137Re-uploaded 22/4/13
AN: First off, a huge thank you to all those who reviewed - it means a lot to see how many of you liked the first chapter. Now then for a few important announcements, Tonks will have a different back story in this, but will still be the same Tonks that everyone knows and loves. Harry will be heading to Forks, but won't stay there all the time like most stories have the main characters do in crossovers.
Finally, I'd like to say that future chapters will either be this long, or longer. I find it highly unlikely that anything I post will be shorter than this. The only reason this chapter is so short is that I've been so busy lately with classes and my two jobs, that I thought it best I post something or risk alienating my readers.
Beta: Joe Lawyer. Thank you man, for all the help you've given, and taking the time to bounce ideas back and forth.
Chapter 2: The Pink Thread of Fate!
"Come on Harry, play with me." Irina purred, as she crawled cat-like across the bed toward the shirtless teenager, who was sitting on its edge bent over something that was releasing a sizzling sound that was almost inaudible, even to her vampiric hearing.
The ageless female, who had been one of the three women who formed the basis of the European Succubi legends, pouted when the object of her current desire failed to show any sign that he had heard her invitation, let alone whether or not he was going to accept the blonde vixen's offer.
Reaching him, she trailed her icy hand across the back of his shoulders, using the lightest of touches as she caught his silky hair that now hung past his shoulders. Throwing his long, raven locks over his right shoulder, she slowly trailed a line of wet kisses along the same path her hand had taken seconds before, attempting to engage him in her favorite activity outside of sating her constant thirst.
The vampiress huffed when her touches failed to draw the wizard's attention onto herself and her arousal. Draping herself across his broad shoulders, she peered down at what had captivated him so.
In one of his hands he held a stone tablet; the other deftly gripped his long, white wand, which he was using to fluidly trace mystifying, yet beautiful symbols on to the tablet's surface. As old as she was, Irina could tell that the strange markings were of Celtic and Egyptian origins, even if she didn't know what they said or what their purpose was.
For a time she watched as he filled the stone with similar markings as those he had already burned into the tablet, a number of which even she, someone who had walked the earth for over a millennium, had no idea of the basis of the carved language. Soon though, she grew bored of waiting for him to finish and turned her attention to his exposed torso.
Placing her frosty lips to his collarbone, as she knew he enjoyed, she once again showered his skin with her sensual attention. Dragging her fingers across his muscular chest, her kisses momentarily stopped as she took the time to inhale his tantalizing scent, her face buried deep in the bend of his neck. She could feel the pulse of his blood through his veins, further turning on the already aroused she-vampire.
Harry's scent had, from the start, been terribly tempting to the coven of vampires he was allowing to continue staying in his home; however, since he had returned a little over a month ago from his six month stint with the magical tribe of shape shifters, he had been forced to cast spells that kept his scent out of all the rooms in the house simply for the vampires' continued sanity. The only exceptions to this being the manor's normally inaccessible master suite and the rooms that the Denali coven members were unable to enter without his permission as Lord of the Manor and tentative holder of the home's wards. Since he was the head and Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Flamel he had been able to enter all the rooms the house possessed, even those the Denalis had no clue about even after centuries of living there. Another perk to magically owning the property was that Harry could choose what rooms were, and were not, open to his undead friends and houseguests.
Irina's grip on his chest tightened as she traced his jugular with her pink, venom soaked tongue. Her hips bucking and grinding into his side, searching for any type of friction that would ease her rising need. And still, Harry continued to deny her any reaction.
As she went to take the lobe of his ear in her mouth, Irina paused to give the new addition to his ear a look over with her powerful eyes. Where once there had been nothing but flesh, now hung a good-size flawless black diamond, its surface covered in ancient runes just as the tablet in his hands was. Pulling away from his shoulder, she pulled his hair back from where she had placed it moments before to see that he had a second matching black diamond in his right earlobe as well.
"These are lovely," she marveled, forgetting about her lust for the moment as she ran the tip of her finger over the diamond's glossy surface. "When and where did you get them?"
Irina waited for him to answer her inquiry, but soon realized that he was still ignoring her in favor of the slab of stone. Anger coursed through her bloodless veins. The nerve of the young wizard - who was he to deny her?
