Disclaimer

Ownership of any other person is a horrific idea.

Most of us are okay with owning fictional characters, though.

Sadly, these fictional people are not mine.

I'm pretty sure that they've stolen me, though.

Note

How do I love thee? Let me count the chapters.

You are all such wonderful people.

When I find myself despairing, I think back to your reviews

and find myself wishing that there were more people like you.

Cloud blinked as his mind cleared the last cobwebs left behind by leaving the collective. Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis were turning and heading inside. They were no longer mentally entrenched in each other - it would serve as a detriment to physical combat - but they still shared the same goal. Vincent, Ginny and Ron were staring after them. Their confusion was clearly writ on their faces.

Cloud pulled himself to his feet and groaned. "Hermione is inside, fighting in a cavern way down there. I think... Sephiroth's mind said it was below something called the Chamber of Secrets?"

Ginny paled to a degree that Cloud didn't think was possible in humans. "Not good. We have to help them."

Ron nodded in agreement, then looked baffled at Vincent's chuckle and Cloud's snort. "He almost died down there last time!"

Vincent's eyes glinted gold. "LAST TIME, HE DID NOT HAVE HIS COMMANDERS TO ASSIST HIM. NOT TO MENTION THE SCHOLAR. THEY WILL BE FINE."

Cloud smiled weakly. "As much as I hate to admit it, Chaos is right. We'd just get in the way. Besides, he can call me if he needs to."

Ron sighed, then turned his mind to other things. "So, this Genesis is a vampire, right? That's why he went for Harry's blood?"

Cloud slammed his face into his hands, then began the laborious task of explaining JENOVA cells to a teenager that had no concept of DNA - much less genetic memory.

Zack was, predictably, laughing too hard to be of any assistance.

Sephiroth skidded to a halt in the girls' bathroom and flashed a smile at a curious Myrtle. He'd never been happier that JENOVA's cells were so adaptive. They had absorbed the parseltongue ability that Voldemort's soul fragment had carried, allowing him to easily open the sinks without having to slice them apart to break the barrier. That the sound had Genesis smoothing hands over his arms to relieve the creep-induced goosebumps was just added amusement.

"I'm not certain how to get from the Chamber to the lower cavern. We're going to have to search the tunnels to find the path. Genesis, you take the left. Angeal, I want you to go right. I'll take the central Chamber. If you find a snake carving where it doesn't belong, summon me. Also, listen for the sounds of battle. If they become clearer, call."

The crisp authority in his voice had them reacting the moment they could, though Angeal had to laugh in amusement. "Not our first time, Sephiroth."

As he walked off, Sephiroth called back. "I know, but better to say it than for one of us to forget!"

It was a niggling at their senses at first. The idea that they knew the silver haired man. That he was special. He was important to them. He was...

JENOVA...

Mother...

No...

Sephiroth...

Brother? Father? Both?...

Memories rushed through brains too young to handle them and the three brothers cried out in unison as their minds tore themselves apart. The personalities of the present were too weak to withstand the onslaught. The present memories and all they contained, family and friends, were burned away to leave only the memories held in the soul.

Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz were reborn.

Hermione faced Hojo, and the tentacled scientist turned to match her. Memories, drawn from Sephiroth's mind while they were linked, carried the shadow of pain and terror through her. Instead of cowing her, the knowledge of what he had done infuriated her. He had tortured Sephiroth, had tortured the children in the vats behind her, and had tortured her. She had thought that Malfoy was loathsome, but she lacked the words to even describe this creature before her.

A tentacle streaked towards her and she batted it away with a sharp gust of wind. Blood and ichor splattered across the floor as the now-severed tip crashed into a piece of cobbled-together machinery. Where the ichor struck, the floor and metal sizzled under its acidic influence. Hermione made a mental note to not let it strike her skin, even as she redirected the next attack from the maddened monster into the table she had previously rested upon.

She felt movement behind her, but ignored it as her instincts clearly labeled it as non-threatening. To her.

