A/N Howdy ya'll, been a while, hasn't it? I had hoped to get this out sooner, but real life gets in the way more than I thought it would. Plus, if you've seen my profile, you know I've been having a problem with excess plot bunnies. Hopefully, that problem has been solved for the moment. There will probably be a few more popping out of the woodwork, but if I can get them down onto virtual paper, the less distracted I'll be. (BTW, A small shout out to Oh God Not Again! is near the end. Check it out if you ever get the chance!) And as always, any and all reviews are welcome!

Anyways, thank you all for your patience, and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 9 - Brilliant Shades

Disclaimer: In no way do the characters/settings/anything relating to Harry Potter or League of Legends belong to me. I'm just having some fun in a sandbox.

Harry Potter was jogging through the decrepit remains of what appeared to be a once great city. He passed the many ruins that lined the streets of the former metropolis, not giving heed to a single alien structure. A green glow was growing behind him, overpowering the orange and red sunlight that was fading from the sky. Making his way through the rapidly darkening light, he turned to his head to his companion. "What were those things that Kassadin warned us about?" Took us bloody forever to get his name. I swear that the man must love to talk in circles.

Casually skirting around a crumbled pillar, Lux, tossed back her reply. "Voidlings. Makes a bit of sense if you think about it. They can't send anything powerful through, but they will send through whatever they can to keep the ruin infested." Pausing in speech momentarily to light her rod, brightening their general area, she continued. "I didn't run into any the other night while you slept the day away. They either must be concentrated in this part of the ruin, or we were simply not found. I would hazard to guess the former."

Harry just shook his head to himself. "Great. So where are the blighters now?" Casting Lumos with his own wand to help Lux, they continued to quickly make their way. Passing by house after derelict house, they kept up the pace. Yet, nothing was coming out. As the sun itself finally slid under the horizon, he stopped. As Lux came up beside him, he caught his breath before saying, "This is getting worrisome. We've caught neither hide nor hair of anything yet."

Lux just nodded slowly as she dusted off her shirt. "It is. Perhaps we've just been lucky and nothing is going to be coming our way. Or we've already gotten outside of their territory." Who am I kidding? Knowing our luck, there could be one breathing down my neck right now.

Harry just glanced over, stretching his wand arm out. As the light passed over his companion, he noticed an odd glint behind her. Refocusing his beam on the location of the glint, he asked, "Lux? I don't suppose that these 'voidlings' look like giant four legged bugs, do they?"

Closing her eyes before sighing dramatically, she gripped her rod just the slightest bit tighter. I get the feeling that they are screwing with us on purpose. "That they do. Ugly things, aren't they?" Gathering her magic, she inhaled, before shooting Light Binding at the creature behind her, before swinging the rod backwards as she turned to follow it up with an overcharged shot. Momentarily watching it sail into the distance, she shook herself out of the stupor before turning back to Harry. "I suppose now would be a good time to leave?"

Nodding ruefully back to her, Harry tightened his grip on his own wand. "Quite. Stay close to me. Best to try to get out while we've still the chance." Taking off towards the exit, he used his wand as a spotlight, trying to find anything that might be hiding. "You keeping up back there."

Not wanting to spare the breath, Lux just grunted as she focused on keeping the area around them lit. Now that the first voiding had been taken care of, more and more of the skittering creatures were beginning to emerge. "I think we're gonna be having company here real soon, though."

Harry just snorted to himself, deadpanning, "you don't say?" Continuing to weave throughout the streets, he kept his wand at the ready. Yet, none of the creatures came out. What are the buggers waiting for? Coming across a corner in the road, he slowed down and stared down the ancient street. Oh. That'd be it. In the street were dozens of the creatures. Their eyes glowed as they stared at the two of them. Glaring back at the small army, Harry turned his head just enough to look at Lux, whom had just come up behind him. "So," he began, "We go through them?"

Grimacing slightly, Lux nodded slowly. "I suppose that we do." With her yes glancing back and forth, still trying to see if there was any other way out of the area, she sighed softly. "You know Harry, I might begin to think you're trouble. Haven't needed to deal with this much mayhem in… well, ever."

Harry just snorted to himself, while he raised his wand. "I suppose I am a trouble magnet. I've risked my life more times than I have fingers on my hand." He paused for a second, before sheepishly shrugging. "Even the sport I play is dangerous, just in how it is played. Although no one has died in years." In front of them, a chittering sound began to rise in the air as the voidlings began to move toward them.

Chuckling softly, she raised her rod to match him. "I suppose that is yet another thing that you need to tell me about. If we ever do get out of trouble, of course." Idly, she began to twirl the rod between her fingertips, letting light magic swirl around it. "However, I don't suppose that we should be really talking about this right now. These creatures aren't going to stand there forever." Her rod snapped forward, pelting a few with light energy and flinging them away. "I suggest that we get moving."

