June 24th, 1993

Harry looked across the room and met Neville's stern gaze as they slowly circled each other, making sure to stay just the right distance away. Neville's wand tip was almost constantly glowing as if a spell was just begging to be cast from it with an impatience only usually matched in humans. His friend held his wand halfway and pointed down. Harry himself had his wand pointed down as he waited for Neville to make his move.

The silence was broken as Neville snapped his wand and pointed it at Harry. The color at the tip changed to a light orange as it began to be cast.

"Veternus." Neville said as the spell leaped from his wand and streaked towards Harry. Harry kept his calm as he quickly summoned his own spell.

"Avis." He intoned as a singular small bird shot from his wand and met the spell head-to-head. As soon as the two met. The spell exploded from the physical contact and the bird disappeared from its death at the hands of the spell. Thank Merlin, it wasn't real.

"Magna Sonus" Neville cast as he pointed his wand up instead of at Harry. Harry frowned at seeing the movement but quickly flinched as a loud screech suddenly came from Neville that physically felt painful to his ears. It was so loud that he could almost feel the sound physically vibrating in his head.

Harry grits his teeth as he points forward and conjures a small bundle of blunted bolts before banishing them at his friend. Neville didn't even flinch at the projectiles suddenly coming his way as he conjured a shield in response. Harry didn't even wait for a response before beginning his next move. He swirled his wand in front of him as a flame began to trail after his wand tip before hanging in the air. The fire itself was green in color, unlike the normal orange it usually was.

"Umbardere." Harry intoned as the fire suddenly exploded in size and began to circle all around him almost protectively for a moment before shooting towards Neville, whose eyes widened at the spell now coming towards him.

Of course, despite the surprise at the spell, Neville managed to handle it as Harry had predicted he would, though he did so in a way he hadn't been expecting. Instead of a magical shield, a wall of water suddenly sprung forth in front of Neville and rushed forward to meet the flame. The two spells clashed, and Neville's water spell was the clear victor.

When the spells disappeared after their destruction, Neville looked forward for his opponent only to see nothing. Neville frowned before immediately casting a spell.

"Causi Maxima." He called out. Translucent waves pulsed from his wall and raced throughout the entire room. Almost immediately, the air five feet to his right started to shimmer before the illusion in said spot failed entirely. Neville began to spin before immediately stopping the movement and dived to the side just in time to have a spell whiz right where his head had been a moment ago. He rolled as he hit the ground before hopping to his feet and immediately countering with three hexes cast back-to-back in retaliation, almost getting tongue tied as he called out the spells.

"Impedimento, Colloshoo, Ferrumes!" Neville called out. Despite the rapid-fire spell casting, which usually caused sloppy wand movements that disrupted the actual casting of said spells, Neville performed them practically perfectly, and all three spells came soaring at Harry.

Harry immediately dodged the first one and cast a shield in front of him to absorb the second, unfortunately, he moved from behind the shield in order to try and gain some distance, allowing the final spell to land right on his left shoulder, causing a painful blow to it that knocked him off balance and made him fell to the ground.

"Expelliarmus."

"Miran Taz Yus." Harry said quietly from the ground as he held out his left hand his wand ripped out of his right before flying away from him. Neville immediately turned and looked at the space between the downed Harry and the boy's wand.

"Everte Statum."

A pressurized wave came racing out of his wand and immediately went seemingly to the empty space, only to hit something seemingly invisible, knocking it back through the air. At the contact, the Harry on the floor disappeared in light, and another Harry appeared where the spell had been cast, lying on the floor. He groaned softly as he registered the pain and soreness that was now throughout his body.

"Do you yield?" Neville called as he kept his wand up and approached Harry. Harry nodded slowly through the stiffness and pain he was feeling.

"I yield."

Neville smiled before dropping his wand and combative stance. He then walked over to his downed friend and held out his hand. Harry took it gratefully and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. After he was brought up, he moved his arms and twisted his torso, trying to get the dull pain out of his body. Neville watched him for a moment before casting a simple charm at him.

"Dolor Torpes." Neville said, and the pain in Harry's body immediately subsided to a much more manageable level. He took a relieved breath before nodding in thanks at the boy.

"Better?"

"Yeah… That was a good match. You're getting better at dealing with my illusions." Harry noticed.

"Yeah, after sparring with you so much, it's starting to get to the point where I can pretty much predict what you will do. However, you should have cast a shield to protect yourself when you tried to make a run for your wand or were not gone for it at all. You could have rushed me at that range and knocked me out." Neville pointed out. Harry nodded.

"You're right; I wasn't thinking straight. I can cast magic wandlessly, but in my head, I was thinking about the fact that I couldn't beat you unless I had a wand, which caused me to make a bad choice."

