Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Just Another Perfect Soldier ❯ Expectations ( Chapter 11 )

Chapter Eleven: Expectations

 

 

Was it possible for a person to be gone while they sat not even a foot to your right?

Logic and Zero told Harry it wasn't physical but metaphysical- that Heero hadn't left so much as retreated into himself. He was there but he was holding himself back and away from Harry.

And that hurt.

Nightmares that had previously been held at bay- or smothered until they were silent- by Zero began to resurface. The absence of Heero's live, steady, warm protection had Harry gasping awake in the middle of the night, still thinking he was trapped as Black Emerald and strapped to that cold metal table.

Those nights, the Gryffindor found his Japanese bodyguard starting awake as well, sometimes jolted by Harry's gasps but other times he was already wide awake and dark eyed.

As if his own nightmares were bugging him.

A few nights even found the Gryffindor waking to find the bed beside his empty and a low light from the fireplace burning under their bedroom door.

Of course, they slept with the much dimmer ceiling lights on, over the table that they spent many nights eating at instead of venturing out into the Great Hall. Firelight was different though- a warm, soft and flicking orange glow that seemed to dance on the floor.

That was partially why Harry awoke again to their empty bedroom and was puzzled by the lack of fire glow around his door.

`Where has he gone?'

Zero beeped into life from stand by. `Unknown. Investigate for possible danger.'

Harry agreed and crept silently from his bed, moving so cautiously that not even his springs creaked at the shift of mass. The door was a bit trickier, what with Hogwarts being such an old castle, and the shining gold handle gave off an audible click as it turned.

Heero's head shot up at stare at him as Harry stopped and hesitated at the doorway. Zero urged him to move but indecision kept Harry still- did Heero even want his company anymore?

“What's wrong?”

Heero's voice was sharp and he made to stand before Harry stepped through the doorway and into their Common Room.

“Nothing- couldn't sleep.”

The Japanese wizard's brows furrowed. “Restless?”

Harry shrugged as he took a seat across from him. “Somewhat. Sometimes your mind runs away from you and drags back pieces of dead memories you'd wish would stay buried.”

That seemed to register with Heero. “Nightmares.”

Harry nodded reluctantly before adding. “Same as you, I suppose.”

The other teen stiffened and withdrew from the conversation- from Harry- like he'd been stung.

Zero gave what could have been a computer's version of a frustrated sigh. Harry did the actual thing.

“Merlin, not this again. Heero please don't.”

He obviously had no idea what Harry was asking, if the Gryffindor had gotten any better at reading his stoic bodyguard over the last few weeks.

“You've…….pulled yourself back. Ever since the announcement of the Yule Ball. Like…” Harry trailed of until his eyes caught sight of the small bowl of fruit on the table. “…like an orange peel without the middle. You were just Heero on the outside and empty on the inside.”

Heero had one of his few unreadable looks snapped in place at his charge's words. If he and Zero had to name it, they would have called the expression uncomfortable and guilty.

“I…..am sorry.” Harry knew those words came hard for Heero. “I didn't know it was noticeable.”

Harry looked down at the smooth table top, suddenly feeling vulnerable somehow. Zero was just as baffled as he was with this strange turn of events. “It was. Even Hermione has noticed it and she barely has time to speak to me anymore- but that's my fault too. I….don't feel comfortable around them anymore.”

Heero seemed to catch up on what Harry was truly thinking and frowned. “My problems are not your fault, Potter. My- that wasn't your fault.”

Harry glanced up briefly through his own shaggy fringe of hair. “Are you sure?” He didn't wait for Heero's nod. “It felt like it was- like this was a punishment from you to me, for something I didn't know I'd done.”

“I-“ Heero began but Harry cut him off with a wry smile.

“I know you're sorry. Now.”

The Japanese wizard cleared his throat. “I was merely…surprised by someone that day. I do not take surprises easily.”

The Gryffindor smiled even as Zero pointed out that that someone who had surprised the other teen could have possibly been Harry himself. “Neither do I.”

That bright fire that streaked briefly through Heero's eyes before flared to life and Harry knew that he was back. Without needing to say a word, the silence was comfortable again as Heero finished his tea and Harry made to follow him back to their bedroom.

The plan was so wild and fragile; it hit him like a smack- unseen and incompressible until contact. Almost absently, Harry's left hand grasped the phoenix pendant hanging around his throat.

His hand was up, just enough to level the spell at his friend. Heero didn't even twitch at the contact- the Natural Sleep Spell was undetectable until sleep was induced. The bathroom would be his cover again.

“I'm heading to the toilet.” He sent Heero a stern look. “Go on without me.”

Heero didn't crack the grin Harry had been hoping for but he did seem to give off an air of amusement as he nodded. “I'll wait for you.”

`No, you won't.' Harry thought, feeling a bit guilty at the whole idea. Zero suddenly felt hesitant.

`Can we accomplish the mission? We have merely six hours and thirty minutes.'

Harry ambled towards the bathroom door, thinking. `If we burn our thrusters at maximum capacity we should arrive back here at six hundred and two hours. Wake up is at six hundred and thirty hours promptly. Plenty of time to destroy that last French base.'