Merely nodding, Harry stepped forward, flicking his wand up in preparation for his first spell. Let's see. Looks like a hard shell. Don't care about being gentle. Reductor Curse would probably be the best bet. A few more flicks of his wand had several motes of light streaking through the air, impacting the area around the creatures. Rocks flew from the paved road into the voidlings, nicking their carapaces and slowing them down. A second volley blasted into the voidlings themselves, cracking the shell. Those that were injured fell behind, letting the healthier reserves surge ahead. Second by second, they grew closer, ignoring their own losses to close in on the two. As they became too close for comfort, Harry incanted Protego, forming a shield between the two sides. "Buggers are tougher than they look. Still want to do this?"

Lux gave him a wan smile. "It's either take them out here, or we go through the alleys. Hoping they don't ambush them in close quarters. In which we're at our weakest." Her smile became a bit cocky. "Besides, you are telling me that you don't have anything more impressive than that?"

Harry just grumbled. "I didn't know that this was a competition. We going to keep score now, too?" Feeding a bit more magic into the shield, he forced back the voidlings, who were still trying to scrape past it. "In all serious, I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to that. But I guess it's a moot point, isn't it?" He drew the wand back behind his head, its tip lighting up as magic concentrated on the end. Harry breathed in deeply, slowly breathing out the spell as his wand flung forwards. Bombarda Maxima!

The white ball of magic arced towards the group of voidlings, before detonating in the midst of the crowd. The thump of the explosion rang in their ears as the body parts of many voidlings streaked through the air, accompanied by the screams of their living and mostly whole brethren. Harry watched the results of his spell with some measure of shock. Didn't really expect it to be that effective… Odd. He was shaken out of his ruminations by Lux, who was pulling at his elbow.

"Wake up Harry, we need to get moving!" Her eyes were darting back and forth between Harry and the small chittering sounds behind the two of them. That was impressive. Why would he hold back like that if he has such a power? Or is that his strongest ability? She tugged on his arm again. "We need to move now! Those bugs you killed have friends on the way, and I doubt they're here for tea!" I'll ask him later. When we've got a moment of peace. Whenever that might be. As she finally got Harry moving with her, she cast a Singularity into their tracks. It will slow them down a little bit at least.

The pair continued to run down the road, following the brick road to the last remaining vestiges of light. The chitter continued to grow behind them, with stray voidlings coming into sight. Giving them the barest attention, they blasted them back into the darkness with a swipe from their wands. Eventually, they reached the outskirts of the cursed town, the brick and mortar being exchanged for dirt and woods. A quarter of an hour later found them finally slowing down, with the city's green glow gone, along with the sun. Lit only by the glow of Lux's rod, they came to a stop in a random copse in the forest.

Leaning against one of the trees, Harry chuckled while catching his breath. "So, that good enough for you? We at least got out of there… I just hope that here ends up better."

Lux softly joined in with his laughter, leaning against the tree next to him. "That worked quite well, if I do say so." She slid down, plopping down on the dirt with her rod at the side. "Although I still say that you're trouble personified. Did you break a mirror shop where you came from?"

Harry just shook his head, still leaning against the tree. "If I did, I don't remember doing something like that. Maybe I was just really evil in a past life or something." He shook his head ruefully, before muttering Lumos under his breath.

While Harry looked around through the woods with his lit wand, Lux just sat and rested for a few more seconds, before grinning slightly. "Well, you can't say it wasn't just a bit fun?"

He stopped before looking back at Lux. A sheepish grin spread over his face. "Well, I suppose I can say it was a bit fun. But let's get out of here before we have too much. Alright?"

Lux nodded sagely, before picking herself back up. "If you insist. I shall refrain from involving you in fun for at least the next twenty-four hours. Satisfactory?"

Harry sighed dramatically, before punching her gently in the shoulder. "You're terrible." The grin on his face showed that he didn't mean it though. After receiving naught but a small giggle in response, he stayed silent, before letting the happy expression slide from his face. "I suppose we should be moving onward, then. We need to find shelter before too long. I don't fancy sleeping out here, with who knows what in these woods."

Retrieving her rod, Lux started walking, with Harry joining her at her side. "I agree. Don't want any of those insects catching up to us. Hate the things." After a few more moments of silence, she turned her head to him. "But since we're just walking… What is this sport that you told me about? The one you play?"

Harry again chuckled. "Since we've the time… The first thing you should know that it is called Quidditch. It's a wizard only sport with seven players a side…"

-oo-

In short order, the pair had reached a mountain range that surrounded the city. While hard to tell in the dark, they eventually found what appeared to be a cave in the side of the largest mountain. As both of them were tired, with Lux yawning every third step, they decided it would be the best place to stop for the night. Harry ushered her in without any fanfare, before turning back to the entrance. A few levitation charms afterwards, and the cave was blocked off from any monsters outside.

Lux had, in the meantime, dropped off most of their supplies and had set about to making a fire. As Harry returned, he found her quietly chanting, before a ball of fire leapt from her hands onto the pile of sticks. He gave her an odd look, prompting her to explain tiredly. "I am a mage… Wouldn't it be a bit stupid to not know other magic? It's just not my strongest suit." Harry just nodded before sitting down next to the fire. The girl next to him had taken part of her cloak and wadded it up to make a temporary pillow. With a muttered goodnight, she had left him there staring at the fire.