"You definitely can, given the right circumstances…"

"You're probably right. Enjoy these victories while they last. You'll be done for as soon as I can cast my more advanced illusions at a more manageable speed."

"Then I'll enjoy every victory I can get against you." Neville laughed. Harry joined him a moment later.

Fighting Neville this time had been quite tricky. This had been the first time they had fought since he had undergone his strengthening ritual. The greater strength wasn't an issue, but the increase undoubtedly was. Furthermore, Neville's coordination also seemed to have gone up. His friend had usually been a little clumsier in the past but ever since the ritual, the surety and smoothness which he moved was almost unreal. He noticed it further in the way he cast spells.

With all these things combined, Neville had certainly taken the lead when it came to their spars. Harry was sure it was temporary. Most of his combat style was still very limited since he still needed to further develop on his illusions as well as his Transfiguration which were still in their lower levels in terms of combat since he couldn't get the higher-level spells off fast enough to use them in combat.

"Well, we'll have to report the results of this spar to Minerva."

"Is she stopping by today?"

"No, I don't think so. I think we should be on our own for the day." Harry answered as they began heading out of the room.

"Mmm. Have you contacted Hermione yet?"

"Once, just to see how she was enjoying her trip and to catch her up on what's been happening since she left. What about you?" Harry replied as he pushed the door open and exited the room.

"Yeah, we've exchanged a few letters. She sent some pictures back and stuff…"

"Pictures? Of France?" Harry asked curiously. Neville nodded, scratching his chin with a strange expression on his face. Harry caught it from the corner of his eye but said nothing.

"Er, yeah, sort of."

"So, not actually of France, then? Do I want to even know?"

"It's nothing just pictures of the beach and stuff…"

"Is Hermione also in the pictures?"

"Well…"

"Is she wearing less clothing in the pictures?"

"…"

"Are you both planning to actually do anything about all this flirting at some point?"

"F-Flirting? What do you mean, we're just friends!" Neville stammered out. Harry gave him a flat look before turning back forward.

"Is there something wrong with Hermione then?" Harry asked.

"What? No, of course not! She's great."

"So, she's not pretty enough for you then? It's not her hair. I know it's bushy but…"

"No! Of course not; I love her hair; it's really soft."

"When did you feel up her hair?" Harry suddenly jumped on his friend's statement. Neville suddenly shut his mouth and went red.

"I… I mean, I asked if I could feel at one point because I was curious, and she let me." Neville answered, looking away to hide his expression clearly. Harry smiled a little at that, he could see why his friends enjoyed teasing him about Ciri, this was fun.

"Hmm. So, what is it then? You very clearly like her, and she clearly likes you." Harry laid out.

"You think she likes me?" Neville said, his head snapping to Harry. At this point, Harry stopped moving since they were approaching the room where everyone else was and this was clearly a private conversation.

"Do you see me with pictures of her in a bathing suit?" Harry asked sarcastically. Neville frowned.

"But… I mean… Don't you think we're not really a good match?"

"Not at all; why would you think that?"

"I mean… There's the whole blood thing. I mean, obviously, I'm not bothered by it, but with Hermione being a Muggleborn, the persecution she has faced and will face from purebloods… I mean, don't you think she wouldn't want to be with one?"

"I think Hermione is smart enough not to compare you with people who would persecute her. Besides, I happen to think you both match rather well together. You're both intelligent but in different ways. I mean, you're both into spell creation, too. You used your new spell today."

The Verternus spell Neville had cast earlier was a spell he had recently finished yesterday and showed Harry earlier. When hit, it made the victim feel exhausted and could even put them to sleep when overpowered. Even when it didn't, it made the victim extremely sluggish and more challenging for them to think straight. It hadn't hit Harry, but he was confident it worked. Neville said he had performed it on himself for testing.

"I guess I just… I don't want to mess up what we already have, you know?"

"I felt the same with Ciri when she told me she wanted to begin courting. But… Well, I guess I learned recently that sometimes, you have to go with the flow and let the chips fall. Maybe it doesn't go well, but maybe it goes great. Just be mature about the situation. If it's not working, don't drag it out, and be honest with each other. In essence, I say go for it." Harry told his friend. Neville still looked embarrassed, but he also looked contemplative.

"I… I'll think about it."

"Good, now let's go and see how they're doing. They're probably wonder what's taking us so long." Harry said and with that, they walked again throughout his house, this time in silence. Within a few moments, they were in front of another door, this one leading into a sitting room where three of their other friends were doing their own type of practice.