`Affirmative. Proceed with the mission.'

A trill of something flooded Harry's veins- adrenaline, his mind supplied- as he waited sixty seconds before peeking in on Heero.

The Japanese wizard was flat on his back, a slight hint of violet pulsing around his form. The great thing about the Natura Sono Spell was that it actually put its victim into a natural sleep that could only be broken by the caster's will. The only down side was that it had to be lifted in twenty-four hours or the subject would fall into a permanent coma.

That was what had the Ministry labeling it a Dark Curse. A darker thought drift up- five years in Azkaban for that. Like it would be anything after committing mass murder.

A part of Harry shuddered at even thinking about using such a spell on anyone- never mind Heero- but Zero quickly showed him that bar death, in which the spell would break anyway- the possibility of him being gone long enough for the spell to sink that deep was almost zero.

It was a risk Harry was willing to take as more and more of his mind booted up to Zero's programming.

Closing the door silently, the secret pilot snuck into the bathroom, and easily opened that small but effective little window. For a moment, Zero wondered why the others hadn't barred it off or put an alarm on it but the idea was quickly pushed aside and it eased open quietly and Harry let go to Zero completely.

Both pilot and program became a single entity; the ultimate, efficient soldier.

The self appointed mission was easy- find the base that was hidden thirty miles outside the limits of the city of Perpignan and destroy it.

Simple and direct. Leave no enemy alive.

Mission accepted.

In the exact same manner as before, Harry jumped from the window, landing in a crouch on the ground. The glass closed gently behind him, hiding his escape.

The crunch of the frost-hardened grass under his bare feet was a testament to the fact that Harry had let the Zero Program take control- it gave no heed to physical discomfort if it was not necessary and the improvements on Harry's body from Dr. J would keep its human host healthy.

However, the numbers scrolled, and told Zero/Harry that the other pilots would get suspicious if unexplainable wounds were found on his person, quickly making Harry spell himself a pair of running shoes and a jacket out of a fallen tree branch and the stiff grass.

Then he ran.

Absently, while Harry kept his guard up, Zero compared what it remembered of pilot 01's speed to what Harry could now achieve. Harry was faster. It really came as no surprise, simply because with Zero One Dr. J had had to watch his steps or the other Doctors would have noticed how much he had changed his pilot.

With Harry, the insane scientist had been free to do whatever he pleased.

Reaching the wards, Harry suddenly stopped. Dumbledore was present at Hogwarts this time and messing with wards as old and powerful as those surrounding Hogwarts was dangerous and stupid. And time-consuming- something Harry had little of.

He couldn't transfigure himself into something without having another person to reverse the spell. His wandless magic was good but it wasn't that good!

`Time!' Zero reminded sternly making Harry huff silently in frustration.

If only he could become some sort of animal-

The thought was barely across his mind before Zero brought up the memory files of his failed attempts at becoming an animagus. J had been furious that Harry, even as Black Emerald, refused to give the transformation his all. Neither Voldemort nor the doctor had realized that Emerald had already been making his plans to escape by that time and letting his enemies know his animal form would have been a very bad mistake.

Zero/Harry shifted through his memories quickly, finding the right way to call upon his spirit animal. A witch or wizard's animagus form came from their personality and their type of spirit. Few could handle the immense strength it took to look into ones self and see clearly exactly what you were- making it impossible to transform. They either saw the animal they wished they were or what they wanted to be- not what they were regardless of social trends or silly wants.

Thankfully, Harry had always had a rather clear view of himself, no matter what anyone else really had to say about him.

His wand tucked back at his side, Harry closed his eyes and….shifted.

It was an odd feeling at first, even for someone who had a computer program embedded into their brain. His body seemed to alter itself and slide around, bones floating through his insides to transfigure themselves into the appropriate shape and muscles shrinking to be accommodated.

Finally thick, black fur sprung out on Harry's previously smooth skin as his teeth sharpened and elongated. A sleek, black wolf stood where a wizard once had.

Like his godfather had done four years, Harry confidently crossed the Hogwarts wards, registered as an animal instead of a sneaking wizard. Even if the wards registered magical potential, it would impossible to distinguish an animagus from another magical creature such as a centaur or a unicorn.

Whether Harry's presence warded off the other animals or if he had just chosen a relatively safe part of the forest was unknown as nothing showed up in Zero's radar or in Harry's line of sight.

A clearing just big enough to hide his Gundam was his destination- as far as possible from the place in which Heero and Harry had caught Zabini. Nose to the ground and ears perked for any sound of unwanted witnesses, the wolf secured the perimeter before closing his eyes and quickly shifting back into Harry the wizard.

Wand in his hand, the clearing flashed in a quick succession of multicolor spells, obscuring it from sight, silencing its sound and erasing it scents. Both Harry and Zero disliked the idea of revealing Phoenix to Ronan or Merlin forbid, the angry centaur Bane.

Quickly unclasping the pendant and necklace, Harry whispered the words that would reveal the Gundam- in Parseltongue.

