Chapter 64: Farewell
Harry Potter closed his eyes as he placed three fingers on his forehead and rested his elbow on his desk. In front of him were two people, one Daphne Greengrass and the other his best friend, Hermione Granger.
"Honestly, girls... Did they really have to go to such extremes?" Harry asked.
"They fought within the grounds of Aeternum... They could have come to me to be a judge; and it was really the usual course of action when there's a dispute between our members. It's been like this for three years now." Harry opened his eyes as he finished speaking, noticing how embarrassed the girls looked. Honestly speaking, rather than embarrassed about breaking the rules, they seemed more embarrassed about being caught. They felt even worse when they realized Harry knew the reason for the battle.
Ever since the wizarding world opened up and both worlds—wizarding and mundane—merged to form one, things had become a bit complicated. There were some who weren't happy, and there were even small riots around the world and protests that followed. Harry was grateful to the Pope, who decided to speak out to stop many of the protests, especially by saying that he already knew about the existence of all this, but that didn't mean he hadn't stopped believing in God.
People of the Judeo-Christian religion were among the most anti-magical groups, but they have gradually calmed down as they have integrated into the rest of the world regarding magic. Just two months after these kinds of problems subsided and began to cease, Harry opened the gates of Aeternum to everyone. And, although the buildings were large and beautiful, what surprised people the most was the enormous tree that seemed to be behind Aeternum, but was actually several miles away. The tree was so enormous that it seemed to reach the mountains behind it and touch the sky.
This was the World Tree, a reward he earned after completing his two quests. The tree's effect was truly astonishing. It revitalized the land it was in and would also begin to cause an increase in the magical particles in the environment, in addition to slowly increasing the spiritual energy of people within a certain range of it. In this case, the range was the entirety of Great Britain.
The reason why three years had passed and Harry was now 19 years old was a purchase he made thanks to his 50,000 CP reward. For ten thousand, Harry could accelerate time in his world by up to five years compared to the other worlds linked to the chat. Of course, the price had a reason behind it. In this case, Harry arranged for three years to pass without much happening in Naruto and Rias's worlds. Of course, the price of ten thousand chat points seemed too cheap for such a thing.
But that was because of his restrictions.
Restriction #1: Harry couldn't do this kind of thing ever again. This meant that the time of their world would be three years ahead of the other two worlds linked to the Aeternum chat group and could never be changed again, in any possible way.
Restriction #2: Harry couldn't buy things that affected his age (regeneration, high-speed regeneration, limited immortality, age-restricting items, or similar); he had to let his world's river of time affect him naturally.
Restriction #3: After the estimated time had passed (3 years), Harry would have to leave the world for a minimum of one year (time spent in Rias's or Naruto's other worlds). This came with a warning that he had influenced the world too much in unnatural ways (forms/powers not belonging to that universe).
It was here, in this third restriction, that Harry realized that the Aeternum chat group wasn't completely all-powerful and that, in some ways, some things coming from it would affect the world in certain ways.
Restriction #4: The powers/abilities he had earned as rewards through the group could not be used within his world while the time-course change was in progress. Haki was an exception, as he had taught himself.
The reason for doing all this was that Harry had realized several things. He had been an influence in the wizarding world, and even more so now that the two sides of the world had merged. If he continued to help so much, they would see him much the same as when he was the Boy-Who-Lived. Now that the worlds had merged, they had to solve their problems on their own, but he also wanted to get away from the things of this world.
Harry Potter had discovered the cure for the werewolf curse. And he left behind a vault full of elixirs that only the next headmaster of Aeternum could provide. He had discovered the information dimension with Hermione; shortly after, with Hermione, he discovered the way to grant magic to non-magical people.
In these three years, he had also been a support to many new people in the vast new wizarding world, especially those who had previously been non-magical.
Besides, the two people in front of him were part of the future.
"There was no need to fight for the headmaster position, I'd already decided."
"What?!" the two women exclaimed in surprise.
Daphne and Hermione had joined Aeternum a year ago; they were quite good at what they did. Daphne was very good at research related to rituals and charms, as well as an excellent relationship manager when it came to talking to people from different countries.
Hermione... well, she was good at anything she set her mind to.
"Hermione will be the next headmaster," Harry said seriously, eliciting a smile from the girl.
"And as for Daphne, I'll give her my position at the ICW." Harry smiled as Daphne's annoyed and disgruntled expression visibly cleared, and she smiled slightly. He had gotten that position just a year earlier, when the ICW decided it would be a good idea to have Harry Potter for talks with other countries.
Because, ultimately, Great Britain, and especially England, had become a very important part of the world. It was currently the place with the most wizards and witches; it was where enormous research was done, and it had a school and university of the highest caliber in the world.
Many wanted to attend Hogwarts or Aeternum.
"Why...?" Daphne asked. Even though she was happy to inherit Harry's position, she was curious about this.
Harry sighed a little sadly. Despite wanting to distance himself from this world for a bit and eager to see Rias's world, this was still his hometown, so it was no wonder he felt a little sad.
"I'll have to leave soon... and I don't know if I'll ever see you again, or even set foot in this country again." He stood up and smiled at his two friends.
"That's why... I want to leave those I consider the best in their respective fields. I know I can trust you with this. Besides... some purebloods still seem to think they've been left behind with the changing world."
"Me choosing you for this job will also help them realize that's not the case."
"Why do you have to leave!" Hermione said, disconsolate and bewildered. Harry's way of speaking was as if he were saying goodbye forever; he didn't like that at all.