Daphne and Tracey stared intensely at different sections of a wall with their wands out. A bit away from them was Ron, who was writing in a book and looked somewhat bored.

"How's it going in here?" Harry asked.

"Terrible." Ron answered without looking up.

"Shut your mouth, Weasley!" Tracey growled in frustration. Daphne glared at the boy with concentration before turning back to the wall.

After he showed them how to do it, the two girls finally tried to learn how to cast illusions. Just like the practice he made his other friends undergo, they were indeed trying to change a part of the wall into a fake doorway. It would seem that no progress had been made.

"Well, they've only just started, and everyone learns at their own pace… What are you focusing so hard on Ron?" Harry asked as he moved over and sat next to his redheaded friend.

"Just an experiment of mine. I'm trying to make a new material with certain properties." Ron answered, glancing up from his book at Harry before looking down.

"What kind, if I may ask?"

"Well, transmutation is cool, but I also need other things that could be useful, the same way your rituals can be applied in many ways. So, I was trying to see how far I could take this by making a new material with magical properties… I'm starting off somewhat simple, I think, but then I'll hopefully get into some more complicated stuff."

"Anything I can help with?"

"I might need some more books on Arithmancy. Do you have some I could borrow?"

"Of course, is that all though?"

"Yeah, I think so. I decided to do what you told Daphne to do and read up on some Advanced Potions books to see if maybe I could apply the principles of transferring magical properties to new things. Although eventually, I'd like to create them myself fully." Ron explained. Harry nodded, it was a good goal, if not somewhat tough.

"Well, I'm sure it'll work out. How's the family?"

"Same old, same old I guess. I don't know If you heard but Dad just won a thousand galleon prize from some lottery thing at the ministry." Ron said looking up at him. Harry shook his head.

"I didn't know… Congratulations. What are they going to do with it, save it?"

"Nah, mom and dad have been talking about using it to go on a trip to Egypt and maybe visit Bill and Charlie."

"That would be nice. When were they thinking?"

"I think a couple of weeks from now. That's not getting in the way of anything is it?"

"Not that I know of, besides even if it did, I would simple reschedule it so you could still participate… Egypt huh? If I gave you so money, would you buy me some books from there?" Harry asked. Ron shrugged.

"Sure, why not? Anything in particular?"

"No, but if you see anything you think I would want, feel free to grab it for me. You've known me long enough that you probably know what I would like." Harry said with a smile. Ron smiled back and nodded.

"You got it… So, what's with the silence, Longbottom? Did Harry put the whooping on you again?" Ron asked as his eyes shifted to the Longbottom heir sitting silently in his own chair simply looking off with a distant expression. His face lost the look at the hearing of his name and his eyes focused up, he turned to Ron.

"Whaazat?"

"Did you get your ass-kicked by Harry?"

"Psh, no. If anything, I kicked his ass. If he didn't have a numbing charm on him right now, he'd probably still be groaning in pain." Neville chuckled. Ron raised an eyebrow and looked at Harry, who gave a simple nod in agreement to such a narrative.

"You let him beat you?"

"I didn't 'let' him do anything. He won fair and square." Harry admitted.

"He can get through your illusions?" Ron asked, seeming somewhat surprised.

"Well, the illusions I can cast on short notice are still limited, which means they're the kind that Hermione's spell can disrupt. That leaves me with pure transfiguration, which I am also limited in… I'm working on it."

"When are you going to be not bad?" Ron asked.

"Hopefully, soon. If I work hard, I can probably get some more complex illusions under my combat repertoire by the end of the summer. Transfiguration I need to practice more often to get used to so I can improve my speed. Animation still needs to be incorporated. I can make things move and what not but doing so quickly… I have no idea how the Headmaster does it so seamlessly.

"Isn't he like a hundred years old?"

"Something like that."

"Then he probably has just had tons of practice, right?"

"He's been a Master at Transfiguration since his late twenties, one of the youngest in history," Harry muttered.

"Oh… Aren't you doing it faster than him?"

"No, but I have started earlier than he did. Being able to perform Transfiguration and its sub categories does not make you a Master at it. You need to understand theory, as well as be able spout off differing methods mindsets and a whole bunch of other things I care nothing about. I'll never likely be a certified master mainly because I have no interest. That being said, I should be good enough to use it in combat successfully."

"Well, when did Professor Dumbledore start successfully using it in combat?"

"In his late teens. But he didn't start dueling until then, and he already had a strong grasp of the art. He incorporated it rather seamlessly. As far as speed of learning goes, I doubt I'm faster, maybe equal at best. Again, I just had a head start… And illusions have a similar starting theory behind them, just different application."

"Hmm, I never really thought about it, but you're probably going to be the next Dumbledore, huh?" Ron asked.

