No one bothered to pay attention to the lake after the second task. The Durmstrang ship had lost most of its shine. Walks around the lake had been unofficially banned after the uncharacteristic Grindyilows attack during the task. As such, no one cared to watch the lake on the night of the new moon.
A lone, graceful figure strode out of the water. Her skin, clothing, and hair were dry even though she had been submerged in the lake mere moments ago. She stood on the shore for a moment. Her skin was smooth, blemish free and pale. Her long black hair hung tussled down to the middle of her back. Red, full lips slipped into an amused smile as she beheld the castle before her.
The sounds of the night went quiet as she held up her hand. A raven swooped out from the forest to land deftly along her forearm. It cocked its head from side to side before it nipped at her arm.
"Hello." The bird cawed.
"Hello, beautiful." The woman cooed. "Will you swear to my service?"
The raven nodded. A swirl of magic surrounded it. The already intelligent bird felt its mind expand.
"Mistress." The raven inclined its head in a bow. "What will you have me do?"
"Find the one who holds the sword." She said as she stroked the bird.
"As you will." The raven leapt from her arm and sped off toward the castle.
"Now." She turned her attention to the lights of the nearby town. "Let's see how the world has changed."
~§~§~§~
Harry woke up but didn't move. Something felt different. There was a charge in the air like to moment before a static discharge. He was in his bed. In the dorm. Alone. Ron was off to the side snoring away. He could sense the other guys in their usual spots as well. Carefully, he slipped out of bed. He summoned his wand then thoroughly scanned the room. Everything was as it should.
He kept alert, even though he didn't find anything. Constant Vigilance and all that.
As much as he hated it, he had to put his wand away for a shower. He could use magic without a wand. All of his practice had done wonders, but there was just something comforting about having a wand in his hand. He told himself that he could summon the sword at will, as well as the Elder wand. Truly, he was never unarmed.
A swordfight in the showers would be rather awkward, though. His mind conjured images of a battle among the stalls. Pirates starred in the daydream rather than knights. They just seemed to fit better. He wondered if there were any classes, or instructors, he could take to use the sword efficiently. So far, he had only used it once in an actual fight and he didn't plan on fighting monsters on a regular basis. Maybe he could carry over the style to his dueling.
He made it out into the common room before his dormmates, even with the daydream swordfight. Harry came to a sudden stop when he saw Hermione in the common room. She desperately looked around for a way to escape.
A sense of rock of dread settled in his stomach. Harry sighed.
"Sit." Harry ordered as he pointed to a chair by the fire.
Hermione ducked her head as she scuttled over to the seat. Harry walked over and took the chair across from her. He sighed. She didn't look up at him. Her breath was fast and shallow.
"I didn't handle the situation with you well at all." Harry shook his head.
Hermione looked up at him at that.
"Tell me." Harry said in a tired voice. "If you found out someone you thought was a friend had betrayed you. Not just once, but for years. What would you do?"
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"Answer the question." Harry ordered.
"I'd make them pay." Hermione said quickly. "Friendship should be treasured, not tainted."
"When I look at you, it's all I can see." Harry stared through her. "You were my friend, Hermione. I thought you were my best friend. But you betrayed me."
Hermione scrunched her brow at that. She shook her head.
"We have never been friends." She stated.
"I took your memories." Harry said flatly. "You should know that it can be done."
Hermione nodded. She rubbed the side of her head.
"How many?" She whispered.
"Three years." Harry replied. "Someone told you to slip me potions and you did. You messed with my mind, it made sense to return the favor."
She stared at him for a long moment. He could almost see her going over her memories. From the look on her face, she found many places where things didn't line up. She gritted her teeth.
"I let my emotions get the best of me." Harry interrupted her thoughts. "Every time I look at you, I see the girl I thought was my friend. It breaks my heart every time I remember your betrayal. Hermione Jean Granger, I dissolve your service to House Potter. It would be too soon if we never crossed paths again."
"What about my memories?" Hermione asked as she regained her voice.
"I could try to restore them." Harry shrugged. "If you'd like."
He held up a hand before she could speak.
"You would remember that you betrayed me." He paused. "That you threw away our friendship. When I confronted you about it, do you know what you said?"
She shook her head.
"How did you know." Harry quoted. "Do you want to remember that life?"
Hermione glared at him. Emotion raged behind her eyes for a moment before it faded.
"No." She whispered.
"We're done." Harry stood. "Leave me alone and I'll do the same."
Hermione nodded.
~§~§~§~
The third task approached much too fast for his liking. Voldemort was dead, as were most of his followers, but there was still a lingering dread. Harry was almost completely certain that it was Dumbledore that had been behind his entry this time. The strange behavior from the grindylows proved that he had not taken a passive role in things. Subtle, but not passive.
There was the slight chance that it was someone else. He couldn't think of anyone. It wouldn't be the first time in his life when someone completely out of nowhere turned out to be the mastermind.
Harry worked on his physical conditioning when he wasn't in the library. He ran laps around the quidditch pitch. No one bothered to stop him. The maze was covered in a thick mist, so it was impossible to learn the layout. There would be traps, creatures, and all that if it held to the same pattern. The tasks hadn't changed, which meant he wasn't completely blind.
Cedric, Victor, and Fleur joined him after a couple of days. Unlike the previous tasks, they didn't talk strategy. They knew it was a maze, but anything else was speculation. He could see they were just as focused as he was. Cedric frequented the library as well. The other two most likely had resources at their disposal as well.