Kadaj climbed from the vat, newly grown muscles screaming. A whisper of thought had Souba, his dual-bladed katana, resting in his hand. He was in no shape to fight, he knew it. Still, Hermione (sister? ...new Mother?) was threatened. She was fighting for her life and theirs. He could not let her fight alone.

He glanced at where Yazoo stood, Mako sliding off of his leathers and his Violet Nightmares gleaming in his hands. The guns, now part of Yazoo, were infinitely loaded and ready to be used.

On his other side, Loz ran a hand through his short hair to clear more of the Mako out and prevent it falling into his eyes. On his left hand, his Dual Hound hummed with electricity. Like the Violet Nightmares, the gauntlet was now powered from his life-force. Thinking of the guns, he noticed that Loz's and his own had also been summoned to rest on their hips.

Even though she clearly needed the help, he could not let them die futilely in this battle as it would defeat the purpose. Their muscles were new and untrained. They had the instincts but not the control, and would overreach and falter when they needed to be precise. He motioned them back a bit and reached out to the Mako in the air and ground. A splatter of his own blood provided the catalyst and twin Shadow Creepers leapt into the fray.

Hermione fought. She was not fully trained. She had only the conditioning and knowledge that she had gained in her limited sessions with Sephiroth. It was still more than Hojo had to his name. He, however, had the experience when it came to his JENOVA-granted powers. He had fought AVALANCHE and would have won if they'd had less skill.

She did, however, have instinct. Instinct that prompted her to her best element. Where Sephiroth was Ice, Genesis was Fire. Where Angeal was Earth, she was the Air. Intellect reigned supreme for her, and Air was the power of the mind. It could be sharper than the finest razor or as gentle as a lover's touch.

This was no lover's touch she was bestowing upon Hojo.

She had the presence of mind to divert her attacks as the Shadow Creepers leapt past, becoming shields to prevent his physical attacks from landing. Her winds kept Hojo's biological attack - a gas that would poison them - from coming near. It was easily swept away and down one passageway leading out of the cavern. The passage had an outlet that led outside, but she could not spare the time to hope that no one was near it.

His other attack, causing confusion, was also hers to counter. Her mind reacted to throw it off as only one allied with the Air could, even as she shielded the two Creepers and the Remnants from the assault on their senses. They would not attack themselves or each other, not while she was there to block the influence. Just as quickly cast aside were his attempts to blind them or force them to sleep.

For once, Hojo was forced to fight on a purely physical level.

The search took no time and forever. That's how Sephiroth would describe it to Snape when they later spoke. Every moment ticked by in his mind, each one more costly to his sanity than the last. Hermione was in trouble. His mind kept repeating that fact in the background, again and again, as he tore through the Chamber.

It was only as he was about to give up hope that he heard the screech of an angry Shadow Creeper coming from the mouth of Salazar's statue.

Yazoo looked over one shoulder and gave the first truly joyful smile in this body as Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal leapt past him to join the assault. Genesis and Angeal quickly joined the Creepers on the front lines. Sephiroth, for all that he wanted Hojo's blood on Masamune, was a General and knew what was needed. Hermione's concentration was faltering, her weariness taking its toll. He settled beside her and bent his will to her support.

Yazoo looked at Loz and grinned. The two quickly turned back to watch the fight and assist Kadaj with his control of the Creepers.

Hojo felt more pieces of himself being sheared away. He couldn't use them to attack as each piece was incinerated by Genesis - that incompetent's failed experiment - before he could reach to control it. The piece that had hit the equipment was too small, too wrapped in the electricity flowing through the machine, to be of use. The larger parts they were removing would have been perfect, if only he could keep one alive long enough...

Forced to concede, he tried to flee through the tunnels. Every time he turned, though, there was a sword or snarling teeth and claws blocking his path. Every time he turned, a new part of him was separated and destroyed. Unable to retreat, he redoubled his attacks.

Hojo scored hits, it was inevitable. All of them were tired from the confrontation in Hermione's mind. Some of the wounds were major - like the strike through one Shadow Creeper's midsection - but most were minor. Sephiroth did not have healing as a primary skill and a great portion of his strength was still focused on shoring up Hermione's ever more exhausted body and mind. Nonetheless, he was able to do enough that none of the SOLDIERs were taken out of the fight.