"Merlin, I hope not. I'd probably die if I had to deal with even half of the mindless tasks he is forced to just because he's the 'Leader of the Light'. I definitely will not be trying to take up such a mantle. Also, I don't care enough about wizarding society to help out with all that stuff."

"Shame, you're a prodigy. You would think having people like that running stuff would be better."

"Intelligence has its place in leading, but it's hardly the most important thing. Being able to connect with people; charisma I guess, would be more important. You have to have the moral strength not to compromise yourself in tough situations… Dumbledore is… well, he's not really a people person. By his own admittance, he struggles with seeing the small picture with his age and experience… Unfortunately, he's still the best at most of the stuff he does. He has way too much knowledge to call upon." Harry laid out.

"I guess that makes sense… So, what do you plan to do with your life?" Ron asked. Harry just gave him a look. Ron looked back for a moment before smirking and shaking his head.

"Of course, Ciri. How could I forget?"

"I don't know, you're dumb, maybe?"

"Shut it… Alright, so what are you making for dinner? I'm getting hungry." Ron commented

"I'm making carne asada tacos. I found a pretty simple recipe in a book, so I thought I would try them out."

"Never had tacos before."

'Neither have I, but we'll see how they turn out. I'll have to get started on them soon." Harry murmured as he looked out the window and saw the sun was already past its Zenith by quite a bit. It was probably close to four or five in the afternoon.

Harry excused himself as he made his way to the kitchen and began to prep the meal. He pulled the meat from the fridge, already chopped up. As he turned towards the counter, he saw Ron leaning up against said counter, watching him casually. He moved over and laid the meat down.

"What's up? Do you want to talk about something?" Harry asked as he turned and moved to get some other ingredients.

"Not particularly, just figured since Neville's lost in thought for some reason and the girls are still practicing, I would hang with you while you cooked. That okay?"

"Of course. You can help me out. I know you have some experience helping your mom. Grab the bags in the fridge; they have all the toppings that you can put on." Harry told him as he began to turn on the stove to cook the meat. Ron moved to do as he was told. In less than ten minutes all the meat was already cooked and set aside in a bowl with a warming charm on it.

"Is it okay it's still red in the middle?"

"It's pink, and that's fine. Personally, I'm not too fond of most steak cooked past Medium. Keeps it on the softer side. Try one of the chunks and see how you like it. I can cook it a little longer for you if you want." Harry told him as he began heating the tortillas and placing them wrapped in small hand towels. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron do just that.

"Hmm, it's pretty soft actually. But doesn't that mean it's not fully cooked.

"It doesn't usually need to be if the meat has been appropriately handled beforehand, which it has. In the wild, you should cook meat fully to reduce the likelihood of bacteria and other things that could be harmful. Other than that, though… You should be fine with leaving it on the rarer side.

"Huh, didn't know that… I think I like it better like this actually."

"Yeah, a lot of people do. Meat keeps much of its flavoring if you don't fully cook it. And, as I said earlier, it's softer. Though, sometimes it can be too soft and then end up chewy. You have to find a good balance."

"You must cook a lot."

"When not at Hogwarts, I cook for almost all my meals." Harry pointed out as he continued heating up the tortillas. Within another ten minutes, all the food was prepped, placed in individual bowls or plates, and ready to serve. Ron helped him move it all to his dining table before going off and letting everyone know it was time for dinner. Harry sat at his usual seat at the head of the table before waiting patiently for his friends. The rest of the group didn't take long to join him. He looked at Daphne and Tracey with an amused eyebrow.

"You both look dejected…" He told them calmly as they entered. They didn't appreciate the comment as they glared at him.

"Your illusions are a nightmare to perform. I don't know how the rest of you apparently got it so fast. I barely made any progress." Daphne grumbled.

"You made the frame of the door. That's not bad." Ron pointed out.

"It was opaque."

"Progress is progress." Ron said back with a shrug as he took a seat. Neville had yet to say anything as he took a seat. As Ron had said, the boy still looked entirely distracted. Harry rolled his eyes. He knew he was confused about the whole Hermione situation, but this was a little much in his opinion. Then again, puberty sucked, and even now, with such tight control over his base wants, he couldn't always control when his mind went to more… sexual topics. Neville was good, but in the mind arts, he was no Harry. He suppose he couldn't fault the boy with that in mind. Actually, he was more surprised at the control Ron seemed to exhibit.

"Well, everyone is here. As Ron said, I'm sure you both will manage to get it. Illusion's, aren't that hard. It's similar to transfiguration with less power."