Now alone with his thoughts, Harry wondered how his own world was doing. hoping they weren't freaking out too much at his disappearance. The thought made him laugh a bit. Mrs. Weasley would not do that. She still cares about us. I wonder what kind of lecture I'm going to get when I return? Not really wanting to imagine that, Harry's thoughts also became silent, with him being entranced by the fire that slowly grew before dying in front of his eyes. I just hope this is worth it. My brain tells me that something feels wrong. But… I can trust Lux at least. She's already saved me twice. So I owe her that much at the least.

While the last few embers flickered off, his thoughts turned to earlier. That Bombarda shouldn't have been so easy to cast. The few times I tried it when I thought about showing it to the DA, it drained me a lot. I suppose it's just this world being so much more magical. Or have I become that much stronger in four days? He shook his head at the incredulous thought. No matter. I just need to get up early so I can test myself. If anything else has changed…

Looking back at Lux, he saw that she had curled herself up, shivering slightly. Since the fire had finally died out, the cave was slowly becoming cold again. Smiling to himself, he retrieved his trunk before restoring it. Taking his winter cloak out, he tiptoed over to her, laying the cloak over her. Not noticing the small smile still remained on his face, he walked back over to the trunk, pulling out a spare change of clothes. Fashioning them as a pillow, he laid himself down.

As he fell asleep, a whispered thank you drifted through the quiet of the caves.

-oo-

The Archmage Traven found himself consulting Madam Miranda over the condition of one Subject 47b. Subject 47b… They seem determined to dehumanize him. Why? Do they believe that they will have to put him down? Or are they just afraid. I wonder. While he had been able to stall a bit in committee, he personally wanted to ensure that there was nothing to fear. Without being able to keep tabs on the unknown, they were hesitant to leave him be. Cowardly bastards, the lot of them.

The madam of the institute, however, was not making things easy on him. She had run nothing more than basic scans, which proved that Mr. Potter was a magician. That in and of itself helped nothing, as it was the caliber of magician that scared them. And since they couldn't keep tabs on him anymore, it wasn't enough.

Of course, it didn't help that the whole time he was attempting to ask questions, Madam Miranda was lambasting him for his rough treatment of Mr. Potter. How he had been injured so badly in a Judgement; it was unheard of. All he could do was offer his sympathies and attempt to explain. He knew it was odd, for there was no way he should have been hurt. Especially as the Judgement had been purely mental. Something else had interfered and caused the injuries, transferring them to the actual boy.

This was not nearly good enough for her, as she railed on and on about how many health potions the poor dear had needed before he recovered. It was as if his body had wanted to reject the potions at first, which was unheard of. Eventually, however, he was able to calm her down and tell what else she had discovered about him.

It wasn't too much. No otherwise distinguishing characteristics from her basic health scan. Besides being a little underweight and slightly malnourished. That will go a long way to convincing the council that he's not a threat. Other than that, there were only two rather odd marks. Apparently, on the back of his left hand, words had been cut into his skin. Often enough, it seems, to scar over. On top of that, the wound was cursed. Not obviously, but cursed it was. It was as if someone wanted to make sure he did lose the scar, ever. Had he been persecuted in his old world?

On top of that cursed scar, something even more disturbing appeared in the lightning bolt scar that adorned his forehead. It was truly dark magic, not like the borderline dark that graced his hand. Apparently, in all that darkness in his forehead, there was something else. A magical core of its own. Either way, it wasn't good. Scribbling a reminder down, he made sure that he went to check in the libraries to see if he could remove the curse. Whatever it is, it would be neither good nor healthy for Mr. Potter to keep it.

Traven was broken from his ruminations by Miranda, asking why the sudden inquisition. Looking about to make sure they were alone, he leaned down to speak with her. He told her enough to take care of herself. She needed to watch out, for something not quite right is going on. Noxus was making a power play, and the powers that be in the League were willing to let it happen. She knew that she would probably be questioned soon. But she knew that it was coming. She told him that she would be ready.

Leaving Miranda to the bustle of the hospital, Traven left to use the library of the Institute. Surely something was in there that would solve the dilemma of how to remove a magical core from someone without killing him. If there was only a way...

-oo-

Hours later, Harry awoke to the silence of the cave. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he cracks them open, finding dawn has begun to seep through the holes in his earthen barricade. Seeing that Lux was asleep, he quietly placed everything sans his cloak into the trunk before shrinking it, and sneaking towards the back of the cave. He wished he had a way to muffle sounds, but he just hoped that she wouldn't hear too much.

After a bit of exploring, he actually found a second part of the cave that was mostly isolated. Grinning at his good fortune, he quickly entered. Without any light to guide him, he stopped for a minute to think of a solution. Well, can't use Lumos and cast spells at the same time, so I need something else for light. A fire? He paused, his brow furrowing. But there is nothing to light, and no wood. Heh, I sound exactly like Hermione. But what sort of magic fire could I create then? She never would tell us how to make those bluebell flames. I think she liked them too much.