-`A Phoenix always rises from the ashes.'-

Harry and Zero both considered this to be a rather brilliant way of keeping the Gundam safe- the only other Parselmouth Harry knew of was Voldemort and the chances of someone stealing Phoenix while Harry was in it or had the mecha around his neck was almost ridiculous.

Besides, who would really think to use Parseltongue on a phoenix? They were considered to be rivals in this day- Dumbledore and Voldemort respectably, both cast in animal form. Only Harry would see the irony in him being the one to join them.

Zero made his disapproval known as the necklace glowed that dark green-black that was Phoenix's color. Harry told it to shut up- it wasn't like they knew a transformation or transfiguration spell that didn't have some sort of ridiculous cloud of smoke or flash of light.

Wizards were inefficiently loud and showy sometimes.

The trip cord connected to the cockpit's entrance glided down silently to meet Harry at the foot of the Gundam and Harry had to wonder, as his hand curled around that thin piece of wire, if the other pilots felt like they were coming home every time they'd stepped into their own Gundam.

 

 

 

To say that Evan Rosier was a tad bit nervous to be running the last standing Death Eater Headquarters in France was an understatement.

When news of the destruction of the base just outside of Paris had come, Evan had been sure the Dark Lord would blow someone up just because he could.

When news of Mulciber's capture had come, their Lord had gone frighteningly quiet before pulling a whimpering, weeping Pettigrew's arm up. His wand had barely touched the Mark before every Death Eater had felt the boiling, bubbling pain of Mulciber's end.

“That is what happens to those who fail me.” Lord Voldemort had never looked more fearsome, and Evan had hoped, frantically, when the position of head of the Perpignan Base was announced that he would be passed over as another unimportant minion.

That, he thought bitterly, was probably why he'd gotten the position in the first place. The Dark Lord had a way of knowing exactly what you didn't want to do and how to make you do it.

It was a bit of a reassurance to know that his underlings had more experience than Mulciber's had. These were seasoned fighters with a wicked taste for the Dark Arts and the know-how to use them.

Of course, when the report from the mole in the French Ministry had reported to the Dark Lord, Evan was sure he'd wet himself, seasoned fighters or not. Dumbledore had not planned the attack on Mulciber's base and neither had the Ministry. In fact, both groups had been just as stunned at the whole bloody fiasco as the Death Eaters had been.

Only Lord Voldemort and his creepy muggle sigh-in-tist seemed to have any idea of who could have caused so much destruction in such a devastating attack.

The answer came when Lucius Malfoy had had one of his `dinner parties'- also known as the weekly DE get-together- and Rookwood had come in late with news from the British Ministry.

“Either Dumbledore is playing dumb or he's got no idea that Potter's gone rogue.” He said, confusing Crabbe and Goyle easily. “The Aurors got part of a word off old Mulky before his brains boiled themselves out of his nose-Phoenix.”

To be honest, Evan wasn't sure what was worse- having an unknown third party killing off his fellow Death Eaters or knowing that the experiment of the insane scientist his Lord had picked up was out seeking revenge.

Or that that bloody experiment was Harry Potter.

That one name had the same affect on Dark Wizards as Voldemort had on the Wizarding World in general. Very few Death Eaters- bar Lucius, who was too proud to admit his fear of the boy and Bellatrix, who was too crazy- wanted to tangle with the one person who had brought down the Lord once before and seemed to evade his grasp at every turn.

Of course, they would- if only because a Crucio would be waiting from them if they didn't, but that didn't mean they weren't a gibbering mess beforehand.

Even Evan, the heir to the Rosier line and all around Dark wizard, would admit, if only to himself that he had a fear of Harry Potter, before Doctor J had gotten a hold of him.

Now, he was terrified of the boy.

He had seen that wizard do things for his Lord that only Bella seemed to enjoy doing, just because of a couple of words. The physical feats had been mind boggling but the magic had been unbelievable. All that power- in one person.

More than once, Evan had found himself wondering how anyone, even his Lord, could think all that power could be contained or controlled by anyone other than Potter himself.

When Potter- or Black Emerald, as J had demanded they call the boy- had escaped, things hadn't looked too good for the sadistic sigh-in-tist. The Dark Lord had tortured him for days, as well as those who had failed to capture his perfect soldier. Lucius had suggested, when the Daily Prophet had announced that Potter had no memories of his imprisonment, that they reveal what their precious Boy-Who-Lived had been doing all this time.

That had been nixed when a swell of sympathy for the boy-hero had shown up in the newspapers. That course of action had more disadvantages than advantages- Potter, and his cat-like ability to always land on his feet, would probably end up revealing his amazing skills and give Dumbledore's Order an edge in the war or the public would turn against the wizard, which was nothing new to him in the first place.

So the Dark Lord had given his followers one standing order- Black Emerald and Phoenix were to be returned to him and Doctor J for punishment and reprogramming. Damage was acceptable but the Gundam had to be in repairable order and Black Emerald had to be alive.

Lord Voldemort wanted his weapon back- at any cost.