"But much more concentration and attention to detail… MUCH more." Tracey pointed out as she immediately began putting several tortillas on her plate and piling them with meat. She didn't even ask how she was supposed to eat them, not that she was wrong.

"That's… not untrue. If it helps, I find that remembering less about the details and more about the sensations help me… Though that might be due to the ease in which I am able to recall details. Either way, maybe that'll help."

"I am rather good at recall myself. I will try incorporating your advice on sensation and see if that helps." Daphne added as she followed Tracey's lead and began piling up her plate. Harry said nothing further and soon, they all had plates full of food.

Ron was the first to take a bite of the tacos and when he went for the second bite, everyone else seemed to deem them a risk they were willing to take. Soon, they were all chowing down with barely restrained fervor into the meal.

"I take it you enjoy the meal then?" Harry asked to the table. He only received various grunts of enjoyment at first. It took a while for them to calm down enough to respond verbally.

"This is delicious… Or maybe I'm just starving, one of the two for sure." Tracey finally answered.

"Probably shouldn't have skipped lunch then." Neville pointed out as he continued to tear into his food.

"Wasn't hungry then. I don't eat when I'm not hungry." Tracey muttered.

"I have to agree, this is quite good. It's rather nice to try new things from different cultures. Mexican you said?"

"Yes. It's a little more common in the muggle world, though, but you know how insular the magical one can be."

"Probably doesn't help that you have to eat it with your hands instead of utensils." Ron pointed out.

"True."

They ate the meal for nearly thirty minutes before they all finally finished. That sat in silence for a bit as they leaned back in their respective chairs and enjoyed the full feelings.

"So, Dumbledore is really not going to stop by? He really doesn't want to monitor us or anything?"

"Dumbledore, trust me to take care of myself and you all. If needed, I can reach him and he can reach me rather quickly so…"

"But still. I mean, I know you're mature, Harry, but it does seem a little irresponsible."

"It's… complicated. My upbringing made it hard to place too much trust in older figures of authority, and as such, Dumbledore took a more hands-off approach when bringing me in so we could get along. It's unconventional but it works for the both of us." Harry recalled as he briefly thought back to his supposed relatives darkly. He still, felt nothing but anger when thinking of them, especially his aunt.

"I see… Sorry to bring up something so private."

"It's alright; we're friends, and it has been a while. There is more than enough time for me to come to terms with my past." Harry answered easily.

"You don't really talk about your circumstances before Dumbledore much. I know you said your relatives were arseholes, but…"

"You wish to know more?"

"Well… I can't pretend I'm not curious. That being said, I know nothing you say will likely be good…" Ron trailed off as he looked over at Harry contemplatively. Harry looked back easily, not offended by the sudden line of conversation.

"I originally lived with my aunt and Uncle on my mothers' side. I was dropped there as a child the night my parents died by Dumbledore for a few reasons… Unfortunately, my aunt hated her sister as well as magic. She and her husband took such dislike out on me. It was not always physical but also verbal. While I can't say it was as… extreme as some other abuse cases I know, I obviously did not enjoy it though. Eventually, after learning about the true reasons for their dislike, I snapped, cursed my aunt, and left the home forever." Harry retold somewhat calmly until he remembered his leaving. Despite the time that had passed, the anger and hatred he had felt towards his aunt still echoed within him, and a warmth seemed to pulse from his chest.

"You cursed her?" Neville asked.

"Yes… It was… Raw. The curse was formed from pure feeling and power, so it was likely a rudimentary but powerful curse. While not proud of said moment, given everything that happened between us, I am not exactly sorry about it either."

"What did the curse do?" Daphne asked curiously. Harry shrugged.

"I can't be quite sure, given my memory is a little fuzzy due to the extreme emotions I was feeling. According to Dumbledore, the curse would have caused her to be extremely unlucky and live the rest of her life miserably. He, of course, canceled the curse when he came to check up on the situation, though he may have left remnants of the curse on her… He was not impressed with her, to say the least." Harry recalled. He and Dumbledore rarely talked about his time or leaving the Dursleys; it was something of a sore subject for both of them. That being said, it had come up a few times.

"Imposing a curse at that young, regardless of its morality, is impressive. Even as a child, you must have been powerful." Daphne noticed giving Harry an appraising look. Harry shrugged at the point. He knew that he was quite powerful. To his knowledge, he had never even come close to physically running out of magic except in specific magical experiments he conducted. Outside of those, he never came close to his reserves running out.

"If this woman made you snap, I doubt I could blame you. You're one of the most patient people I know, and you never lose your temper. To get you to that point…"

"Or it could have just been the explosion after years of buildup… Not that I'm blaming you either, Harry. I'd probably snap, too. People like that should be imprisoned." Neville almost growled. Harry looked at him and remembered that Neville had some own issues with members of his family besides his grandmother. He hadn't talked to his uncle, who dropped him out of a window for almost two years.

