Henry decred. “Please return me to the dining room, where we shall wait for Harry to finish. As we discussed, this might take a minute, an hour, or the whole day, but to you, it shouldn't feel any different from waking after a nap.”

  Observing rituals was not done. A simple watcher could actually interfere in the process, becoming part and unbancing the whole thing. Supposedly.

  “I hope it will be that simple. My only worry is if Magic would act the same as during the solstice.”

  “It shouldn't be. The two rituals are among the most common worldwide. There has never been a single instance of anyone remembering how they go. Even juiced up as they are, there shouldn't be a problem.”

  Shouldn't be, was not a definitive answer, but as Harry waved to Chiara as she carried his great-grandfather’s portrait, he decided it did not matter. It was too te to back away from this. He took off his thin white robe, hung it on the door, and gazed at the ritual circle once more.

  There was no reward without risk. Harry grinned wryly as he id down naked in the centre of the ritual. The sun reached its zenith and shined down at him, causing the Weirwood Sap to glow an ominous red as the rituals activated, and all the parts were set on fire.

  He could not see clearly, for he dared not raise his head. There was heat in the room, yet it was bearable, like the morning sun after a cold shower. Now, however, as the sun shined brighter than ever, the heat turned into that of an oven. As the parts burned, Harry felt more than saw a confgration form around him. The heat became unbearable, and he could feel his skin blister.

  Just as the fmes became hot enough for him to grit his teeth…nothing.

  He did not know what happened then. All Harry knew was that he was in his mind’s Godswood. Ghost was waiting for him, but the direwolf did not seem pyful. His hackles were raised as his head warily swung from one side to the other, searching for a hidden enemy.

  Harry felt wary at his companion’s unease and followed his gaze, noticing something different. The Godswood was the same, yet the ever-encompassing mist surrounding it was churning.

  Suddenly, a bzing inferno formed in front of the Heart Tree, sucking the mist into it like a vacuum before a rge eye formed in the centre. It was the size of his school trunk, human-like with red blood vessels running through the whites, but the iris was the colour of molten gold.

  Harry could tell that whoever this eye belonged to was a being of immeasurable power. He could feel it in his bones, he could hear his heart thundering like a war drum, far more urgent than it had been while facing the basilisk or even Voldemort!

  For a moment, the eye inspected the Godswood, and he could almost hear humming as if it found the sight intriguing, especially as it stared at the Heart Tree for a heartbeat longer. Then, it finally found him, and the lone eye squinted as if making sure he was actually there.

  “Well, this is new.” Despite the eeriness, the voice was soft, flowing like silk. It was the whisper of the leaves when the wind blew, the water chirping as it streamed downwards. It was the melody of the songbird. “I was called for a maturing ritual, yet this differs slightly from usual. Normally, you would be asleep, child, but I suppose you are built differently.”

  Harry was unsure whether he should reply, but his tension bled out on its own.

  He thought it could be male; it certainly had a schorly tone to it, but the voice cked the rough quality that all men have. Then again, perhaps such an entity transcended the concept of sex.

  “Are you…a god?”

  The Eye blinked, moving from left to right as if shaking its head. “A god? Divinity is not something mortal minds can comprehend, but I do not cim such a title, for I serve another far greater than I. I believe you identify them as Magic in simpler terms, though technically, Magic is but a concept and a phenomenon; a part of them, but not entirely them. Yet, I am not here to debate on theology, so you can assume that I speak in Magic’s voice, I suppose.”

  “Magic…so God is real? Not the gods? What are you exactly? Do you have a name?”

  The implications alone were far greater than he could comprehend.

  The being ughed genially as if amused by his curious questions. “Strange question from a wizard, don’t you think?” Harry rubbed his brow and stared awkwardly at Ghost, who kept a wary eye on the being in front of them. “As for what I am, I am known by many names and titles. I have many duties and roles, but for now, I am but an arbiter to a ritual, and that is all you need to worry about.”

  The tone was gentle but brokered no argument, and Harry decided to wisely shut up and simply nod.

  “Now, this is a bit unusual. I am usually called in for what you may know as the Maturing Ritual and part of it assures the wizard would be asleep for it. Yet, for a child, you have proven to have quite a resilient mind. Perhaps that lovable canine had something to do with it? Or perhaps that wondrous tree? My, I have existed for countless aeons, and just when I thought I had learned all that was to be taught in the world, I am proven otherwise! Truly, only my Master is all-knowing.”

  The…servant of Magic, God, or whatever higher power Harry summoned hummed in thought, yet the pin gesture made the whole world, his whole mind vibrate. If such incredible Might could only come from a servant, he shuddered to imagine the master.

  Then… what were those entities he had summoned on the Solstice?

  “I wonder who had the ingenuity to combine the Huntsman’s Rite with the Wizard’s Awakening? Five and eight parts - usually, your people would stick to three and seven.”