Fleur had warmed to him. She still avoided him, but at least she was polite about it now. They had superficial conversations. He didn't press the issue. She deserved a life without being tangled up in his drama. There was no need for the Order of the Phoenix to form again, which meant there was little reason for her to stick around. That would prevent her from meeting Bill. Harry hoped that without access to Molly that Bill couldn't slip her, or anyone, a potion. There was a branch in France even if Fleur got the same job at Gringotts.
He would only step in if Bill managed to cross her path. Harry had learned later in life that he actually enjoyed potions. Not only that, but he was also rather good at it. As an auror, he learned how to make a quick and dirty purifying draught that could cleanse a person from harmful potions. It was tasteless, which made it easy to give to someone in the throes of a love potion. They wouldn't willingly take something that would stop the feeling. It was ironic that the best way to treat a person who had a potion slipped to them was to slip another one. A vague statement of 'Tea makes everything better' before he gave whoever the drink covered his bases.
"Harry." A voice cut through his thoughts.
He looked up to see it was Parvati.
"Hey." He gave her a tired smile.
"That's it." She sighed. "Come with me."
Parvati took him by the hand and began to lead him down the hall. They passed a couple of empty classrooms before they came to a painting of a door. She knocked on it three times, paused, and knocked once more. The door inside the painting swung open to show a cozy lounge. Parvati pulled him inside. She pushed him down onto a comfy couch before she took a spot next to him.
"Where are we?" He asked as he took in the room around them.
The comfy couch they currently sat on was flanked by a couple of chairs. A desk along the far wall was covered in fabric and sewing supplies. There was a bed that looked like a smaller version of the ones from the dorms behind the couch. The main different being that It didn't have the four-posts or canopy to block things out.
"This is my workshop." She scooted over to the end of the couch. "Only Lav and Padma know about it."
Parvati patted her lap. Harry took the hint and laid his head on her thighs. She began to run her hands through his hair. He felt a wave of relaxation flow over him.
"That feels nice." Harry said as his eyes began to flutter.
"That's the point." Parvati chuckled. "You're an idiot."
"Hm?" Harry had to fight to keep his eyes open.
"You and Frenchie haven't hooked up yet." Parvati explained while she continued to run her hands through his hair.
"She deserves her own life." Harry mumbled. "I don't want to trap her here."
"Being with you isn't a trap." Parvati whispered.
Harry drifted off to sleep.
The dreams started out vague and formless. Flashes of half-formed thoughts mingled with the abstract. Suddenly, he found himself on an island that was surrounded by mist. The ruins of a castle were scattered along the ground. Pieces of what had once been stone walls were partially submerged. He wondered how big the island had been before it started to sink. Or was it that the water rose?
This didn't feel like a dream. It lacked the overbearing dread that the connection to Voldemort. Still, Harry could tell this was different than a normal dream.
The mist parted and a gorgeous woman strode through. She wore a black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her deep blue eyes met his. He braced himself for a mental attack, but none came. She strolled around the ruins before she stopped before a low wall. Gracefully, she hopped up onto it to take a seat.
"You are the one who carries Excalibur." She stated.
Harry nodded. She studied him. Her eyes roved over his body. Something in the way she looked at him changed. A sly smile crossed her face.
"You are a man out of time." She shifted her gaze to the mist.
He didn't respond. The energy he felt from her was the same that had woken him up weeks ago. That building static in the air. The feeling teased the edge of his mind. He could almost place it, but it was always just beyond his grasp.
"You have me at a disadvantage." Harry spoke finally.
"That I do." She giggled. "I can see his blood in you. It's the eyes."
"Who?" Harry asked slowly.
"A person I once knew." She waved off the question. "I have to say, the world has become much more interesting since I've been gone."
"What's your name?" Harry asked.
"What is yours?" She countered.
He knew enough to know that a name had power. It was a bad idea to give his name to her without a bargain. Similar to how he spoke with Sunrise, he had to state it without relinquishing control.
"You may know my name, but you will not have it." He said firmly.
She tilted her head back and let out a musical laugh.
"Clever." She gave him a small nod. "Let us not discuss our true names. What should I call you?"
Harry thought for a moment. He wanted something that was from himself, not something another had inspired. That removed any connection to his scar. People always commented on his eyes. Even this woman had. He didn't want to use that a link to that either. It wasn't something he had done, or earned, it simply was part of him.
He had always wanted to see what he would become as an animagus. Ever since he learned that his father and friends had become animagus the thought stuck with him. They each had names to go along with their animal forms as well. Many hours were spent musing about what his form would be. He could imagine himself as a black cat.
"Lucky." He said with a small smile.
"Nice to meet you, Lucky." She returned the smile. "You can call me Aderyn."
"Nice to meet you too." Harry said. "Your magic feels different."
Aderyn nodded. Harry waited for her to speak. She didn't provide any further explanation.
"How are you here?" He asked.
"I sought the one who held the sword." She replied easily. "Here you are."
"Why were you after the sword?" Harry pressed.
"Now, that's a question that cannot be answered without a bargain." Aderyn leaned forward.
His eyes flashed to her cleavage. Her smile took on a predatory edge. Damn teenage hormones.
"Trade an answer if you want one of your own." She teased as she shimmied a little farther forward.
"Ask your question then." Harry kept his eyes on hers.
"When next we meet." She leaned back. "I'll see you soon."