"I couldn't agree more… So, Dumbledore came and got you out of there?"

"No, I left myself, and Dumbledore tracked me down, and we came to an arrangement where I would live here. Due to my bad experience with my relatives, I had a low trust of adults, Dumbledore, especially at the time, because I had found out he was the one who had left me with them. Dumbledore, as a sign of trying to gain my trust, agreed and brought me here, where he said I could live on my own, but he would be checking in on me regularly. I agreed, and the rest, as they say, is history."

"Woah. That's wild. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to live without my parents… Sorry, that was rude." Tracey muttered. Harry waved off the apology.

"It's alright… It's nothing I haven't come to terms with. My parents… I can't remember that. So, it's hard to miss them in the sense you're probably thinking. I more miss… the potential of what could have been. The fact that I will never have the connections that most others do… I guess that is what hurts. At this point, it's nothing more than an occasional dull ache." Harry described softly.

The table went quiet at the explanation, which did make Harry feel a little bad for bringing the mood down, but they had asked, and he had decided to be honest with them. As he looked around, he was surprised by how much he felt he could trust the people around them. He knew each of them intimately at this point and knew things about them that no one else knew. It seemed only fair that they also knew the same about him.

"Apologies for the atmosphere, I only wished to be honest, not drag everyone's mood down… That being said, why don't we move on to more exciting topics and get prepared for bedtime." Harry offered. Immediately, the move changed from dreary to excitement in almost an instant.

"Finally, we get to see Ciri again." Neville cheered lightly with a smile. Ron smirked as he looked over at the two girls in the current group.

"You finally get to meet Harry's better half." Ron joked. Tracey laughed at that while Daphne said nothing, though her face showed some curiosity.

"I can't wait to meet her. Harry almost makes her sound otherworldly when speaking about her." Tracey mentioned.

"Well… She technically is." Ron pointed out amusedly. Tracey glared at him.

"You know what I mean."

"Even besides that, Ciri does look rather otherworldly. She looks like some mystical princess from storybooks. Her white hair and startling greenish blue eyes. The only thing that ruins it is her personality." Neville explained.

"What do you mean?"

"Her personality is about as far from a princess as you can get. What do they call it… A tomboy?" Ron asked, looking at Harry, who just shrugged in response.

"I suppose that's not surprising considering what you told us. You did say she enjoys sword fighting and such. You do also mention she often gets into trouble." Daphne pointed out as they got out of their chairs and cleaned up the table. There wasn't much food left except for the toppings and extras.

"That she does, a trait we both seem to have in common unfortunately." Harry grumbled in annoyance. It's not like he could blame Ciri for being born under an unlucky star no more than he could blame himself, but it was still frustrating and only brought attention back to how much he wished he could help more.

"Maybe it's why you two are linked in the first place." Neville suggested. Harry shrugged.

"Maybe. I probably won't know for sure anytime soon, if ever." Harry sighed as he charmed to clean the dishes in the sink with water and soap while everyone else put what was left back in the fridge. He probably would end up throwing it out but he decided to leave it for another time.

"So, how do we do this?" Tracey asked as they left the kitchen and began heading up the manor's stairs.

"Easy, the room is already prepared. I added the extra beds already, so we should be all set. We just need to get ready for bed. It's about seven thirty right now, and we need to be down and out at about eight, so… I guess we should all get ready. The girls can go first and use the bathroom, and then we can go next," Harry said as they reached the second floor and began moving toward the specified rooms.

Overall, it took about twenty-five minutes for everyone to get changed and perform their nightly activities. After that, they were all sitting on their respective beds, simply chatting.

"Not going to lie, having a sleepover with boys does feel weird." Tracey admitted.

"I'm surprised your parents even agreed to it. They've only met Harry once." Ron commented.

"Yeah, well, I think Aunt Angie did most of the heavy lifting regarding the actual convincing part. My dad was the real issue. Having his little girl with three boys was really not something he was comfortable with. Speaking of which, can we tell them about this meeting, Harry? I hadn't yet because I wanted to ask you first." Tracey questioned as she turned and looked at him.

Initially, the beds were situated in a circle with his in the middle connecting all of them. He had changed that so now his bed was also part of the circle. It made it easier for him to be part of the conversation.

"Aunt Angie?" Harry asked curiously.

"My mother." Daphne clarified. Harry blinked at the connection, remembering how her mother was named Angelica.

"Right… Well, I'm glad you were able to join us." Harry said with a pleased nod.

"Same. I'm excited to meet her."