  “That would be my great-grandfather, Henry Potter. He’s dead, but he left me his portrait for guidance.” It took him a moment to understand the being was referring to the rituals. Harry wasn’t sure if the question was rhetorical, but he decided it would not hurt to put in a good word for his dead ancestor - perhaps this being would speak to him in whatever afterlife existed in this world.

  “I see. Well then, now that you have mentioned names, I suppose I should finish what I came here for. I do not mind judging for your Huntsman’s Rite unless you would rather call upon someone else?”

  “No, of course I do not mind! I would be honoured if you deem me worthy of the rite.” Harry hurriedly agreed; the being had been courteous and amiable, that’s more than he could ask for compared to–

  “Forgive me, child, but I sense you have something you would like to say. What troubles you?”

  Harry stared silently, opening and closing his mouth for a heartbeat before shrugging helplessly. “I suppose there is no need to hide it. I came upon a being who cimed to be Magic during a ritual on the Summer Solstice. It…was not nearly as kind or genial as you were.”

  “Hmm, I am unsure what that was, for there are countless servants like myself to the Creator. Perhaps it was an entity you brought from your world?”

  Harry's eyes widened at the casual way the Eye mentioned his world - Jon Snow’s world. The entity stared at him, and he realised it knew far more about him than he thought.

  “It can't be. It spoke of my Invisibility Cloak and knew things I never knew about this world.”

  “It is possible it has already suborned itself to a power within this world. Regardless, I assure you that it is impossible to communicate with my master directly. Only through an intermediary, and most of the time, we are far too busy to speak to mortals. As I mentioned, you were supposed to be asleep.”

  The tone was teasing, and Harry could only run a hand through his hair. “I suppose I simply got unlucky back then.”

  “Perhaps, now, let us start with the Wizard’s Awakening. Before we begin, I have discovered a discrepancy in your name.” Harry’s metaphorical heart skipped a beat - he doubted he had a material body in his mind. “Do not be afraid, child. I have already gleaned the history and details behind the irregurity. However, you seem to have already established a soul contract with an entity that is under the assumption your name is only Harry James Potter.”

  Harry thought for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose. “I think I know who you mean. Can we not bring her into this? Maybe keep it a secret? I mean, she loves pranking people. Why not give her a taste of her own medicine?”

  The Eye gently ughed. “I suppose I could let it go, but be warned, I cannot lie in my judgement. Keeping your contractor ignorant would affect your Awakening, for you would lie to your soul and all those blessed creatures that have willingly gifted you parts of their essences, thinking you are who you cimed to be. Unless you would like to abandon your prior self entirely, Jon Snow?”

  “Absolutely not!” He did not even entertain the idea of wiping his old existence - Ghost bristled beside him at the implication, but Harry pced a gentle hand on his fur, calming him down. “I am Jon Snow and Harry James Potter. That will never be in doubt.”

  “Very well, then a crification is in order.”

  Suddenly, a shocked yelp, followed by water spshing and a high-pitched squeal, caused Harry to turn to the pool to find Cinder panting on the ground, water evaporating from her adult body.

  “C-Cold! Who tossed me in the–” The Fae raised her head in anger, her hair burning brightly, her left eye a bzing inferno as she noticed him before coming eye to eye with the massive Eye. Her good eye widened, her fiery eye shrank, and the Fae yelped as she crawled at full speed to hide behind his back squeaking pitifully. “Help!”

  “Do not be afraid, child.”

  Harry involuntarily snorted at Cinder’s indignant, “I’m not a child! I'm a teenager!!”

  “Are you really?”

  “W-Well, I see myself as a teenager,” Harry and the entity simply gazed at her as she bit her lips. “F-Fine! I'm 313 years old. That still counts as a teen to me!! Now, why am I here?”

  The Eye ughed once more and expined his situation to the Fae. Cinder was not amused when she learned of the deceit, but she knew he could not lie to her when he expined it was not done out of ulterior motives as he did not truly understand the importance of the matter. Ultimately, it did not matter; Cinder learned his other name, and that was it, though she seemed to cling more to him than usual, while eying the entity warily.

  “No wonder you seemed older than you looked… How did I miss you looking different from when we first met, anyway?”

  “I dunno, you tell me.”

  “I just assumed you charmed your face or something.” Cinder shrugged, before turning to the great floating Eye. “Anyway, now that we got this cleared, do you mind if I hang around while you finish? It’s not every day I meet an actual Ascended One!”

  “I do not see a reason why not, but the decision is ultimately yours.” The Eye looked at him meaningfully.

  “Since you’re already here, Cinder, you might as well.” Harry patted her fiery hair, the Fae rubbing his palm with her head for a moment before flinching and turning away to the Eye. “How long will it take to finish the rituals?”