Harry snorted, before going back into his thoughts. So what would that leave? I know she made us learn a bunch of rather… random spells, for the DA. Wait… Wasn't one of them the one Voldemort used in the Chamber? What was it exactly? Looking at what he knew to be a stone wall, he cautiously pointed his wand at it while incanting Flagrate.

A burst of fire flew from the end of his wand, before petering out. Giving his wand an odd look, he just shook his head. Right spell then… but wrong emphasis? If Hermione were here, she'd probably be telling me how I was pronouncing it wrong. Scratching his chin, he shrugged before cautiously repeating the spell, putting the emphasis on the gra in Flagrate.

This time, the fire stayed lit the entire time, making its way to the rock where it stayed lit. Smiling with a sense of satisfaction, Harry cast it at a few other rocks to give him an appropriate level of light. Quietly incanting Bombarda again, he watched it streak across the cave.

The results, while still not as impressive as the night before, were much greater than he expected. Harry was still stumped as he watched rocks and other various bits detach from the ceiling and impact the ground. I've never gotten a large impact with that spell. Sure, it has always affected a large area, but it was mostly to knock someone down who was not expecting it. This is… nice, I suppose. He knew that it was an obvious comparison, since he had not used the full power version of the spell. He was loath to do as such, since he was underground. Don't want the ceiling crashing down on top of me, after all.

Out of curiosity, he began to cast his other spells that were less than safe in combat. His Incendio covered a much wider area, with some of the flames licking blue instead of the traditional red. His Confrigo also provided similar results, even catching a rock on fire. Even the odd Deprimo that Hermione drilled into their heads was amplified, creating a veritable whirlwind inside the chamber.

As he continued to examine his spells, his mind again started to wander. Speaking of Hermione, I wonder what she's doing? It's been four full days now. Is she looking up teleportation spells? Bugging the Order to do something to find us? Or has she been persuaded that they are doing all they can? He snorted. Even if she has, she's still probably cooped up in the Library, looking for a way to help. If only she could know… His thought process was interrupted by an Incarcerous that he cast, which summoned several rod's length of chain, which clattered to the floor. Jumping at the sound, he looked around before nullifying the spell.

It's kinda funny actually. Ron and I accidentally rescue Hermione from a bloody troll, and we become friends. And Lux has rescued me not once, but twice. He snorted. If only I believed in coincidences. It's just somewhat odd. A stray Defodio managed to crack the walls of the cave, along with gouging a deep hole behind that gap. Well, I need to play a bit of catch up here. I know what to do, but Stunners probably won't cut it anymore. Looks like I'll have to get used to these curses. Just glad that they got a lot easier… Wouldn't fancy fighting a dozen Death Eaters without this.

Harry decided that he had spent enough time testing, and that he needed to go wake up Lux. He wiped the sweat off of his brow, pausing only to catch a whiff of a fragrant odor. Bloody hell, I stink. I can't wait till we get to some civilization, and a shower. Even a pond would be good now. As he reached the entrance he had found, he had almost crossed the threshold when the magical fires he had set winked out. Looking at them oddly, he wondered if he had somehow canceled them accidentally. Before he could ponder it, a chill swept over his body, making his neck hairs stand up on end.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he made out a dark mass making his way towards him.

-oo-

All this time, Lux had been sleeping soundly, enjoying a pleasant dream. Oblivious to her companion's actions, she had let the dream continue, slowing coming back to consciousness. However, the chill that enveloped her friend, slowly came over her also. She unconsciously gripped the cloak tighter, attempting to stave off the cold. Nonetheless, it continued to grip her. Slowly Lux shivered awake, as her breath began to show in the frosty air.

Not wanting to wake up, she attempted to curly into a ball, but found it ineffective. Blinking quickly and rubbing any sleep out of her eyes, she looked around for Harry, to see why it had gotten so cold. Wait. He's not here… None of his stuff. Did he, leave…? A sudden flash of light from the opposite of the entrance knocked that irrational fear away from her head. Suddenly, she found herself wide-awakeand reaching for her rod. Is that a shadow beast? Here? Are we that close to the Voodoo Lands? If so, this is worrisome… No, just bad. Very bad. Quickly tossing off the cloak, she sped off to assist her friend against the monster.

-oo-

After snapping out of his stupor, Harry quickly brought his wand up to cast Lumos. Please don't be a dementor… As the light revealed it, the creature recoiled slightly, before solidifying and advancing again. Looks like one of the bears from the colonies… except bigger. And with glowing eyes. That can't be good. After staring at each other for a moment, the bear charged straight at Harry, who dodged to the side. He made sure to keep his wand at the ready, pointing at the bear at all times. It quickly turned around though, facing him.