Over the course of her long existence Irina had literally possessed thousands of bedmates, and yet, never before had she been the one to not control the dynamic of her many relationships. She had always been the one who said what they did and when they did, the one to choose how long they would do it; when it was time for them to inevitably come to an end, she would disappear into the night without a backwards glance or any trace of regret. It was the way it had always been and the way she had always assumed it would be. But here she was, practically begging a boy, who had just lost his virginity only a short time ago (to herself, no less), for his attention, like a damn cat in heat. It was degrading, and beneath her - and she would no longer take his disrespect.
Grabbing him by the throat she slammed him down onto his bed, while at the same time hopping on to his chiseled abs to glare down into his emerald eyes. The only thing separating the flesh of his tanned stomach from her core, as she grinded her center into him, were the thin silken knickers she was wearing.
In her haste to garner all of his attention onto herself she had unintentionally knocked the stone tablet from his hands and onto the floor, where it smashed into hundreds of tiny pieces.
"You will answer me when I speak to you, or else I'll find another to occupy my time with!" Irina laced her words with a growl trying to intimidate the man she was pinning.
Harry's eyes were ablaze, seemingly backlit by his power, his anger at the woman for her audacity making his newly found animalistic-side call out for her to pay penance for her slight against him. Slowly, the playful, predatory-look he had worn since coming back from his time with the Skinwalkers made its way to his lips, thoroughly unnerving her.
"Don't let me stop you," Harry whispered in a voice like silk wrapped steel, sending chills down Irina's spine. "Do as you please... I wish you luck in finding someone who can do for you, as I have been able to." To accentuate his point, he pushed magic to the surface of his skin where his and hers met, making her moan and speed up the rhythm of her rocking hips.
Harry had been a fast learner in the ways of pleasuring a woman - with two teachers like Kate and Irina how could he not? Somewhere, in the many pleasurable hours spent with the two, he had learned that the same technique he had used to enhance his reaction time and physical abilities in battle, could also be used to increase the pleasure of those he was in physical contact with. The first time he had discovered this unique use of his magic, he had ended up with a crushed pelvis thanks to Irina's wildly bucking thrusts.
Kate and Irina had taken to calling the technique 'the Touch of Adonis'. He had found this laugh-worthy, as he had made no mention to either of the sisters of the nickname the witches of Britain had bestowed upon him prior to leaving.
Sighing lightly, Harry stemmed the flow of his potent magic, gazing knowingly, and a little regretfully, up at the woman straddling him. "Irina... I think we both know this 'friends with benefits' business isn't working out like we had originally planned."
As the last of her magical high left her, so did Irina's pleasure and any traces of her earlier anger. Looking down at the handsome, stubbled teen, she knew he was right. Releasing a sigh of her own, she draped her body over his, laying her head against his chest in a slightly platonic way, as if she was unsure how it should be done.
"We could still work it out..." She commented, drawing patterns against his skin with her finger. "All you'd have to do is let me take the reins of this relationship."
Harry chuckled, running a hand through her silky hair. "We both know that's no longer a possibility. The griffin in me would never allow me to be dominated by another. They're - I'm - too prideful of a creature for something like that, and you are as well."
After six months of training Harry had unlocked the ability to shift, and had been found worthy of becoming one with the majestic griffin. Once he had communed and become one with his animal half, he had gained what he had so dearly wanted, his personality -his very being- had all changed. And during the long grueling process he had gained an ability that had only been seen once before, in the founding chief of the tribe of shifters - the very man who had created the process of changing so many generations before.
"Besides, like we agreed before any of this started, this isn't a relationship – it's sex." Irina nodded her head, agreeing with him.
Leaning up on her elbows, knowing her position wouldn't hurt him like it would a normal human, she sent him a halfhearted glare that made the smirking man raise a questioning eyebrow at her. "I know you don't like being dominated, but the least you could have done was acknowledged my presence. I wouldn't have been anywhere near as upset as I was if you had simply said you weren't in the mood. Instead, you treated me like I was something you couldn't be bothered to deal with."
Harry's smirk only grew. "What's wrong love? Is the undead nympho feeling jealous of a little slab of stone?" Irina hissed threateningly at him, but was stopped when he channeled a large burst of charged magic into his torso, thoroughly distracting her from her anger.
"For your information my sex crazed friend, it wasn't that I wasn't in the 'mood' - though now that you destroyed hours of work, I'm definitely not putting out, but I digress - I was busy at the time with something that required my full attention. Now however," he said, his displeasure coloring his tone, "I have to start over, all the work I had previously done ruined, thanks to a temper-tantrum throwing vampire."