  “I am already done with the Wizard’s Awakening. You shall not notice any differences until you wake up, Harry Potter.”

  Harry nodded, swallowing down any excitement over whatever boon he had earned. The rewards were usually subtle, but Henry was confident that the way they implemented the ritual would only yield positive results.

  “It appears there is another matter we should discuss, however.” The Eye turned its gaze to Cinder; the Fae audibly gulped as it stared back yet worriedly squeezed his hand. “You have something that does not belong to you, child.”

  The Fae opened her mouth, no doubt a denial on her lips, before biting her tongue and her shoulders sagging. “…yes, I do.”

  “Whence have you obtained it?”

  “From Harry's tree.”

  His what now?

  “I see. May I?”

  Cinder hesitated before huffing as she opened her mouth. Harry suddenly noticed her ample chest bulging her tattered dress straining to hold the pair in, as something climbed its way through her throat, and then she spat out a glowing ball of…something.

  Harry had no idea what it was, only that it buzzed angrily. It was the size of a melon, and it somehow felt familiar. “What is it?”

  “A deceased human’s soul.” Harry's eyes widened in shock as he gred at Cinder’s bashful face. “Do not bme her, child. This soul is brimming with sin and would have been sent to damnation to be purified.”

  The soul seemed to notice the Eye’s existence and words, causing its buzzing to halt as it shrunk in fear.

  “How did it come to be in your possession? What were you even doing with it? Hang on,” Harry gazed at the floating figure of Cinder, the Fae having abandoned her buxom adult form for a more teenaged, yet still curvy, body - an attempt to endear herself, as a child would before their parents, no doubt. “You spat it out. Did you eat it?!”

  “I, er, well… I wouldn't say eat, but, er,” she huffed at his increasingly unamused look before folding her arms. “Alright, I did technically eat him. He was vile and evil, trapped in the Weirwood from some kind of spell that you cast. I figured you were punishing him or something, and as the great all-seeing Eye had mentioned, he was destined for hell to be punished anyway. So, I figured I could just…you know.”

  Harry remained silent as the Fae refused to meet his eyes. Speaking of, he gnced at the Eye but only found it patiently watching them - as if it was an interesting show they were putting on.

  He turned back to the fiery Fae, “No, Cinder, I don't know. Why don't you expin in detail what you intended for him? I don't recall ever cursing anyone to be trapped in a tree, and you still didn't say who he was.”

  “Fine! He was some boor called Lucius Malfoy in life, from what his constant nagging cimed. But now, he's nothing more than an ingredient for me to purify, snack on, and maybe make an artefact out of. Happy?”

  For a moment, Harry froze as he stared in disbelief at the soul of the man he hated so much, the man who caused the death of his best friend and so much misery. Suddenly, he remembered pointing his wand at the man’s neck and cursing him. Could it be that simple?

  “Indeed, child. Curses, true curses, are usually that simple yet oh so complicated to cast.” The Eye patiently expined to him, Harry not even shocked that it read his thoughts. “However, Cinder, while you were blessed with the ability to harness the powers of the soul, be warned about tormenting him beyond what he deserves. A soul is eternal, immortal, and, at its core, a pure entity. So long as the soul is whole and no matter what sins this man has committed, his soul will eventually return to the Creator. Whether it's years, centuries, or millennia from now, all that came from the Creator shall return to him.”

  Cinder gulped as she nodded seriously before pouting and pcing her arms on her hips. “Fine! I'll be careful. It's not like I can split his soul to use for multiple artefacts anyway.”

  “Split the soul?” Harry repeated in confusion, “I thought the soul was immortal. How could it be split?”

  The Eye slowly blinked as if contempting his question. “There is no force in this world, magical or mundane, that could twist the soul to the degree that it would be mutited and divided beyond recovery…except for the soul’s own will.”

  The chilling words caused Harry to shiver; there was a warning there, a subtle one, yet still a warning, to let the matter drop. But Harry’s curiosity caused him to speak before the conversation could be changed.

  “Why would anyone willingly split, or mutite, their soul?”

  “…Human hubris in attempting to defy death. There are many ways to prolong life, even when your body is no more. Yet eventually, all life must end, and the soul returns to the Creator. Some believe they could defy the Divine Will and willingly split their soul in order to linger in the mortal pne. They become wraiths and abominations, neither dead nor alive.”

  So far, the entity had been patient and genial, yet as it spoke about the mere idea of someone willingly mutiting their soul, it…had not gone enraged but rather extremely apathetic. Yet, Harry could tell through his bond with Ghost that the entity was apoplectic but merely had excellent control over its emotions.

  Suddenly, memories of his first encounter with Voldemort flowed through his mind. A wraith in the forest, then another in front of the mirror. Finally, Riddle's Diary and that vague conversation he had with Dumbledore. A cold chill crawled up his spine; Harry hadn't the foggiest idea how Voldemort evaded death, yet it seemed he might have just gotten a clue.