The Lumos kept the bear solid, but prevented Harry from attacking. Quickly deciding to take a risk, he cast Incendio seconds after canceling the other spell. The flames lit up the cave for a moment as the bear seemed to catch on fire. However, the bear seemed to shift back to an incorporeal state, extinguishing the flames on it. Eyes widening, he decided to try other spells, and ended up casting a few Bombardment and Blasting curses at the beast. Its roars made him think that he had hit something, which lightened his spirit momentarily. An even angrier roar signaled that it was charging him again, which prompted Harry to put a shield up. Before it reached him though, a prison of light sprang up around the creature.

Lux was visibly tense after seeing her friend get run down. However, with her Binding in place, she was able to relax. I should be able to keep it up long enough to figure out what to do. As long as there aren't anymore around here. "Harry, get over here, quickly."

Harry quickly made his way over to her side, the beast snarling at him the entire way. "Thanks for that, the bugger came out of nowhere. Was just trying out a few things, and when I had my back turned…" His voice trailed off, while shrugging at the bear. "That thing showed up."

Shaking her head, she couldn't help but chuck at the though that popped up into her head. "And here you had me thinking that you were lying about having fun last night. I wake up, and you're gone, fighting something without me."

He couldn't help but snort, while deadpanning an answer. "Of course, that's the only reason I was fighting. For the sport of it."

"Well, you do play a sport that has iron balls seeking to bludgeon you into a human goo…" She pointed out in response.

Harry just shrugged. "I suppose you have me there. But enough banter. How are we supposed to get rid of the bear?"

Lux quickly wiped the grin off her face. "Yes, the bear. This is a creature from the Voodoo Lands. I'm surprised it's all the way up here though…" At Harry's quizzical look, she shook her head. "Never mind the details, it's not important at the moment. All that matters is that they can be defeated in two ways. One is the rather judicious usage of large amounts of magic, or to use magic that is as insubstantial as it."

Raising an eyebrow, Harry finally got a word in. "Insubstantial magic? Like a tickling charm?"

"Not… quite." A tickling charm? I suppose that 'could' be useful… if not rather limited. Who invents all these spells in his world?" Lux reached a hand up to her forehead, wiping a bead of sweat off. No pondering now, using enough energy to keep the beast trapped. "No, rather, it involves the usage of something insubstantial. Or magic powered by insubstantial things. Emotions, I suppose you might could say."

Harry just looked back and forth between her and the beast. "Really? Just emotions? I might have an idea then…" He aimed the wand at the beast before looking at Lux. "How long can you hold him there?"

Lux just grimaced as another bead of sweat crept down her forehead. "Not too much longer. On top of the magic just to maintain the spell, it's struggling rather hard. And this spell is not designed to be used this way."

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Harry simply replied, "ok." Not wanting to risk getting the spell wrong, he tried to find the happy feeling he needed to fuel it. Don't want to screw it up and start panicking… Just need think of something happy. Seeing Hermione and Ron again is good. The smile crept on his face, before dropping. But… That means I won't see Lux. But why is that so bad? I've only known her for a few days. So why does it matter so much?

Her own eyes darting back and forth, Lux quietly spoke to Harry. "Hurry up please, Harry, I don't want to risk this thing getting loose." Her hand began to shake a bit as she held the rod at the target.

Dammit, now I am panicking. Ok, Harry, think of something. What else will work… Unbidden, the strange feeling that he had last night arose. I… I guess that works. But it's not the same, is it? But I've got that in my head, might as well use it. His ears had begun to burn slightly, but he ignored it as he focused on the memory. Here goes nothing. Expecto Patronum!

Harry gave a sigh of relief as the familiar, silver stag leapt from his wand. For a moment, it stared at the shadow beast. The Patronus tilted its head while doing so, seemingly judging the creature. In the blink of an eye, though, the Patronus had lowered its head and charged at the shadow beast. It roared, struggling to get out of the way. Unable to do so, the Patronus struck it squared, antlers piercing its hide. As the Binding failed, the stag kept charging with the bear attached to it. An odd sound halfway between that of a crunch and a squirt issued from the shadow bear, as the Patronus pinned it up to the wall. Still struggling, now in fear instead of anger, the beast began clawing to get away. It was for naught, as a burst of light emanated from the stag, burning away the shadow beast in a field of light.

Lux just stood and stared at the Patronus as it trotted back. With a pat on its nose from Harry and a whispered word, it nuzzled him before disappearing. Seeing that everything was gone, she broke her silence. "Harry… What in the world was that?"

He just grinned sheepishly at her. That? It was a Patronus. It's a type of guardian spell. At least it's the best way to put it. It's mostly for protection against the worse type of creatures in our world, like dementors." At the mention of dementors he shivered. "That's what I thought it was initially. It made the same chill in the air that they make. But when I saw it wasn't it, the thought completely fled my mind."

Lux placed a hand on his shoulder, guiding him gently back into the first part of the cave. "What is a dementor? It sounds like it would be some sort of demon."

Harry just nodded as he let her guide him. "I suppose so. If it isn't, it's the closest thing I know to one." He took a deep breath. "They are horrible creatures. Just one can drain the happiness and warmth from anybody and anything near them." Seeing the look of horror and surprise on her face, he just nodded. "Yup. It's that bad. But that isn't the worst part. You see, if they get close enough, they can try to give you the Dementor's Kiss… Which sucks out your soul."