Harry easily lifted a sheepish looking Irina off of him, the oversized button-up shirt she was wearing opening up just enough to show him the heavenly valley that lay beneath, as he placed her gently on the bed next to him. As he rose to his feet summoning the broken pieces of his work to hand, Irina watched his backside hungrily.
"You sure you don't fancy going one last round with me?" She questioned sultrily, her eyes never leaving the back of his jeans. "I'd make it worth your while."
"As tempting as that sounds, you should probably go find another to sate your 'needs'." Reaching his desk he laid the fragments of tablet out before him, giving himself a better view of what he had to work with. "I have work to do that I have been putting off for far too long now. I'm sure you'll easily find someone willing to spend countless hours developing injuries with you in pleasurable ways."
Even with a combined two millenia of sexual conquests involving delicate humans under her and Kate's belts, both had managed to injure Harry numerous times during the many hours spent exploring each other's bodies. When he questioned if the same thing happened to their other human lovers, they had informed him that they simply found themselves becoming lost in the throes of passion while wrapped in his arms. While doing wonders for his ego, Harry wasn't so sure it was a good thing for his health.
"I'd like to say that it's your loss, but I think we both know that's not true."
"Go ahead and say it, I'll play along if it will help your ego."
"Nah," Irina sighed, slowly rising to her feet. "The words, while being the same, don't hold the same appeal as they would if I were to speak them with truth behind them."
Tapping a few pieces of the stone, Harry nodded to himself. 'I was right, there's no salvaging it.'
"Maybe it's a sign that you should find yourself a mate and settle down." Turning around he sent her a smile that could be described as both charming and impish. "After all, you're over a millennium old, grandma. Reckon it's about time you found your soul mate."
Irina's reply came in the form of her middle finger. Harry's chuckle made the woman release her own laugh, as she turned for the door.
"Where are you headed?"
"In search of a good lay, since it's clear I'm not going to find one here."
"So sorry," Harry called after her. Quickly sealing the door with magic so no one could enter, he turned back to the smashed tablet, giving it his full, undivided attention. Raising his wand he summoned a second, blank tablet that he quickly started to carve runes upon.
Harry would have liked nothing more than to cast a simple Reparo on the original tablet, but the stone that made it up was far too unstable to use after it had been smashed and repaired, especially while runes had graced its surface. Said stones were used solely in the making of long-term, high-quality ward stones. And as such were very rare, and had the price tag to match.
During his scholarship with his many teachers, Harry had picked up a lot of valuable knowledge in the field of runes and the creation of wards. When he arrived in the near vault that housed the Flamel's master ward 'stones' during the beginning of his stay in the home, he had found thousands of obscure and powerful protections that he had never seen before. However, it became glaringly obvious to the young wizard that it had been quite some time since Nico or Penn had visited the property to either update the rune arrays, or recharge the wards with their innate magic. This was what had led Harry to putting as much effort as he had into the tablet that had been smashed, and the one he was now busy slaving over. It was the last one he was going to add before he completely recharged the wards with his own magic and took total control of them.
It was hours after Irina had left his bedroom that he finished adding rune clusters to the tablet. With his work in hand, he headed toward the only expanse of empty wall in the master bedroom. Checking the slab of stone over for any mistakes there may have been in his work, he passed through the wall and into the hidden stairwell that spiraled downward to his desired destination.
The first time Harry had traveled into the secret passage it hadn't been lost on him the similarities it and the hidden entrance to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters held.
The stairs ended very abruptly, exiting into a room that was made entirely of the same stone as the tablet Harry now held. Upon closer examination of the walls, floor, and ceiling, one could tell that every inch of the room was in fact made up of tens of thousands of tablets - some were like Harry's and were covered in runes, while more than half were bare - unmarked and ready for future use. Somehow, the Flamels had been able to work with the unstable stone and create a room that acted like one big ward stone - going even further, they had carved individual tablets into it all, so that they could be removed and worked with, like Harry had just finished doing moments before. It truly was designed for the long-term, as new wards were designed and invented over time the wards of this home could then be easily adapted and added to as magical theory advanced.
Making his way to the only section missing a tablet in all the room, Harry easily slid the piece he had brought with him into the open slot. Rising from his crouched position, he made his way over to the only object in the room not made of rune stone - an obsidian pedestal that came up to the bottom of his chest.