“Lord Rosier, midnight watch has been changed for the night. Are there any other orders before we retire for the night?”

Evan liked the man before him. Robert Emes had some kind of actual military background- a soldier for the muggle organization OZ or something like that. He was smart, swift and strict which was just why he reported to Evan directly. He made a great Second-In-Command.

“Excellent. If the base is secure then you can head to the barracks for the night.”

Emes almost saluted before remembering that most pureblood wizards had taken to liking a bow as a show of respect. Evan watched him do so with a pleased smirk.

Power definitely had its privileges.

His own quarters were much more ascetically pleasing than the soldier's barracks. Evan had a private office, bedroom and bathroom, as well as the only fireplace big enough to Floo from.

Shrugging off his robes, the dark wizard quickly made his way to his bed, feeling the stress of running the base to his Master's demands.

Still, the Perpignan Base was still standing and midnight watch had changed without so much as a bump in the routine.

It was twelve forty-three and everything was clear for another night.

That was the last though Evan Rosier had before drifting off to sleep.

That was also the last thought he'd had before two thirty-one AM, as the crunch of a Gundam's foot smashing through his bedroom ceiling awoke Evan Rosier, just long enough to see his coming doom.

 

 

Harry grit his teeth and handled the controls with a forced sort of ease. Phoenix was flashing warnings and stats everywhere while Zero was rattling off possibilities and an endless supply of observations in his mind.

While this might only have been the second base they had hit, it was the first of the two to try and hit back. Very few of these soldiers seemed to lose their heads at the sight of a Gundam looming above their fragile bodies, intent on death and destruction.

That was probably why, with the base half- way annihilated, Phoenix's left arm was only at eighty-five percent efficiency while Harry had an overhead console shaped bruise on his shoulder and harness burn on his neck.

Somewhere under all the scrolling numbers, beeping buttons and flashing lights, Zero had the nerve to complain about needing to find time to fix Phoenix along with destroying the other bases.

`Let's just try to finish this one off first.' Harry snapped, evading some sort of heat spell as he dug his thermal sword into the south-west wall of the base.

`A Beam Cannon would have been more efficient.' Zero commented and Harry wondered if computer programs could sulk and snark.

`As well as being Heero's signature weapon and a bit too flashy for sneak attacks, Wing Zero's Beam Cannon would light up the sky like a nuke and alert the bigger officials than the French Ministry.'

`The Preventers would create a problem.' Zero agreed. `Dodge left for maximum damage to base and minimum chance of a direct hit to Phoenix.'

Harry followed the instructions immediately, trusting Zero to lead him. A few Death Eaters tried to run, only to find death under the foot of a towering Gundam. Harry looked away from the scene, guilt and disgust making his throat dry.

`You seem to like that….maneuver a bit too much.' Harry complained to Zero, who had issued him the order.

`It is simple and direct and followed the mission plan. No one must survive this attack.'

Not for the first time, Harry had to wonder why.

`To end war one side must completely eliminate the other, or total peace can never be achieved.' Zero had answered the unspoken question anyway. Harry grimaced as he kicked down another building.

`Perhaps it does, but when does this cross the line? When will I be no better than those I kill? Or am I already past that point?”

`You regret.' Zero pointed out, understanding a bit more about his host's sensibilities. `You feel guilt and remorse about doing what you must to protect the innocent. When you stop that, when you truly feel nothing for what you've done, then you will be lost.'

Harry stood back from the smoldering ruins of yet another of Voldemort's bases and took a shaky breath. He'd done that- him and him alone. It was still…shocking how easily Harry could take life.

Killing should never be so easy.

A flick of a switch had Phoenix invisible as the cracks and flashes of Aurors apparating to the burning base. Wand tips were searching the rubble and surrounding area as Phoenix rose in the air and surveyed the scene.

`They are looking for survivors.' Harry thought, with a jolt. `Merlin, how many people have I killed tonight? How many men and woman were in that thing?'

`They were not innocents.' Zero reminded him. `This was your enemy. Only one of you can survive in this battle.'

`That doesn't make it right.' Harry argued, feeling strangely.

`It does not make it wrong either.' Zero countered before reminding the Gryffindor of their time limit. Harry turned Phoenix in the direction of Hogwarts with a sigh. A sudden thought hit him like a punch.

`I did that once.' He reminded Zero. `I have killed people without feeling remorse or guilt. When I was Black Emerald.'

Zero was silent for a moment, and Harry was almost afraid the program would agree with him, until it whispered.

`No you did not. Orders and mission from Voldemort were not carried out by your will- just your body. You cannot kill without regret.' Softer, it added. `That was me.'

Harry fiddled with the controls, keying in his coordinates and scanning his radar religiously. It was odd….there were times he could almost swear that Zero felt emotions. Yet, it always claimed that Harry was the emotional one of them. Zero was logic and perfection and detached resolve. Harry was instinct and wild and passionate strength.

He snorted. `I thought you couldn't feel emotions?'

Zero beeped warningly. `I can tell you the definition of each emotion and to which scenario each one can apply to but I cannot describe how they feel or apply them to myself. They are but a sequence of letters and words that are useful in application but otherwise have no place in my programming.'