Lux's eyes widened. "It sucks your soul? But, wouldn't it be better just to be killed? To live without your own soul…"

He met her look with a glum nod. "Indeed. They're some of the worst sort of creatures imaginable. Able to drain everything happy, make you relive your worst memories whenever you're near…" He sighed. "And our bloody government decided they were best used for staffing our prison."

Her eyes widened even further, before she tilted her head. "Wait a second, whose brilliant idea is that? It sounds like a way to oppress people, with just the threat of being sent to them."

Harry shrugged. "It makes sense. I've never thought about it too much, but it does seem like a power play. What's worse though, is they put the things around the school. To guard it. From an innocent man."

Placing her hands against her forehead, she growled slightly before trying to shake out her thoughts. "Again, whose brilliant idea was that? At least the spell you used must be common enough. That way the kids could have a chance to protect themselves. Right?"

"No, it isn't." He sighed to himself. "It's a really difficult peace of magic. I think that even a few of the professors can't cast it. Especially our defense teacher for this year." Leaning against the cave wall, he slid down, staring at one of the motes of light that had leaked through the pinpricks in the door.

"That… that sounds terrible." Lux joined beside him. "You said they were doing it to catch an innocent man? Why would they be chasing him with those, things?"

He just gave a wan smile. "Remember, they were guarding my school. They were actually sent to protect me from him. Because they believe that he sold out my parents to the man who killed them. Along with killing twelve other people."

Lux looked down, not sure exactly what she could say to that. Eventually she reached out to squeeze his arm gently. "I'm sorry…" An unsure expression crossed her face, which resolved when she asked, "But you say he is innocent though?"

Harry nodded. "He is. Especially since he's my godfather. The man who did the crime was actually in hiding for twelve years. And when we tried to catch him, he got away." A pained look crossed his face. "That's why he's still wanted by the Ministry."

Lux just squeezed his arm again, a sad smile on her face. "At least he's still alive, right?" After a few moments, broken only by his small yes, she asked, "What happened after you found he was innocent? If you had found him, from the sounds of it, someone else must have too…"

Harry softly replied, "They did. Some of the professors… and the dementors." He shook himself out of the memory. "There were hundreds of them. I had gotten separated from my friends, was tired, and nearly hurt. I was doing my best to defend me and Sirius, but there were so many, I couldn't cast the charm. They got closer and closer, almost ready to perform the kiss…" He chuckled a bit. "And Hermione ended up saving us all."

Lux blinked, clearly not expecting that. She tilted her head in confusion. "How is that?"

The expression on Lux's face made him laugh a bit longer. "She had a time turner. Something that allowed us to go back in time. We ended up helping ourselves. The first time through, I saw a man cast the Patronus to save us. I thought it was my father." Harry issued a rueful laugh. "A bit funny, isn't it? At least in retrospect." Seeing her still confused look, he kept going. "Anyway, so I was waiting in the bushes, watching the dementors attack both me and Sirius." Harry couldn't help but mutter to himself, "it's kinda surreal, seeing yourself attacked like that." Shaking himself again, he kept going. "Anyway. I was waiting for my dad to show up. But as the seconds ticked by, I had realized something. I had never seen my dad. I had actually seen myself."

Lux's expression cleared up as the answers fell into place. "That is quite the tale. So you ended up casting the spell to save yourself, and this Sirius?"

Nodding to her, he stretched. "My godfather. And yes. It was only the second time I had every cast it successfully. But since I had already done it in the future, I knew I could do it then." As he actually thought about what he said, his eyes crossed. "I hate time magic sometimes…"

Lux laughed. "Indeed. But I think we need to get moving. We've spent quite a lot of time already. We should get moving." She picked herself up, before offering a hand to Harry. "Not that I don't enjoy story time. But we can talk some more while we move."

Taking her hand, Harry rolled his eyes. "I suppose we can then." Before she pulled him up, though, he grabbed the cloak. "This help you last night?"

Grinning sheepishly, Lux tittered while pulling him up. "Yeah, it did. Thanks again."

Harry just smiled back. "You're welcome." Looking back at the cave entrance, he examined it before turning to Lux. "So, which way do you think we should be headed?"

Her expression turning thoughtful, Lux stroked her chin. "Well, consider that those shadow bears are a native of the Voodoo Lands… So we have to be near them." Seeing him nod, she continued. "There are only two major mountain ranges near that swamp, and since we were going south last night…" Nodding to herself, Lux turned to face the exit. "The nearest city would be Bandle City, across the mountains. And since there isn't a very good pass over the mountains, we need to go either over or around. Which… might take a while."

Harry almost opened his mouth to agree, before he remembered something before the fight. "Wait a second. That beast had to come from somewhere, right? And the door is sealed tightly enough that it couldn't have come through there." Lux slowly agreed with him. "Well, I cast an excavation spell earlier. Maybe I broke into another cave system, which we can go through to get to the other side?"