He could feel Kadaj using his skills to their utmost, summoning new Creepers to take the place of the ones that were destroyed. He felt the other two Remnants using their strength to aid Kadaj. He felt Vincent, Zack, and Cloud. They were sending what they had - what they could - down to bolster whoever needed it at any given time. And... he heard a drip in the background. A single drop of water hit a pool of Mako and unfamiliar energy flowed from Cloud and (through Chaos) Vincent. It flowed across the link and into the rest of them.

It was the planet itself, sending her power through her Weapons to help eliminate a threat to her people.

One last blow and the corpse of Professor Hojo dropped to the ground next to his head. Genesis leaned on the nearest Creeper, gasping for breath. Hojo was lethal with those tentacles. Not surprising, given the amount of time he'd had to learn to control them. Dodging and striking back had taken a lot of concentration.

Still, he lifted one hand and used the last available portion of his power - backed by a tidal wave of planetary energy - to incinerate the pieces of the corpse in flames so hot that they burned blue. Genesis let go of it and the fire started to spread, heading towards all the JENOVA-laced cells left around the room.

Sephiroth caught Hermione as she collapsed and lifted her into his arms. He glanced around. Genesis had moved and was now leaning on Angeal. Angeal was weakened from a strike to one leg, but solid enough to make it back to the Room of Requirement or - possibly - outside to the others. Kadaj was being supported by Loz, and Yazoo had taken Souba from him to carry. The shadow creepers had been dispelled.

Yazoo noted his regard and shot him a shy smile in return, then turned to pull a final body from a vat. Neville, Sephiroth was relieved to note, seemed mostly unchanged. His muscles were more pronounced, but that seemed to be it. He hadn't been part of the link, so Sephiroth was fairly certain that he'd just been subjected to the initial Mako infusions and not the full treatment. At least, he hoped that was the case.

Either way, they needed to leave. The fire showed no sign of abating and would only gain strength once it hit the Mako pools. He would put it out, or instruct Genesis to do so, but the stone walls and distance from further fuel should keep it from spreading too far. He turned and began retracing his steps out of the cavern, choosing the least obstructed paths. Angeal, he could feel, was at the back. The dark-haired SOLDIER would ensure that no one got lost.

Even with Genesis handing Angeal his Invis material to slot - and Sephiroth's own spells - getting out of the castle and to their regular meeting place without being seen was difficult. Nonetheless, they accomplished it. Genesis collapsed against a large rock, then slid to lean against Angeal when he settled next to him. Angeal chuckled when, exhausted or not, Genesis' hand came up to demand the return of his Materia. The Remnants clustered themselves together on the opposite side of the area from Cloud, shooting him nervous looks. They kept Neville's still-unconscious body between them.

Ron and Ginny, spotting Hermione in Harry's arms, quickly moved to help him settle her on the softer, mossy ground beside them. Harry shucked his coat, balling it up into a pillow for her head. Vincent, having a near-mastered Sense Materia, started running scans to see what needed to be done. Harry held a hand up to silence Ron and Ginny while he waited for the results.

"Hmph. Mako readings and Jenova count are... exceedingly high. Other than that, she seems to be merely exhausted. I do not, as yet, see any undesirable mutations forming." Vincent moved to inspect Neville, the Remnants allowing it after a few moments of silent exchange.

Harry sighed in relief. Sephiroth chose not to address the emphasis on 'undesirable' at the moment and turned to face the two students. "One of the... I suppose the closest equivalent would be high level minions of the Dark, from my last life managed to make it here. He's been dealt with, but he managed to get his hands on Hermione and Neville.

"He was known for experimenting with living people and creatures. We... didn't get to him in time to stop him completely, but..." Harry ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Hopefully, he didn't do too much damage. Hermione was able to help us... deal with him, but she passed out soon after. Neville hasn't woken up at all."