Placing his hand atop the shiny black surface, Harry closed his eyes and braced himself, waiting on what he knew was coming next.
He hissed venomously as searing pain shot through his hand where it came into contact with the stone, as it slowly started to sink into the black rock, encasing his hand completely. With his eyes still firmly shut, he gritted his teeth as he experienced the burn and overwhelming tiredness that came with having one's magic drained from them so quickly and in such large amounts.
Even with his eyes closed, Harry could tell that the numerous runes all around him had started to glow an intense, vibrant green that his eyelids did very little in the way of protecting his eyes from.
It was at the thought of how he should have cast a sun-blocking charm that a number of things happened all at once. At the same time his hand was freed from its stone prison the bright green light that was his magic going to and powering the wards arrays died away, taking the sting it was causing his eyes with it. But all of these events were lost on Harry, as the wards shifted over to him at the same exact moment.
His eyes flashed open, green spots dancing - blurring across his vision, as he stumbled from the sudden intrusion of the wards bombarding his mind with information. Every plant, animal, creature, and twig within the wards of the - what Harry now realized was - massive property, was known to the last Potter.
The flow of knowledge was enough to cause him to stumble like a leprechaun on St. Patrick's Day. He only regained any semblance of self-control when the storm of knowledge that had been overwhelming his mind, eased its assault, until it was nothing more than a constant background noise, thanks in part to his powerful mind magics. Occlumency was good for far more than just protecting against external assaults; in this case it was a life saver as information was being categorized, sorted, prioritized and discarded faster than the human mind was ever designed for. A few hours of meditation would further speed the process up.
"I can see why Nico and Penn always shared both the mental and magical burden of all their homes now." Harry hissed to the open room. All ward designs of this complexity took advantage of the ambient magic the very Earth generated to supplement its power over long periods of time. The magic capable of being taken in this way, though, was only a small percentage of the ward's maximum capacity, but it had the added benefit of a continuous, although slow, trickle of power. Even if a property was long neglected by its owners, the muggle repelling wards and other passive defenses could remain active for many centuries on just the ambient magic alone. However, it was only through frequent periodic infusions of the property owner's own magic that kept the wards charged to maximum capacity. Since the Flamels hadn't visited this property in a very long time, the transfer took far more magic from Harry than was normal. What Harry later came to realize was that powering up wards left neglected this long was normally done in stages, rather than just one huge power dump. No witch or wizard in the world, other than Harry, could have supplied the sheer amount of power necessary without dropping to the ground unconscious, or at worst in a dead from magical exhaustion.
Given time, he would adjust to having the wards linked to his mind, until eventually he wouldn't feel anything from them at all beyond those things requiring his immediate attention. When this happened, the only time he would feel the pressure the wards gave off would be if his magic recognized something entering the wards' borders that he would want to know about, or something or someone who could pose a threat to the safety of his home.
Turning from the small pillar of obsidian, Harry started for the stairs only to stop when he felt the wards flash to the front of his mind once again, alerting him to a group of people attempting to cross them. Without a seconds thought, he twisted in place, apparating silently to the empty living room upstairs.
It was his first time apparating while inside the property's boundaries. Doing so was just one of the many perks of having the wards channeled to his person and control.
"Living room, now!" Harry called out in a commanding voice, a voice that any who had previously fought alongside him during the war would have known as the tone he used when preparing for battle and commanding his troops.
At the same time, the black, rune-engraved diamonds that Irina had commented on hours before, activated one of the many features Harry had added when creating them. He had originally bought a translator earring from the Knockturn Alley shop Bill had recommended, but had found the single piece of enchanted jewelry to be severely lacking for his varied needs. So he had set out to create his own using all the Alchemy and Enchanting that Nico and Penn had taught him during his apprenticeship with them. The pair of onyx shaded earrings that had resulted from his efforts had many features that would meet his future needs, including the ability to grant enhanced hearing that rivaled that of the vampires he now found himself sharing his home with.
He could hear that Kate, Jasper, and Tanya had been in the middle of a conversation when he had called them to him. And if the sound of snapping wood that he could hear from upstairs was anything like the noises that could be heard within the confines of his own room when he disappeared there with Kate and Irina, then he had just interrupted some of Carmen and Eleazar's 'private time'.