She snorted to herself. "Are you suggesting that we go through the caves where that one bear lived, and where there might be more?" Garnering little more than a nod in assent, she sighed. "Well, I suppose that will work. I can't imagine two of the creatures in close space. But if anything happens, I'm blaming you for being a trouble magnet. Ok?"

Harry just laughed to himself. "If you insist then. Alright, let's get going. We need to get going." As they walked towards the back chamber, he mused outlaid, "I keep feeling like we're forgetting something." Not three seconds later, his stomach made his presence known.

Lux burst out laughing. "True, I suppose that breakfast might have been forgotten somewhere along the line. Come on, let's eat. We can get moving afterwards."

-oo-

As it turned out, Harry's accidental tunnel did indeed lead out to another cave system. On top of that, it was a rather large system, leading south towards their destination. Relieved by their good fortune, the two youths set out through the caves.

After an hour of walking in a comfortable silence, with but the occasional drip of water from the rare budding stalactites interrupting, Lux turned to her companion. There were still many things that she wanted to ask him, but what had become apparent was how little she truly knew. He hasn't spoken much of his life on the other side, just the basics. He also keeps mentioning this Hermione. I wonder who she really is? He's never really bothered to tell me about her, nor any of his other friends. "Harry? Mind if I ask something?"

Harry nearly jumped at the sudden sound. "Sure you can. What's troubling you?"

Lux stopped to pull herself up to the next level. Looking back to ensure Harry had no trouble following, she replied. "Nothing much. I was just curious about your friends. You've mentioned Hermione a lot, for example, but you've never really talked about her."

Harry just slapped his head, the smack echoing in the chamber. "I'm a daft git, aren't I? Hadn't told you much about them, and I keep prattling on, expecting you to understand."

Lux just chuckled before smiling back at him. "You hardly are daft, nor are you a git. Whatever that is." Ducking under an arch, she continued, "I was just curious. We've been busy, either fighting or on the run or just getting you acclimated. We've not had a time to talk much about mundane things."

"I gotcha. Especially with you having fun the past day or so." He laughed after dodging a shove from her, before quieting down. The echo is rather unsettling… "So, my friends… I guess I would start out with Ron and Hermione. They've been my two best friends since I went to Hogwarts. And they could not be the most complete opposites I have ever seen."

Nodding to herself, she continued to walk beside him. "How exactly are they different?"

Harry laughed to himself. "Oh, in more ways than I could count. She is the most intelligent person I know, and he is a bit slothful. He loves Quidditch, and she tolerates it. She always tries to compose herself with manners, while he leaves his on the house elf's washboards…" He shook his head, still laughing a bit. "Although they have both gotten better the past couple of years. Ron especially. But he does have his moments…"

Lux raised an eyebrow at that statement. "Moments?"

He shrugged, the laughter fading from his eyes. "Moments. He has always been hotheaded. So if he thinks someone insulted him or his own, even if no one ever meant to…" Harry sighed. "He didn't believe me when I was entered into a tournament against my own will. It took a month and me fighting a dragon to change his mind."

She couldn't help it. She laughed. "A dragon Harry? You don't do anything in half measures, do you?"

He gave her a bemused look before joining. "I suppose not. But that was, not a fun time. He also yelled at Hermione later that year for supposedly betraying me in the tournament." Harry shrugged. "He is a teenager. Hell, I'm still a teenager. I've screwed up myself. It makes us human."

Lux nodded sagely. "You're right. Plus, there is one other thing." She waited until she had his full attention to continue. "You're both teenage boys. You should be glad that's the most you've screwed up."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I suppose that I will listen to my elders then, in that regard." This time, he didn't see the shove coming, and collided with the wall.

Lux waited for Harry to stop muttering his plots of revenge to continue. "Anyways, what about Hermione?"

After a few moments, Harry answered. "She's a godsend, is what she is. She's probably the reason I'm still alive today. Since she is the one that made us study for the first few years. And she always has been the most opinionated of the three of us." The thought brought a smile to his lips. "She will always do what she thinks is right, especially for her friends. Even if it hurts her."

The two rounded a large bend as the slope of the tunnel turned upwards. When they cleared it, Lux asked, "What do you mean?"

Harry looked down at the ground. "Something stupid. I was sent a broom as a present once, in my third year. A present with no signature. It was… is the best broom on the market. When Ron and I saw it, we were ecstatic. Hermione on the other hand, was suspicious. So she alerted our Head of House, so that she could take it away and have it inspected. The two both thought it had been sent by someone to kill me. Sirius Black."

Lux shook her head in disbelief. "So she was right to think he sent it, but it was fine?"

Harry gazed into the distance. "Yup. It flies like a dream." Harry shook himself out of his reverie. "But yeah, once she found out, she rubbed it in our faces for a week. Not like we didn't deserve it, of course."

Having to chuckle, she agreed. "You did, but it happens, I suppose. Any other stories that you care to share?"