Harry nodded, but secretly wondered how anyone could do what he'd just done without any sort of emotion at all.

 

 

 

Head of the Auror's of France, Renee LaPierre usually liked his job.

He helped keep the world safe, from dangerous criminals and magical creatures to Dark Lords and their followers. It was a great feeling to know that people slept better at night, knowing you were watching over them.

However, the last few weeks had left the Auror with the horrible urge to go into an early retirement.

Really, the world had to be going mad if an Auror found himself investigating the destruction of not one, but two of You-Know-Who's bases, as a crime. Especially if both…..events were at the hands of an apparent vigilante…. phoenix.

Renee was stuck between wanting to kill the person responsible for this mess or hug them for being on their side. First, he had to prove that this attack was connected to the first.

Aaron Murphy stood to his right, scratching his head in slight confusion. His dirty blond hair was disheveled from a sudden awakening but his blue eyes were bright and alert.

“There aren't any traces of unfamiliar magic here- offensive or defensive. Only the signatures of the DEs and their wards….” He pointed to burnt-black piece f rubble. “But it's obvious that this place was burned down at times. Other walls are simply a pile of rocks- like something stomped all over them.”

LaPierre grunted before adding softly. “Per'haps someting did.”

Murphy shot him a look, his mind going back to their last similar case. The American sighed gustily. “There are no survivors so far. This time our perp was more….thorough.”

LaPierre looked at the destruction with an unreadable expression. “I `ave to wonder eff zis perzon is reely a criminal.”

Murphy jerked I surprise. “With all due respect Sir, take a look around. Most countries consider this an act of mass murder.”

LaPierre shrugged. “And yet, eff zee Brit'tish Ministry `ad gotten `old of zese people, zey wood receive The Kiss. A fate far worse zen death.” He arched an eyebrow. “Besides, zere is no zuch ting as murder, in a war.”

Murphy made to respond when another Auror's shout caught their attention.

“Commander! We `ave a survivor! Come!”

Both Aurors took off running, pushing other witches and wizards out of the way and jumping mounds of rocks and cement. One of the older Aurors, Calhoun if Renee wasn't correct, had his hands on the belly of their victim? Suspect?

The witch was struggling to breath, his grey streaked hair matted in places with blood. Her skin, wrinkled and lined, was a pale-grey color. She wouldn't make it to see the Healers.

Quickly, LaPierre dropped to his knees and began to question the old woman- in French. Murphy grunted and tried to keep up. His translation was sucky at best.

“You are dying, Grandmere. Tell me the name of your killer and I shall ease your suffering.”

She laughed bitterly, the action quickly turning into a wet gurgling cough. Her eyes were dazed with pain. “Ease it? I highly doubt you would have the nerve. Go away, little boy.”

The French man frowned. “Would you tell us nothing? You're loyalty has left you broken and for dead in the dirt- would your Master really care?”

The witch jerked against the pull of death, her body arching painfully. She swallowed thickly, a line of blood still making its way to trail down her chin. “What does it matter you ask? I should have been so sharp. Still stuck between an impossible choice you see. No one stands against the Dark Lord, but no one can stand against the Phoenix. One steals your freedom; the other damns you for being weak.” She coughed roughly before whispering. “And I was so weak…”

Her eyes clouded as life left her batter body. Only the crackle of small fires and the shifting of cloth against cloth could be heard around the scene.

Then, La Pierre sighed. He touched the pendant around his neck.

“Geet into contact wit Dumbleydore. `Ell him zee Phoenix `as ztuck again.”

 

 

 

Oh six hundred hours beeped in Harry's mind as he gently touched Phoenix down into his clearing. His eyes and senses quickly caught whiff of the slowly dying spells still hiding his presence. Zero suggested they dissemble and be quick about it.

Harry huffed at the program. Had it always been this pushy, and he'd just never noticed it until now?

The cockpit latch was lowered with a soft woof of displaced air and a quiet mechanical whirl before Harry could climb out and survey the damage to his Gundam.

A few scrapes that had already begun to smooth themselves out were dismissed as jade eyes took in the mangled piece of metal hanging off of Phoenix's left arm. The one shot that had actually hit dead-on.

`We must be faster next time. Any shot landed could be fatal. Any shot landed could result in a failed mission.' Yup, Zero was miffed at the damage.

Harry sighed before rubbed his head tiredly and wincing. That overhead console was going to be adjusted before the next mission- Harry's head and shoulders wouldn't survive the experience if not.

`Let's just get back to the safe house and release Heero. I don't like leaving him like that.'

`It was an impulsive action that led to a successful mission- it was necessary.' Zero seemed to be back to itself as Harry grabbed the trip cord and lowered himself to the ground.

Wand out, Harry reinforced the wards around the clearing before whispering the counter-phrase to turn his Gundam back into a pendant.

-`Flesh to ashes, the circle continues.'-

The black-green glow made Harry wince slightly before his hand clasped around that now familiar necklace and quickly slipped it around his neck.