When all but Irina were before him, he once more spoke. "Where is Irina?"
"She... left." Eleazar looked at him warily, not sure how he would react to the news that the woman he had spent the past month sharing a bed with had left in search of a new partner.
"How long ago did she leave?"
"Almost as soon as she left your room." Kate informed him. She was hopeful that he wouldn't end them yet; she was more than happy with him being the dominant one in their non-existent relationship.
"Good. I need one of you to call her and tell her not to come home until she receives word from one of us." More than one of the group looked to be about to speak but were cut off before a single syllable could pass their marble lips. "There are six magical signatures that have just attempted to apparate onto the property. I had the wards push them just outside the property and ward boundaries, instead of burning them to a crisp."
"What do you think they want?" Jasper questioned, taking a step toward his wife and mate, as if he would need to protect her at a moment's notice. Said woman, was currently on the phone with Irina, informing her of the going-ons as she received the information herself.
"I'm not sure. Only one, maybe two of the group has a magic level that can be called impressive. However, the amount of magic the duo possesses, or the others lack thereof, doesn't say anything about how skilled they are in battle."
"What's the plan then?" Carmen asked, drawing a worried glance from her husband.
"They're located almost exactly southeast of here. I'm going to go ahead of all of you, but will stay inside the wards where they will be unable to see me until I know more about them. Depending on what I learn of them, I will act from there. I want all of you to head there and surround us. Stay out of sight and do nothing unless I call for you, even if they attack me, or I them, do not move until told to do otherwise."
Without another word, Harry turned in place, disappearing without a sound.
It was as the group of vampires sped out the front door and in the direction they were told to go that Carmen spoke up.
"Do you think he realized he was only wearing pants before he left?"
EMERALD EYED SUPERNOVA
Harry reappeared mere feet away from the group of attempted-trespassers, just inside the wards where they were unable to see, hear, or even smell him. Among those present, half were women, the others men. All were wearing light-blue robes that were almost identical to the auror robes worn by those employed by the British Ministry of Magic, the only difference between the two being the crest upon the front of their robes which showed them to be from the American magical government.
"Fan-out in pairs of two," Ordered the oldest looking man of the group, his subordinates paying rapt attention. "Search for any sign of what may have caused the offending wave of magical energy. If you locate anything abnormal, or suspicious, send up a burst of red sparks immediately to call for backup!"
'Offending wave of magical energy...' It was as he thought this that Harry realized that his recharging of the manor's wards and their transfer to himself may not have gone unnoticed by the yank's magical government. The longer he stood there thinking about the situation, just outside the team of aurors' field of vision, the more likely it became that they had detected his magic taking over the Flamel property. 'Just because Britain's ministry is a joke, doesn't mean that the rest of the world's governing bodies are as pathetic.'
Without any sort of worry or thought that he may be attacked on sight, Harry stepped out of the wards and straight into the circle of American-based aurors. Within seconds of his appearance, every wand in attendance was turned on him, each aglow with a spell meant to takedown, or apprehend him.
"Identify yourself at once!" Barked the same man who had been giving orders moments before.
Harry smiled charmingly at the group, holding up his hands lazily, noticing as he did so that one of the females, a rather unattractive brunette, was looking at him like she was trying to figure out who he was. Other than her, the remaining female aurors were too distracted by his body to notice the wand in his hand.
"You know, where I'm from, one tends to give their name before they ask for another's." Harry's words earned him a glare from only the three men, none bigger than that of the leader of the group.
"I said-" Started the man, only to be cut off by the less than attractive lass from before.
"Harry!" She exclaimed, taking a step forward and lowering her wand.
Harry's head snapped around, a grin splitting his face. He'd know that voice anywhere, no matter what mouth it came from. "Nym?" As if to answer his tentative greeting, the up until now ugly girl's features started to melt, slowly morphing into the familiar and attractive Black family looks, with a shock of bubblegum-pink hair to go along with it.
"Nym!" Harry laughed, darting toward the slightly bouncing metamorphmagus. He had only taken a few steps when the older gentlemen of the group shot a lemon colored spell at his back. With a small flick of his wand, Harry stopped its progression, leaving it hanging in the air as he wrapped his arms around his friend.
He had first met the British born-American raised girl in his sixth year, when she - a young woman who was only two years older than himself - had moved back to Europe to help fight in the war that had originally made her mother leave Britain. At the time she had just entered the American Auror Academy, but dropped out wanting to help her homeland.