Both of his friends from this life paled and stared down at the unconscious girl. After a few moments, Ginny looked over to Neville. "Just... what did he do to them?"

Sephiroth sighed. "For Hermione, it looks similar to what was done to me. On the bright side, it was probably live-cell. That means she won't have the same difficulties Genesis and Angeal had to deal with. On the downside, if Vincent is correct, I've never heard of a live-cell transfusion of this magnitude and abruptness in someone so close to being an adult. I'm afraid that I cannot predict the results."

Vincent returned. "The boy has a significant Mako content. I expect he will have some of the SOLDIER enhancements, but he has very little JENOVA. He is nowhere near the threshold required for even the basic SOLDIER program in that respect. The cellular infection may, however, increase."

Sephiroth let out a breath of relief that it was an issue he could handle later, then eyed him. "How did you get in the link? You have no JENOVA cells."

A fleeting smile appeared on Vincent's face. "Chaos is an ethereal entity in his current state. As we were close by, we were able to attach to Cloud's link and join you that way."

"That makes sense." Feeling a prodding at his mind, he frowned.

Vincent watched Sephiroth's eyes zone out and noted the JENOVA link had become active nearby. He traced the ends of the link and inwardly nodded. Worried, the two Weasleys started to prod Sephiroth out of his sudden trance to ask more questions, but Vincent interrupted them. "He's talking to your Scholar. Let him be."

They reluctantly subsided.

Vincent looked over to one side. Genesis and Angeal both shot him tired looks before zoning out to join the conversation.

Harry? Hermione's voice was quiet, and he could feel her uncertainty. It had a breathy quality, as if carried on the wind.

I'm here, Hermione. He did his best to send reassurance, but knew his own worry shone through. He also knew that his voice, transferring this way, tended to have either the feel of ice shards or the deep groaning of a frozen lake associated with it.

What's happening to me? I hurt.

You're adapting to the infusion of Mako and JENOVA cells.

Mako... liquid magic, right?

Yes. Do you want me to ask Vincent if he has any injectable painkillers on him? He should have something. I can't imagine his transformations are pleasant.

D-don't leave me. He felt her mind clinging to his and passed along the sensation of a hug in return. Her mind relaxed slightly where it was barely in contact with his.

All right. If you're sure it can wait. Do you want access to my knowledge of the process? It may not all apply to you as I was an infant when it began. And, some of what I was taught was deliberately flawed. He hoped the facts present would distract her from the pain.

Please.

Here. As they weren't actually in either mind scape nor fully melded, he had to actively pass the data along instead of showing her where to look.

Am... am I going to mutate like that? He winced. He hadn't realized he'd passed along some of the SOLDIER mutations.

Vincent said he didn't see any sign of any undesirable mutations. But, it is still early. He forced down the memories of things he'd seen and fought. There was no reason to show her those horrors.

I'm frightened.

I know. I'm here. I won't let you go. He could feel it, pressed up against him. It was a terror he knew all too well. The desire to survive combined with the uncertainty of what would remain of Self.

The things they did to you... He honestly couldn't blame her for choosing to focus on that instead of her own untenable situation. And, he supposed, it was horrifying in spite of how dispassionately he'd tried to relate the information.

Are not going to happen to you. He let his own determination rise up, and smiled as he felt her relax further. Panic served no end right now, only causing more suffering.

Little Scholar? The crackling snap of fire and the acrid scent of smoke sizzled into the connection.

Genesis! Are you all right? Hermione's concern rang through, loud and clear.

Only tired. Unlike you, I know how to keep from exhausting myself so quickly. His amusement was palpable, as was his relief at her quick reply. You wasted a lot of energy in your attacks and redirects.

Indeed. We will have to work on that. Even in the mind, Angeal's baritone voice was reassuring - especially with the implication that they would have the chance to improve her skills. His voice carried the warm solidity of fertile earth and the cool smoothness of stone. It added a weight to his words that was near tangible.

Hermione's mind, now cradled against the three of them, relaxed as completely as anyone so analytical could manage while 'awake.' Comfort and affection flowed back and forth. Though he was not surprised, Sephiroth noted her mild shock that the three of them were so attached to her. She was too tired for strong emotion to really take hold.