Six hundred and ten hours. Damn, he had to get back before someone woke up and found him missing.

The transformation into his animagus form wasn't so uncomfortable or lengthy the second time, and before long a sleek black wolf dashed past trees and shrubs and underbrush wildly. It was a…relief to be free again.

A squirrel scurried up a tree in fright as Harry broke through the thinning trees and onto the grounds of Hogwarts.

His green eyes widened briefly before a quick retreat was made.

Hagrid was up, at six in the bloody morning, weeding the pumpkin patch. Harry cursed mentally while Zero quickly began creating alternate routes to take to get back to the bathroom window while slowly counting down the time like a doomsday device.

A soft snarl sounded before Wolf-Harry took off again, skirting Hagrid and the Zabini clearing easily.

Oh six hundred and twenty hours beeped in his mind as the castle came into view. The window was still dark, making Harry sigh in mental relief. No one was in the room or possibly awake. His entrance wouldn't be found. Zero urged him on, wanting to reach their safe house quickly and assess the situation there.

A running leap had Harry transforming in midair before his hands caught the ledge and his feet kept his body from slamming into the unforgiving stone wall.

The window was pushed open gently, ears perked for any sign of unrest or trouble in the rooms.

Silence.

Harry huffed, halfway in the window and pulled his wand out. The counter-curse for the Sono Natura was whispered before his feet even hit the floor.

The messy-haired wizard watched the magic disappear under the door before finally letting him relax into himself again. His shoulders ached slightly and the harness burn on his neck was stinging but other than that he was fine. Normal even.

He grabbed his robe out from the linen closet and quickly began undressing. `Might as well get a shower before the others wake up.' Harry thought slowly pulling his shirt over his head and putting his arms in the right holes of his robe.

Oh Six hundred and thirty hours beeped idly in his mind as the door to the bathroom clicked and shot open.

“Duo!” Harry's face immediately took on an outraged expression, hoping that the red in his cheeks would be taken as embarrassment- and that the robe around his shoulders would hide the bruise. The braided wizard put his hands up to show `no threat' as he spoke.

“Ha, I knew you were in here!” Seeing how…wrong that sounds, the braided wizard grinned weakly. “Sorry, man! I was just checking up. You did disappear on us from the bathroom before.”

Harry huffed angrily, although his friend was right. He had disappeared through the bathroom window again- but no one needed to know that. “I was awake before the alarm and decided to use the shower.”

`A hidden truth.' Zero complimented nicely.

Duo shrugged, looking completely unrepentant at the fact that he'd simply barged into the bathroom. “Okay, Harry. I was just making sure. It didn't hurt-”

“Didn't hurt?!” Harry said, feeling strangely emotional. Zero was letting his true feelings on the matter shine through. “You should have knocked and asked through the door if I was alright. I could have been naked, for all you knew! I- I could have been wanking!”

Silence followed Harry's little outburst as Duo's mouth popped open in shock and surprise. Harry felt the flush that had been receding from his cheeks turn into a blush as his mind caught up with itself.

“Did you just make a sexual reference?” The braided wizard asked, looking for confirmation. Harry nodded slowly.

“I think I did.”

“Are you hitting on me?”

“What!? No!” Harry felt vaguely scandalized.

An amused smile graced Duo's face. “Got ya.” He cocked his head to the side. “Then what was that?”

Harry blinked before trying to explain himself. Zero had abandoned him to his embarrassment, the filthy traitor.

“That was…… me simply…. naming out very obvious….and normal things for teenage boys to be doing in the bathroom.”

A quirked eyebrow told the Gryffindor how much his friend believed that one. “You're not a normal teenage boy, Harry.”

“Well, maybe I'm practicing!”

Duo snickered. “Is that what you call it?”

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing the blush from his cheeks. “Get out Duo.”

“Hey, you brought it up. Figuratively speaking.”

“Now, Duo.”

Harry let the door snap shut and sighed with relief. Another mission successful.

He froze as he heard Quatre's curious voice muffled outside the door.

“Duo- what was that? Is Harry okay?”

Duo chuckled loudly. “Yup, he's just practicing being normal in the bathroom.”

Harry groaned and hit his head against the door with a thump.

 

 

 

Heero Yuy was confused.

To be honest, he was down right incapable of comprehending how he had went from laying down on his bed at a little past midnight to waking up at Oh six hundred and forty hours in the morning without a single memory of his transition into sleep.

He'd even slept through the beeping of the alarm clock.

It was unacceptable.

Anyone else would have simply passed off the experience as not getting enough sleep- something that rang true in Heero's case as well- but the Japanese wizard knew that he was not like everyone else. He was trained to awake to full attention at the mere displacement of air- he would have felt it if Potter had shifted around too much, forget gotten out of bed and left the room.

It was the fact that it didn't even appear that Heero had waited for his charge to enter the room before he had fallen asleep that was the most disturbing. Potter's safety was his mission, a mission he had both professional and personal stock in.

The idea that Heero would put his own comfort above keeping the other wizard safe was unthinkable.