Harry began saying, "Well, there is one…" Seeing Lux's eager look, he laughed. "Ok, ok. I'll talk. Back when I first arrived at Hogwarts, I was a friend with Ron whom I had just met. There was a girl on the train that we had met, who was incredibly bossy. And a bit of a teacher's pet. She'd never do anything wrong. Well, we didn't get along much at first, but the months went by slowly until the end of the month of October. Halloween."

Lux quickly answered, "And something happened?"

He echoed her sentiment. "And something happened. In our charm's class, we were learning our first spell. Ron was having a tough time with it, not getting it quite right, so this girl ends up critiquing him. He takes it as an affront to him, so he insults her. That it's no wonder she doesn't have any friends." Seeing the look she was giving him, he looked down, ears burning. "I know, it gets better, though. Trust me."

He continued, "So, we don't see her for the rest of the day. Turns out she was hiding in a bathroom, crying. It… wasn't very good of us. I should have said something. Even though we weren't friends… Anyway." At this, he gave an awkward cough. "At dinnertime, we were feeling pretty bad. Ron especially. And in comes running the Defense Professor. Which has a whole 'nother story behind it. But I digress.

The two weaved through a few more odd cave scenery. "He comes running in, and announces a troll is in the dungeons." Before she can ask, he explains. "Big nasty creature, twelve feet tall, with a big club. And very ugly."

Lux just snorts. "We have trolls too. Except they are a lot shorter. Everything else sounds right though."

"Aye. So, in the commotion, we realize the one person who doesn't know of the troll. That girl." Seeing her dawning realization, he continued telling. "So I decide to go tell her, and persuade Ron to come with me. We figure that the girl is a few floors above the dungeons, so no harm, right?"

"Well, we make our way through the empty school, and come across a corridor with an open door. At the very end, we hear the shuffling of something big, nasty, and ugly." Harry pauses to help Lux up a rather tall obstacle, before she pulls him up. "So, we stand stock still, and the troll shuffles its way down the corridor, and into the room. We jump up in relief, run to the door, and lock him in. We are very excited that we managed to accomplish such a feat. Until we hear the scream.

Lux gasps. "Oh no…"

Harry quips, "Yup. Out of all the empty rooms in an entire bloody castle, it decides to waddle into the one room with someone in it. Got to love coincidence." He mutters for a few seconds before clearing his throat. "Anyways. We immediately opened the door back up, to find Hermione with her back against the wall, and the troll getting closer and closer."

"We have no idea what to do, so we all end up trying to distract it. But eleven year olds throwing random objects don't really distract something that large. So when it goes for Hermione again, I ended up jumping onto the back of the thing and shoving my wand up its nose."

Eyes darting immediately to his wand, which had been out and using Lumos the entire time, Lux stepped away nearly imperceptibly. "That… is quite lovely. Lovely indeed."

Harry chuckled darkly. "Indeed it was. You don't want to know how long it took to get out the smell." Satisfied at the disturbed look on her face, he continued. "But even then, it wasn't enough. As the troll calmed down and reached to pluck me off his back, in comes Ron, levitating the troll's own club and dropping it on its own head!"

That left Lux with her head shaking. "Ok, I take back what I said about you being trouble. I think that's just a natural part of all of your wizards."

"Perhaps it is." Harry shrugged. "Who knows. The funniest thing, though, was that after all that happened, the professors showed up. And the girl took the blame for us."

Lux finished the story for him. "And that's how you and Hermione became friends."

Harry just nodded. "It was. Reminds me a bit of how I became yours. Except I was the damsel. Twice in a row."

Grinning, she reached up to pat him on the head. "There there. You'll pay me back sometime. Don't get too wound up about it." She kept grinning as they made their way further up. "So, is there another epic story about bonding with Ron too?"

Mocking sadness, Harry shook his head. "Unfortunately, nothing that fun. We just bonded over candy."

"Ah, boys. How simple." Lux squinted through the cave. "Is it just me or do you see light too?"

Harry pointed his wand down at the ground. "I believe it is. That was rather quick."

Lux shrugged. "It was. But if we've been going at this for an hour… No matter, let's get out of here before any trouble shows up."

Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes again. I've been doing that a lot recently. As they walked towards the light, he spoke again. "So yeah, that's the two of them in a nutshell. Course, there is a lot more than that. But I trust them, even if they can be strange at times." At least I know they would believe me if I told them if someone was a Death Eater.

"I understand. It's good to have those you do." As the light closer to them, Lux was reminded of something else. Something she hadn't thought of in a long time. "One other thing real quick. I was just wondering who is Lun-"

Before she finished, Harry cut her off by stopping her in her tracks. "Shh!" He slow crept forward, quietly casting Nox to put out his light. "There is someone waiting."

As the two crept closer, Lux could indeed see that someone was standing near the light. Whomever it was, they were humming to themselves. Before they got too close, she accidentally hit a pebble, sending it crashing back down. The person seemed to turn towards them, outlined by the bright light.

Before either of them could speak, the person spoke in a high, bright voice. "Hi! Tibbers just got back, so we were about to play."

"You wanna play too? It'll be fun!"