How could we not love you, Little Scholar? Genesis' voice was gentle, the hearth flame instead of the raging inferno it frequently was. You have taken care of our General, and show such depths of concern for us.

The memories of childhood taunts and rejection was almost flung at them, although the force was lacking. Tendrils of emotion trailed from the whirlwind of images, showing that she'd tried to remove it but lacked their finesse. She would, Sephiroth knew, learn the skill in time. At the present, her confusion, insecurity, and pain echoed with the intensity that only a child could have felt. An adult, more stable in Self, would have coped better. He had to admit, though, that he was proof that even adults had their limits.

They were children. Angeal soothed. They were too young and foolish to see your worth. We are neither.

We are family, now. Sephiroth let his mind ripple affectionately in the embrace. No matter what may happen, or what it may manifest as, we will always be family.

Manifest as? Her voice was now curious, though sleepy. She was starting to drift in a way that he recognized as the prelude to rest.

You are still young, and all of us are damaged in some way. You need experience and we need to heal. We may remain merely friends. You may become a lover to one or more of us. But, that is in the future. Regardless of where our paths lead, we will not reject you. Genesis' words, though still gentle, held the same fiery determination that Sephiroth had always associated with him. He fought down his own guilt at the memory of his rejection of Genesis in Nibelheim. It would not help at the moment, though he would remember to apologize the next time they were alone. He was glad to note that Hermione didn't pick it up.

Hermione's mind settled into true sleep. Trying not to wake her, the three slowly withdrew from the connection.

Sephiroth looked up at Vincent. "Do you have any anything on you? She's in pain."

Vincent nodded, pulling a few auto-injectors out of a pouch to pass to him. Sephiroth quickly examined the selection and chose a mid-range drug to carefully press into the skin of her arm before returning the remainder and the empty syringe. It wouldn't be enough to block the pain completely, but it would blunt it and not leave her groggy when she eventually woke.

"She's coherent." He scrubbed a hand across his face. "That's a good sign. I'm not sure how long it will take her to wake, however, and she might vomit in her sleep from the Mako exposure. Help me get her into a recovery position."

A glance at the Remnants showed they were paying attention, as they were swiftly rearranging Neville. With Vincent's help, Hermione was turned to one side and propped there with Genesis' coat and Vincent's cloak.

"If she doesn't wake up by the time we have to re-enter the castle, Ginny, can you get her into the girl's dorm and into a position similar to this?" At her agreement, he continued, "We'll do the same for Neville. If they haven't woken by tomorrow morning or they start vomiting without waking, we'll have to take them to Madam Pomfrey. I'm sincerely hoping they wake."

He noted the curious looks and elaborated. "If they wake by morning, then they'll be - relatively speaking - fine. If they don't, then I'm going to have to explain far more than I really want the staff to know. If any of this gets back to Umbridge - and, through her, to the Ministry - the fallout would likely be unacceptable."

He turned to the Remnants. "Now, what to do about you..."

Kadaj, having shared mental space with him, knew what he needed. He tilted his head up defiantly as he spoke, though, as if expecting a rebuke of some sort. Remembering their past interaction, Sephiroth could see why. He hadn't been gentle the last time they'd come in contact. "We remember the entirety of our last lives. The memories of these new lives we were born into seem to be missing... Father."

Sephiroth shook his head at the news, but indicated his acceptance of the new title through their link. This made things difficult, but a bit easier if they weren't going to reconnect with those that knew them before. Ironically, it would mean fewer questions instead of more. "Then I suppose we'll have to get you some new identification and a place to stay. Also, wands and books to study this world's magic, if you want them. Gen, I gave you access to my accounts, didn't I...?"

"You did. I'll take care of it." He yawned. "After a nap. An exceedingly long one."

Zack, uncharacteristically silent thus far, volunteered to double up with Cloud if need be. Cloud chimed in with vigorous support of that idea. Part of him obviously wanted to keep Zack in sight. Probably to reassure himself, frequently, that his presence was not just some dream.