Heero knew himself well, probably better than most people ever went in self-discovery. He knew he would never have willingly fallen asleep without seeing to Potter's needs first. Never.

That was why he had the sinking suspicion that nothing about his refreshing nap that night had been natural.

And that Potter was lying to him.

 

 

 

Trowa and Wufei had just entered the room with a breakfast tray when the sound of a very familiar voice cussing up a storm had Harry blinking.

The portrait hole swung open to reveal a red-faced, obviously angry Ron. The red-headed Gryffindor stopped at the sight of the six wizards setting up breakfast, his blue eyes signaling out Harry's form quickly.

“I will never ever, for the life of me, understand women.”

Harry blinked and quickly put his plate back down on the table. “Okay.”

Duo tried to suppress a smile.

Ron quickly threw his partially open book bag down on the floor and tried to fix his ruffled robes as he spoke. “Honestly, they say they want this to be a serious relationship. They want to take things slow.” He flopped his arms up and down in a half shrug, half chicken dance motion. “How am I supposed to know what that means?”

Harry saw his bodyguards shoot each other slightly panicked glances. They were all guys here, but four of the six of them were confirmed homosexuals. They didn't really have a good grasp of the female psyche either.

Harry would never claim to be a guru on the psychological working of anyone- never mind girls- but Ron had been his friend for six years and he needed help.

Harry just hoped he could.

“What happened?”

Ron shot an uncomfortable glance around them room before clearing his throat and speaking. “This doesn't leave the room, right? I can't believe I'm going to tell you this Harry, but you've always been the one to try and make me and Mione agree.”

`Not lately.' Harry thought sadly. Things just hadn't been the same since his return, but it felt….nice to know Ron still came to him when he needed help.

Quatre smiled at the two. “We won't say anything. Just talk to Harry- we'll continue with our meal elsewhere.”

Ron held up a hand. “No, you've got to keep him safe and stuff. It's okay.” He sighed gustily. “Harry, I don't know what to do. Hermione's mad at me and she says I need to figure it out on my own before she'll speak to me again and Seamus and Dean were no help- they only laughed at me- and Neville was blushing so much I thought he'd taken a bite of some Nosebleed Nougat by mistake or something-“

Harry put his hand son his best friend's shoulders and shook him slightly. “Ron. Just tell me what happened.”

Zero was expecting something rather silly and insensitive had occurred between the two Gryffindors. Perhaps Ron had made a comment on muggle-borns or House Elves or even witches in general.

The freckled Gryffindor scrunched his face up and just blurted it out.

“Hermione's mad at me because I wouldn't have sex with her.”

Someone at the table behind the duo dropped their fork and let it clatter against their plate. Someone made a choking noise. The others were silent.

Harry let go of his friend in surprise before awkwardly starting to rub at his forehead. How did he get into these kinds of situations? Why did Ron think Harry, of all people, could be the one to help him with this?

`Just try.' Zero prompted as Ron's shoulder's drooped. `Gather more information and solve the problem. Mission accomplished.'

Harry internally glared at himself. `Ha, ha. My friends' love lives are not missions.'

Zero beeped. `It is simpler to treat them as such.'

The black-haired Gryffindor pushed his friend into a chair and quickly sat down on the couch across from him. “Okay. Hermione wanted to…” He couldn't even say it. Hermione was like a sister to him- the whole idea was kind of disturbing.

Ron seemed to understand his dilemma and nodded tightly. “Yeah.”

“And you didn't?”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

Harry blinked. “Why not?”

The very idea went against everything he knew about the teenage male. Ron was pretty much his model for the typical guy, everything he did that didn't seem normal was measured against what his knowledge of Ron's life had taught him.

Seeing his friend become an exception to the norm was frustratingly irritating.

The youngest Weasley male sighed again, playing with a loose thread on his robes.

“I want to do her right, you know? Hermione's- she's special. She's my best friend- besides you-“ Harry nodded and let him continue. “So she's more than just another girlfriend. Mum loves her to death and Bill already threatened to leave me in the middle of Gringotts if I ever hurt her but I won't.”

Even quieter he said, “I don't want to rush this and hurt her, Harry.”

Well. Wasn't that oddly thoughtful? Truthfully, he had agreed with Hermione when she had once said Ron had the emotional range of a teaspoon. Turns out they were both wrong.

`Administer preprogramed advice for efficient solution.' Zero reminded him.

Harry ran a hand through his hair tiredly. “Did you tell her that?”

“No.” came the low reply. Ron grumbled. “It's not like she gave me a choice either. Plus, that girl's mental and she knows that scary spell with those bloody birds.”

The jade-eyed teen shot his friend a slightly dark look. “You spent most of last year with your tongue down Lavender's throat. Hermione is obviously seeing your hesitance about sex as you not being physically attracted to her.”

Ron blinked and then gapped at Harry. Then a light seemed to go off behind his eyes. “When did you get so smart about these things?”

“It's simple logic Ron. Or psychology in this case.”

“Oh. Muggle stuff…maybe that's why I don't get it.”

Harry smirked slightly. “Maybe.”