Straight away, the two had bonded - with Harry spending as much time with the metamorph as he did Ron and Hermione - becoming as close to her as he was with the two previously mentioned individuals. At the time he had left Britain, Harry had purposely avoided saying 'goodbye' to Tonks. He had been afraid he would somehow endanger her or their friendship by doing so. Now that his change and bonding to the griffin had taken effect, he could see just how stupid this way of thinking - and many other things he had done - had been.
"Oh!" Tonks gasped, surprised at her British friend's sudden embrace, but nevertheless enjoying the very handsome man's attention. Harry had always been loving and caring, but had always shied away from any type of physical contact, thus why she was so taken aback by this sudden, but welcomed act.
When Harry set her down, Tonks, or as he had always called her, Nym, took the chance to look over the last Potter's drastic changes. The last time she had seen him in person was the day of Ron Weasley's funeral. This had been before he had gone through his physical and she was now guessing, mental, metamorphosis.
The frail skinny boy, who had shouldered the very weight of the world, was no more. In his place stood a tall, strapping young man, who was built for speed and power. He held himself with a grace that none of the aurors had ever before witnessed in a normal human. It was as if he was the human version of an apex predator - that he knew, that you knew, he could easily have you and do with you as he pleased, but that you were currently unworthy of his time or effort. It was both frightening and paradoxically exciting for the pink haired auror trainee.
But apart from the almost overwhelming physical presence he exuded, and the barely restrained power that just radiated from him, was the beauty he now possessed. He had always been cute in a little brother sort-of-way, with his charming smile, messy hair, and the selflessness he had always shown. But the man before her possessed an almost otherworldly, animalistic beauty. His eyes were sharp and yet still held a warmth that let you know that he would protect you and keep you safe. The mop of black hair that once shot off every which way, now hung past his shoulders in full, luscious waves. And then there was his face... there was nothing brotherly about his handsome, angular features.
As her eyes trailed over his exposed body she felt her cheeks suddenly and unexpectedly warm. This new Harry was very pleasing to the eye - the pictures of him floating around did little justice for the man before her.
"You alright there Nym?" He asked playfully. "Either your meta-abilities are going haywire, or you see something you like." Reaching out he ran his thumb along the red tinting one of her cheeks, making even more blood flow to her face.
Using her morphing ability, she drained the blood that had been betraying her enjoyment of his looks away from her heart shaped face. "Where have you been all this time? I wanted to see you before I had to come back stateside, but from what Sirius has told everyone you decided to go off in search of new branches of magic." Tonks took a deep, calming breath, as she searched him over with her gaze, settling on the beautiful eyes she had secretly copied more than a few times. "How have you been?"
Harry chuckled softly, smiling serenely down at her. "I'm good," he nodded. "Better than I've ever been, actually."
"I can see that," she said glancing at his chest. "If you wanted attention so badly, you could have just walked into any wizarding community in the world. You didn't have to scare the yanks with that huge power surge, and you certainly didn't have to run around in this type of weather while only a pair of pants away from being starkers."
Harry glanced down to see that Tonks had been right; he was almost 'starkers'. He had become lost in the moment, ready to defend his home and his new friends from whatever threat there may have been. Too lost it seemed to be bothered by the fact he had been but a pair of jeans away from streaking through the coldest part of America. Why even his pants, the one piece of clothing he was actually wearing, were unbuttoned and halfway from being unzipped all the way.
Taking pity on the sheepish looking wizard, Tonks twisted her wand, summoning him a cloak and a pair of boots onto his person.
"Much appreciated." he smiled charmingly.
"Trainee Tonks, what is going on here? Who is this man and how do you know him?"
"My apologies, Commander." Harry forced a snort down when Tonks went straight-backed and saluted the older gentlemen. "I'd like to introduce you to Lord Harry James Potter-Flamel-Dumbledore, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient Houses of Potter, Flamel, and Dumbledore – awarded the rank of Merlin Class War Mage, by the ICW."
There were gasps all around Harry following Tonks' announcement that he easily ignored. It was the first time since he had undergone his bonding with his animal half that he had been around anyone who knew of who he was, and all he had done - surprisingly, he didn't find himself minding the awed looks the witches and wizards were sending him, unlike how he used to.