Vincent agreed. "It will be easy enough to rent the rest of the rooms in the inn. We already occupy half and the others are vacant."

A cracking branch alerted them to Professor Snape's approach. He surveyed the group, then eyed the Remnants with a dismay that Sephiroth knew was feigned. "Isn't one of you enough? What are you doing? Actively practicing parthenogenesis?"

"Sure. Why not?" He let the smirk show, feeling his muscles release some of their tension. Snarking with the professor was comfortable ground. He couldn't resist chuckling when the muscle next to Snape's left eye twitched. Hard. Twice.

MULTI-SCENE OMAKE

(by me - if the Remnants hadn't explained their memory issues)

Loz came barrelling out of the bathroom, gasping. Kadaj and Loz were out roaming Hogsmeade with Cloud and Zack, so Vincent was the only one in the room at the time to take in his heaving shoulders and wide eyes full of frightened tears. "I... I think there's something wrong."

Cocking his head to one side, Vincent indicated for him to keep going.

"T-there's... hair. I never... why is it... there?!"

Vincent sighed. He'd thought he'd managed to avoid having this conversation. He found himself lost for words, even more than usual. "...ask your father."

Kadaj and Zack had wandered away to inspect a shop, so Cloud and Yazoo stood on the street waiting for him. Yazoo watched a woman walk past, then turned to Cloud with a puzzled expression. "Cloud, why do I feel tingles when I look at her rump?"

Cloud prayed to Gaia, Aeris, and any other listening person or deity for a hole to swallow him up. They, unfortunately, did not oblige. He ran a hand through his hair. He gulped. Steeling himself, he launched into a stammered and blushing explanation of the chocobos and the bite bugs.

Kadaj, pasting on his best innocent face - which was actually quite good for someone that had once tried to destroy the world - turned to Zack. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure, buddy. What'cha need?"

"I woke up this morning and my penis was reacting strangely. Why?"

Zack didn't have time to really feel the horror inspired by the question as he tripped mid-step from the shock, knocking into a shelf. It toppled, taking the next and the next and the next with it in a domino effect. They were on the street, chased there by the angry owner of the shop, before he really started feeling the sinking sensation of impending doom.

ADDTION TO THE ABOVE OMAKE

(Inspired by conversation with Snow Leopard Pasha on FFN - check out SLP's story, Catalyst Array, in the FMA/FFVII section. I love it!)

Alone again in their room, the three Remnants waited until the receding footsteps of the others were sufficiently away before comparing notes. Shortly, they were laughing maniacally. This was the best prank they'd pulled in years!

NOTES

Bite Bugs — I couldn't think of a monster in FFVII that resembled a bee, so you're getting a guest mention from FFX. They're on the Wiki if you want to look, but just know they're kinda like big wasps. If you can think of one, I'm still not going to go back and change it – too much work for a throwaway comment in an omake. However, any future mentions will be altered if you bring it to my attention.

Remnants — Their revival was not the gradual remembering that Seph experienced. They remembered in moments all that had come before and it destroyed the fledgling minds that their bodies had grown. Those children are, I'm afraid, forever lost to their birth mother. They will not remember her. They may meet her and, if possible, form a new relationship, but they will never view her as their authority figure and never remember all the love that she gave. (*sniffle*)

Neville — Poor guy. He has just enough JENOVA in him to cause minor physical alteration, and just enough Mako that his power control is going to need work. He won't have enough to join the link, or to manifest any of the cool abilities. Well... unless something happens. *evil cackle*

Hermione — Oh, dear. A new Hive is forming. JENOVA is not happy. By simply existing, Hermione has now made a deadly enemy. Hope she's up to the challenge of fortifying and holding the Hive's mental integrity.

The next chapter may take some time. This weekend is the big prep for Halloween on Monday, so my days will be very busy. Nonetheless, I'll try to keep it to less than two weeks. Xahn77 has already contributed an Omake for the event, so I have a fantastic motivation. :) I really want you to be able to read it!