  “Hypothetically speaking,” Harry flinched as he turned to Cinder, whose lips had widened into a cheshire grin as she bounced Malfoy’s soul in her palm. “If I happen upon one such forsaken soul, would it be okay to take it all for myself?”

  The Eye remained silent for a minute as if thinking or perhaps even communicating with something else before slowly blinking.

  “That would be acceptable.” Cinder squealed in happiness, though Harry thought he was missing something. “Now, let us begin with the Huntsman’s Rite. You are quite younger than the usual participants in the ritual, though not the youngest I’ve acted as judge for.”

  “Oh? Who was the youngest?”

  “A babe who strangled a python that sneaked into his crib. His mother discovered the deed and began the ritual on his behalf.”

  Harry gawked before shaking his head in bemusement. “I don’t think I could have ever topped that.”

  “Now, now, sying five mighty beasts, ones that are abominations even, before thirteen is still a feat worthy of legend.”

  Harry couldn’t help but preen at the praise from the divine being, only for Cinder to pinch his cheek. “Don’t get a big head, you! Have you forgotten how you almost killed poor little me out of your greed?”

  “I already said I’m sorry.” He lightly spped the Fae’s hand, earning himself a raspberry. “Ugh, you are quickly making me regret not sying you. Would she have been a worthy foe for the Rite?”

  “A worthy foe? Yes. For the Rite? You would have certainly received an appropriate boon for sying a being of such power…yet you would also have cursed your soul to eternity for daring to sy a pure creature such as the Fae unprovoked and out of greed.”

  Not for the first time today, Harry gawked, feeling sweat pouring down his back at the near miss. Cinder’s boisterous ughter as she rolled on the ground and pointed at him caused a vein to pop in his neck - what he now realised was Lucius Malfoy’s soul buzzed around her head like an angry wasp. “HAHAHA, Serves you right, boyo. You would have been twice cursed, first by me, then by Magic!”

  “Yeah, yeah, ugh it up. Can we get on with this?”

  “Ah, but I have already finished; you shall discover the changes when you awaken.”

  “Oh, that was fast. Thank you for your time, Sir.”

  “You are welcome, though I do not think I was particurly quick. It is not every day, or century that I converse with an outworlder. It has been a pleasure, Harry James Potter. Or perhaps Harry Snow Potter? Harry Jon Snow? It's up to you how to handle your naming matter, but now that you have decided to accept both identities, you must beware when dealing with any soul contracts.”

  Harry nodded as the Eye turned to Cinder, “Do not forget what I warned you about the sanctity of the soul, child.”

  The Fae grimaced before nodding her head, and with that, the Eye disappeared; simply vanishing from the Godswood.

  Cinder grabbed Lucius' soul as it struggled to escape.

  “You heard the big guy. You're mine for at least a millennium.” Harry thought he heard his loathsome foe screaming in fear as the Fae licked her lips and shoved him in her mouth, her jaw stretching to accommodate its size - he could see a rge lump form in her throat as she swallowed, tracing it with her fingers as it caused her chest to bulge again, before it settled in her belly causing her to shiver in delight.

  “Ah, such a sinful soul; he tastes amazing! Or maybe it's because he is my first soul? Either way, I can tell you hate the guy, but don't worry. My stomach shall be an excellent punishment as I refine him into something useful.”

  Cinder grabbed his hand and pced it on her ft stomach. He could not feel the orb at all, yet Harry could barely hear a certain voice screaming in agony.

  The Fae smiled at him expectantly, and Harry patted her head; doing his best to not let her know how disturbed he felt. “You did well, Cinder. I'll leave his judgement to your capable guts.”

  The Fae danced in the air giddily, rubbing her fiery head with his palm, somehow only giving him a pleasant warmth, before turning to him. “Well, that was fun. I’ll see you outside, Harry. Bye-bye Ghost! Oh, by the way, when you wake up, I suggest being careful with your breath. It might have interesting results.”

  Cinder vanished in a pilr of fmes, and Harry turned to Ghost. “Do you think she's still miffed about the smell of my breath back then?”

  The Direwolf blinked, shook its head, stretched its body, and id on the ground. Harry figured his companion had been stressed with the appearance of that being. He was still unsure what he or she was. An angel? A minor god? An aspect of Magic?

  In the end, it did not matter. It was an impartial judge, and if Harry ever had to do another ritual, he prayed he would get him again over the so-called Old Gods.

  Well, this was longer than I thought. A lot of exposition about magic, the divine, and Harry getting a clue on how Voldemort still lives.

  I simply got sick of pussyfooting between magic and divine. Both exist, but to Harry, it’s just another level to reach…or so he thinks.

  There will be a timeskip next chapter, one that many of you will hate.