"I'm a whatzit now?" Harry asked, making Tonks guffaw.
"You're a 'Merlin Class War Mage'. Really Harry, I thought someone as knowledge hungry as you, would know what the title means and all the perks that come with it."
"I was never much of a student in my youth Nym, you know that." Harry pointed out, his annoyance with his past self's actions slipping into his tone. "And when I finally did start taking my education seriously it was so I could keep myself and those important to me alive - a way to learn how to kill pieces of shite, Death Eaters. Not learn more about Britain's flawed and biased system."
"It isn't a title for just Britain, Harry." Tonks chided him lightly. "It's a title bestowed by the ICW, upon only the strongest of warriors and the most respected wizards in the world. It gives you free traveling rights and permits the world over."
"You can almost literally do whatever you want - go anywhere you want, and the country will roll out the red carpet for you. If you want to buy land and build a home, you're free to. Want to start a company, no need for filing for the needed papers and permits as you already have them and numerous more that I can't recall at the moment. Certain restrictions that have been placed upon the masses, no longer apply to you. Your title is the ultimate sign of trust that can be given to any magical, and by far the highest honor."
"Wait a second!" Harry said before she could go on. "How long have I had this title? If I possessed it during the war, I could have used this to my advantage - to the Order's advantage!"
"Harry..." She said gently, reaching out to take him by the hand. "The ICW didn't give you the title until after they had investigated your defeat of Voldemort. Dumbledore pushed the motion through well before he died, but they ruled against you having it, since you were so young... I guess after seeing that Britain would have been lost without you, they decided that your age didn't matter."
"When was this?"
"From what Sirius told me, you left only days before they made the worldwide announcement. The world has been looking for you ever since." This got his attention.
"What do you mean the world is looking for me?" Harry questioned, not liking the sound of that.
"You've been off the map for close to eight months now. Everyone has been worried about you." From the tone she used, it was clear she was including herself. "Even Sirius has started to worry about you. Besides your friends, the ministry has been trying to find you so they can award you your Order of Merlin, First Class."
Harry snorted. "I'll make sure Sirius hears that I'm fine soon enough, but I'm not in too big a hurry to get an award that was once given to Cornelius Fudge."
"E-excuse me."
Harry turned to find the 'Commander' as Tonks had called him, looking at him with a mix of fear and respect. "Yes?"
"Richard Wood," he introduced himself, holding out his hand for Harry to take.
Taking the offered hand, Harry smiled. "Harry Potter."
"I apologize for taking away from your valuable time, Lord Potter. But we were sent to this location to investigate a sudden wave of intense magical energy that appeared in this area not too long ago. Any light you can shed on the situation would be greatly appreciated."
"That was me," Harry admitted offhandedly. "I'm sorry for the disturbance I caused, it shouldn't happen again."
When Harry claimed the wave of magic was his doing the eyes of everyone except Tonks, who was wearing a knowing look, doubled in size.
"But... the magical wave... The numbers for the power rating were off the charts," Richard said, without attempting to keep his disbelief from his voice. "It's simply not possible for one wizard, no matter how highly decorated or revered they may be, to have magic levels of that magnitu-" he trailed off as the emerald eyes he was staring into sharpened and started to glow poisonously.
In his research, Harry had found out many interesting facts about the Griffin. That they were brave, strong, and loyal creatures, just to name a few of their traits. But one of the things that had stuck out to him, more so than even the fact that they tended to take more than one life-mate, was that they were very much like the Hippogriff in that they were very easily offended and quick to attack those that they felt had done so.
It was up to this point that Harry had thought that he had only received a few of his other half's better personality traits from his bonding with the griffin, but as what the man said registered, he could feel part of himself wanting to display his dominance over the man. The griffin in him wanted to make the man pay for his slight against them... No, not the griffin - there was no longer a 'them' - he, Harry wanted to show this weak wizard how wrong he was. There was no difference anymore. After all, he had chosen to bond with his animal half. He knew what he was getting himself into when he came searching for the chance to change himself and had welcomed it with open arms.
Harry raised his hand until it was only a few inches away from the man's face. "I take immense pleasure in regularly doing what others-" Harry paused long enough to push a large amount of magic into his hand, before he bled it outward. The effect made it look like his hand was covered in emerald, smoky, flames that made the man jump backwards, while drawing more gasps from the others. "-deem impossible." Engulfed in his magic, Harry lashed out with his hand, capturing the still patiently floating lemon colored spell and crushing it before the groups' very eyes.