The scraping of forks against plates had the two wizards drifting off into silence, staring at the fireplace. The silence was slowly becoming awkward, and Harry was just about to offer Ron an out when the red head spoke again, surprising him.

“Haven't really seen each other much this year, eh mate?”

Harry shot a look back at his five…..friends? Whatever they were.

“Third wheel's really not that much fun, Ron.”

A frown crossed his friend's face. “You know me and Mione don't see-“

“I know.” He assured him, feeling vulnerable. “It's not just you guys. I'm….not the same.”

Ron snorted. “Yeah. I didn't really notice it too much until you left. Dumbledore-“

Harry suppressed the angry bubble of emotion that surged up at his friend's sudden stop. Really, what did they expect him to do when they left him nothing to anchor himself to them? He had been left adrift by the only people he ever expected something from.

“I suppose I can't be told?”

Ron flushed. “No. Wish I could, mate but-“

“I can't be trusted.” The words came out tasting bitter. It seemed to be a deep running well of anger behind those words as Harry found himself continuing. “You all thought I'd come back from there and still be your naiveté little boy-hero, the one who thought the best of everyone. No one likes how…jaded I've become.”

“No! Harry-mate, that's not right!”

The words seemed to explode from Ron as he sat up straight in his chair. Vaguely horrified disbelief had morphed his face into something that resembled a fish.

“It's not like that- not, not completely.” Harry watched as he stumbled over the right words. “I'm not going to lie to you and say it's not a matter of trust. We've got- we're go to be careful now, more than before, since you got captured.”

Zero pushed the flicker of guilt away at those words. Harry always had had a trouble with guilt and to where-or who- it was appropriately allotted. He just tried to shoulder most of it himself.

Ron was uncomfortable again; his cheeks pink and his brow slightly damp, but his blue eyes were clear and steady as he spoke.

“It's- if anything, we feel guilty, mate. Everyone- Dumbledore, The Order, Remus, Mum and Dad, even Hermione and me.”

Harry snorted, smiling softly at his friend. “What do you have to feel bad about? You guys have been my best friends- my family- for years.”

Ron didn't smile back, his expression solemn. “Harry….we know what you're expected to do. You're the hero- you're going to save us because that's all you know how to do but we've…..we've been expecting you to do it all by yourself.”

The jade-eyed Gryffindor blinked. “But…you and Hermione…you guys have helped me- the Philosopher's Stone the Chamber of Secrets- Sirius!”

“And it wasn't until I was a stupid, jealous prat during Fourth that I realized you're…you're just my age- younger actually- and we're all sitting back and waiting for you to charge into this madness all alone and save the day.” Ron's face betrayed his guilt and his horror at the thought. “Harry, we expect so much of you- the least we could do is keep you safe, damn it.”

“That's ridiculous, Ron. I don't want to put any of you in danger just to keep me safe.”

The other teen sighed and shot him an amusedly irritated look. “Too bad. We are your army, Harry Potter. You're allies and your family. You're the king in this bloody chess match- err, not really.” He added at Harry's scowl. “We've failed to protect you. Dumbledore went and put you with those bloody muggles and practically let you get captured! Merlin's beard, we couldn't even find you to come and rescue you- you had to save yourself. Again.”

Harry felt….weird. His skin was warm but tingly- like flobberworms had taken up residence in his muscles. He didn't like feeling like this- he wanted it to stop. It felt threatening…or something.

Clearing his throat, Harry stood. “You should probably find Hermione before she can work herself up into a fit. I'd like to avoid another month long stint of playing messenger.”

Ron looked at his friend's expression and nodded with a disappointed air. Harry didn't seem to get it. He'd just have to get his wayward girlfriend to speak to him.

“I'll let you know how it goes. Send a search party if I don't make it to supper.”

Harry nodded and watched his friend leave again before heading towards the table. His five watchdogs had been surprisingly silent through the whole….ordeal. That seemed to be the right word for something so….trying.

Quatre opened his mouth to say something Harry guessed would be scarily understanding but Trowa deafly put one hand on his lover's in a signal to leave it alone. Duo seemed to be holding himself in tight check.

Heero shoved a bowl of dry cereal under their charge and pushed the milk jug towards his elbow. “Eat, Potter.”

Harry didn't argue and quickly poured out the remaining milk.

`That was informative.' Zero commented as Harry poked at his cereal. His toast had stayed warm on the tray but the strawberry jam was almost all gone. `We could use this to our advantage.'

`If you say so.' Harry responded as he watched Quatre and Duo prepare to bring back their dirty dishes. Feeling like someone was watching him intently, Harry turned his head to see Heero's intense bleu gaze on him. Something in those eyes told him to tread carefully. Heero was suspicious.

`I think we have bigger problems.'

Zero beeped. `Affirmative.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next base is attacked when Hogwarts goes into lockdown dn the pilots loose Harry. Harry underestimates his time and Phoenix takes on damage- when he returns Remus, Dumbledore and the g-boys are waiting form him. They fight and Harry goes ZERO again, startling the boys when he verbally commences his own shutdown.

 

 

ç§ã¯æ„›ã™ 7;‚‹