"Harry, don't you need to get to sleep to set everything up?" Ron asked. Harry nodded in realization.

"Yes, you're probably right. Alright, I'll head in first. As I said, you need to fall asleep and you should be in." He told all of them as he began to get under the covers of his bed.

"See you soon." Was the last thing he called out before closing his eyes and putting himself to sleep. As usual, it didn't take long for Harry to get to sleep and within a few moments, he was in the familiar abyss that was his mindscape. It was the familiar library that he was used to seeing, though once he saw it, he immediately began to shift it into something else entirely. Instead of the usual library that greeted him, he began to shift the room into the large sitting room of Potter Manor except with a large dining table set at one side to give more seats for everyone to sit at.

Once he had fixed the rooms to his liking, he immediately began to wait for the person to arrive. It was, unsurprisingly, Ciri, given how much practice she had at falling asleep almost instantaneously. His white-haired best friend and somewhat girlfriend arrived and immediately began to look around. He smiled before walking over to her.

"Ciri," he greeted, causing her to look directly at him. She smiled in her greeting before frowning and looking around.

"Weren't we supposed to meet your friends tonight?" She asked curiously. Harry nodded in confirmation.

"We are. Remember that they're not as good at entering this mindscape as we are. It takes a few minutes at the fastest." Harry told her calmly. Ciri nodded as she walked up and wrapped her arms around him. He returned the hug. While wrapped around each other, Ciri came closer and kissed his cheek. Harry almost jumped at the action. He looked at her only to see her smirking at him in response

"What was that?" He asked. Ciri had kissed him before, but ever since they had started…courting, she hadn't, likely because it would have a new meaning to it now.

"That's what you would call a kiss, Harry. It's what people in our situation occasionally do." She teased as she raised her arms to wrap them around his neck instead of his torso. It felt a little more intimate for some reason. In response, Harry's own hands went down to her waist naturally.

"I know that, I just meant… I didn't know if we were there yet." Harry responded awkwardly to which Ciri rolled her eyes at.

"I know, considering you haven't done it. You know, whenever we do something or… advance, I guess, it's always because I'm the one pushing it. You'll make me feel like you're unwilling to participate in this." Ciri whined. Harry gave her a queer look at that.

"And that would stop you?" He asked curiously only to get a swat to the side of his head that barely managed to stay within the bounds of playful.

"I'm being serious, Harry." She pushed. Harry paused for a moment as he looked at her. Ciri was the same height as he was since he wasn't that tall, and Ciri wasn't that short. She didn't look away from his gaze; she held it with a vigorous intensity. They stayed like that momentarily before Harry leaned over and softly pressed his lips against hers.

It was… Pleasant. Of course, the sensation was pleasant, but it was more than that. It was the heat and what was conveyed between the two with the kiss. The assurance it held was more than pleasant; it was comforting. After a few moments, he finally pulled away and looked once more at Ciri, who was smiling, her face a little flushed.

"How was that?" He asked her with a slight smirk. She put on a faux-thinking look

"I suppose it was a start." She replied as she leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder. Harry just smiled at that.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Harry and Ciri almost jumped from the startling noise as they quickly pulled away from each other and looked over to the voice. Daphne was staring at both of them with a raised eyebrow. Though her face was her usual subdued blank look, Harry had known her long enough at this point to spot the shining amusement in her blue eyes. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Daphne… That was fast. Sorry, you had to catch us in a moment. Anyway, this is Ciri." Harry said as he gestured to Ciri, who was trying to look a little more dignified but was failing, considering her cheeks were still rather red. That being said, it was fading rather quickly, which was good. Ciri walked over and held out her hand in greeting.

"Hello, I'm Ciri. Harry has told me a lot about you." Ciri said putting a polite smile on her face. Daphne rose an eyebrow at that.

"Has he?"

"Of course, he tells me about all of you and what you guys get up to. He also shows me memories and things." Ciri explained. Daphne nodded, though she seemed a little surprised by that admission.

"So, you can peruse each other's memories at will?" Daphne immediately jumped in with her questions, some of which had likely cropped up the same day he explained the situation.

"We can, though we usually ask each other, but we both allow pretty much unrestricted access at this point. It's pretty hard to keep anything a secret from each other so we no longer bother even trying." Ciri explained.

"Isn't that… violating?"

"Well… I wouldn't say that, but it definitely took some time to get used to. After that initial phase, I would describe it as liberating."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's nice to have someone who truly knows you at such a high level and know that no matter what, you don't have to hide anything from them. You reach a level of comfort that you didn't even know existed. As I said, it's liberating." Ciri said with a smile. Harry couldn't help but smile at her words as well. He had felt such a way but it was nice to hear Ciri did as well.