Sparing his smoking hand a single, quick glance, Harry felt his pride swell. 'This could be very useful in the future... I should test this new skill out soon.'
Dousing the painful and magic wasting performance piece, Harry sent the man a condescending smile. "Is there anything else you'll be needing from me, Mr. Wood?"
Richard cleared his throat, blinking hard and fast as he tried to regain his composure. "I- uh - yes," he said, giving a small cough. "Would you be willing to inform us what it is you were doing out here, that caused such high levels of magic to show up on our sensors in this area where there are supposed to be no magical residents, or communities?"
"Actually, I do mind." Harry didn't know how much freedom his new title allowed him and wasn't about to chance having the American magical government coming after his home.
"Well then," Richard snapped frostily. "We'll be on our way."
"Just a minute please." Harry said interrupting the man's abrupt exit. "Would any of you happen to know if my new title allows me a right to secrecy?"
"What do you mean?" Asked a blonde man standing next to Richard, who had up till now remained quiet, besides the occasional gasp.
"For instance, say I didn't want anybody to know that I'm here in the states? Can I... request that my presence be kept a secret?"
"Yes, you may," Richard bit out. "You are under no obligation to announce yourself, to any magical community or country you're in, and if you happen across a member of that nation's government, you can request them to keep quiet about your arrival. However, if any member of the government sees you, they must go to both the head of the magical law enforcement and the leader of said nation and inform them, and only them, about your presence."
"Why?"
"Because the various governments like to make any person with the title and designation of 'Merlin Class War Mage', feel at home in their country." Richard answered him; some of his earlier anger had gone from his voice. "They may assign you a liaison to help you with any of your needs. And in return, they may ask of you to help with certain... difficult situations that may arise."
"Such as?" Harry prodded, his eyebrow raised.
"Say there's an up and coming Dark Lord, the government may try to hire you to capture, or even kill, the offending witch or wizard. Same goes for any type of dark creatures, or the like."
Nodding, Harry thanked the man for his help. "I'd like to formally request my presence here be kept a secret." He lined his vocal cords with magic as he spoke, hoping that the added effect would dissuade any of those gathered against breaking their silence.
Richard, along with his team nodded. "I suspect the President will want to speak with you soon."
"Tell them to send an owl; I'll reply when I can."
One by one the group of aurors popped away until Harry was left alone with the pink haired girl.
"It's been great seeing you again, Harry." Walking up to him, she wrapped her arms around his middle as he wrapped her in his own arms and bent down to take a breath of her familiar scent.
"You too, Nym..." Harry drew immense joy from the hug he shared with the young metamorph. After spending so many nights tangled up in sheets with Kate and Irina, it felt strange having a warm body pressed to his own... strange, but in a good way.
"Hey," he said, as they reluctantly pulled away from each other. "Why don't we get together and do something? You can show me where an actual magical community is located in this country. I haven't found one yet... not that I've really been looking, mind you."
"Why not come have dinner with me and my parents tonight?" She suggested looking hopeful. "My mom and dad would love to see you again."
"I'd like that; I've been eating less than satisfactory meals as of late." He didn't think it would be wise to divulge that he had been eating with the Denali clan, while in griffin form.
"Really," she said sounding surprised. "I recall you being an amazing cook. My mouth still waters when I think about the breakfast you made us that time we were all stuck in headquarters while Molly was away."
"Let's just say I've been a little preoccupied over the past month, and haven't had the chance to really get away."
Tonks eyed him questioningly, shaking her head. "I can tell there's a story hidden in there somewhere, but I won't pry - this time." Stepping forward, she used her momentum to help her jump high enough to reach her arms around his neck. "I have to go before Wood-up-the-ass comes looking for me. I'll see you tonight, Harry," she said as she dropped from her place around his neck.
"See ya soon, Nym."
AN: So how was it? I tried getting across that with his change, he has gotten both good and unforeseen qualities of his animal half. In the future I may show the bonding process with the griffin and Harry's time with the shifter tribe, but I'm not a hundred percent on that. As for the gift he has in common with the tribe's original chief, I will be showing that next chapter.
Like always your reviews give me inspiration, so if you enjoyed this chapter, leave a word or two about it. Until next time!