"I think it's time for my next adventure... one that might be full of discoveries, as well as new bonds."
"I'll hand over the position to you tomorrow, Hermione. You too, Daphne."
. . .
A huge crowd had gathered at Aeternum. Behind the university, right in front of the world tree, a small stage had been set up. Students, professors, researchers, scientists, and all kinds of media had gathered to hear the news of Aeternum's change of direction.
The people who had previously carried huge cameras to record now threw crystals into the air while controlling them with their magic, thus recording the videos. Magic was still something that couldn't be mixed with technology—not all of it, but much of it was. But that didn't stop better things from being invented to replace the old ones.
Harry Potter, now more mature with his hair combed neatly, smiled as he gave his speech. Hermione was already at his side. And when he finished, she handed him a magical pistol; this was her own created version of the Taurus Horn, which only worked with the magic of this world.
"I never told anyone the reason for naming this place Aeternum..." Harry smiled, surprising everyone a little. That had been a minor topic of discussion in the new wizarding community. There was a lot of speculation, and when asked, Harry just smiled and asked, "What do you think?"
"Aeternum means eternally..." he said, looking directly into Hermione's eyes while everyone else listened.
"It's no longer just about magic, research, and leaving all our efforts to the next generation, forever."
"Love... meaning... brotherhood... friendship... all kinds of bonds. I created this place as a meeting place for all races, species, and people. So that our bonds and will endure forever."
"Now, as the second Headmistress of Aeternum, it is your duty to maintain this." Harry released Hermione's hands, and she looked at her Taurus Horn, which now seemed much heavier than it had just seconds ago.
"From now until her successor appears, Hermione Jane Granger will be Headmistress of Aeternum!"
Applause was swift and could be heard throughout the venue.
. . .
Harry stretched a little as he looked up at the enormous branches of the World Tree. The feeling in this place was truly peaceful and pleasant. He decided to sit down and lean his back against the tree's enormous trunk.
"Uh... I never thought all this would be possible," Harry murmured with a smile on his face.
"Hey... why don't you two stop hiding?"
"I told you..." Daphne's voice immediately appeared. She and Hermione visibly appeared while their bodies seemed to change color. This was a new cloaking spell.
"What's happening to your body?" Hermione asked, biting her lip.
Harry looked down, noticing how his body began to glow faintly blue and was slowly disappearing.
"Ah... don't worry, it's nothing serious. I told you, right? I'm about to go on a new adventure."
"That doesn't answer anything, Harry!" Hermione lost her patience. "You just say that, but it still worries me! I don't even know if we'll ever see each other again!"
"I'll come back to visit... don't worry... you'll look uglier if you frown so much."
"So will you, Daphne."
Daphne just snorted in annoyance, but her eyes were clear evidence of how sad she was; her eyes were clouded as if she were about to cry.
"Fine, you annoying bastard!" Hermione snarled. "But you're not leaving before I tell you about something important!"
"What could that possibly be?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I love you!"
"....!" Harry's eyes widened as he stared at Hermione in shock.
"You may not feel the same way about me, but I still love you. You're a good man, and I haven't even been able to forget these feelings, no matter how hard I tried. I knew you didn't feel the same, but it just wasn't working!" Hermione began to cry as she let out her feelings.
"Kind... intelligent... cunning... strong... caring... It's hard not to fall in love with you, you know?" Daphne commented, her eyes closed as two tears fell down her cheeks.
"So are you... Is this one of the reasons why you seemed to fight, but also the closest of friends?" Harry asked, but he had a slightly sad smile as he felt his body was about to disappear from this world.
"We're friends..." Hermione nodded.
"But also rivals..." Daphne smiled wryly. "We're not so brats as to hate each other because we love the same man."
"Do you know the mixed feelings I'll have when I no longer see you? You're doing this on purpose."
"We women can be very vindictive, Harry. Remember that, in case you find a woman who catches your eye... wherever you go..." Daphne smiled as she looked at the man she had fallen in love with.
"Since you're taking revenge in this peculiar way, I'll leave you with a few words before I go." Harry stood up, but even though he could feel his legs, they were no longer visible. He looked at them seriously.
"The river of time has continued to flow since the dawn of the universe. A single tiny ripple carried with it countless years. Like the most terrifying Law of the universe, time moved forward with unstoppable momentum. No one knew where it came from, and no one knew where it would end. Even if one universe were destroyed and the next were born, the wheel of time would continue to turn."
"What are you saying?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
But Harry ignored her and smiled as he continued.
"Space is king; Time is emperor. So, the two concepts together form a myriad of things..."
"Just as a butterfly dies and a tornado forms elsewhere; at the same time, each decision can change many things and form many others."
"The universe is expanding and limitless..."
When Harry's head was only visible, he smiled at them tightly.
"Good luck, girls, trying to figure out what I mean. But it definitely has something to do with everything... if we meet again, I expect an answer."
"Wait, you annoying man!" Daphne yelled, stomping her feet. But her scream, more than annoyed, seemed sad and heartbroken. She didn't want Harry to leave.
"Daphne... come on, we have to prepare a speech for tomorrow."
"I'm sure people will ask why Harry isn't here," Hermione sighed sadly. Daphne could only nod and follow her friend and rival.
. . .
Harry appeared before Rias in the club room; it was already nighttime, and she was alone, waiting for Harry's arrival. But she hadn't expected to see him so depressed.
"What happened?"
Harry smiled at her wryly.
"Hermione and Daphne..." he sighed before sitting down and beginning to explain his final moments in her world.
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