"I suppose, when phrased like that, it sounds wonderful. I'm still not sure I could be able to do something like that. What about when you have to deal with feminine issues?"

"I don't think there's anything I can go through that I would feel uncomfortable that Harry knew. I mean, he's the one who explained what flowering is in the first place."

"He is?"

"Well, I wasn't sure what was happening and I felt uncomfortable bringing it up with the people I was with at the time. Luckily, Harry gave me, what I guess you commonly refer to as 'The Talk'. Because your world is so ahead of mine, his was probably better to hear anyway." Ciri admitted.

"What did I just walk in on?"

All three of them turned and saw Neville by the door of the room. He was looking at all of them, seemingly baffled by what he had just heard.

"Just girl stuff." Ciri answered with a smile. Neville frowned at hearing that.

"But Harry's here."

"Boy's ARE allowed to hear about girl stuff. Close your ears next time." Ciri shot back with her hands on her waist. Neville shivered before plopping himself down in a seat.

"Should be a law saying you can't talk about it in front of us… How have you been Ciri. Harry said you're under the care of some sorceress. How is she?" Neville asked casually. Ciri turned away from Daphne and went to go sit across from the boy. Daphne looked mildly upset about the distraction from her own questions but didn't say anything and went to go join them on a couch instead of a seat.

"It's good, I guess. I like Yennefer, I think. She's cold but... She seems strict and such but she's… fine, under her gruff exterior. She's been teaching me stuff and testing me, not all of it I care about but… What can you do?" She responded.

"I get that. Nowadays, most of the classes we take feel useless."

Harry frowned when the subject of Yennefer and her tests was brought up… In his opinion, the woman was pushing Ciri beyond what was expected. And some of the methods she used… Well, Ciri had honestly told him that she had initially disliked the woman, but he could tell she was warming up to her. Harry holds his own opinion after meeting the woman and hearing more about her. She knew what she was doing at least.

"Oh, is magic school boring for you?" Ciri teased. Neville smirked.

"You know it,"

"I have arrived." Ron called out as he suddenly also came through the door. His eyes roamed the room momentarily before settling on them all.

"Who got here first, Neville or Daphne?"

"Daphne." Harry answered.

"Damn, you're like another Harry. How are you so good at everything?" Ron asked as he came over and sat down next to Harry.

"How am I good at falling asleep? I just let my mind go blank, and it happens seamlessly." Daphne answered.

"Psh… Hey Ciri. How have you been?" Ron said turning his attention to the pale haired girl. Ciri nodded in greeting.

"I'm fine, what about you?" She asked.

"I'm doing pretty good, thanks." Ron answered with a smile.

"Wow, it's just like your house."

With that voice, the last group member had finally entered the room. Tracey was looking around amazed at the room before coming to join them, taking her place next to Daphne. Her eyes were firmly planted on Ciri.

"Woah, I can see what you meant now, Longbottom. She does look all mystical." Tracey pointed out, still looking unreservedly at Ciri who looked somewhat shocked at the other girls' words.

"Um… Thank you?" She responded uncertainly. Tracey smiled brightly.

"You're welcome. I'm Tracey Davis by the way. It's nice to meet you." Tracey said in her usual energetic way. Ciri nodded at that.

"It's nice to meet you too… So, what was that about me being mystical?"

"It's your hair and eyes. They think it makes you otherworldly." Harry clarified.

"Well, technically…"

"Don't. That joke has already been made." Tracey interrupted. Ciri smiled in response to that.

"I see."

"So, you're the one who strong-armed dear Harri-kins into getting into a possible marriage contract at the age of twelve, huh?" Tracey asked sarcastically.

"Oh, Merlin…" Daphne groaned while Neville and Ron just started laughing. Ciri's smile only widened at the question.

"Correct, that would be me. I had to, of course. If I had waited until he had done so on his own, I'd be an old woman, if he did it at all." Ciri said back smartly. Harry clicked his teeth in annoyance at that.

"That's not true. Had you been aiming for marriage later, then I would have gotten to it…" Harry told her, though, by the face he was getting in response, he wasn't being very convincing.

"Based on what I walked into, it seems like the relationship is progressing just fine." Daphne muttered. His three friends immediately all looked towards him, and Ciri, both of them were back to blushing at the reminder of what they had been caught doing.

"What does that mean?" Ron asked.

"Nothing." Harry answered quickly.

"A whole lot of nothing, I'd say." Daphne shot back.

"Daphne, you are not helping."

"I never said I was helping you."

The entire group began laughing as Harry and Ciri grew even redder. All in all, the night was fun and successful when it came to introductions.